Why different motives matter in sustaining online contributions

Organizations are using voluntary services of contributors on the Internet to increase the value they provide to customers. To sustain such sites, administrators need to encourage repeated contributions from individuals. This study draws upon the volunteer process model to develop a mid-range theory of sustained online contribution behavior at product review sites. I test this theory using a survey of 235 contributors, and their contribution and social network data at Amazon.com. The results support hypotheses on the positive influence of the understanding and social-adjustive motive toward specific others in sustaining two aspects of repeated contribution behavior: contribution frequency and contribution volume. The negative influence of the altruistic and social-adjustive motive toward general others on contribution volume suggests a theoretical extension. This study offers an approach to understanding the relative importance of motives in sustaining repeated contribution behavior in online contexts.     

Discovery of Small Molecule Activators of Chemokine Receptor CXCR4 That Improve Diabetic Wound Healing

Diabetes produces a chronic inflammatory state that contributes to the development of vascular disease and impaired wound healing. Despite the known individual and societal impacts of diabetic ulcers, there are limited therapies effective at improving healing. Stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) is a CXC chemokine that functions via activation of the CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) receptor to recruit hematopoietic cells to locations of tissue injury and promote tissue repair. The expression of SDF-1α is reduced in diabetic wounds, suggesting a potential contribution to wound healing impairment and presenting the CXCR4 receptor as a target for therapeutic investigations. We developed a high-throughput β-arrestin recruitment assay and conducted structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies to screen compounds for utility as CXCR4 agonists. We identified CXCR4 agonist UCUF-728 from our studies and further validated its activity in vitro in diabetic fibroblasts. UCUF-728 reduced overexpression of miRNA-15b and miRNA-29a, negative regulators of angiogenesis and type I collagen production, respectively, in diabetic fibroblasts. In vivo, UCUF-728 reduced the wound closure time by 36% and increased the evidence of angiogenesis in diabetic mice. Together, this work demonstrates the clinical potential of small molecule CXCR4 agonists as novel therapies for pathologic wound healing in diabetes.     

How individuals choose topics to contribute at an online context

User generated content is being recognized as part of the value proposition of e-commerce organizations. To make available fresh content on topics, one needs to understand how individuals consider existing contributions in their decision to contribute. This study develops and tests three hypotheses based on a survey and archival data of 235 contributors of reviews at Amazon.com. Results from a LISREL analysis indicate that those with greater self-perceived competence tend to submit content on topics with fewer existing contributions. On the other hand, those with higher social adjustive motive toward others in general tend to contribute on topics where there are many existing contributions. In contrast, people for whom the social adjustive motive toward specific others is salient are equally likely to contribute on topics with few and many existing contributions. These findings suggest ways for site administrators to ensure a balanced coverage across topics by addressing these individual and social factors.