Influential Article Review- Video Games and Its Effect on Adolescent Behavior

This paper examines psychology. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper: In this study, we investigated the extent to which adolescents who spend time playing violent video games exhibit higher levels of aggressive behaviour when compared with those who do not. A large sample of British adolescent participants (n ¼ 1004) aged 14 and 15 years and an equal number of their carers were interviewed. Young people provided reports of their recent gaming experiences. Further, the violent contents of these games were coded using official EU and US ratings, and carers provided evaluations of their adolescents’ aggressive behaviours in the past month. Following a pre registered analysis plan, multiple regression analyses tested the hypothesis that recent violent game play is linearly and positively related to career assessments of aggressive behaviour. Results did not support this prediction, nor did they support the idea that the relationship between these factors follows a nonlinear parabolic function. There was no evidence for a critical tipping point relating violent game engagement to aggressive behaviour. Sensitivity and exploratory analyses indicated these null effects extended across multiple operationalizations of violent game engagement and when the focus was on another behavioural outcome, namely, prosocial behaviour. The discussion presents an interpretation of this pattern of effects in terms of both the ongoing scientific and policy debates around violent video games, and emerging standards for robust evidence-based policy concerning young people’s technology use. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German

Demographic and Clnical Characteristics of Military Service Members Hospitalized Following a Suicide Attempt versus Suicide Ideation

Psychiatric hospitalization for a suicide attempt (SA), rather than suicide ideation (SI) alone, is a stronger risk indicator for eventual suicide death. Yet, little is known about demographic and clinical characteristics differentiating those admitted for SA versus SI. Understanding these differences has implications for assessment and treatment. A retrospective review of electronic medical records (EMRs) was performed on service members (n = 955) admitted for SA or SI at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center between 2001–2006. Service members hospitalized for SA were younger compared to those hospitalized for SI. The proportion of women admitted for SA was significantly higher than those admitted for SI whereas their male counterparts showed the opposite pattern. Patients admitted for SA, versus SI, had significantly higher prevalence of adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotion and conduct (MDEC), personality disorder not otherwise specified (PDNOS), and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Patients admitted for SI had significantly higher prevalence of adjustment disorder with depressed mood and deferred Axis II diagnosis, compared to those admitted for SA. There were no significant between-group differences in the average or median number of documented prior suicide attempts. Findings highlight the need for more standardized assessment, diagnostic decision-making, and documentation practices for all patients

IL-4 Receptor α Is an Important Modulator of IL-4 and IL-13 Receptor Binding: Implications for the Development of Therapeutic Targets

IL-4 is a key cytokine associated with allergy and asthma. Induction of cell signaling by IL-4 involves interaction with its cognate receptors, a complex of IL-4Ralpha with either the common gamma-chain or the IL-13R chain alpha1 (IL-13Ralpha1). We found that IL-4 bound to the extracellular domain of IL-4Ralpha (soluble human (sh)IL-4Ralpha) with high affinity and specificity. In contrast with the sequential mechanism of binding and stabilization afforded by IL-4Ralpha to the binding of IL-13 to IL-13Ralpha1, neither common gamma-chain nor IL-13Ralpha1 contributed significantly to the stabilization of the IL-4:IL-4Ralpha complex. Based on the different mechanisms of binding and stabilization of the IL-4R and IL-13R complexes, we compared the effects of shIL-4Ralpha and an IL-4 double mutein (R121D/Y124D, IL-4R antagonist) on IL-4- and IL-13-mediated responses. Whereas IL-4R antagonist blocked responses to both cytokines, shIL-4Ralpha only blocked IL-4. However, shIL-4Ralpha stabilized and augmented IL-13-mediated STAT6 activation and eotaxin production by primary human bronchial fibroblasts at suboptimal doses of IL-13. These data demonstrate that IL-4Ralpha plays a key role in the binding affinity of both IL-13R and IL-4R complexes. Under certain conditions, shIL-4Ralpha has the potential to stabilize binding IL-13 to its receptor to augment IL-13-mediated responses. Thus, complete understanding of the binding interactions between IL-4 and IL-13 and their cognate receptors may facilitate development of novel treatments for asthma that selectively target these cytokines without unpredicted or detrimental side effects.</p

Convective self-aggregation in numerical simulations: a review

Organized convection in the Tropics occurs across a range of spatial and temporal scales and strongly influences cloud cover and humidity. One mode of organization found is “self-aggregation”, in which moist convection spontaneously organizes into one or several isolated clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary conditions and forcing. Self-aggregation is driven by interactions between clouds, moisture, radiation, surface fluxes, and circulation, and occurs in a wide variety of idealized simulations of radiative-convective equilibrium. Here we provide a review of convective self-aggregation in numerical simulations, including its character, causes, and effects. We describe the evolution of self-aggregation including its time and length scales and the physical mechanisms leading to its triggering and maintenance, and we also discuss possible links to climate and climate change

Study of the impact of ice formation in leads upon the sea ice pack mass balance using a new frazil and grease ice parameterization

Leads are cracks in sea ice that often form because of deformation. During winter months, leads expose the ocean to the cold atmosphere, resulting in supercooling and the formation of frazil ice crystals within the mixed layer. Here the authors investigate the role of frazil ice formation in leads on the mass balance of the sea ice pack through the incorporation of a new module into the Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE). The frazil ice module considers an initial cooling of leads followed by a steady-state formation of uniformly distributed single size frazil ice crystals that precipitate to the ocean surface as grease ice. The grease ice is pushed against one of the lead edges by wind and water drag that the authors represent through a variable collection thickness for new sea ice. Simulations of the sea ice cover in the Arctic and Antarctic are performed and compared to a model that treats leads the same as the open ocean. The processes of ice formation in the new module slow down the refreezing of leads, resulting in a longer period of frazil ice production. The fraction of frazil-derived sea ice increases from 10% to 50%, corresponding better to observations. The new module has higher ice formation rates in areas of high ice concentration and thus has a greater impact within multiyear ice than it does in the marginal seas. The thickness of sea ice in the central Arctic increases by over 0.5 m, whereas within the Antarctic it remains unchanged

Clinical Significance of Hiatal Hernia

The relationship between hiatal hernias and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been greatly debated over the past decades, with the importance of hiatal hernias first being overemphasized and then later being nearly neglected. It is now understood that both the anatomical (hiatal hernia) and the physiological (lower esophageal sphincter) features of the gastroesophageal junction play important, but independent, roles in the pathogenesis of GERD, constituting the widely accepted "two-sphincter hypothesis." The gastroesophageal junction is an anatomically complex area with an inherent antireflux barrier function. However, the gastroesophageal junction becomes incompetent and esophageal acid clearance is compromised in patients with hiatal hernia, which facilitates the development of GERD. Of the different types of hiatal hernias (types I, II, III, and IV), type I (sliding) hiatal hernias are closely associated with GERD. Because GERD may lead to reflux esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, a better understanding of this association is warranted. Hiatal hernias can be diagnosed radiographically, endoscopically or manometrically, with each modality having its own limitations, especially in the diagnosis of hiatal hernias less than 2 cm in length. In the future, high resolution manometry should be a promising method for accurately assessing the association between hiatal hernias and GERD. The treatment of a hiatal hernia is similar to the management of GERD and should be reserved for those with symptoms attributable to this condition. Surgery should be considered for those patients with refractory symptoms and for those who develop complications, such as recurrent bleeding, ulcerations or strictures

Doctoral Chamber Recital

List of performers and performances

Tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells develop cytotoxic activity and eradicate large established melanoma after transfer into lymphopenic hosts

Adoptive transfer of large numbers of tumor-reactive CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) expanded and differentiated in vitro has shown promising clinical activity against cancer. However, such protocols are complicated by extensive ex vivo manipulations of tumor-reactive cells and have largely focused on CD8+ CTLs, with much less emphasis on the role and contribution of CD4+ T cells. Using a mouse model of advanced melanoma, we found that transfer of small numbers of naive tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells into lymphopenic recipients induces substantial T cell expansion, differentiation, and regression of large established tumors without the need for in vitro manipulation. Surprisingly, CD4+ T cells developed cytotoxic activity, and tumor rejection was dependent on class II–restricted recognition of tumors by tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, blockade of the coinhibitory receptor CTL-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) on the transferred CD4+ T cells resulted in greater expansion of effector T cells, diminished accumulation of tumor-reactive regulatory T cells, and superior antitumor activity capable of inducing regression of spontaneous mouse melanoma. These findings suggest a novel potential therapeutic role for cytotoxic CD4+ T cells and CTLA-4 blockade in cancer immunotherapy, and demonstrate the potential advantages of differentiating tumor-reactive CD4+ cells in vivo over current protocols favoring in vitro expansion and differentiation