“You Know You’re Going to Fail, Right?”: Learning From Design Flaws in Just Press Play at RIT

Abstract: In the fall of 2010, faculty in the School of Interactive Games & Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology began the initial planning for an achievement system meant to recognize and reward student engagement in non-curricular activities—specifically activities that successful graduates of the program regularly cited as significant factors in their undergraduate experience. This paper describes the design process used to create the initial version of the Just Press Play system, the results of the implementation during the 2011-12 academic year, and the significant redesign of the system that took place based on assessment of the first year of the system. We focus on the elements that didn’t work in our initial design, and how those failures informed our redesign process

Correlations between experienced fatigue, physiological fatigue and motor unit function in patients with demyelinating peripheral nerve disorders

Fatigue is a common complaint in patients with neurological disorders. Fatigue is well documented in disorders of the central nervous system such as multiple sclerosis and post-stroke. Although acknowledged, fatigue in disorders of the peripheral nervous system is less studied and underlying pathophysiology is not understood. It has been hypothesised that fatigue may relate to progressive loss of peripheral motor units or disorganised peripheral motor unit firing. This study aimed to explore experienced fatigue in chronic demyelinating disorders of the peripheral nerves and relationship with quality of life. The study also aimed to investigate peripheral motor unit function using a newly-developed electrophysiology technique, explore how this relates to self-reported experience of fatigue and development of muscle fatigue during exertion. Fatigue in patients with chronic demyelinating disorders of the peripheral nervous system appears to be negatively correlated with quality of life. Patients with both acquired and hereditary chronic demyelinating peripheral nerve disorders have reduced number of motor units assessed using MUNIX technique compared to control subjects. However, no clear relationship is found between number of functioning peripheral motor units and fatigue levels experienced by patients. Depression and reduced grip strength were significant predictors of higher experienced fatigue levels in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. This suggests fatigue in this patient group is likely to be multifactorial, with physical and psychological contributors. Significant changes in MUNIX values were found following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, highlighting a potential role as a monitoring tool for treatment response

Game Design & Development Curriculum: History & Future Directions

It has been nearly twenty years since the first undergraduate degree program in computer game development was established in 1998. Since that time, the number and size of programs in game design and development have grown at a rapid pace. While there were early efforts to establish curricular guidelines for the field, these face a number of challenges given the diverse range of academic homes for game-related programs. This panel will address the history of curricular development in the field, both in individual programs and across institutions. It will also explore the potential risks and rewards of developing curricular and/or accreditation guidelines for the field

Peripheral nerve electrophysiology studies in relation to fatigue in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy

Objective To explore the relationship between fatigue, standard electrophysiological parameters and number and size of functioning motor units in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Methods Experienced fatigue was assessed using the linearly-weighted, modified Rasch-built fatigue severity scale (R-FSS) and the multidimensional Checklist of Individual Strength (CIS). Averaged electrophysiology values were calculated from multiple nerves. Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX) technique was utilised to assess motor unit function. Assessments were repeated in 15 patients receiving regular intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, with changes in parameters calculated. Results R-FSS and CIS scores did not correlate MUNIX or MUSIX sum scores from 3 different muscles. Inverse correlation was observed only between distal CMAP area and R-FSS but not CIS scores. However, changes in distal CMAP area and R-FSS scores on repeat assessment were not correlated. Conclusions Experienced fatigue does not appear to correlate with loss of functioning motor units in patients with CIDP. Changes in experienced fatigue on repeat assessment did not correlate with changes in any of the electrophysiological parameters, suggesting fatigue experienced in CIDP is not strongly correlated with peripheral nerve dysfunction. Significance Nerve conduction studies and MUNIX values do not appear to be useful surrogate markers for fatigue in CID

The origins and fill histories of buried palaeo valley systems and overdeepened bedrock troughs in the Midland Valley of Scotland

‘Buried’ palaeo valley systems have been identified widely beneath lowland parts of the UK and the North Sea. Their concealed occurrence can have significant implications for groundwater, hydrocarbon and geothermal resources. Equally the links between geometry and the sediments that infill them are poorly understood but provide important clues to their genesis and applied properties. In the Midland Valley of Scotland ‘buried valleys’ of over 100 m depth have been recorded yet have typically only been studied in isolation. Utilising a digital dataset of over 100,000 boreholes which penetrates the full thickness of Quaternary deposits in the Midland Valley of Scotland, 18 buried palaeo valleys where identified, ranging from 5-36 km in length and 24-162 m in depth. Geometric analysis has revealed four distinct valley morphologies, some of which appear to cross cut each other with the deepest features aligning east-west. These east-west features align with the ice flow during the Late Devensian glaciation (c. 30-17 ka). The shallower features, appear more aligned to ice flow direction during ice sheet retreat, and were therefore probably incised under more restricted ice-sheet configurations. Analysis of the fills shows they also vary greatly. The shallower restricted ice sheet features are filled with between 52-82% diamicton. However, the large, east-west features have more heterogeneous fills, which are either dominated by clay (29-44%) or sand (6-22%). The presence of localised sand and gravels that pre-date the advance of the Main Late Devensian ice sheet confirms that the east-west features have been active over several glaciations, and that the fill may not be linked to the processes that cut the valley. All the features that sit below the Holocene marine incursion limits have more heterolithic fills than those above it suggesting that they existed as valleys after ice retreat with remaining accommodation space infilled during a final stage of marine inundation

Prevalence and clinical correlates of non-convulsive status epilepticus in elderly patients with acute confusional state: A systematic literature review

Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is a potentially treatable condition that poses considerable diagnostic challenges. NCSE is thought to be more common in the elderly than in the general population, however additional diagnostic challenges complicate its recognition in older patients, because of the wide differential diagnosis with common underlying causes of acute confusional state in this age group. We set out to review the existing evidence on the clinical correlates of NCSE in the elderly population. A systematic literature review was conducted according to the methodological standards outlined in the PRISMA statement to assess the clinical correlates of NCSE in patients aged 60 or older. Our literature search identified 11 relevant studies, which confirmed that the incidence of NCSE increases with age, in particular with regard to focal forms with impairment of consciousness. Female gender, history of epilepsy (or a recently witnessed seizure with motor features), and abnormal ocular movements appeared to correlate with the diagnosis of NCSE in the elderly, prompting prioritization of electroencephalography tests for diagnostic confirmation. Epidemiological data in the elderly vary widely because of the heterogeneity of definitions and diagnostic criteria applied across different studies. Based on our findings, it is recommended to keep a low threshold for requesting electroencephalography tests to confirm the diagnosis of NCSE in elderly patients with acute confusional state, even in the presence of a presumed symptomatic cause

Genome Resources for Climate‐Resilient Cowpea, an Essential Crop for Food Security

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is a legume crop that is resilient to hot and drought‐prone climates, and a primary source of protein in sub‐Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world. However, genome resources for cowpea have lagged behind most other major crops. Here we describe foundational genome resources and their application to the analysis of germplasm currently in use in West African breeding programs. Resources developed from the African cultivar IT97K‐499‐35 include a whole‐genome shotgun (WGS) assembly, a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) physical map, and assembled sequences from 4355 BACs. These resources and WGS sequences of an additional 36 diverse cowpea accessions supported the development of a genotyping assay for 51 128 SNPs, which was then applied to five bi‐parental RIL populations to produce a consensus genetic map containing 37 372 SNPs. This genetic map enabled the anchoring of 100 Mb of WGS and 420 Mb of BAC sequences, an exploration of genetic diversity along each linkage group, and clarification of macrosynteny between cowpea and common bean. The SNP assay enabled a diversity analysis of materials from West African breeding programs. Two major subpopulations exist within those materials, one of which has significant parentage from South and East Africa and more diversity. There are genomic regions of high differentiation between subpopulations, one of which coincides with a cluster of nodulin genes. The new resources and knowledge help to define goals and accelerate the breeding of improved varieties to address food security issues related to limited‐input small‐holder farming and climate stress

GPR35 promotes glycolysis, proliferation, and oncogenic signaling by engaging with the sodium potassium pump.

The sodium potassium pump (Na/K-ATPase) ensures the electrochemical gradient of a cell through an energy-dependent process that consumes about one-third of regenerated ATP. We report that the G protein-coupled receptor GPR35 interacted with the α chain of Na/K-ATPase and promotes its ion transport and Src signaling activity in a ligand-independent manner. Deletion of Gpr35 increased baseline Ca2+ to maximal levels and reduced Src activation and overall metabolic activity in macrophages and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). In contrast, a common T108M polymorphism in GPR35 was hypermorphic and had the opposite effects to Gpr35 deletion on Src activation and metabolic activity. The T108M polymorphism is associated with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory diseases with a high cancer risk. GPR35 promoted homeostatic IEC turnover, whereas Gpr35 deletion or inhibition by a selective pepducin prevented inflammation-associated and spontaneous intestinal tumorigenesis in mice. Thus, GPR35 acts as a central signaling and metabolic pacesetter, which reveals an unexpected role of Na/K-ATPase in macrophage and IEC biology.European Research Council Consolidator Grant n° 648889 to A.K. Scientia Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-COFUND) grant agreement n° 609020 to G.S. Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT 25/16A) to J.E.E. UniNA and Compagnia Di San Paolo ‘STAR program for young researchers’ fellowship to E.P