Depression, Internet Gaming Disorder, and the moderating effect of the gamer-avatar relationship: an exploratory longitudinal study

Research into Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) literature largely uses cross-sectional designs and seldom examines gaming context-related factors. Therefore, the present study combined a cross-sectional and longitudinal design to examine depression and the gamer-avatar relationship (GAR) as risk factors in the development of IGD among emerging adults. IGD behaviors of 125 gamers (64 online gamers, Mage = 23.3 years, SD= 3.4; 61 offline gamers, Mage = 23.0 years, SD= 3.4) were assessed using the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short Form (IGDS-SF9; Pontes & Griffiths, 2015). The Self-Presence Scale (Ratan & Dawson, 2015) and the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) were also used to assess gamers’ levels of GAR and depressive symptoms respectively. Regression and moderation analyses revealed that depression and the GAR act as individual risk factors in the development of IGD over time. Furthermore, the GAR exacerbates the IGD risk effect of depression

Internet Gaming Disorder: the interplay between physical activity and user–avatar relationship

Understanding both the risk and protective factors associated with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been viewed by many in the gaming studies field as an area of research priority. The present study focused on the potential risk and protective effects of user-avatar (game figure) relationship and physical activity (PA) respectively. To address these aims, a cross-sectional and a longitudinal mixed-methods design were combined (comprising both psychological and physiological assessments). A sample of 121 emerging adult gamers (18%29 years) residing in Australia, who played massively multiplayer online games, were assessed in relation to their IGD behaviors using the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form. Additionally, the Proto-Self-Presence scale was used to evaluate the extent to which gamers identified with the body of their avatar. Finally, a PA monitor (Fit Bit Flex ) measured levels of energy consumed during real world daily activities (active minutes). A number of linear regressions and moderation analyses were conducted. Findings confirmed that Proto-Self-Presence functioned as an IGD risk factor and that PA acted protectively, weakening the association between Proto-Self-Presence and IGD behaviors. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to IGD treatment and gaming development aspects

Interplays of psychometric abilities on learning gross anatomy

In recent years, there has been international debate concerning how students learn anatomy. The rapid increase in scientific knowledge has put pressure on the place of anatomy within the medical and allied health professional curricula, as well as the design and structure of anatomy courses. In this regard, relatively little is known about what medical and allied health professions students want from an anatomy course or how they learn it. To assess students’ learning approaches and perceptions of anatomy, a series of psychometric tests were administered to Medical (n=82), Podiatry (n=21), and Pharmacy (n=74) students in the United Kingdom. Analysis of the Anatomy Learning Experience (ALE) questionnaire revealed a predominantly positive attitude towards anatomy and the dissection room, with most valuing cadaveric dissection and not regarding it as a daunting environment. Further to this, analysis of the Approaches to Studying Inventory for Students (ASSIST) revealed predominant preferences for strategic and deep approaches. Personality traits were associated with certain learning approaches; neuroticism with surface (p=0.038), conscientiousness with both a deep and strategic approach (p=0.000 and p=0.060 respectively). Certain personality traits were also found to be associated with anatomy experience e.g. neuroticism and achievement striving felt the most effective way to learn was to get their hands in and feel for structures (p=0.044 and p=0.012 respectively). This study concludes that undergraduate students of medicine, podiatry and pharmacy learn anatomy in slightly different ways. Preparation for classroom activities should centre on the promotion of an optimum learning environment and teaching strategies which promote a deep approach to learning. Understanding students’ personality and learning experiences should help teachers improve the students’ learning of anatomy for effective application to clinical practice

From chaos to order: Chain-length dependence of the free energy of formation of meso-tetraalkylporphyrin self-assembled monolayer polymorphs

© 2016 American Chemical Society. We demonstrate that systematic errors can be reduced and physical insight gained through investigation of the dependence of free energies for meso-tetraalkylporphyrin self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) polymorphism on the alkyl chain length m. These SAMs form on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) from organic solution, displaying manifold densities and atomic structures. SAMs with m = 11-19 are investigated experimentally while those with m = 6-28 are simulated using density-functional theory (DFT). It is shown that, for m = 15 or more, the alkyl chains crystallize to dominate SAM structure. Meso-tetraalkylporphyrin SAMs of length less than 11 have never been observed, a presumed effect of inadequate surface attraction. Instead, we show that free energies of SAM formation actually enhance as the chain length decreases. The inability to image regular SAMs stems from the appearance of many polymorphic forms of similar free energy, preventing SAM ordering. We also demonstrate a significant odd/even effect in SAM structure arising from packing anomalies. Comparison of the chain-length dependence of formation free energies allows the critical dispersion interactions between molecules, solvent, and substrate to be directly examined. Interpretation of the STM data combined with measured enthalpies indicates that Grimme's D3 explicit-dispersion correction and the implicit solvent correction of Floris, Tomasi and Pascual Ahuir are both quantitatively accurate and very well balanced to each other

Towards designing robust coupled networks

Natural and technological interdependent systems have been shown to be highly vulnerable due to cascading failures and an abrupt collapse of global connectivity under initial failure. Mitigating the risk by partial disconnection endangers their functionality. Here we propose a systematic strategy of selecting a minimum number of autonomous nodes that guarantee a smooth transition in robustness. Our method which is based on betweenness is tested on various examples including the famous 2003 electrical blackout of Italy. We show that, with this strategy, the necessary number of autonomous nodes can be reduced by a factor of five compared to a random choice. We also find that the transition to abrupt collapse follows tricritical scaling characterized by a set of exponents which is independent on the protection strategy

Increased brain-predicted aging in treated HIV disease

Objective: To establish whether HIV disease is associated with abnormal levels of age-related brain atrophy, by estimating apparent brain age using neuroimaging and exploring whether these estimates related to HIV status, age, cognitive performance, and HIV-related clinical parameters. Methods: A large sample of virologically suppressed HIV-positive adults (n = 162, age 45-82 years) and highly comparable HIV-negative controls (n = 105) were recruited as part of the Comorbidity in Relation to AIDS (COBRA) collaboration. Using T1-weighted MRI scans, a machinelearning model of healthy brain aging was defined in an independent cohort (n = 2,001, aged 1890 years). Neuroimaging data from HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals were then used to estimate brain-predicted age; then brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD 5 brain-predicted brain age 2 chronological age) scores were calculated. Neuropsychological and clinical assessments were also carried out. Results: HIV-positive individuals had greater brain-PAD score (mean +/- SD 2.15 +/- 7.79 years) compared to HIV-negative individuals (20.87 +/- 8.40 years; b = 3.48, p < 0.01). Increased brainPAD score was associated with decreased performance in multiple cognitive domains (information processing speed, executive function, memory) and general cognitive performance across all participants. Brain-PAD score was not associated with age, duration of HIV infection, or other HIV-related measures. Conclusion: Increased apparent brain aging, predicted using neuroimaging, was observed in HIV-positive adults, despite effective viral suppression. Furthermore, the magnitude of increased apparent brain aging related to cognitive deficits. However, predicted brain age difference did not correlate with chronological age or duration of HIV infection, suggesting that HIV disease may accentuate rather than accelerate brain aging