2,752 research outputs found
Putting the “Gay” in Gamers: Increasing Identification with Homosexuals Through Video Games
Priming out-groups and taking the perspective of out-group members increases implicit and explicit identification with out-groups. Because the popularity of video games has increased dramatically over the past few decades and they have become an influential form of media, the current study investigated video games as another potential strategy to increase identification with and reduce prejudice against out-groups. Specifically, I investigated how manipulating the sexual orientation of the video game character participants used influenced implicit and explicit identification with homosexuals and implicit and explicit prejudice against homosexuals. Additionally, I investigated whether implicit and explicit identification with homosexuals would mediate the impact of video games on prejudice. Though I recruited enough participants to detect a medium effect size (169 participants in the final analyses), pre-registered analyses (osf.io/ynaw7) indicated that the sexual orientation of a video game character did not influence identification with or prejudice against homosexuals. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that among participants that identified with the video game character and played as a Gay character had increased explicit identification with and reduced prejudice against homosexuals. The possibility that increasing the strength of the manipulation by having participants play the game for multiple sessions, customize characters, and incorporating storytelling into the game are discussed
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Effect of Brief Biofeedback via a Smartphone App on Stress Recovery: Randomized Experimental Study.
BACKGROUND:Smartphones are often vilified for negatively influencing well-being and contributing to stress. However, these devices may, in fact, be useful in times of stress and, in particular, aid in stress recovery. Mobile apps that deliver evidence-based techniques for stress reduction, such as heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) training, hold promise as convenient, accessible, and effective stress-reducing tools. Numerous mobile health apps that may potentially aid in stress recovery are available, but very few have demonstrated that they can influence health-related physiological stress parameters (eg, salivary biomarkers of stress). The ability to recover swiftly from stress and reduce physiological arousal is particularly important for long-term health, and thus, it is imperative that evidence is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of stress-reducing mobile health apps in this context. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this research was to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of using a smartphone app for HRVB training following a stressful experience. The efficacy of the gamified Breather component of the Happify mobile health app was examined in an experimental setting. METHODS:In this study, participants (N=140) underwent a laboratory stressor and were randomly assigned to recover in one of three ways: with no phone present, with a phone present, with the HRBV game. Those in the no phone condition had no access to their phone. Those in the phone present condition had their phone but did not use it. Those in the HRVB game condition used the serious game Breather on the Happify app. Stress recovery was assessed via repeated measures of salivary alpha amylase, cortisol, and self-reported acute stress (on a 1-100 scale). RESULTS:Participants in the HRVB game condition had significantly lower levels of salivary alpha amylase during recovery than participants in the other conditions (F2,133=3.78, P=.03). There were no significant differences among the conditions during recovery for salivary cortisol levels or self-reported stress. CONCLUSIONS:These results show that engaging in a brief HRVB training session on a smartphone reduces levels of salivary alpha amylase following a stressful experience, providing preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of Breather in improving physiological stress recovery. Given the known ties between stress recovery and future well-being, this study provides a possible mechanism by which gamified biofeedback apps may lead to better health
Arene oxidation with malonoyl peroxides
Malonoyl peroxide 7, prepared in a single step from the commercially available diacid, is an effective reagent for the
oxidation of aromatics. Reaction of an arene with peroxide 7 at room temperature leads to the corresponding protected phenol
which can be unmasked by aminolysis. An ionic mechanism consistent with the experimental findings and supported by isotopic
labeling, Hammett analysis, EPR investigations and reactivity profile studies is proposed
First-principles study on the intermediate compounds of LiBH
We report the results of the first-principles calculation on the intermediate
compounds of LiBH. The stability of LiBH and LiBH has been examined with the ultrasoft pseudopotential method based on
the density functional theory. Theoretical prediction has suggested that
monoclinic LiBH is the most stable among the candidate
materials. We propose the following hydriding/dehydriding process of LiBH
via this intermediate compound : LiBHLiBH LiH HLiH B H. The hydrogen content and enthalpy of the first
reaction are estimated to be 10 mass% and 56 kJ/mol H, respectively, and
those of the second reaction are 4 mass% and 125 kJ/mol H. They are in good
agreement with experimental results of the thermal desorption spectra of
LiBH. Our calculation has predicted that the bending modes for the
-phonon frequencies of monoclinic LiBH are lower than
that of LiBH, while stretching modes are higher. These results are very
useful for the experimental search and identification of possible intermediate
compounds.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR
Investigating Ca II emission in the RS CVn binary ER Vulpeculae using the Broadening Function Formalism
The synchronously rotating G stars in the detached, short-period (0.7 d),
partially eclipsing binary, ER Vul, are the most chromospherically active
solar-type stars known. We have monitored activity in the Ca II H & K reversals
for almost an entire orbit. Rucinski's Broadening Function Formalism allows the
photospheric contribution to be objectively subtracted from the highly blended
spectra. The power of the BF technique is also demonstrated by the good
agreement of radial velocities with those measured by others from less crowded
spectral regions. In addition to strong Ca II emission from the primary and
secondary, there appears to be a high-velocity stream flowing onto the
secondary where it stimulates a large active region on the surface 30 - 40
degrees in advance of the sub-binary longitude. A model light curve with a spot
centered on the same longitude also gives the best fit to the observed light
curve. A flare with approximately 13% more power than at other phases was
detected in one spectrum. We suggest ER Vul may offer a magnified view of the
more subtle chromospheric effects synchronized to planetary revolution seen in
certain `51 Peg'-type systems.Comment: Accepted to AJ; 17 pages and 16 figure
The design of organic catalysis for epoxidation by hydrogen peroxide
The potential of various organic species to catalyze epoxidation of ethene by hydrogen peroxide is explored with B3LYP/6-31G* DFT calculations
VLBI for Gravity Probe B. VII. The Evolution of the Radio Structure of IM Pegasi
We present measurements of the total radio flux density as well as
very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) images of the star, IM Pegasi, which
was used as the guide star for the NASA/Stanford relativity mission Gravity
Probe B. We obtained flux densities and images from 35 sessions of observations
at 8.4 GHz (wavelength = 3.6 cm) between 1997 January and 2005 July. The
observations were accurately phase-referenced to several extragalactic
reference sources, and we present the images in a star-centered frame, aligned
by the position of the star as derived from our fits to its orbital motion,
parallax, and proper motion. Both the flux density and the morphology of IM Peg
are variable. For most sessions, the emission region has a single-peaked
structure, but 25% of the time, we observed a two-peaked (and on one occasion
perhaps a three-peaked) structure. On average, the emission region is elongated
by 1.4 +- 0.4 mas (FWHM), with the average direction of elongation being close
to that of the sky projection of the orbit normal. The average length of the
emission region is approximately equal to the diameter of the primary star. No
significant correlation with the orbital phase is found for either the flux
density or the direction of elongation, and no preference for any particular
longitude on the star is shown by the emission region.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement
Serie
Solid-State and Gas-Phase Structures and Energetic Properties of the Dangerous Methyl and Fluoromethyl Nitrates
Reichel M, Krumm B, Vishnevskiy Y, et al. Solid-State and Gas-Phase Structures and Energetic Properties of the Dangerous Methyl and Fluoromethyl Nitrates. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). 2019;58(51):18557-18561.An improved synthesis of the simplest nitric acid ester, methyl nitrate, and a new synthesis of fluoromethyl nitrate use the metathesis of the corresponding iodomethanes with silver nitrate. Both compounds were identified by spectroscopy and the structures determined for in situ grown crystals by X-ray diffraction as well as in the gas phase by electron diffraction. Fluorination leads to structures with shorter C-O and N-O bonds, has an energetically destabilizing effect and increases friction sensitivity, but decreases detonation performance. © 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Loaded with p5, Derived from CDK5 Activator p35, Inhibit Calcium-Induced CDK5 Activation in Endothelial Cells.
The potential use of stem cells as therapeutics in disease has gained momentum over the last few years and recently phase-I clinical trials have shown favourable results in treatment of a small cohort of acute stroke patients. Similarly, they have been used in preclinical models drug-loaded for the effective treatment of solid tumours. Here we have characterized uptake and release of a novel p5-cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) inhibitory peptide by mesenchymal stem cells and showed release levels capable of blocking aberrant cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) signaling pathways, through phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and p53. These pathways represent the major acute mechanism stimulating apoptosis after stroke and hence its modulation could benefit patient recovery. This work indicates a potential use for drug-loaded stem cells as delivery vehicles for stroke therapeutics and in addition as anticancer receptacles particularly, if a targeting and/or holding mechanism can be defined
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