Video Gaming As A Gendered Pursuit

As video game technology has evolved, so too has the gendered nature of the video gaming subculture. This chapter characterizes the broad cultural context of gaming and the shifting social patterns of gendered game play. By reviewing existing research at the intersection of gender, gaming, and consumption, we identify three primary research opportunities to build upon existing research: understanding consumers’ lived experiences in the gendered gaming subculture, exploring the gendered gaming marketplace (e.g., shopping, advertising), and investigating the systemic, structural, and cultural underpinnings of gaming. Existing research in the field is not exhaustive nor complete; rather, opportunities for research identify gaps that should be examined more fully by building on existing foundational research. We also address potential challenges of conducting gender-based research in the context of gamin

Perceived usefulness of a distributed community-based syndromic surveillance system: a pilot qualitative evaluation study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We conducted a pilot utility evaluation and information needs assessment of the Distribute Project at the 2010 Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA) Joint Conference. Distribute is a distributed community-based syndromic surveillance system and network for detection of influenza-like illness (ILI). Using qualitative methods, we assessed the perceived usefulness of the Distribute system and explored areas for improvement. Nine state and local public health professionals participated in a focus group (<it>n = 6</it>) and in semi-structured interviews (<it>n = 3</it>). Field notes were taken, summarized and analyzed.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Several emergent themes that contribute to the perceived usefulness of system data and the Distribute system were identified: 1) <it>Standardization: </it>a common ILI syndrome definition; 2) <it>Regional Comparability: </it>views that support county-by-county comparisons of syndromic surveillance data; 3) <it>Completeness: </it>complete data for all expected data at a given time; <it>4) Coverage: </it>data coverage of all jurisdictions in WA state; 5) <it>Context: </it>metadata incorporated into the views to provide context for graphed data; 6) <it>Trusted Data</it>: verification that information is valid and timely; and 7) <it>Customization: </it>the ability to customize views as necessary. As a result of the focus group, a new county level health jurisdiction expressed interest in contributing data to the Distribute system.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The resulting themes from this study can be used to guide future information design efforts for the Distribute system and other syndromic surveillance systems. In addition, this study demonstrates the benefits of conducting a low cost, qualitative evaluation at a professional conference.</p

Analysis of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses-infected monocytes: identification of cytopathic and non-cytopathic biotype differences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) infection is widespread in cattle worldwide, causing important economic losses. Pathogenesis of the disease caused by BVDV is complex, as each BVDV strain has two biotypes: non-cytopathic (ncp) and cytopathic (cp). BVDV can cause a persistent latent infection and immune suppression if animals are infected with an ncp biotype during early gestation, followed by a subsequent infection of the cp biotype. The molecular mechanisms that underscore the complex disease etiology leading to immune suppression in cattle caused by BVDV are not well understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using proteomics, we evaluated the effect of cp and ncp BVDV infection of bovine monocytes to determine their role in viral immune suppression and uncontrolled inflammation. Proteins were isolated by differential detergent fractionation and identified by 2D-LC ESI MS/MS. We identified 137 and 228 significantly altered bovine proteins due to ncp and cp BVDV infection, respectively. Functional analysis of these proteins using the Gene Ontology (GO) showed multiple under- and over- represented GO functions in molecular function, biological process and cellular component between the two BVDV biotypes. Analysis of the top immunological pathways affected by BVDV infection revealed that pathways representing macropinocytosis signalling, virus entry via endocytic pathway, integrin signalling and primary immunodeficiency signalling were identified only in ncp BVDV-infected monocytes. In contrast, pathways like actin cytoskeleton signalling, RhoA signalling, clathrin-mediated endocytosis signalling and interferon signalling were identified only in cp BDVD-infected cells. Of the six common pathways involved in cp and ncp BVDV infection, acute phase response signalling was the most significant for both BVDV biotypes. Although, most shared altered host proteins between both BVDV biotypes showed the same type of change, integrin alpha 2b (ITGA2B) and integrin beta 3 (ITGB3) were down- regulated by ncp BVDV and up- regulated by cp BVDV infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study shows that, as we expected, there are significant functional differences in the host proteins that respond to cp or ncp BVDV infection. The combined use of GO and systems biology network modelling facilitated a better understanding of host-pathogen interactions.</p

The risks and benefits of long-term use of hydroxyurea in sickle cell anemia: A 17.5 year follow-up.

A randomized, controlled clinical trial established the efficacy and safety of short-term use of hydroxyurea in adult sickle cell anemia. To examine the risks and benefits of long-term hydroxyurea usage, patients in this trial were followed for 17.5 years during which they could start or stop hydroxyurea. The purpose of this follow-up was to search for adverse outcomes and estimate mortality. For each outcome and for mortality, exact 95% confidence intervals were calculated, or tests were conducted at alpha = 0.05 level (P-value \u3c0.05 for statistical significance). Although the death rate in the overall study cohort was high (43.1%; 4.4 per 100 person-years), mortality was reduced in individuals with long-term exposure to hydroxyurea. Survival curves demonstrated a significant reduction in deaths with long-term exposure. Twenty-four percent of deaths were due to pulmonary complications; 87.1% occurred in patients who never took hydroxyurea or took it for \u3c5 years. Stroke, organ dysfunction, infection, and malignancy were similar in all groups. Our results, while no longer the product of a randomized study because of the ethical concerns of withholding an efficacious treatment, suggest that long-term use of hydroxyurea is safe and might decrease mortality

The Unwritten Rules About Breaking The Rules: Collective Frames And The Legitimation Of Contested Practices Within Consumption Communities

This research explores the legitimation of contested consumption practices in the context of a highly competitive online gaming community. Building on prior research, which has relied on an institutional perspective to shed light on how perceptions of legitimacy form and evolve in the marketplace, this research explores the role of legitimacy at the level of consumption communities to highlight the ways in which consumers socially construct “collective frames” which give meaning to action and organize these communities. In the empirical context studied here, online gamers have incorporated user-created modifications (e.g., modified game accessories, or mods ) into game play over the last several years. Though these mods are increasingly common, they remain explicitly prohibited by the game’s producers and their role in competition is heavily contested. I draw from the literatures on community, practice theory, new social movement theory and framing processes, as well as the multidisciplinary literature on legitimation to explain how consumers develop oppositional collective frames for the meaning and legitimacy attributed to an emergent contested practice. I then discuss the cultural production of inequality as a consequence of the legitimation process as the normalization of mod use restructures social organization and status hierarchy within the online gaming community. Qualitative data collection and analytical techniques are used to explore in-depth interview data, netnographic data, which includes online interactions in internet based gaming forums, as well as field notes from both participant and non-participant observatio

Update: Fusarium Keratitis - United States, 2005-2006

In April 2006, CDC reported on an ongoing multistate investigation of Fusarium keratitis occurring predominantly among contact lens wearers. Here, an update that summarizes epidemiologic developments in this investigation, which indicate an association with Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, is presented. Fusarium keratitis is a fungal infection of the cornea, preceded usually by trauma to the eye

Nuclear Factor kappa B is central to Marek’s Disease herpesvirus induced neoplastic transformation of CD30 expressing lymphocytes in-vivo

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Marek’s Disease (MD) is a hyperproliferative, lymphomatous, neoplastic disease of chickens caused by the oncogenic <it>Gallid herpesvirus type 2</it> (GaHV-2; MDV). Like several human lymphomas the neoplastic MD lymphoma cells overexpress the CD30 antigen (CD30^hi) and are in minority, while the non-neoplastic cells (CD30^lo) form the majority of population. MD is a unique natural in-vivo model of human CD30^hi lymphomas with both natural CD30^hi lymphomagenesis and spontaneous regression. The exact mechanism of neoplastic transformation from CD30^lo expressing phenotype to CD30^hi expressing neoplastic phenotype is unknown. Here, using microarray, proteomics and Systems Biology modeling; we compare the global gene expression of CD30^lo and CD30^hi cells to identify key pathways of neoplastic transformation. We propose and test a specific mechanism of neoplastic transformation, and genetic resistance, involving the MDV oncogene Meq, host gene products of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) family and CD30; we also identify a novel Meq protein interactome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results show that a) CD30^lo lymphocytes are pre-neoplastic precursors and not merely reactive lymphocytes; b) multiple transformation mechanisms exist and are potentially controlled by Meq; c) Meq can drive a feed-forward cycle that induces CD30 transcription, increases CD30 signaling which activates NF-κB, and, in turn, increases Meq transcription; d) Meq transcriptional repression or activation of the CD30 promoter generally correlates with polymorphisms in the CD30 promoter distinguishing MD-lymphoma resistant and susceptible chicken genotypes e) MDV oncoprotein Meq interacts with proteins involved in physiological processes central to lymphomagenesis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In the context of the MD lymphoma microenvironment (and potentially in other CD30^hi lymphomas as well), our results show that the neoplastic transformation is a continuum and the non-neoplastic cells are actually pre-neoplastic precursor cells and not merely immune bystanders. We also show that NF-κB is a central player in MDV induced neoplastic transformation of CD30-expressing lymphocytes in vivo. Our results provide insights into molecular mechanisms of neoplastic transformation in MD specifically and also herpesvirus induced lymphoma in general.</p