Exploring Twitter as a game platform; strategies and opportunities for microblogging-based games

Recent years have seen the massive daily engagement of players with games that are integrated with online social networking sites, such as Facebook. However, few games have successfully created engaging experiences through integration with microblogging websites. In this paper, we explore the opportunities and challenges in using Twitter as a platform for playing games, through the case study of the game Hashtag Dungeon, a dungeon-crawling game that uses Twitter for collaborative creation of game content. Two studies were carried out. A quantitative user study with 32 participants demonstrated that players found the game engaging and rewarding. A follow-up qualitative study with 8 participants suggests that Twitter integration in this game is meaningful, but that there are concerns over the impact of the game on players’ Twitter profiles. Based on findings from both studies, we propose strategies for the design of Microblogging-based games, and discuss wider implications of social media integration in games

Missing-in-metastasis and IRSp53 deform PI(4,5)P-2-rich membranes by an inverse BAR domain-like mechanism

The actin cytoskeleton plays a fundamental role in various motile and morphogenetic processes involving membrane dynamics. We show that actin-binding proteins MIM (missing-in-metastasis) and IRSp53 directly bind PI(4,5)P-2-rich membranes and deform them into tubular structures. This activity resides in the N-terminal IRSp53/MIM domain (IMD) of these proteins, which is structurally related to membrane-tubulating BAR (Bin/amphiphysin/Rvs) domains. We found that because of a difference in the geometry of the PI(4,5)P-2-binding site, IMDs induce a membrane curvature opposite that of BAR domains and deform membranes by binding to the interior of the tubule. This explains why IMD proteins induce plasma membrane protrusions rather than invaginations. We also provide evidence that the membrane-deforming activity of IMDs, instead of the previously proposed F-actin - bundling or GTPase-binding activities, is critical for the induction of the filopodia/microspikes in cultured mammalian cells. Together, these data reveal that interplay between actin dynamics and a novel membrane-deformation activity promotes cell motility and morphogenesis

MMN and Differential Waveform

A mismatch negativity response (MMN) and a new differential waveform were derived in an effort to evaluate a neural refractory or recovery effect in adult listeners. The MMN was elicited using oddball test runs in which the standard and deviant stimuli differed in frequency. To derive the differential waveform, the same standard and deviant stimuli were presented alone. MMN responses were obtained by subtracting the averaged responses to standards from the deviants. The differential waveforms were obtained by subtracting the averaged responses to standards presented alone from deviants presented alone. Scalp topography for the MMN and differential waveforms were similar. A significant (p < .05) positive and negative correlation was found between the earlier and later components of the bimodal MMN and the N1 and P2 component of the differential waveform, respectively. Further, N1 and P2 of the differential waveform were significant (p < .05) predictor variables of early and late peak amplitudes of the MMN. These results suggest that refractory effects may overlay/modify the morphology of the MMN waveform

Visual mismatch negativity to masked stimuli presented at very brief presentation rates

Mismatch Negativity (MMN) has been characterised as a ‘pre-attentive’ component of an event-related potential (ERP) that is related to discrimination and error prediction processes. The aim of the current experiment was to establish whether visual MMN could be recorded to briefly presented, backward and forward masked visual stimuli, given both below and above levels of subjective experience. Evidence of visual MMN elicitation in the absence of the ability to consciously report stimuli would provide strong evidence for the automaticity of the visual MMN mechanism. Using an oddball paradigm, two stimuli that differed in orientation from each other, an + and an x were presented on a computer screen. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded from nine participants (six females), mean age 21.4 years. Results showed that for stimuli that were effectively masked at 7ms presentation, there was little variation in the ERPs evoked to standard and deviant stimuli or in the subtraction waveform employed to delineate the visual MMN. At 14 ms stimulus presentation, when participants were able to report stimulus presence, an enhanced negativity at around 175 ms and 305 ms was observed to the deviant and was evident in the subtraction waveform. Although some of the difference observed in the ERPs can be attributed to stimulus characteristics, the use of a ‘lonely’ deviant protocol revealed attenuated visual MMN components at 14 ms stimulus presentation. Overall, results suggest that some degree of conscious attention is required before visual MMN components emerge, suggesting visual MMN is not an entirely pre-attentive process

Historical Research Approaches to the Analysis of Internationalisation

Historical research methods and approaches can improve understanding of the most appropriate techniques to confront data and test theories in internationalisation research. A critical analysis of all “texts” (sources), time series analyses, comparative methods across time periods and space, counterfactual analysis and the examination of outliers are shown to have the potential to improve research practices. Examples and applications are shown in these key areas of research with special reference to internationalisation processes. Examination of these methods allows us to see internationalisation processes as a sequenced set of decisions in time and space, path dependent to some extent but subject to managerial discretion. Internationalisation process research can benefit from the use of historical research methods in analysis of sources, production of time-lines, using comparative evidence across time and space and in the examination of feasible alternative choices

Needs, expectations and consequences for the child growing up in a family with a parent with mental illness

Parental mental illness is considered one of the strongest risk-factors for development of offspring psychopathology. The lack of pan-European guidelines for empowering children of parents with mental illness led to EU project CAMILLE - Empowerment of Children and Adolescents of Mentally Ill Parents through Training of Professionals working with children and adolescents. The first task in this project, was to analyse needs, expectations and consequences for children, with respect to living with a parent with mental illness. The aim this paper is to report results of these analyses. The qualitative research was conducted in England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland and Scotland (N=96). There were 3 types of focus groups: (1) professionals (doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers), (2) adult children and partners of a person with mental illness, (3) parents who have experienced mental illness during their parenthood. Framework analysis method was used. Results of the study highlighted that the main consequences for children of parental mental illness were role reversal, emotional and behavioural problems, lack of parent’s attention and stigma. The main needs of these children were emotional support, security and multidisciplinary help. Implications for practice are: (1) professionals working with parents with mental illness should be aware of the specific consequences for the children; (2) to empower children they should focus on them, but not excluding parents from the parental roles; (3) the multi-agency collaboration is necessary; (4) schools should provide counselling and teach staff and students about mental health problems to reduce stigm

Protective distal side-to-side neurorrhaphy in proximal nerve injury-an experimental study with rats

Background Side-to-side neurorrhaphy may protect the denervated end organ and preserve the initial connection with proximal stump. We examined the effect of protective side-to-side anastomosis on nerve and end organ regeneration in proximal nerve injury model.Methods The left common peroneal nerve of 24 Sprague Dawley rats was proximally transected. In groups B and C, side-to-side neurorrhaphy was performed distally between the peroneal and tibial nerves without (group B) and with (group C) partial donor nerve axotomy inside the epineural window. Group A served as an unprotected control. After 26 weeks, the proximal transection was repaired with end-to-end neurorrhaphy on all animals. Regeneration was followed during 12 weeks with the walk track analysis. Morphometric studies and wet muscle mass calculations were conducted at the end of the follow-up period.Results The results of the walk track analysis were significantly better in groups B and C compared to group A. Groups B and C showed significantly higher wet mass ratios of the tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus muscle compared to group A. Group C showed significantly higher morphometric values compared to group A. Group B reached higher values of the fibre count, fibre density, and percentage of the fibre area compared to group A.Conclusions Protective distal side-to-side neurorrhaphy reduced muscle atrophy and had an improving effect on the morphometric studies and walk track analysis. Distal side-to-side neurorrhaphy does not prevent the regenerating axons to grow from the proximal stump to achieve distal nerve stump

G2/M Arrest Sensitises Erythroid Leukemia Cells to TRAIL-induced Apoptosis

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Comparison of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Strains Circulating in Finland Demonstrates the Uncoupling of Whole-Genome Relatedness and Phenotypic Outcomes of Viral Infection

A majority of adults in Finland are seropositive carriers of herpes simplex viruses (HSV). Infection occurs at epithelial or mucosal surfaces, after which virions enter innervating nerve endings, eventually establishing lifelong infection in neurons of the sensory or autonomic nervous system. Recent data have highlighted the genetic diversity of HSV-1 strains and demonstrated apparent geographic patterns in strain similarity. Though multiple HSV-1 genomes have been sequenced from Europe to date, there is a lack of sequenced genomes from the Nordic countries. Finland's history includes at least two major waves of human migration, suggesting the potential for diverse viruses to persist in the population. Here, we used HSV-1 clinical isolates from Finland to test the relationship between viral phylogeny, genetic variation, and phenotypic characteristics. We found that Finnish HSV-1 isolates separated into two distinct phylogenetic groups, potentially reflecting historical waves of human (and viral) migration into Finland. Each HSV-1 isolate harbored a distinct set of phenotypes in cell culture, including differences in the amount of virus production, extracellular virus release, and cell-type-specific fitness. Importantly, the phylogenetic clusters were not predictive of any detectable pattern in phenotypic differences, demonstrating that whole-genome relatedness is not a proxy for overall viral phenotype. Instead, we highlight specific gene-level differences that may contribute to observed phenotypic differences, and we note that strains from different phylogenetic groups can contain the same genetic variations.IMPORTANCE Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) infect a majority of adults. Recent data have highlighted the genetic diversity of HSV-1 strains and demonstrated apparent genomic relatedness between strains from the same geographic regions. We used HSV-1 clinical isolates from Finland to test the relationship between viral genomic and geographic relationships, differences in specific genes, and characteristics of viral infection. We found that viral isolates from Finland separated into two distinct groups of genomic and geographic relatedness, potentially reflecting historical patterns of human and viral migration into Finland. These Finnish HSV-1 isolates had distinct infection characteristics in multiple cell types tested, which were specific to each isolate and did not group according to genomic and geographic relatedness. This demonstrates that HSV-1 strain differences in specific characteristics of infection are set by a combination of host cell type and specific viral gene-level differences

Fast Detection of Unexpected Sound Intensity Decrements as Revealed by Human Evoked Potentials

The detection of deviant sounds is a crucial function of the auditory system and is reflected by the automatically elicited mismatch negativity (MMN), an auditory evoked potential at 100 to 250 ms from stimulus onset. It has recently been shown that rarely occurring frequency and location deviants in an oddball paradigm trigger a more negative response than standard sounds at very early latencies in the middle latency response of the human auditory evoked potential. This fast and early ability of the auditory system is corroborated by the finding of neurons in the animal auditory cortex and subcortical structures, which restore their adapted responsiveness to standard sounds, when a rare change in a sound feature occurs. In this study, we investigated whether the detection of intensity deviants is also reflected at shorter latencies than those of the MMN. Auditory evoked potentials in response to click sounds were analyzed regarding the auditory brain stem response, the middle latency response (MLR) and the MMN. Rare stimuli with a lower intensity level than standard stimuli elicited (in addition to an MMN) a more negative potential in the MLR at the transition from the Na to the Pa component at circa 24 ms from stimulus onset. This finding, together with the studies about frequency and location changes, suggests that the early automatic detection of deviant sounds in an oddball paradigm is a general property of the auditory system