Immersion in video games, creative self-efficacy, and political participation

Data from a cross-national survey (N = 801) of young adults in Australia, the Philippines, South Korea, and the U.S. (Guam, Hawaii, Continental U.S.) were analyzed to explore the relationships between the three subcomponents of the immersion motivation of video game play—discovery, role-play, and customization (Yee, 2006)—creative self-efficacy, and political participation. Findings reveal role-play and creative self-efficacy are positively associated with political participation; discovery and role-play are positively associated with creative self-efficacy. Furthermore, discovery, role-play, and customization had small indirect effects on political participation via creative self-efficacy

Immersion in video games, creative self-efficacy, and political participation

Data from a cross-national survey (N = 801) of young adults in Australia, the Philippines, South Korea, and the U.S. (Guam, Hawaii, Continental U.S.) were analyzed to explore the relationships between the three subcomponents of the immersion motivation of video game play—discovery, role-play, and customization (Yee, 2006)—creative self-efficacy, and political participation. Findings reveal role-play and creative self-efficacy are positively associated with political participation; discovery and role-play are positively associated with creative self-efficacy. Furthermore, discovery, role-play, and customization had small indirect effects on political participation via creative self-efficacy

Hierarchical organization of modularity in metabolic networks

Spatially or chemically isolated functional modules composed of several cellular components and carrying discrete functions are considered fundamental building blocks of cellular organization, but their presence in highly integrated biochemical networks lacks quantitative support. Here we show that the metabolic networks of 43 distinct organisms are organized into many small, highly connected topologic modules that combine in a hierarchical manner into larger, less cohesive units, their number and degree of clustering following a power law. Within Escherichia coli the uncovered hierarchical modularity closely overlaps with known metabolic functions. The identified network architecture may be generic to system-level cellular organization

Increased CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, and IL-1β cytokine concentration in piriform cortex, hippocampus, and neocortex after pilocarpine-induced seizures

BACKGROUND: Cytokines and chemokines play an important role in the neuroinflammatory response to an initial precipitating injury such as status epilepticus (SE). These signaling molecules participate in recruitment of immune cells, including brain macrophages (microglia), as well as neuroplastic changes, deterioration of damaged tissue, and epileptogenesis. This study describes the temporal and brain region pattern expression of numerous cytokines, including chemokines, after pilocarpine-induced seizures and discusses them in the larger context of their potential involvement in the changes that precede the development of epilepsy. FINDINGS: Adult rats received pilocarpine to induce SE and 90 min after seizure onset were treated with diazepam to mitigate seizures. Rats were subsequently deeply anesthetized and brain regions (hippocampus, piriform cortex, neocortex, and cerebellum) were freshly dissected at 2, 6, and 24 h or 5 days after seizures. Using methodology identical to our previous studies, simultaneous assay of multiple cytokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, interleukin IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α)), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was performed and compared to control rats. These proteins were selected based on existing evidence implicating them in the epileptogenic progression. A robust increase in CCL2 and CCL3 concentrations in the hippocampus, piriform cortex, and neocortex was observed at all time-points. The concentrations peaked with a ~200-fold increase 24 h after seizures and were two orders of magnitude greater than the significant increases observed for CCL5 and IL-1β in the same brain structures. TNF-α levels were altered in the piriform cortex and neocortex (24 h) and in the hippocampus (5 days) after SE. CONCLUSIONS: Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus causes a rapid increase of multiple cytokines in limbic and neocortical regions. Understanding the precise spatial and temporal pattern of cytokines and chemokine changes could provide more viable therapeutic targets to reduce, reverse, or prevent the development of epilepsy following a precipitating injury

Genetics of human hydrocephalus

Human hydrocephalus is a common medical condition that is characterized by abnormalities in the flow or resorption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), resulting in ventricular dilatation. Human hydrocephalus can be classified into two clinical forms, congenital and acquired. Hydrocephalus is one of the complex and multifactorial neurological disorders. A growing body of evidence indicates that genetic factors play a major role in the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus. An understanding of the genetic components and mechanism of this complex disorder may offer us significant insights into the molecular etiology of impaired brain development and an accumulation of the cerebrospinal fluid in cerebral compartments during the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus. Genetic studies in animal models have started to open the way for understanding the underlying pathology of hydrocephalus. At least 43 mutants/loci linked to hereditary hydrocephalus have been identified in animal models and humans. Up to date, 9 genes associated with hydrocephalus have been identified in animal models. In contrast, only one such gene has been identified in humans. Most of known hydrocephalus gene products are the important cytokines, growth factors or related molecules in the cellular signal pathways during early brain development. The current molecular genetic evidence from animal models indicate that in the early development stage, impaired and abnormal brain development caused by abnormal cellular signaling and functioning, all these cellular and developmental events would eventually lead to the congenital hydrocephalus. Owing to our very primitive knowledge of the genetics and molecular pathogenesis of human hydrocephalus, it is difficult to evaluate whether data gained from animal models can be extrapolated to humans. Initiation of a large population genetics study in humans will certainly provide invaluable information about the molecular and cellular etiology and the developmental mechanisms of human hydrocephalus. This review summarizes the recent findings on this issue among human and animal models, especially with reference to the molecular genetics, pathological, physiological and cellular studies, and identifies future research directions

Multiplicity of cerebrospinal fluid functions: New challenges in health and disease

This review integrates eight aspects of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulatory dynamics: formation rate, pressure, flow, volume, turnover rate, composition, recycling and reabsorption. Novel ways to modulate CSF formation emanate from recent analyses of choroid plexus transcription factors (E2F5), ion transporters (NaHCO3 cotransport), transport enzymes (isoforms of carbonic anhydrase), aquaporin 1 regulation, and plasticity of receptors for fluid-regulating neuropeptides. A greater appreciation of CSF pressure (CSFP) is being generated by fresh insights on peptidergic regulatory servomechanisms, the role of dysfunctional ependyma and circumventricular organs in causing congenital hydrocephalus, and the clinical use of algorithms to delineate CSFP waveforms for diagnostic and prognostic utility. Increasing attention focuses on CSF flow: how it impacts cerebral metabolism and hemodynamics, neural stem cell progression in the subventricular zone, and catabolite/peptide clearance from the CNS. The pathophysiological significance of changes in CSF volume is assessed from the respective viewpoints of hemodynamics (choroid plexus blood flow and pulsatility), hydrodynamics (choroidal hypo- and hypersecretion) and neuroendocrine factors (i.e., coordinated regulation by atrial natriuretic peptide, arginine vasopressin and basic fibroblast growth factor). In aging, normal pressure hydrocephalus and Alzheimer's disease, the expanding CSF space reduces the CSF turnover rate, thus compromising the CSF sink action to clear harmful metabolites (e.g., amyloid) from the CNS. Dwindling CSF dynamics greatly harms the interstitial environment of neurons. Accordingly the altered CSF composition in neurodegenerative diseases and senescence, because of adverse effects on neural processes and cognition, needs more effective clinical management. CSF recycling between subarachnoid space, brain and ventricles promotes interstitial fluid (ISF) convection with both trophic and excretory benefits. Finally, CSF reabsorption via multiple pathways (olfactory and spinal arachnoidal bulk flow) is likely complemented by fluid clearance across capillary walls (aquaporin 4) and arachnoid villi when CSFP and fluid retention are markedly elevated. A model is presented that links CSF and ISF homeostasis to coordinated fluxes of water and solutes at both the blood-CSF and blood-brain transport interfaces

Structural characterisation of the acyl CoA Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene and association studies with milk traits in Assaf sheep breed

Because DGAT1 plays a fundamental role in triacylglycerol synthesis, existing SNPs in DGAT1 gene might provide important information in partially explaining, the variation of milk fat content in dairy sheep. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to sequence the complete ovine acyl CoAdiacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1)gene in order to identify polymorphisms and to look for its possible association with milk traits in Assaf sheep breed. Polymorphisms identification in the DGAT1gene was carried out in 50 individuals belonging to five sheep breeds reared in Spain Rasa Aragonesa (n=10), Manchega (n=10), Churra Tensina (n=10), Latxa (n=10) and Spanish Assaf (n=10). The association studies between polymorphisms, and milk traits were carried out using animals belonging to three flocks of Assaf breed (n=402). Four SNPs were detected, one in exon 1 (EU178818 g.358C>A), two in exon 17 (g.8522C>T and g.8539C>T), and one in intron 10 (g.7457C>A). The SNP in exon 1, g.358C>A, generates a non-conservative substitution at position p. Asp53Glu (GenBank ABW24130). The first SNP in exon 17 (g.8522C>T)causes an amino acid change at position p. Arg482Cys. The genotype frequencies were studied in a panel of 9 breed reared in Spain Ansotana (n=50), Latxa (n=36), Romanov (n=33), Rasa aragonesa (n=55), Churra (n=52), Churra tensina (n=57), Churra lebrijana (n=50), Manchega (n=48) and Assaf (n=402). All breeds were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for all SNPs, except for the SNPs g.8522C>T and g.8539C>T SNPs which showed a deficit of heterozygous animals in Ansotana breed. This gene show low variability in a panel of 9 breeds reared in Spain. The only polymorphism not fixed in Assaf breed was the SNP g.8539C>T, and was used to test possible association with milk traits. The allelic frequency of the 8539C allele was 0.96, being 373 animals homozygous for the CC genotype and 29 heterozygous. The association studies showed that lactose, fatty acids C40, C161 c9, and the ratio n-6n-3 were affected by the SNP g.8539C>T. Animals carrying the CC genotype had greater lactose, C4:0 and C16:1 c9 contents and lower ratio of n-6:n-3 compare to the CT ones. Probably the SNP g.8539C>T, is not causative of the variation observed in the lactose content but might be in linkage disequilibrium with the causal mutation located in the same or other closer gene. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Age vitality across eleven nations

This paper is the second in a series of empirical applications of the concept of (ethnolinguistic) vitality into the intergenerational arena. It examines young people's assessments of the subjective vitalities of young, middle-aged, and elderly targets in four Western (midwest USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) and seven south and east Asian sites (Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, mainland China, The Philippines, and India). The results support earlier findings (in Hong Kong and California) in that, relative to young adult targets, the elderly were rated as having more vitality in the Western than the south and east Asian settings; the middle-aged were seen as having the highest vitality across all nations. Differences in the age vitality profiles between the different nations allowedidentificationof three distinct patterns. The study also provided intriguing cross-cultural data on how respondents construed the onsets of young adulthood, middle age, and old age aswell as the ends of the former two categories. The findings are related to other cross-cultural studies of intergenerationalcommunication and age stereotyping, and future researchdirections are highlighted