Measures of behavioral function predict duration of video game play: utilization of the Video Game Functional Assessment - Revised

Background: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was introduced in the DSM-5 as a way of identifying and diagnosing problematic video game play. However, the use of the diagnosis is constrained, as it shares criteria with other addictive orders (e.g., pathological gambling). Aims: Further work is required to better understand IGD. One potential avenue of investigation is IGD’s relationship to the primary reinforcing behavioral functions. This study explores the relationship between duration of video game play and the reinforcing behavioral functions that may motivate or maintain video gaming. Methods: A total of 499 video game players began the online survey, with complete data from 453 participants (85% white and 28% female), were analyzed. Individuals were placed into five groups based on self-reported hours of video gaming per week, and completed the Video Game Functional Assessment – Revised (VGFA-R). Results: The results demonstrated the escape and social attention function were significant in predicting duration of video game play, whereas sensory and tangible were not significant. Conclusion: Future implications of the VGFA-R and behaviorally based research are discussed

Kentucky (MLI) CLINICS IN SPORTS MEDICINE VOLUME

After the passage of Title IX in 1972, women began competing in organized sports in large numbers. There was concern that women would have significantly higher injury rates than men. For the most part, these fears were unfounded. Sports injury rates between men and women are similar and, in general, seem to be sport-specific rather than gender-specifi~.~~, 37, 94, 99 There is, however, an increased predisposition (two to eight times) to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in women., There are many theories and much research devoted to explaining why this difference in injury rate exists. Research has focused on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are those that are individual, physical, and psychosocial.6 Intrinsic factors include joint laxity, hormonal influences, limb alignment, notch dimensions, and ligament size. The intrinsic causes tend to be more sex-specific and may not be modifiable. Most research into the cause of ACL injuries has been directed toward intrinsic causes. Extrinsic factors are those related to the type of sport, the environmental conditions, the conditioning of the athlete, and the equipment used.6 Unlike most intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors are potentially controllable or changeable. Extrinsic factors include conditioning, experience, skill, strength, muscle recruitment patterns, and landing techniques. Extrinsi

Landslide Susceptibility of Chittagong City, Bangladesh, and Development of Landslides Early Warning System

Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh, is mostly developed in the hilly areas. Hills are mostly covered with loose and weathered tertiary sedimentary rocks susceptible to landslides. Generally, during heavy rainfall within a short time, water infiltrates into the loose rocks and soils, which increase the pore water pressure, and finally exceeds the shear strength of the materials to initiate landslides. Landslides history, slope characteristics, geology and geotechnical properties have been considered to divide Chittagong City and surrounding areas into four landslide hazard zones. Zone I in the east of Chittagong City persists as the most susceptible area for landslides, and the city becomes gradually less susceptible further westward up to zone IV. Prevention of landslides in most cases requires costly engineering solutions. Therefore, mitigation through timely evacuation of people from hazardous areas might be a good solution to combat landslides. Two automated rain gauges are installed at high risk landslide zones with built-in rainfall threshold values. Threshold values for early warning of landslides are set after statistical analysis of past landslides in relation to total amount of rainfall and local geology. The threshold values of rainfall are set to 100 mm in 3 h, 200 mm in 24 h and 350 mm in 72 h

Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis of Astrocytomas: Prognostic and Diagnostic Implications.

Astrocytoma is comprised of a group of common intracranial neoplasms that are classified into four grades based on the World Health Organization histological criteria and patient survival. To date, histological grade, patient age, and clinical performance, as reflected in the Karnofsky score, are the most reliable prognostic predictors. Recently, there has been a significant effort to identify additional prognostic markers using objective molecular genetic techniques. We believe that the identification of such markers will characterize new chromosomal loci important in astrocytoma progression and aid clinical diagnosis and prognosis. To this end, our laboratory used comparative genomic hybridization to identify DNA sequence copy number changes in 102 astrocytomas. Novel losses of 19p loci were detected in low-grade pilocytic astrocytomas and losses of loci on 9p, 10, and 22 along with gains on 7, 19, and 20 were detected in a significant proportion of high-grade astrocytomas. The Cox proportional hazards statistical modeling showed that the presence of +7q and -10q comparative genomic hybridization alterations significantly increased a patient\u27s risk of dying, independent of histological grade. This investigation demonstrates the efficacy of comparative genomic hybridization for identifying tumor suppressor and oncogene loci in different astrocytic grades. The cumulative effect of these loci is an important consideration in their diagnostic and prognostic implications

Identification of a new member of the phage shock protein response in Escherichia coli, the phage shock protein g (PspG)

The phage shock protein operon (pspABCDE) of Escherichia coli is strongly up-regulated in response to overexpression of the filamentous phage secretin protein IV (pIV) and by many other stress conditions including defects in protein export. PspA has an established role in maintenance of the proton-motive force of the cell under stress conditions. Here we present evidence for a new member of the phage shock response in E. coli. Using transcriptional profiling, we show that the synthesis of pIV in E. coli leads to a highly restricted response limited to the up-regulation of the psp operon genes and yjbO. The psp operon and yjbO are also up-regulated in response to pIV in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. yjbO is a highly conserved gene found exclusively in bacteria that contain a psp operon but is physically unlinked to the psp operon. yjbO encodes a putative inner membrane protein that is co-controlled with the psp operon genes and is predicted to be an effector of the psp response in E. coli. We present evidence that yjbO expression is driven by sigma(54)-RNA polymerase, activated by PspF and integration host factor, and negatively regulated by PspA. PspF specifically regulates only members of the PspF regulon: pspABCDE and yjbO. We found that increased expression of YjbO results in decreased motility of bacteria. Because yjbO is co-conserved and co-regulated with the psp operon and is a member of the phage shock protein F regulon, we propose that yjbO be renamed pspG

The Higgs boson in the MSSM in light of the LHC

We investigate the expectations for the light Higgs signal in the MSSM in different search channels at the LHC. After taking into account dark matter and flavor constraints in the MSSM with eleven free parameters, we show that the light Higgs signal in the $gamma\gamma$ channel is expected to be at most at the level of the SM Higgs, while the $h\rightarrow b\bar{b}$ from W fusion and/or the $h \rightarrow\tau\bar\tau$ can be enhanced. For the main discovery mode, we show that a strong suppression of the signal occurs in two different cases: low $M_A$ or large invisible width. A more modest suppression is associated with the effect of light supersymmetric particles. Looking for such modification of the Higgs properties and searching for supersymmetric partners and pseudoscalar Higgs offer two complementary probes of supersymmetry.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Consideration of a New Definition of Clinically Relevant Myocardial Infarction After Coronary Revascularization An Expert Consensus Document From the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI)

Numerous definitions have been proposed for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) after coronary revascularization. The universal definition for MI designates post procedural biomarker thresholds for defining percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-related MI (type 4a) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)-related MI (type 5), which are of uncertain prognostic importance. In addition, for both the MI types, cTn is recommended as the biomarker of choice, the prognostic significance of which is less well validated than CK-MB. Widespread adoption of a MI definition not clearly linked to subsequent adverse events such as mortality or heart failure may have serious consequences for the appropriate assessment of devices and therapies, may affect clinical care pathways, and may result in misinterpretation of physician competence. Rather than using an MI definition sensitive for small degrees of myonecrosis (the occurrence of which, based on contemporary large-scale studies, are unlikely to have important clinical consequences), it is instead recommended that a threshold level of biomarker elevation which has been strongly linked to subsequent adverse events in clinical studies be used to define a "clinically relevant MI." The present document introduces a new definition for "clinically relevant MI" after coronary revascularization (PCI or CABG), which is applicable for use in clinical trials, patient care, and quality outcomes assessment. Numerous definitions for the diagnosis of MI after coronary revascularization are in use (1). A standardized MI definition would provide uniformity for comparing clinical trial results, for assessing patient outcomes and for guiding quality improvement initiatives. In 2007, a "universal definition" for MI following coronary revascularization was proposed (2) and recently revised in 2012 (3). In this document, a PCI-related MI (type 4a) was defined as an increase in cTn to >5Â the 99th percentile of the URL during the first 48 h following PCI (in patients with normal baseline cTn concentrations), plus either: 1) evidence of prolonged ischemia as demonstrated by prolonged chest pain; or 2) ischemic ST-segment changes or new pathological Q waves; or 3) angiographic evidence of a flow limiting complication; or 4) imaging evidence of new loss of viable myocardium or new regional wall motion abnormality. MI associated with CABG (type 5) was defined as an increase in cTn to >10Â the 99th percentile URL during the first 48 h following CABG (in patients with normal baseline cTn concentrations), plus either: 1) new pathological Q waves or new LBBB; or 2) angiographically documente

Continuous Variable Quantum Cryptography using Two-Way Quantum Communication

Quantum cryptography has been recently extended to continuous variable systems, e.g., the bosonic modes of the electromagnetic field. In particular, several cryptographic protocols have been proposed and experimentally implemented using bosonic modes with Gaussian statistics. Such protocols have shown the possibility of reaching very high secret-key rates, even in the presence of strong losses in the quantum communication channel. Despite this robustness to loss, their security can be affected by more general attacks where extra Gaussian noise is introduced by the eavesdropper. In this general scenario we show a "hardware solution" for enhancing the security thresholds of these protocols. This is possible by extending them to a two-way quantum communication where subsequent uses of the quantum channel are suitably combined. In the resulting two-way schemes, one of the honest parties assists the secret encoding of the other with the chance of a non-trivial superadditive enhancement of the security thresholds. Such results enable the extension of quantum cryptography to more complex quantum communications.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, REVTe