Project description:Competitive computer gaming, known as electronic sport or esport, is growing and professionalizing profoundly during the past years with experts struggling to allocate it in society. This scoping review explores existing evidence and identifies potential societal impact of esport by applying the Mapping Elite Sports Societal Impact Model. Main findings included insights on the motivation of passive and active esport consumption, beneficial socializing, pedagogical or educational aspects, hegemonial clinical pictures in esport, differing popularity regarding demographics and games, and potential interference of the esport economy in traditional sports. The findings implicate a paradigm shift in the world of sport. It can be stated that esport affects society in a positive and a negative way, although the fragmented body of research has only given superficial evidence so far. Future research needs to go into detail regarding the peculiarities and find approaches of isolating the positive aspects, while reducing the negative spin-offs and allow a well-regulated handling of esport on a broad societal level. Supplementary Information The online version of this article (10.1007/s12662-021-00784-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Project description:Diethylstilbestrol (DES) inhibits the differentiation of female reproductive tracts during fetal and neonatal days . We examined global gene expressions in the oviduct, uterus and vagina in newborn mice with or without DES. These results suggest understanding the mechanism of the differentiation of female reproductive tracts. Keywords: ordered
Project description:Peste des petits ruminants virus causes a highly infectious disease of small ruminants that is endemic across Africa, the Middle East and large regions of Asia. The virus is considered to be a major obstacle to the development of sustainable agriculture across the developing world and has recently been targeted by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for eradication with the aim of global elimination of the disease by 2030. Fundamentally, the vaccines required to successfully achieve this goal are currently available, but the availability of novel vaccine preparations to also fulfill the requisite for differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA) may reduce the time taken and the financial costs of serological surveillance in the later stages of any eradication campaign. Here, we overview what is currently known about the virus, with reference to its origin, updated global circulation, molecular evolution, diagnostic tools and vaccines currently available to combat the disease. Further, we comment on recent developments in our knowledge of various recombinant vaccines and on the potential for the development of novel multivalent vaccines for small ruminants.
Project description:Iconic memory is characterized by its large storage capacity and brief storage duration, whereas visual working memory is characterized by its small storage capacity. The limited information stored in working memory is often modeled as an all-or-none process in which studied information is either successfully stored or lost completely. This view raises a simple question: If almost all viewed information is stored in iconic memory, yet one second later most of it is completely absent from working memory, what happened to it? Here, I characterized how the precision and capacity of iconic memory changed over time and observed a clear dissociation: Iconic memory suffered from a complete loss of visual items, while the precision of items retained in memory was only marginally affected by the passage of time. These results provide new evidence for the discrete-capacity view of working memory and a new characterization of iconic memory decay.
Project description:The academization of the midwifery profession poses great challenges for Germany, especially due to the tight timelines: Corresponding courses of study can in principle be offered at both universities and technical colleges – although contrary to the recommendations of the Science Council. This means that there is a heterogeneity in midwifery qualifications and promotes a discussion regarding coherent study concepts. This process must be accompanied with great care so that midwifery courses of study are not designed to be of poorer quality than other courses of study due to a lack of financial resources. First concepts are already available and will be discussed and examined below.
Project description:ObjectiveWe examined long-term risk of cancer in women exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero.MethodsA total of 12,091 DES-exposed women in the Netherlands were followed prospectively from December 1992 till June 2008. Cancer incidence was assessed through linkage with the Dutch pathology database (PALGA) and the Netherlands Cancer Registry and compared with the Dutch female population.ResultsA total of 348 medically verified cancers occurred; median age at end of follow-up was 44.0 years. No overall increased risk of cancer was found (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.91, 1.13). The risk of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix (CCA) was statistically significantly increased (SIR = 24.23; 95% CI = 8.89, 52.74); the elevated risk persisted above 40 years of age. The risk of melanoma diagnosed before age 40 was increased (SIR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.08, 2.26). No excess risks were found for other sites, including breast cancer.ConclusionsExcept for an elevated risk of CCA, persisting at older ages, and an increased risk of melanoma at young ages, we found no increased risk of cancer. Longer follow-up is warranted to examine cancer risk at ages when cancer occurs more frequently.
Project description:Environmental contaminants include the potentially toxic metals lead, cadmium and mercury; the chlorinated pesticides mirex, toxaphene and hexachlorobenzene; chlorinated dioxins and furans; polyaromatic hydrocarbons; and polychlorinated biphenyls. While many of these chemicals are resistant to degradation in the natural environment, they dissolve readily in oils and thus accumulate in the fatty tissues of fish, birds and mammals. Human exposure is predominantly through the ingestion of contaminated food. An array of toxic effects including effects on the immune system have been described in experimental animals and in humans accidentally exposed to these chemicals. Such studies suggest that the immune system of the developing fetus and the newborn is particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of chemicals. To fully appreciate the magnitude of risk these chemicals pose to children’s health, there is a need for additional carefully focussed epidemiologic and mechanistic studies. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/BF03405096 and is accessible for authorized users.