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:Pateamines act as inhibitors of the RNA helicase eIF4A and exhibit antiviral and anticancer properties. Recently, we observed that inhibition of eIF4A by rocaglates affects the immune response. To investigate whether the observed immunomodulatory effects are specific to rocaglates or the inhibition of eIF4A, a comprehensive study was conducted on the influence of pateamines that exhibit the same inhibitory mode of action as rocaglates on various immune cells. The effects of pateamine A (PatA) and des-methyl des-amino pateamine A (DMDA) on the expression of surface markers, release of cytokines, cell proliferation, inflammatory mediators and metabolic activity in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MdM), T cells and B cells were assessed. Additionally, safety and bioavailability profiles were determined. DMDA revealed almost no immunomodulatory effects within the tested concentration range of 0.5-5 nM. PatA reduced B cell activation, as shown by reduced immune globulin release and decreased chemokine release from macrophages, while T cell function remained unaffected. Both DMDA and PatA showed low permeability in Caco-2 and Calu-3 cell barrier assays and no mutagenic potential. However, 10 nM PatA exhibited genotoxic potential, as shown by the micronucleus assay. In conclusion, DMDA had a good safety profile but exhibited low permeability, whereas PatA had a poor safety profile and also low permeability. The observed immunomodulatory effects of elF4A inhibitors on B cells appear to be target-specific.
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: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: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.