ABSTRACT. A method is described for obtaining large numbers of telotrochs from mass cultures of Vorticella convallaria. These free‐swimming cells contract slightly along the aboral‐oral plane when extracted with Triton X‐100, and thus appear more similar in shape to zooids than unextracted telotrochs. Cytoskeletal structures associated with feeding, such as the infudibulum and the cytopharynx, are visible in cytoskeletal preparations of these non‐feeding telotrochs and thus appear not to be disassembled during telotroch formation. The telotroch to stalked‐zooid transition proceeds rapidly through a set series of morphogenetic stages. After telotroch attachment, the aboral cilia cease beating and are resorbed. Within 7 min the cell is inverted bell‐shaped and the zooid begins feeding. Stalk elongation begins about 15–20 min after attachment, lengthening at the rate of 0.5 μ/min for the first hour and more slowly (0.1 μm/min) after that. Interestingly, these developmental stages are essentially the same as those described for the telotroch to zooid transition in the colonial peritrich Zoothamnium. This evolutionary conservation suggests that the precise sequence and timing of these events are critical for their successful completion. Furthermore, the facts that the telotroch to zooid transition occurs very rapidly, that the feeding structures are maintained throughout the transformation, and that basic cytoskeletal architecture is relatively unchanged is consistent with the hypothesis that the transformation occurs through controlled cytoskeletal rearrangements rather than by changes in gene expression.

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This study used both quantitative and qualitative data to assess whether a High Immersion viewing platform (virtual reality headset) elicits stronger feelings of narrative engagement and empathy compared to a Low Immersion platform (smartphone) when viewing an animated 360° video. In line with prior research, participants (N = 65) reported greater feelings of presence in the High Immersion condition compared to Low Immersion. However, immersive condition was not significantly related to narrative engagement or empathy. Interview responses revealed that participants' perceptions of their role in the film experience (i.e., Character, Observer, or Other/Not Sure) varied and were significantly related to narrative engagement. Participants who saw themselves as a Character (versus Observer) reported higher narrative engagement and empathy. Findings suggest that although a more immersive viewing platform can enhance presence during a 360° video experience, a clear understanding of viewer role is both difficult to achieve and critical to story comprehension and empathy.

In this study we evaluated a novel approach for examining the link between gaming expertise and cognitive skills, and the value of recruiting and running participants at a MOBA gaming tournament. Participants completed a set of cognitive tasks that measured spatial working and long term (location) memory, basic cognitive processing, and gaming experience. Comparable reliability on the working memory task and results in line with previous research on the location memory task indicated the data collected was valid and reliable. We observed a significant relation between gaming experience and response time on the location memory task. We discuss that conducting gaming research at a tournament is a valid way of collecting data for a gaming expertise study while providing a range of gaming expertise that may not be available when recruiting at college campuses. Furthermore, our results extend previous gaming research that suggests that individual differences in gaming experience are correlated with the speed of recalling spatial information from long term memory.

Dota 2, a complex team based video game, was used to study expertise and attentional allocation in a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) setting. Pre- and post-play survey questions and eye-tracker data were collected from 67 video game players during a session of Dota 2 play. Questions explored abstract versus concrete conceptualizations of game-play and individual versus team focus. Quantitative eye-tracker data was evaluated for differences in visual attention and scan patterns. The authors noted that novices reflected on more concrete game elements and were likely to look back at the same location twice in a row. There was no difference among player categories in amount of time looking at mini-map or in self vs. team focus; however, experts were more able to reflect on abstract game concepts. Expert-novice differences in this study are similar to expertise research findings from other domains. The qualitative and unique quantitative metrics that can be gathered from complex games may provide insight into the development of expertise.