The impact of action videogame playing on cognitive functioning is the subject of debate among scientists, with many studies showing superior performance of players relative to non-players on a number of cognitive tasks. Moreover, the exact role of individual differences in the observed effects is still largely unknown. In our Event-Related Potential (ERP) study we investigated whether training in a Real Time Strategy (RTS) video game StarCraft II can influence the ability to deploy visual attention measured by the Attentional Blink (AB) task. We also asked whether individual differences in a psychophysiological response in the AB task predict the effectiveness of the video game training. Forty-three participants (non-players) were recruited to the experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to either experimental (Variable environment) or active control (Fixed environment) group, which differed in the type of training received. Training consisted of 30 h of playing the StarCraft II game. Participants took part in two EEG sessions (pre-and post-training) during which they performed the AB task. Our results indicate that both groups improved their performance in the AB task in the post-training session. What is more, in the experimental group the strength of the amplitude of the P300 ERP component (which is related to a conscious visual perception) in the pre training session appeared to be predictive of the level of achievement in the game. In the case of the active control group in-game behaviour appeared to be predictive of a training-related improvement in the AB task. Our results suggest that differences in the neurophysiological response might be treated as a marker of future success in video game acquisition, especially in a more demanding game environment.
Introduction:This study hypothesized that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic implemented in Poland on 11 March 2020 negatively influenced the lifestyle, dietary and sleeping habits, and physical activity of Polish children. The study aimed to assess the change of children's lifestyle habits, and screen and sleep time due to measures taken during this lockdown. Material and methods:The study was cross-sectional and involved 486 parents of children aged 3-18 years, who completed the questionnaire containing 37 questions related to sociodemographic factors, nutrition, physical activity, and screen and sleep time regarding the child before and during lockdown. Results: During the lockdown, the number of meals consumed daily increased significantly in children between 7 and 11 years old (0.19 ±0.68, p < 0.001) and 12 and 18 years old (0.24 ±0.81, p = 0.005), whereas it decreased in the youngest group (3-6 years old) (-0.11 ±0.66, p < 0.001). The declared consumption of fast food decreased in all groups (p < 0.001), whereas the number of responders who prepared meals at home increased significantly (95.9% vs. 98.4%, p = 0.02). The time of physical activity decreased significantly during the lockdown in the groups of older children (p < 0.001), especially in children who live in blocks of flats. In the youngest group of children, the declared time of physical activity did not change significantly. In all groups of children, the screen time increased significantly during the pandemic. The amount of sleep also increased in all age groups but its quality worsened. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic generated mainly undesirable lifestyle changes (decreased physical activity, increased screen time); however, desirable effects (increase in meals eaten at home and amount of sleep) were also observed.
For thousands of years, plants have been used for their medicinal properties. The industrial production of plant-beneficial compounds is facing many drawbacks, such as seasonal dependence and troublesome extraction and purification processes, which have led to many species being on the edge of extinction. As the demand for compounds applicable to, e.g., cancer treatment, is still growing, there is a need to develop sustainable production processes. The industrial potential of the endophytic microorganisms residing within plant tissues is undeniable, as they are often able to produce, in vitro, similar to or even the same compounds as their hosts. The peculiar conditions of the endophytic lifestyle raise questions about the molecular background of the biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds in planta, and the actual producer, whether it is the plant itself or its residents. Extending this knowledge is crucial to overcoming the current limitations in the implementation of endophytes for larger-scale production. In this review, we focus on the possible routes of the synthesis of host-specific compounds in planta by their endophytes.
Recent studies suggest that a stimulus actively maintained in working memory (WM) automatically captures visual attention when subsequently perceived. However, such a WM guidance effect has been so far observed only for stimuli defined by simple features, such as colour or orientation. Here we investigated whether the effect occurs also for naturalistic stimuli, whose identity is defined by multiple features and relations among them, specifically for faces and houses. The experiment comprised two conditions: a WM condition and a mere exposure condition. Subjects (N = 28) either memorized or merely saw a template stimulus, and then performed several dot-probe trials, in which pairs of stimuli were presented laterally as distractors (memorized or seen on the one side, control stimulus on the other) and followed by a target dot. We found that response times were faster when targets followed a memorized stimulus than when they followed a control one, and that the memory-matching stimuli evoked the N2pc ERP component. Further, in an exploratory analysis we found electrophysiological evidence for an early (100-200 ms post stimulus) prioritization specific to the memorized faces. Importantly, neither the RT, nor the electrophysiological effects were observed in the mere exposure condition. In conclusion, showing an attention capture by complex stimuli maintained in WM contributes to identifying the mechanism of WM-based attentional selection and provides novel evidence that complex stimuli can, in principle, guide attention automatically. Finally, we interpret the early prioritization of the memorized faces as evidence supporting the sensory recruitment theory of WM.
Recent studies suggest that a stimulus actively maintained in working memory (WM) automatically captures visual attention when subsequently perceived. Such a WM-based guidance effect has been consistently observed for stimuli defined by simple features, such as color or orientation, but studies using more complex stimuli provided inconclusive results. Therefore, we investigated whether the WM-based guidance effect occurs also for naturalistic stimuli, whose identity is defined by multiple features and relations among them, specifically for faces and houses. The experiment consisted of multiple blocks in which participants (N = 28) either memorized or merely saw (WM or exposure condition, respectively) a template stimulus and then performed several dot-probe trials, with pairs of stimuli (template and control) presented laterally as distractors and followed by a target-asterisk. Analysis of reaction-times (RT) in the dot-probe task shows that memorized stimuli were prioritized by attention and points toward attention-hold, rather than capture, as a mechanism of attentional prioritization. Consistent with this interpretation, memorized items did not evoke a lateralized N2pc ERP component, thought to indicate attention shifts. However, in an exploratory ERP analysis we found evidence for a very early (100–200 ms post-stimulus) prioritization specific to the memorized faces, which is in line with the sensory recruitment theory of WM. In conclusion, our data provide evidence that complex stimuli are prioritized by attention when maintained in WM, and that the mechanism of such prioritization is based on a prolonged hold of spatial attention.
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