Neural crest cells have the extraordinary task of building much of the vertebrate body plan, including the craniofacial cartilage and skeleton, melanocytes, portions of the heart, and the peripheral ...nervous system. To execute these developmental programs, stationary premigratory neural crest cells first acquire the capacity to migrate through an extensive process known as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Once motile, neural crest cells must traverse a complex environment consisting of other cells and the protein-rich extracellular matrix in order to get to their final destinations. Herein, we will highlight some of the main molecular machinery that allow neural crest cells to first exit the neuroepithelium and then later successfully navigate this intricate in vivo milieu. Collectively, these extracellular and intracellular factors mediate the appropriate migration of neural crest cells and allow for the proper development of the vertebrate embryo.
The shape of a neuron facilitates its functionality within neural circuits. Dendrites integrate incoming signals from axons, receiving excitatory input onto small protrusions called dendritic spines. ...Therefore, understanding dendritic growth and development is fundamental for discerning neural function. We previously demonstrated that EphA7 receptor signaling during cortical development impacts dendrites in two ways: EphA7 restricts dendritic growth early and promotes dendritic spine formation later. Here, the molecular basis for this shift in EphA7 function is defined. Expression analyses reveal that EphA7 full-length (EphA7-FL) and truncated (EphA7-T1; lacking kinase domain) isoforms are dynamically expressed in the developing cortex. Peak expression of EphA7-FL overlaps with dendritic elaboration around birth, while highest expression of EphA7-T1 coincides with dendritic spine formation in early postnatal life. Overexpression studies in cultured neurons demonstrate that EphA7-FL inhibits both dendritic growth and spine formation, while EphA7-T1 increases spine density. Furthermore, signaling downstream of EphA7 shifts during development, such that in vivo inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin in EphA7-mutant neurons ameliorates dendritic branching, but not dendritic spine phenotypes. Finally, direct interaction between EphA7-FL and EphA7-T1 is demonstrated in cultured cells, which results in reduction of EphA7-FL phosphorylation. In cortex, both isoforms are colocalized to synaptic fractions and both transcripts are expressed together within individual neurons, supporting a model where EphA7-T1 modulates EphA7-FL repulsive signaling during development. Thus, the divergent functions of EphA7 during cortical dendrite development are explained by the presence of two variants of the receptor.
The cognitive model of problem gambling posits that erroneous gambling-related fallacies are key in the development and maintenance of problem gambling. However, this contention is based on ...cross-sectional rather than longitudinal associations between these constructs, and gambling fallacy instruments that may have inflated this associated by their inclusion of problem gambling symptomatology. The current research re-evaluates the relationship between problem gambling and gambling-specific erroneous cognitions in a 5-year longitudinal study of gambling using a psychometrically sound measure of erroneous gambling-related cognitions. The sample used in this study (n = 4,121) was recruited from the general population in Ontario, Canada, and the retention rate over 5 years was exceptionally high (93.9%). The total sample was similar, in age and gender distributions, to the census data at the time of data collection for Canadian adults (18-24 years, n = 265, 55.8% female; 25-44 years, n = 1,667, 56.4% female; 45-64 years, n = 1,731, 55.4% female; 65 + years, n = 458, 44.75% female). Results of both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses confirm that gambling-specific fallacies appear to be etiologically related to the subsequent appearance of problem gambling, but to a weaker degree than previously presumed, and in a bidirectional manner.
Objective:
The relationship between the level of gambling fallacy endorsement and type of gambler (nongambler, recreational gambler, at-risk gambler, and problem/pathological gambler) was assessed ...both concurrently and prospectively in a large national cohort of Canadian adults.
Method:
This cohort (n = 10,199 at baseline; 18-24 years, n = 481, 43% female; 25-34 years, n = 1,335, 62% female; 35-44 years, n = 1,543, 55% female, 45-54 years, n = 1,985, 58% female; 55-64 years, n = 2,459, 55% female; 65-74 years, n = 1,865, 44% female, 75+ years, n = 531, 43% female) was recruited from LEO, Leger Opinion's registered online panelists. The follow-up survey was completed by 55.9% of the cohort, 1 year after baseline. The full survey can be viewed at https://www.ucalgary.ca/research/national-gambling-study/. For the current study, scores on the Gambling Fallacies Measure, the Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure, Gambling Participation Instrument, and Impulsivity were analyzed.
Results:
There were three main findings. The first is that gambling fallacies are common in all categories of gamblers but somewhat more prevalent in problem and pathological gamblers. Second, the multivariate analysis determined that gambling fallacies are significant concurrent and prospective predictors of the problem/pathological gambling category, but not strong predictors relative to other variables. Third, problem gambling and heavier gambling involvement are also predictors of a future higher level of gambling fallacies.
Conclusions:
Collectively, these results show that gambling fallacies have some etiological relationship to problem gambling but are not the main cause of problem gambling and should not be the exclusive focus of problem gambling treatment.
Public Health Significance Statement
This study indicates that gambling fallacies, erroneous beliefs about gambling, play a role in problem gambling development, but they are not the main cause. As such, problem gambling treatment should not focus exclusively on correcting gambling fallacies.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to provide an updated profile of gambling and problem gambling in Canada and to examine how the rates and pattern of participation compare to 2002.
Method:
An ...assessment of gambling and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 24,982 individuals aged 15 and older. The present analyses selected for adults (18+).
Results:
A total of 66.2% of people reported engaging in some type of gambling in 2018, primarily lottery and/or raffle tickets, the only type in which the majority of Canadians participate. There are some significant interprovincial differences, with perhaps the most important one being the higher rate of electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The overall pattern of gambling in 2018 is very similar to 2002, although participation is generally much lower in 2018, particularly for EGMs and bingo. Only 0.6% of the population were identified as problem gamblers in 2018, with an additional 2.7% being at-risk gamblers. There is no significant interprovincial variation in problem gambling rates. The interprovincial pattern of problem gambling in 2018 is also very similar to what was found in 2002 with the main difference being a 45% decrease in the overall prevalence of problem gambling.
Conclusions:
Gambling and problem gambling have both decreased in Canada from 2002 to 2018 although the provincial patterns are quite similar between the 2 time periods. Several mechanisms have likely collectively contributed to these declines. Decreases have also been reported in several other Western countries in recent years and have occurred despite the expansion of legal gambling opportunities, suggesting a degree of inoculation or adaptation in large parts of the population.
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a sensory and autonomic neuropathy caused by mutations in elongator complex protein 1 (
). FD patients have small trigeminal nerves and impaired facial pain and ...temperature perception. These signals are relayed by nociceptive neurons in the trigeminal ganglion, a structure that is composed of both neural crest- and placode-derived cells. Mice lacking
in neural crest derivatives ('
CKO') are born with small trigeminal ganglia, suggesting Elp1 is important for trigeminal ganglion development, yet the function of Elp1 in this context is unknown. We demonstrate that Elp1, expressed in both neural crest- and placode-derived neurons, is not required for initial trigeminal ganglion formation. However,
CKO trigeminal neurons exhibit abnormal axon outgrowth and deficient target innervation. Developing nociceptors expressing the receptor TrkA undergo early apoptosis in
CKO, while TrkB- and TrkC-expressing neurons are spared, indicating Elp1 supports the target innervation and survival of trigeminal nociceptors. Furthermore, we demonstrate that specific TrkA deficits in the
CKO trigeminal ganglion reflect the neural crest lineage of most TrkA neurons versus the placodal lineage of most TrkB and TrkC neurons. Altogether, these findings explain defects in cranial gangliogenesis that may lead to loss of facial pain and temperature sensation in FD.
Acknowledgement of gender disparity in academia has been made in recent years, as have efforts to reduce this inequality. These efforts will be undermined if insufficient numbers of women qualify and ...are competitive for academic careers. The gender ratio at each graduate degree level has been examined in some studies, with findings suggesting that women’s representation has increased, and in some recent cases, achieved equality. These findings are promising as they could indicate that more women will soon qualify for early-career academic positions. Most of these studies, however, examine a specific—or narrow subset—of academic disciplines. Therefore, it remains unclear if these findings generalize across disciplines. Gambling researchers, and the graduate students they supervise, are a uniquely heterogeneous group representing multiple academic disciplines including health sciences, math, law, psychology, and sociology, among many more. Thus, gambling student researchers are a group who can be examined for gender equality at postgraduate levels, while reducing the impact of discipline specificity evident in previous investigations. The current study examined graduate-level scholarships from one Canadian funding agency (Alberta Gambling Research Institute), awarded from 2009 through 2019, for gender parity independent of academic discipline.
Objectives
The purpose of this study is to provide an updated profile of gamblers and problem gamblers in Canada and to identify characteristics most strongly associated with problem gambling.
...Methods
An assessment of gambling participation and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 23,952 individuals 18 years and older. Descriptive statistics provided a demographic profile for each type of gambling involvement as well as category of gambler (non-gambler, non-problem gambler, at-risk gambler, problem gambler). A logistic regression identified characteristics that best distinguished problem from non-problem gamblers.
Results
Gambling participation and problem gambling both varied as a function of gender, income, educational attainment, and race/ethnicity. However, multivariate analysis identified electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation to be the primary predictor of problem gambling status, with race/ethnicity, presence of a mood disorder, male gender, casino table game participation, older age, a greater level of smoking, participation in speculative financial activity, instant lottery participation, lower household income, and lottery or raffle ticket participation providing additional predictive power. Provincial EGM density and EGM participation rates are also very strong predictors of provincial rates of at-risk and problem gambling.
Conclusion
Problem gambling has a biopsychosocial etiology, determined by personal vulnerability factors combined with the presence of riskier types of gambling such as EGMs. Effective prevention requires a multifaceted approach, but constraints on the availability and operation of EGMs would likely have the greatest single public health benefit.
Erroneous beliefs about gambling, known collectively as gambling fallacies, are known to be prevalent in the general population. However, relatively little is understood about the individual ...differences that lead to increased susceptibility to this collection of fallacious beliefs. It was hypothesized that factors responsible for gambling fallacies may be similar to factors that create susceptibility to other types of fallacious beliefs, such as belief in the paranormal. Using a sample of 266 Lethbridge community members and university students, the current study identified the individual differences associated with, and predictive of, endorsement of gambling fallacies. Comparisons were then made between these factors and the factors predicting belief in the paranormal. Consistent with our hypothesis, it was found that a very similar set of factors was predictive of belief in both gambling fallacies and paranormal phenomenon. More specifically, greater reliance on intuitive thought, a less rational cognitive style, and poorer probabilistic reasoning ability predicted both belief in the paranormal and endorsement of gambling fallacies. Directions for future research and interventions are discussed.
Public Significance Statement
The collection of erroneous beliefs about how gambling works (gambling fallacies) have been implicated in problem gambling development and maintenance, and as such, correcting these fallacies is an important pursuit. The collection of individual differences that predict gambling fallacy susceptibility were found to be similar to those that predict belief in other erroneous phenomena (i.e., belief in paranormal phenomena). Identification of the pattern of individual susceptibility factors will aid in focused interventions aimed to reduce erroneous beliefs: gambling specific and paranormal.
Les croyances erronées concernant le jeu, connues collectivement sous le nom d'erreurs du parieur, sont reconnues pour être répandues dans la population générale. Or, on en sait très peu sur les différences individuelles qui mènent à une augmentation de la susceptibilité à cet ensemble de croyances erronées. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse que les facteurs responsables des erreurs du parieur pouvaient ressembler aux facteurs qui entraînent la susceptibilité à d'autres types de croyances erronées comme la croyance au paranormal. À partir d'un échantillon de 266 étudiants universitaires et membres de la communauté de Lethbridge, l'étude actuelle a identifié les différences individuelles associées à, et prédictives de, l'appui des erreurs du parieur. Des comparaisons ont ensuite été faites entre ces facteurs et les facteurs prédisant la croyance au paranormal. En accord avec notre hypothèse, il a été constaté qu'un ensemble de facteurs très similaire était prédictif de la croyance aux erreurs du parieur et au phénomène paranormal. Plus précisément, une plus grande fiabilité à la pensée intuitive, un style cognitif moins rationnel, et une capacité de raisonnement probabiliste plus faible étaient prédictifs de la croyance au phénomène paranormal et de l'appui des erreurs du parieur. Diverses orientations à donner aux activités de recherche futures sont abordées.
Mesoscale eddies may play a critical role in ocean biogeochemistry by increasing nutrient supply, primary production, and efficiency of the biological pump, that is, the ratio of carbon export to ...primary production in otherwise nutrient-deficient waters. We examined a diatom bloom within a cold-core cyclonic eddy off Hawai`i. Eddy primary production, community biomass, and size composition were markedly enhanced but had little effect on the carbon export ratio. Instead, the system functioned as a selective silica pump. Strong trophic coupling and inefficient organic export may be general characteristics of community perturbation responses in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.
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