Developmental differences in children’s interpersonal emotion regulation

Previous research on interpersonal emotion regulation (ER) in childhood has been rather unsystematic, focusing mainly on children’s prosocial behaviour, and has been conducted in the absence of an integrative emotion theoretical framework. The present research relied on the interpersonal affect classification proposed by Niven, Totterdell, and Holman (2009) to investigate children’s use of different interpersonal ER strategies. The study drew on two samples: 180 parents of children aged between 3 and 8 years reported about a situation where their child was able to change what another person was feeling in order to make them feel better. In addition, 126 children between 3- and 8-years old answered two questions about how they could improve others’ mood. Results from both samples showed age differences in children’s use of interpersonal ER strategies. As expected, ‘affective engagement’ (i.e., focusing on the person or the problem) and ‘cognitive engagement’ (i.e., appraising the situation from a different perspective) were mainly used by 7-8 years-old, whereas ‘attention’ (i.e., distracting and valuing) was most used by 3-4 and 5-6 years-old. ‘Humor’ (i.e., laughing with the target) remained stable across the different age groups. The present research provides more information about the developmental patterns for each specific interpersonal emotion regulation strategy

Serial heart rate changes in rats inoculated by conjunctival instillation of Trypanosoma cruzi obtained from bug faeces Alterações do ritmo cardíaco de ratos infectados pela via conjuntival por Trypanosoma cruzi obtidos de fezes de triatomíneos

The cardiac effects of experimentally induced myocarditis, when the parasite is obtained from mouse blood, are well known. However, the consequences of the infection when the parasites are obtained from bug faeces are less well defined. In the present investigation, we have used the "Y" strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, which was maintained in Rhodnius prolixus by repeated passages in mice. The faeces of 30 infected bugs were collected, the number of parasites counted and 4,000 parasites inoculated by the conjunctival route in 60 rats. Twenty-nine other rats received faeces from noninfected bugs (sham-inoculated controls) and 40 were used as normal controls. The heart rate of the three groups of animals was recorded under general anesthesia with ether. The heart rate, at day 0 pre-inoculation, was similar in the three groups of animals (Controls: 379 ± 27 beats/min Mean ± SD; Sham-inoculated: 366 ± 31; Infected: 351 ± 29) (p> 0.05). In the infected animals, the mean heart rate began to increase significantly by day 12 following infection (375 ± 31), reaching the highest values between days 18 (390 ± 33) and 21 (403 ± 33) and returned to baseline by day 30 (359 ± 28) (p< 0.05). The heart rate changes were statistically different from those observed in the sham-inoculated controls and in the control animals. Therefore, these heart rate changes were provoked by the Trypanosoma cruzi-induced infection. Thus, it appears that irrespective of the source of the parasite and route of inoculation Trypanosoma cruziacute infection provokes a transient sinus tachycardia.<br>Os efeitos da miocardite chagásica experimental, produzida por Trypanosoma cruzi proveniente do sangue de camundongos são bem conhecidos. O mesmo não ocorre quando a inoculação é feita com Trypanosoma cruzi proveniente de fezes do vetor. No presente estudo, usamos a variedade "Y" do Trypanosoma cruzi mantida em Rodhnius prolixus por repetidas passagens em camundongos. As fezes de 30 insetos parasitados foram coletadas e contados os parasitas. O estudo foi desenvolvido em três grupos de ratos. O primeiro, controle, formado por 40 animais, o segundo, por 29 animais que receberam fezes de insetos não infectados (controle falso inoculado) e o terceiro grupo constituído por 60 ratos inoculados com 4.000 parasitas, por via conjuntival. Em todos os animais, após anestesia geral, registrou-se a freqüência cardíaca (FC). Esta, antes da inoculação, era similar nos infectados e nos controles (controle 379 ± 27bpm; falso inoculado: 366 ± 31bpm; infectado 351 ± 29bpm). No 12º dia após a infecção, a FC no grupo chagásico começou a se elevar (375 ± 31bpm) atingindo seu valor máximo entre os dias 18 (390 ± 33bpm) e 21 (403 ± 33bpm). No 33º dia pós-infecção, a FC retornou ao valor basal inicial. Nos grupos controles, não se detectaram alterações da FC. O estudo estatístico mostrou que as variações da FC, no grupo infectado, foram estatisticamente diferentes das detectadas nos outros grupos. Conclui-se que a infecção pelo Trypanosoma cruzi, em ratos, produz taquicardia sinusal transitória, independente da fonte do parasita e da via de inoculação