Are We Centering the Adult in Youth Media Education?: Decolonizing the Reception of Youth-Produced Media Texts

This articles asks media educators to consider how the assumptions and values we hold are reflected in our reception and circulation of youth-produced texts in ways that colonize youth interests, sensibilities, and aesthetics. Drawing from experiences facilitating youth media workshops and focusing on two videos produced by teens in foster care as case studies, I demonstrate how youth media programs overlook the value of “just for fun” youth-produced media texts. Although media educators value play as part of the media production process, I argue that the media we choose to circulate and celebrate are texts that resonate with and reflect adult values; this is because playful media texts are less likely to legitimize adult institutions and pedagogies. I propose that a youth-centered reading of playful youth media requires us to: acknowledge that the adult reading is not the dominant reading, validate memetic literacies, and legitimize embodied playfulness and pleasure. Circulating illegible youth media shifts how media educators read and articulate the values of playful texts

Effect of target type on near point of convergence in a healthy, active, young adult population

Purpose: Measuring near point of convergence (NPC) has recently emerged as a concussion assessment tool. Differences in administration of the test can be seen within the literature, which may affect results and normative values. There has been little investigation examining if clinically accessible target types affects NPC and no examination of NPC in a healthy, active young adult population. Methods: NPC was measured in 39 subjects using 5 different targets two times each with an accommodative ruler. Results: NPC ranged from 1.5-10cm in this population with an overall mean of 5.9+-1.6 cm. There were significant differences between the middle sized font and the line (p = .024) and pen (p = .047), and also between the largest sized font and the line (p = .026). Conclusion: For physically active young adults, the measurement of NPC is affected by target type

The Importance of Sexual Education on Adolescent Sexual Behaviors

Objective: The objective of this report is to examine how sex education for adolescents living in rural and urban settings in the states of Alabama and Ohio impacts their sexual health and behaviors. Methods: To explore this topic, several different statistical tests were done: an independent t-test, an ANOVA test, a Pearman/Spearman correlation, a regression, and a standard correlation. The reason for these different tests was to compare the difference in the number of sexually transmitted diseases, how insurance status correlates with teenage pregnancy rates and sexually transmitted diseases, and the relationship between socioeconomic status and the rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Results: We found that there are a multitude of factors that influence sexual behaviors and health of teenagers: the type of county they live in (rural or urban), their socioeconomic status, insurance status, and type of household. Therefore, it is imperative that these healthcare disparities are combated so that underserved teenage patient populations can have improved rates of sexual health and have access to sexual health resources that can enhance their health status and overall patient care outcomes

2-deoxyglucose inhibits induction of chemokine expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and adipose tissue explants

© 2016 The Obesity Society Objective: To determine the influence of glycolytic inhibition on the adipocyte inflammatory response. Methods: To determine the effect of 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) on the inflammatory response, mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes were co-treated with 2-DOG and LPS or TNF. To determine the effect of endoplasmic reticulum stress on TNF-induced induction of chemokines, adipocytes were pretreated with thapsigargin or salubrinal. Chemokine mRNA levels were determined using quantitative real-time PCR, and secretion of CCL2 was determined by Western blot. Results: 2-DOG treatment reduced the ability of LPS and TNF to induce CCL2 mRNA levels and reduced secreted CCL2 protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. A similar pattern of mRNA regulation was observed for other chemokines. The attenuation of TNF-induced CCL2 mRNA levels occurred regardless of whether glucose or pyruvate was present in the media, suggesting that mechanisms other than glycolysis might mediate the observed effects. Treatment with the endoplasmic reticulum stressor thapsigargin and the endoplasmic reticulum signaling activator salubrinal reduced chemokine mRNA levels similarly to 2-DOG. Conclusions: Collectively, our data indicate that 2-DOG suppresses inflammatory chemokine induction in adipocytes. The effects of 2-DOG do not seem to be linked to glycolysis but correlate with endoplasmic reticulum stress activation

Spectroscopic Behavior of Composite, Black Thermal Paint, Solar Cell, and Multi-Layered Insulation Materials in a GEO Simulated Environment

The population of objects orbiting Earth is dominated by orbital debris. The following study presents reflectance spectroscopic measurements and bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) evaluations taken on common spacecraft materials (Table 1), some of which are likely candidates in the orbital debris population. Their optical properties were assessed in their pristine conditions, as well as after exposure in a space environmental chamber used to simulate space weathering. The materials studied will prove that they have excellent properties in resisting the effects of damage that are common in both low Earth orbit and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) based on the research discussed in this work

Spectroscopic Behavior of Composite, Black Thermal Paint, Solar Cell, and Multi-layered Insulation Materials in a GEO Simulated Environment

Materials currently populating Earth orbital regimes can be distinguished by comparing remote observational data to that of optical material measurements obtained in the laboratory. Experimentation for this research primarily involved the acquisition of spectroscopic measurements on materials of interest to the telescopic observational community for enhanced space situational awareness. Common spacecraft materials worthy of preeminent analysis for this investigation include a carbon-carbon (c-c) matrix composite, various black thermal paints, a GPS solar cell and three different cover glass components. These materials were subjected to a simulated geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) space environment with the intent of observing material optical property behavior over quantitative exposure time. The aforementioned materials have been measured in their pristine and GEO simulated exposed conditions. A reflectance spectrometer and a bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) optical system have been operated to perform material characterization, optical property analysis, and to further compare such data to telescopic observational data acquired on equal materials

Fat in flames: Influence of cytokines and pattern recognition receptors on adipocyte lipolysis

© 2015 the American Physiological Society. Adipose tissue has the largest capacity to store energy in the body and provides energy through the release of free fatty acids during times of energy need. Different types of immune cells are recruited to adipose tissue under various physiological conditions, indicating that these cells contribute to the regulation of adipose tissue. One major pathway influenced by a number of immune cells is the release of free fatty acids through lipolysis during both physiological (e.g., cold stress) and pathophysiological processes (e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes). Adipose tissue expansion during obesity leads to immune cell infiltration and adipose tissue remodeling, a homeostatic process that promotes inflammation in adipose tissue. The release of proinflammatory cytokines stimulates lipolysis and causes insulin resistance, leading to adipose tissue dysfunction and systemic disruptions of metabolism. This review focuses on the interactions of cytokines and other inflammatory molecules that regulate adipose tissue lipolysis during physiological and pathophysiological states

Exploring doctors’ trade-offs between management, research, and clinical training in the medical curriculum : a protocol for a discrete choice experiment in Southern Africa

Funding This work was supported by the Department of Research and Innovation, University of Pretoria Research Development Programme and the University Capacity Development Programme for the University of Pretoria. Acknowledgements The authors thank the participants in the previous phases that informed the development of the DCE.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The measurement and meaning of coping in psychiatric patients

In psychology and psychiatry there is a fundamental presumption that a categorical difference between “normal” and mentally ill people exists. The primary research goal of this thesis was to explore the measurement and meaning of coping in a psychiatric population. The major research questions were: 1) Does the underlying assumption about “not coping” in those diagnosed with a mental illness do justice to the complexity of what coping might be for these people? and 2) Does it make sense to measure coping in a psychiatric population? Quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed to answer these questions. Study A examined the psychometric adequacy of an existing coping scale, the Coping Scale for Adults Questionnaire (CSA; Frydenberg & Lewis, 1997) and its ability to discriminate between the coping strategies of a “normal” (n=369) and a psychiatric sample (n=110). Comparisons were made between the two groups across the 19 coping strategies, in terms of factor structure, gender and age. An additional comparison of coping strategies was made between a sub-sample of those diagnosed with schizophrenia and the “normative” sample. Study B was a separate study between an age-and gender-matched subsample from a separate community sample in Western Australia matched to members of the psychiatric population. Study C extended the examination of the CSA, with the inclusion of a sample of undergraduate university students (n=110). The CSA was found to have adequate psychometric properties and the ability to discriminate between the coping strategies of the psychiatric, community and university samples. However, it was identified that built into quantitative measurement of coping is a set of problematic assumptions about the coping strategies of those diagnosed with a mental illness that raised concerns about both the validity and sole reliance on quantitative measures in this area, prompting further qualitative studies. The first part of the qualitative analyses comprised 25 male and 13 female inpatients of a psychiatric hospital who were interviewed about how they coped. The thematic analyses of psychiatric patients’ descriptions of their coping revealed five key themes: patients reported that professional intervention reduced their ability to cope; they distrusted the mental health system and its professionals; coping mechanisms were misinterpreted; situational crises modulated coping; and, that sometimes coping was just “not coping.” The second qualitative part of the thesis comprised case studies from interviews, medical file information and patient demographics of 10 psychiatric inpatients. Psychiatric patients’ narratives contained in the case files revealed commonalities in coping strategies and much more detailed descriptions of how they coped. Employing both the methodology of quantitative and qualitative approaches to coping offers an opportunity to construct a powerful and plausible argument about how people diagnosed with a mental illness cope. Overall, the findings from the studies revealed that the bedrock assumptions underpinning the current mental health system to understanding the meaning of coping in those diagnosed with a mental illness did not reflect or do justice to their actual accounts of coping. A more respectful, nuanced understanding of the notion of coping by mental health professionals is suggested

The Effect of target speed and verbal instruction on NPC measures in a young, healthy, and active population

Purpose: Evaluate the effect of target speed and verbal instruction on near point of convergence (NPC) measurements in a young, healthy, and active population. Methods: NPC was measured in 20 individuals with three target speeds and two sets of verbal instruction. The target speeds used were 1 cm/s, 3 cm/s, 5 cm/s, and participant self-paced. The verbal instruction given was either to indicate when the target became “double” or “blurry”. Results: Paired-samples t-tests revealed significant differences between 5 cm/s (5.44 ± 2.01) and 1 cm/s (6.72 ± 2.39, p = .003), 3 cm/s (6.10 ± 2.36, p = .030) and self-paced (6.63 ± 2.26, p = .005). A significant difference (p < .001) was also found between the “double” (6.72 ± 2.39) and “blurry” (10.82 ± 3.08) conditions Conclusion: For young, healthy and active individuals, target speed and verbal instruction matter when measuring NPC