“Here I Come to Save the Day!” Does Parental Mediation Moderate Associations between Superhero Exposure and Behavior in Young Boys?

Studies have shown that superheroes are very popular among preschool boys, but research on the effect of exposure to superhero media and toys is limited. Superheroes frequently use aggression to defend others, and certain characteristics of superheroes encourage wishful identification among boys. However, it is unknown whether superhero exposure and identification is associated with aggression, prosocial behaviors, or behaviors with the purpose of defending others. Parental active mediation of media (i.e discussions of media content) can reduce the negative effects of aggressive content by modifying children’s perceptions of aggression. This study aimed to examine the associations between superhero exposure/identification and aggressive, prosocial, and defending behavior in preschool boys and to examine whether parental active mediation of television content moderates these associations. Sixty-four parents of preschool boys (mean age = 60.6 months) completed measures of their child’s superhero identification/exposure, their own active mediation, and their child’s aggressive and prosocial behaviors. Results revealed that superhero exposure and identification was associated with decreased prosocial behavior and increased verbal aggression. These associations were not moderated by active parental mediation. Additionally, low levels of parental mediation, combined with high levels of superhero identification/exposure were positively correlated with aggressive defending behaviors. Future research should examine gender and age differences in the associations between superhero exposure and behavior. Additionally, questions remain about the differential effects of discussing media content with preschoolers, as this form of mediation may be less effective for certain types of programs during the preschool years. Additional keywords: early childhoo

The Effect of Patient Education on Anxiety Levels in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for the First Time

Cancer affects approximately 1.5 million people every year throughout the United States.Comprehensive care that includes psychosocial aspects is important to help patients effectively adapt to their diagnosis and treatment plan. Improper prevention and management of anxiety can lead to poor psychosocial outcomes, dissatisfaction with care, and decreased adherence to treatment. Current evidence suggests that education is effective at helping reduce anxiety in patients receiving chemotherapy for the first time. The purpose of this evidenced based practice project was to determine if nurse-led patient education regarding chemotherapy side effects, side-effect management, and orientation to the infusion center was effective at decreasing anxiety in patients receiving chemotherapy for the first time. Roy’s adaptation model provided for a theoretical framework to understand how education can increase positive adaptive responses to chemotherapy treatment. The EBP project was conducted in a large private hematology/oncology practice in Northwest Indiana. Patients recently diagnosed with cancer received 30 minutes of education regarding chemotherapy side effects, side effect management strategies, and orientation to the infusion center one week before receiving their first chemotherapy infusion. Anxiety outcomes were measured immediately before, after, and two weeks post-intervention using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A patient satisfaction survey was completed at two weeks post-intervention to assess satisfaction with the education and their perception of how well the intervention decreased anxiety. A repeated measure ANOVA was calculated comparing pre, post, and two-week post STAI scores. Results were statistically significant, demonstrating that patient education was effective at decreasing anxiety

Glass in the submarine section of the HSDP2 drill core, Hilo, Hawaii

The Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project recovered ~3 km of basalt by coring into the flank of Mauna Kea volcano at Hilo, Hawaii. Rocks recovered from deeper than ~1 km were deposited below sea level and contain considerable fresh glass. We report electron microprobe analyses of 531 glasses from the submarine section of the core, providing a high-resolution record of petrogenesis over ca. 200 Kyr of shield building of a Hawaiian volcano. Nearly all the submarine glasses are tholeiitic. SiO2 contents span a significant range but are bimodally distributed, leading to the identification of low-SiO2 and high-SiO2 magma series that encompass most samples. The two groups are also generally distinguishable using other major and minor elements and certain isotopic and incompatible trace element ratios. On the basis of distributions of high- and low-SiO2 glasses, the submarine section of the core is divided into four zones. In zone 1 (1079–~1950 mbsl), most samples are degassed high-SiO2 hyaloclastites and massive lavas, but there are narrow intervals of low-SiO2 hyaloclastites. Zone 2 (~1950–2233 mbsl), a zone of degassed pillows and hyaloclastites, displays a continuous decrease in silica content from bottom to top. In zone 3 (2233–2481 mbsl), nearly all samples are undegassed low-SiO2 pillows. In zone 4 (2481–3098 mbsl), samples are mostly high-SiO2 undegassed pillows and degassed hyaloclastites. This zone also contains most of the intrusive units in the core, all of which are undegassed and most of which are low-SiO2. Phase equilibrium data suggest that parental magmas of the low-SiO2 suite could be produced by partial melting of fertile peridotite at 30–40 kbar. Although the high-SiO2 parents could have equilibrated with harzburgite at 15–20 kbar, they could have been produced neither simply by higher degrees of melting of the sources of the low-SiO2 parents nor by mixing of known dacitic melts of pyroxenite/eclogite with the low-SiO2 parents. Our hypothesis for the relationship between these magma types is that as the low-SiO2 magmas ascended from their sources, they interacted chemically and thermally with overlying peridotites, resulting in dissolution of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene and precipitation of olivine, thereby generating high-SiO2 magmas. There are glasses with CaO, Al2O3, and SiO2 contents slightly elevated relative to most low-SiO2 samples; we suggest that these differences reflect involvement of pyroxene-rich lithologies in the petrogenesis of the CaO-Al2O3-enriched glasses. There is also a small group of low-SiO2 glasses distinguished by elevated K2O and CaO contents; the sources of these samples may have been enriched in slab-derived fluid/melts. Low-SiO2 glasses from the top of zone 3 (2233–2280 mbsl) are more alkaline, more fractionated, and incompatible-element-enriched relative to other glasses from zone 3. This excursion at the top of zone 3, which is abruptly overlain by more silica-rich tholeiitic magmas, is reminiscent of the end of Mauna Kea shield building higher in the core

Negatively Biased Facial Affect Discernment and Socially Inhibited Behavior in Middle Childhood

Negatively biased facial affect discernment may prompt socially inhibited behavior. Characterizing normative patterns of facial affect discernment across emotions and expression intensity during middle childhood will help to identify subtle, yet meaningful, deviations that may emerge for individuals and potentially negatively impact their social behavior. Facial affect discernment for happy, sad, and angry expressions across low, medium, and high intensities and parent-reported socially inhibited behavior were measured in this study in a sample of 7-10 year-old children (N = 80; 53% female). Discernment accuracy improved with increased expression intensity for all emotions. Specifically, we found a quartic effect for the association between intensity and accuracy for anger and negative quadratics effects with decelerating positive rates of changes for associations between intensity and accuracy for happiness and intensity and accuracy for sadness. Additionally, discernment accuracy for happiness was generally better than for sadness and anger; discernment accuracy for anger was generally better than for sadness. However, at low intensity, discernment accuracy for sadness was comparable to accuracy for happiness but better than for anger. Neither misidentification of neutral and low intensity faces as negative nor discernment accuracy of happiness at low intensity was significantly associated with socially inhibited behaviors. Although accurate discernment of anger and sadness at low intensity was not significantly related to socially inhibited behavior, better discernment accuracy of anger and sadness at medium intensity was significantly related to more socially inhibited behavior. Overall, these results enhance understanding of normative facial affect discernment and its relation to maladaptive social behaviors in middle childhood, a developmental stage at which intervention efforts may prove effective at heading off detrimental outcomes associated with socially inhibited behavior such as loneliness, low self-esteem, peer victimization, social anxiety, and depression that increase in late childhood and adolescence

The Association Between Empathy And Prosocial Story Themes And Internalizing Symptoms In Preschool-aged Children

Little is known about the association between empathic and prosocial tendencies (caring) and internalizing psychopathology in young children. Associations between caring and internalizing problems (INT) were examined in young children (N = 63). Children’s caring was measured using a developmentally appropriate story narrative task about mothers in distress; narratives were rated for themes of caring. No general associations between caring and INT were found. A marginally significant, negative quadratic relation between themes of empathy and INT was found in boys (low levels of INT were related to both high and low levels of empathy). Children’s concern reactions were marginally, negatively associated with INT in children of nondepressed mothers. Overall, findings indicate that associations between caring and INT in preschool-aged children are present only under specific conditions, highlighting the importance of gender and maternal psychopathology in elucidating the role of caring in complicated risk cascades that may result in INT

Clues from Crouzon: Insights into the potential role of growth factors in the pathogenesis of myelinated retinal nerve fibers.

PurposeWe present a case of bilateral extensive peripapillary myelinated retinal nerve fibers (MRNF) in an individual with Crouzon syndrome, an inherited form of craniosynostosis caused by overactivation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2. As a secondary aim, we examine the utility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography for visualization of peripapillary vasculature obscured by myelination on other imaging modalities.MethodsA 24-year-old woman with Crouzon syndrome was evaluated for suspected optic neuritis in the right eye.ResultsFunduscopic examination and photography revealed the incidental finding of bilateral extensive peripapillary MRNF. OCT angiography provided excellent visualization of peripapillary retinal vessels, which were partially obscured by myelination on other imaging modalities.ConclusionsThis association of Crouzon syndrome with bilateral peripapillary MRNF may lend insight into the developmental control of optic nerve myelination, the pathogenesis of MRNF, and the potential role of growth factors in these processes. Further, OCT angiography allowed for excellent blood vessel visualization in this case of MRNF

Archeota, Fall 2018

This is the Fall 2018 issue of Archeota, the official publication of the SJSU SAASChttps://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/saasc_archeota/1008/thumbnail.jp