Cardiovascular changes during induced emotion: an application of lang's theory of emotional imagery.

Studies of emotion have provided occasional support for physiological differentiation of affective states; however, the evidence has been inconsistent. The aims of the present study were to investigate cardiovascular changes associated with relived experiences of happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust and to examine the utility of methods designed to optimize the induction of emotional responses. Thirty-four undergraduates who scored 0.5 sd above the mean on Larsen and Diener's Affect Intensity Measure described their most intense experiences of five emotions. These descriptions were then used to induce those emotions while blood pressure and other hemodynamic measures were monitored. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and stroke volume differentiated among emotions. The results support the suggestion that cardiovascular activity differentiates emotional states and provide some insight into the physiological adjustments subserving such effects. The study demonstrates a method that may be applied to studies of discrete emotions.

Injuries and use of protective equipment among college in-line skaters.

In-line skating injuries and protective gear use were explored in a sample of college students (n = 217). A minority of respondents wore protective gear. One third of skaters had experienced at least one minor injury, and a smaller percentage had experienced fractures or head injuries. Most minor injuries occurred during the first 1-2 times skating, while more serious injuries tended to occur after at least 50 times on in-line skates. Psychosocial predictors of protective gear use were explored. Four major Health Belief Model constructs (perceived barriers to wearing gear, perceived susceptibility to injury, perceived severity of injury, and perceived benefits of wearing gear) were significant predictors of protective gear use. The Health Belief Model, tested using regression and structural equation modelling, predicted gear typically worn, frequency of gear use, and injuries received while in-line skating. Implications for increasing protective gear use are described.

Youth beliefs and knowledge about the risks of drinking while pregnant.

Because no published studies of young persons' knowledge and awareness of fetal alcohol syndrome are available, the awareness and beliefs about drinking while pregnant in several large samples of young persons ages 13-20 are examined. Approximately 81 percent of the entire sample that completed questionnaires in school surveys believe that drinking alcohol while pregnant can definitely harm the fetus, although males and younger persons are less likely to believe in this risk. A substantial proportion of respondents believe that occasional heavy use is not harmful and suggest a safe level of drinking that is higher than the Surgeon General's abstinence recommendations. Only 72 percent have heard of fetal alcohol syndrome, and more than one-third incorrectly report that it describes a baby born addicted to alcohol, that the syndrome can be inherited, and that it can be cured. As in prior studies of adults, beliefs about drinking while pregnant are inconsistent with the Surgeon General's recommendations. Implications for increasing the awareness of the risk of drinking while pregnant are discussed.

Viral agents associated with infantile gastroenteritis in Nigeria: relative prevalence of adenovirus serotypes 40 and 41, astrovirus, and rotavirus serotypes 1 to 4.

Sixty-six stool specimens from infants with diarrhoea in Nigeria were examined for the presence of viral pathogens. Rotaviruses were found in 25.8% of specimens and astroviruses in 1.5%. Serotypes were determined for 47.1% of the rotavirus positive specimens, all of which were serotype 1. RNA analysis revealed no unusual electrophoretic profiles. No enteric adenoviruses were detected. In contrast, in a parallel study conducted in the UK, rotaviruses (including serotypes 1, 2 and 4) accounted for 21.9% of infections, adenovirus serotypes 40 and 41 13.6%, and astroviruses 4.5%.