Putting people in context: ERP responses to bodies in natural scenes.

The N190 is a body-sensitive ERP component that responds to images of human bodies in different poses. In natural settings, bodies vary in posture and appear within complex, cluttered environments, frequently with other people. In many studies, however, such variability is absent. How does the N190 response change when observers see images that incorporate these sources of variability? In two experiments (N = 16 each), we varied the natural appearance of upright and inverted bodies to examine how the N190 amplitude, latency, and the Body-Inversion Effect (BIE) were affected by natural variability. In Experiment 1, we varied the number of people present in upright and inverted naturalistic scenes such that only one body, a subitizable number of bodies, or a "crowd" was present. In Experiment 2, we varied the natural body appearance by presenting bodies either as silhouettes or with photographic detail. Further, we varied the natural background appearance by either removing it or presenting individual bodies within a rich environment. Using component-based analyses of the N190, we found that the number of bodies in a scene reduced the N190 amplitude, but didn't affect the BIE (Experiment 1). Naturalistic body and background appearance (Experiment 2) also affected the N190, such that component amplitude was dramatically reduced by naturalistic appearance. To complement this analysis, we examined the contribution of spatiotemporal features (i.e., electrode × time point amplitude) via SVM decoding. This technique allows us to examine which timepoints across the entire waveform contribute the most to successful decoding of body orientation in each condition. This analysis revealed that later timepoints (after 300ms) contribute most to successful orientation decoding. These results demonstrate that natural appearance variability affects body processing at the N190 and that later ERP components may make important contributions to body processing in natural scenes.

Mild aggressive behavior and images of real-life violence.

Several decades of research have explored the links between exposure to violent entertainment media and subsequent aggression. However, there has been little research on the effects of exposure to images of real-life violence. In the present study, participants viewed either a video portraying acts of real violence, fictional violence, or a nonviolent video. After watching the video, mild aggressive behavior was assessed using the competitive reaction-time task. In 11 of the 17 preregistered measures, participants who viewed scenes of real-life violence exhibited lower levels of mild aggressive behavior compared to participants who viewed scenes of fictional violence from films and television shows. However, these effects were consistently small. The results suggest that exposure to images of real-life violence in the media may have a small inhibition effect on mild aggressive behavior in some contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Association between Early Menarche and Small for Gestational Age Birth.

In the U.S., approximately 11% of infants are born small for gestational age (SGA). While there are many known behavioral risk factors for SGA births, there are still many factors yet to be explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the maternal early menarche (< 12 years old)- SGA birth association. Data were retrieved from the 2011-2017 National Survey of Family Growth, and multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association. Approximately 4% of mothers reported having an SGA infant and 24% of mothers reported early age at menarche. After controlling for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and annual household income, early menarche was associated with 3% increased odds of SGA, although this finding was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.53). Additional research is needed on the long-term birth outcomes and health consequences of early menarche.

A Systematic Review of Validated Measures of U.S.-Based Bystander Intervention-Related Constructs.

This review aimed to identify U.S.-based, construct-validated measures of bystander intervention. Following PRISMA-P guidelines, electronic databases were searched, and emails were solicited identifying 8,559 articles for title screening. Abstracts and full texts were double screened, resulting in 24 scales meeting inclusion criteria: (a) measured a bystander-related construct in a situation where there was a potential for actual or perceived imminent physical or emotional harm, (b) written in English, and (c) statistically validated on U.S. samples. Most scales addressed the domain of interpersonal violence (67%), with fewer relating to bias/bullying (8.2%), mental health crises (12.5%), and substance use (12.5%). Most scales (71%) assessed the "take action" step of the situational model. The modal construct represented was intent/willingness/likelihood to intervene (50%). The average number of items on a scale was 14, and most (79%) provided Likert-style response options. None of the validated scales assessing behavior first accounted for an opportunity. Sample sizes ranged from 163 to 3,397, with the modal setting from colleges. Overall, samples were young (21.8 years old), White (75%), women (64%), and heterosexual (89%). Results indicate the need to validate additional measures that capture the "interpreting the situation as problematic" step of the situational model. Scales also need to be validated using diverse samples, particularly within the mental health crisis domain. Across all domains, validated measures need to be developed that first account for an opportunity when measuring actual bystander behavior. The information gleaned can be used to assist researchers in selecting measures and guide future measure development.

Prenatal use of cleaning and scented products and its association with childhood asthma, asthma symptoms, and mental health and developmental comorbidities.

INTRODUCTION: Occupational use of cleaning chemicals has been related to asthma in adults. However, little information is available on the effect of non-occupational use of cleaning products during pregnancy on childhood asthma. This study examines the association between prenatal exposure to cleaning and scented products with childhood asthma, asthma symptoms, and mental and developmental comorbidities among low-income families in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: Four hundred children from the Koohi Goth Women's Hospital were included in the study. Parents' or guardians reported current asthma, asthma-related symptoms, mental health problems, and behavioral problems among the children. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between the use of cleaning and scented products during pregnancy and seven different outcome variables. RESULTS: The odds of nocturnal cough were significantly elevated among children whose mothers reported the use of cleaning products (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.15-4.31) or scented products (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.22-3.77) during pregnancy. Mental health comorbidities were threefold elevated (OR: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.74-5.35) among children whose mothers reported using scented products during pregnancy. There was no statistically significant association of the prenatal use of cleaning or scented products with current asthma status or nocturnal symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness among children. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate prenatal exposure to cleaning and scented products is associated with nocturnal cough among children. The study also suggests an association between prenatal use of scented products and mental health comorbidities among children.