The portrayal of gender in Marvel and Star Wars media targeted towards children

An abundance of previous research has investigated how gender has been portrayed within feature length films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, particularly those within the Disney princess franchise. However, the Disney corporation acquired the Marvel and Star Wars franchises in 2009 and 2012, respectively, which was likely a strategy for the corporation to obtain characters that would capture the imagination of boys and men. The current qualitative study explored how gender is portrayed by leading protagonists in these texts, utilising thematic analysis, which was necessary considering little is currently known in this domain. The researchers analysed series one of Avengers Assemble and series one of Star Wars Rebels. Interpretation of the data led to the development of several themes and subthemes based on the gendered portrayals within each series. Overall, the findings suggest that there was more overt gender stereotyping in Avengers Assemble when compared with Star Wars Rebels, meaning that the former could be particularly problematic for children who may replicate its messages. The current study has facilitated a greater understanding of the gendered messages that may be consumed by children who engage with Marvel and Star Wars media. Future research is needed to assess the relationship between such messages and children's behaviour.

Understanding the Profile and Needs of Abused Men: Exploring Call Data From a Male Domestic Violence Charity in the United Kingdom

Current understandings on service engagement by male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) within the United Kingdom (UK) have generally been captured by qualitative research. As such, large-scale quantitative data detailing the profile, needs and outcomes of abused men, upon both presentation and use of services, is currently lacking. The present study analyzed the client data of 719 callers to a domestic abuse helpline for men in the UK. Findings showed that the overwhelming majority of callers reported they were abused by female perpetrators, most of whom were still their current partner, and that many of the men were fathers. Vulnerable populations (GBTQ+ and disabled men) were under-represented in the sample. Most men were seeking emotional support, along with a range of practical advice and signposting to other services. The confidentiality of the helpline was crucial for many men, and almost half had struggled to access the service (suggesting a severe lack of resourcing). Findings are discussed in relation to the need for gender-inclusive services, which cater for the unique challenges and barriers experienced by abused men.

But, Who Is the Victim Here? Exploring Judgments Toward Hypothetical Bidirectional Domestic Violence Scenarios

Gendered models of abuse describe intimate partner violence (IPV) as unilaterally perpetrated by dominant, aggressive men toward vulnerable women. This unidirectional conceptualization has contributed to a "domestic violence stereotype" which, alongside broader attitudes regarding gender, influences attitudes toward "non-typical" victim and perpetrator groups (e.g., male victims, female perpetrators, those within same-sex relationships), and has significant outcomes for help-seeking decision-making, as well as responses from service providers and the criminal justice system. While prevalence data and research suggest bidirectional violence is in fact the most common pattern, there is still little known about how the stereotypes and attitudes described above manifest in scenarios where both parties occupy "victim" and "perpetrator" labels. The present pilot study therefore asked 178 undergraduate students to allocate "victim" and "perpetrator" labels, and make judgments of severity, resolution, and justice outcomes, toward hypothetical opposite-sex IPV scenarios varying on the proportion of abuse perpetrated by each party, and type of violence. Results showed that participants were infrequently labelled men as "victims," and women as "perpetrators," across scenarios. They were also less likely to recommend that the man should call the police. These exploratory results suggest that powerful stereotypes about IPV and gender may serve to influence perceptions of bidirectional violence and point to a need to study this issue in more detail to elucidate the most appropriate way to begin to address these issues.

"I Have Guys Call Me and Say 'I Can't Be the Victim of Domestic Abuse'": Exploring the Experiences of Telephone Support Providers for Male Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse

While previous studies have begun to provide evidence on the experiences of male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), current understanding in this area is still limited, and subject to narrow methods of inquiry. Moreover, little is known regarding the challenges of providing support to men in abusive relationships, and how barriers to effective service engagement are experienced by both men and service practitioners. This is an important area for exploration, as the gender-specific experiences and needs of men have been historically overlooked within academic research and service provision. The present study therefore had two principal aims: first, to provide more detailed information regarding the nature and context of abuse toward, and help-seeking experiences of, male victims, and second, to explore the experiences of those supporting abused men. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four call handlers at a U.K. domestic abuse charity supporting male victims. Transcribed interviews were subjected to thematic analysis, revealing a superordinate theme of stereotypes and expectations of men which affected all the other three overarching and eight subthemes, including those detailing the range and severity of abuse suffered, the role of family and friends, barriers to reporting for abused men, and challenges in supporting them. Implications for services working with male victims of DVA are discussed: centered around the need for recognition, increased awareness, increased resourcing, and the provision of gender-inclusive services catering for the gender-specific needs of men.

Nonconsensual Sharing of Private Sexually Explicit Media Among University Students

This research was the first in the United Kingdom to examine the prevalence and nature of nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos and to examine whether this varies according to gender and by role (i.e., perpetrator, victim, or as dual role of perpetrator/victim). In a sample of 391 young adults (aged 18-25 years), questionnaire data on subjective norms, consensual and nonconsensual sharing, and their motivations for these behaviors were collected. Perpetration of and victimization through nonconsensual sharing was experienced by a substantial number of individuals. There was an association between reporting perpetration of nonconsensual sharing and experiencing victimization. An association was also found between reporting being pressured (i.e., coerced) to send sexually explicit material and experiencing victimization of nonconsensual sharing, which suggests that these behaviors may form part of a continuum of violence and abuse, potentially within intimate relationships. No association was found between gender and (a) perpetration or (b) victimization. However, from a gendered perspective, females perceived there was greater social pressure to post messages, pictures, and videos, compared with males. Motivations for nonconsensual sharing were commonly explained as for fun/a joke, and generally not thought of as problematic, although some victims perceived motivations to be more negative and/or related to revenge/causing distress. Given that this research examined nonconsensual sharing across messages, pictures, and videos for both victimization and perpetration and found it was both perpetrated and experienced by females and males, this does not support the common perception that this is a male perpetrated behavior against women. This has implications for education, policy, intervention, and prevention, with approaches needing to be inclusive of both males and females when addressing perpetration and victimization.

Short communication: Association of disease incidence and adaptive immune response in Holstein dairy cows

The objective of this study was to use previously calculated estimated breeding values for cell- (CMIR) and antibody-mediated immune responses (AMIR) to determine associations between immune response (IR) and economically important diseases of dairy cattle. In total, 699 Holsteins were classified as high, average, or low for CMIR, AMIR, and overall IR (combined CMIR and AMIR), and associations with mastitis, metritis, ketosis, displaced abomasums, and retained fetal membranes were determined. The incidence of mastitis was higher among average cows as compared with cows classified as high AMIR [odds ratio (OR)=2.5], high CMIR (OR=1.8), or high IR (OR=1.8). Low-CMIR cows had a higher incidence of metritis (OR=11.3) and low-IR cows had a higher incidence of displaced abomasum (OR=4.1) and retained fetal membrane (OR=2.8) than did average responders. Results of this study show that cows classified as high immune responders have lower occurrence of disease, suggesting that breeding cattle for enhanced IR may be a feasible approach to decrease the incidence of infectious and metabolic diseases in the dairy industry.

Linking public health education and practice: the Australian experience

The public health workforce in Australia is highly skilled, multifunctional, and drawn from a variety of backgrounds, including clinical practice and non-health areas. A wide range of activities is needed to meet the educational and training requirements of this workforce, including on the job inservice training, context specific continuing education programs and short courses, distance and self-directed learning packages, and postgraduate University level courses. The core components of public health today include: a social and political commitment to health, a shared responsibility between government and the public, and a multidisciplinary field of action. The challenge for those providing education and training for the public health workforce is to ensure graduates have the broad range of knowledge and skills needed in this climate. A system-wide approach to learning, where knowledge and skill development is related to the practices and settings of service and program delivery, will ensure strong links between education and practice.

Differential open field reactivity in HAS and LAS rats

To identify potential differences in emotional reactivity in high (HAS) and low (LAS) alcohol-sensitive rats in open field tests, 20 ethanol naive, 19th generation HAS and 20 LAS rats from the University of Colorado's Alcohol Research Center each received three consecutive daily 20-min exposures to a 1-sq m open field. The results of repeated-measures ANOVA and Keuls tests, performed on each of five concurrently recorded behaviors, indicated that, compared to HAS rats, LAS animals exhibited significantly greater latencies to begin ambulation, elevated ambulation, and rearing scores that failed to habituate over 3 days, and an increasing intersession bolus count. In addition, significant positive correlations occurred between days 2 + 3 (but not day 1) ambulation and bolus counts in LAS but not HAS rats, and between day 1 ambulation and (i) rearings and (ii) center square entries in HAS but not LAS rats. Together with other cited data, these results provide support for a hypothesis of relatively greater emotional reactivity in LAS rats and illustrate the need for multiple measures and sessions in evaluating open field behavior.

Acute morphine lowers brain stimulation reward thresholds in rats with depressed or elevated response rates

The positively-reinforcing effect of acute morphine sulfate (MS) administration was assessed by concurrent rate-dependent and rate-independent measures of brain stimulation reward in male rats. An acute 4 mg/kg MS injection produced a rapid, statistically-significant decrease in reward threshold of 28.5%, when compared with saline control values, 45 min after injection. Response rates for brain stimulation delivery decreased by 60.6%, when compared with saline values during the period of maximum threshold change. Other animals, injected with an acute 1 mg/kg MS dose, exhibited significant threshold decreases (21.5%), relative to changes in saline values that occurred in a prior session, and response-rate increases of 23.1%, relative to saline-session changes, when the data were recorded 40 min after injection. The findings reported here demonstrate that the decreases in reward threshold produced by acute morphine administration are independent of the response-rate changes that occur and also support the idea that morphine's rewarding effect may be independent of the behavioral inhibition or activation that can result from the effects of different morphine doses.

Morphine and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol: two-way cross tolerance for antinociceptive and heart-rate responses in the rat

Tail-flick analgesic responses and heart-rate changes were measured in male Sprague-Dawley rats challenged with an acute IP morphine sulfate (MS) or delta 9-THC injection after receiving daily injections of delta 9-THC or morphine, respectively. Degree of tolerance development to each agent was determined before the cross-tolerance challenge was administered. Cross tolerance occurred to analgesic and bradycardic effects of a 10 mg/kg THC challenge in rats receiving 50 mg/kg MS injections over a 23-day period. Cross tolerance to the bradycardic effects of a 20 mg/kg MS challenge occurred in rats receiving seven daily 10 mg/kg delta 9-THC injections and to MS tail-flick analgesia after 14 days. Although rapid tolerance occurred during administration of both agents, cross tolerance to THC bradycardia occurred only in groups exhibiting complete tolerance to MS injections; cross tolerance to MS bradycardia was observed in animals that were only partially tolerant to THC injections. The data extend earlier cross tolerance data in the mouse to the rat, and provide new information using heart rate, a response that may mirror aversive internal states induced by drugs.

Opiate receptor function may be modulated through an oxidation-reduction mechanism

Cupric ion, a thiol oxidant, caused naloxone-reversible analgesia when injected intracerebroventricularly in mice; its potency was close to that of morphine. Dithiothreitol, a thiol reductant, reversed the analgesia induced by cupric ion and antagonized analgesia induced by morphine. Oxidized dithiothreitol had no effect. These findings, together with evidence for redox modification of opiate receptor binding in vitro, suggest that a mechanism of oxidation-reduction of thiols may modulate opiate receptor function.

Thioridazine and EKG anomalies

Acute i.v. infusion but not daily oral administration of thioridazine-HCl in the dog produced EKG anomalies similar to those reported in psychiatric patients taking this drug. Lack of EKG effects after thioridazine-5-sulfoxide infusion and presence of anomalies after thioridazine at equivalent doses suggests further evaluation of the relationship between reported plasma levels of thioridazine and its ring-sulfoxide in association with EKG changes.

Cardiovascular effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in conscious and anaesthetized dogs

1. Temporal effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on heart rate and blood pressure in conscious dogs were compared to those in anaesthetized dogs. 2. In conscious dogs, THC in doses of 0.25 and 0.1 mg/kg resulted in maximal heart rate reductions of 48 and 41%, respectively, and in no significant change in blood pressure. 3. In anaesthetized animals THC in doses of 0.5 and 0.25 mg/kg caused a peak reduction in heart rate of 38 and 34%, and of blood pressure of 24 and 8%, respectively. 4. The results demonstrate that the bradycardia in response to THC in dogs is independent of the concomitant anaesthesia. 5. We conclude that the discrepancy between heart rate response to THC in dogs and in man is due to a species difference.

Involvement of biogenic amines in drug-induced aggressive pecking in chicks

Pairs of neonate chicks were administered psychoactive agents and pecks against each other were recorded during 4-hr test sessions. The first experiment assessed where drug-induced aggressive pecking could serve as a useful anti-depressant screening model. Although pecking was induced by tricyclics, d-amphetamine, and L-Dopa, ineffective agents included a MAO inhibitor (pargline) and a tricyclic indole antidepressant (iprindole). These data cast doubt on the validity of the chick pecking model as a specific antidepressant tests. A second experiment attempted to determine where different amines were involved in pecking induced by an antidepressant and a CNS stimulant. Pairs of chicks were pretreated with various doses of amine antagonists, and a standard dose of imipramine (IMI) or d-amphetamine (AMP) was administered. Haloperidol completely antagonized AMP but not IMI pecking, while phentolamine and propranolol did not modify AMP pecking, suggesting involvement of dopamine. Pecking induced by IMI was partially antagonized by a dose of methysergide ineffective in modifying AMP pecking. Neither phentolamine nor propranolol blocked IMI pecking. Serotonin was further implicated in IMI pecking in a third experiment, whether chronic PCPA pretreatment significantly decreased IMI, but not AMP pecking. These data suggest that aggressive pecking induced by AMP and IMI may be mediated by different amine systems.

Differential effect of cannabinol and cannabidiol on THC-induced responses during abstinence in morphine-dependent rats

The same dose of cannabinol (CBN) or cannabidiol (CBD) further increased the attenuation of precipitated abstinence signs observed in morphine-dependent rats that also received an acute dose of delta 9-THC. By contrast, rotational behavior (turning), which is observed concomitantly in THC-treated rats during morphine abstinence, was not increased by CBN, but was potentiated by CBD. These data illustrate differences between psychoinactive cannabinoids in their interaction with delta 9-THC that might be relevant to possible clinical use of Cannabis in narcotic detoxification.

Morphine-dependent rats: blockade of precipitated abstinence by tetrahydrocannabinol

Male rats were implanted subcutaneously with a pellet containg 75 milligrams of morphine base or placebo, and naloxone hydrochloride (4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) was administered 72 hours later. Treatment with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (2, 5, or 10 milligrams per kilogram) 1 hour before maloxone administration significantly reduced the intensity of abstinence; the two higher doses blocked the appearance of wet shakes and escapes, diarrhea, and increased defecation. delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol did not induce abstinence itself, and prior treatment with cannabidiol was ineffective in reducing naloxoneprecipitated abstinence in animals with morphine pellets. These data suggest that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol may be of value in facilitating narcotic detoxification.

Retrograde amnesia: production of skseletal but not cardiac response gradient by electroconvulsive shock

Rats given a single electroconvulsive shock immediately after but not 60 seconds after an aversive conditioning trial exhibited behavioral retention deficits 24 hours later in a one-trial passive avoidance task. In contrast to these differential performance deficits, similar heart-rate changes, indicative of fear retention, were seen in punished animals irrespective of the time of delivery of the shock. These data suggest retention of a generalized fear to the training experience that was not revealed by the behavioral measure. The potential usefulness of concomitant behavioral and physiological response assessment in consolidation research is discussed.