Allelotype influence at glutathione S-transferase M1 locus on breast cancer susceptibility

PURPOSE: To compare development of visual acuity and binocular vision in preterm and full-term infants in a prospective study that used testers masked to subject's gestational age. METHODS: Seventy-nine healthy full-term infants, mean gestational age 40 weeks, and 18 low-risk preterm infants, mean gestational age 33 weeks, were examined biweekly between the 44th and 54th weeks of postmenstrual age. Ocular alignment, convergence, fusion, grating acuity, and onset of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) were assessed at each examination. RESULTS: The mean postnatal ages of onset of ocular alignment, convergence, fusion, grating acuity to 1.6 cycles per degree, and OKN from temporal to nasal and nasal to temporal were, respectively, 5, 7, 7, 11, 6, and 9 weeks for the full-term and 12, 13, 14, 18, 13, and 16 weeks for the preterm infants. The mean postmenstrual ages of onset for the corresponding parameters were 46, 48, 48, 51, 46, and 50 weeks for full-term and 46, 47, 48, 52, 47, and 49 weeks for preterm infants. The onset of all parameters was earlier in full-term infants than in preterm infants of the same postnatal age (P < or = 0.0001). However, no differences were found when the parameters were compared at postmenstrual ages. CONCLUSIONS: Additional visual experience of preterm infants does not influence development of visual acuity or binocular vision during the first months of life as measured from the time of conception.     

Effects of humorous heroes and villains in violent action films

This experimental investigation explores the use of humor in violent action films, focusing on the effects of wisecracking heroes and villains on audience distress. An action film was edited to create control film versions without wisecracking dialogue. The research revealed contrast effects. Among female viewers, hero wisecracks in an action film increased distress reactions to the film, but lessened distressful reactions to subsequent televised depictions of real, nonhumorous violence. Conversely, males exposed to hero humor found the film marginally less distressing, but rated depictions of real violence more distressing. For all viewers, effects of villain wisecracks tended to parallel females' reactions to hero wisecracks. Disposition theory is offered as a plausible explanations of study findings.