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Past research has shown that growth mindset and motivational beliefs have an important role in math and science career interest in adolescence. Drawing on situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), this study extends these findings by investigating the role of parental motivational beliefs (e.g., expectancy beliefs, utility values) and parent growth mindset in math on adolescent career interest in math-intensive fields (e.g., mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering; MCSE) through adolescent motivational beliefs in math. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model using data from 290 adolescents (201 girls, 69.3%; Mage = 15.20), who participate in informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) youth programs, and their parents (162 parents, 87.7% female) in the United Kingdom and the United States. As hypothesized, adolescent expectancy beliefs, utility values, and growth mindset in math had a significant direct effect on MCSE career interest. Further, there was a significant indirect effect of parental expectancy beliefs in math on MCSE career interest through adolescents' expectancy beliefs. Similarly, there was a significant indirect effect from parental utility values in math to MCSE career interest through adolescents' utility values. The findings suggest that parents' math motivational beliefs play a critical role in adolescent math motivational beliefs and their career interest in math-intensive fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-compassion, being kind to oneself in difficult times, is a way of relating to oneself that promotes better mental health, but little is known about how self-compassion affects interpersonal relationships. The current study examined the association between self-compassion and adolescent depressive symptoms from an interpersonal perspective in different cultural contexts. Adolescents (N = 422/570, Mean age = 14.44/13.41, UK/China) completed questionnaires about their perceptions of their parents' behaviour towards them, self-compassion, friendships and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modelling revealed that positive parenting was positively associated with higher self-compassion, positive friendship quality, and with fewer depressive symptoms in both samples. Additionally, we confirmed a negative association between self-compassion and depressive symptoms. The pathway from positive parenting to lower depressive symptoms via higher self-compassion was also corroborated in both cultures. Contrary to our hypothesis, positive quality of friendship was associated with higher depressive symptoms in both countries. Conflicts were associated with more depressive symptoms in the Chinese sample only. There was evidence of a negative association between self-compassion and conflicts in the Chinese sample only. Finally, the direct association between self-compassion and depressive symptoms was greater in the UK sample, whereas in the Chinese sample, interpersonal factors were more strongly associated with self-compassion and depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that self-compassion may be a useful therapeutic target to improve social functioning and mental health among adolescents and that it may be necessary to account for cross-cultural differences in interpersonal factors when designing psychological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the factors that influence engagement for adolescents participating in informal youth science programs. This study examined longitudinal reciprocal associations between adolescents' science engagement, interest, and growth mindset. Participants were adolescents (Mage = 15.06, SD = 1.82 years, 66.8% female) from the UK (n = 168) and the US (n = 299). A cross lagged path analysis indicated that participants' science growth mindset at baseline was positively related to interest, and engagement at year 1, and science interest at year 1 was positively related to growth mindset at year 2. Additionally, girls had lower science growth mindsets than boys. This evidence suggests that informal programs may encourage positive STEM trajectories by fostering engagement, growth mindset and interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has examined the associations between perceived inclusivity within informal science learning sites, youth program belonging and perceptions of program career preparation. This study explored relations between these factors at three timepoints (T1 = start of program, T2 = 3 months and T3 = 12 months after start). Participants were a diverse sample of 209 adolescents participating in STEM youth programs within informal science learning sites situated in the United States and United Kingdom (70% females: Mage = 15.27, SDage = 1.60), with 53.1% British and 64.1% non-White. Path analysis revealed that only perceptions of inclusivity for own social identity group (i.e., gender, ethnicity) at T1 were associated with T2 STEM youth program belonging. There was a significant indirect effect of T1 perceptions of inclusivity for one's own social identity groups on T3 perceptions of program career preparation via T2 program belonging. This study highlights that, over time, perceptions of inclusivity around youth's own social identity groups (i.e., gender and ethnicity/culture) are related to a sense of youth program belonging, which in turn is later associated with perceptions of program career preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon fullerene C 60 is an anti-inflammatory substance that reduces cellular stress levels. In this study, C 60 fullerenes were deposited on complex dental implants to improve cell attachment and vitality. For the first time, fullerene C 60 films were deposited via high-vacuum sublimation on complex-shaped Ti-6Al-4 V dental implants with a threaded-screw design. The "as-deposited" fullerene C 60 films were compared with fullerene C 60 films on dental Ti-6Al-4 V implants using a threaded-screw design after three weeks of incubation in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS). It was proven by Raman spectroscopy that the incubation in potassium and alkali-ion rich HBSS at 37 °C resulted in a reduction of monomeric fullerene C 60 fraction and an increase in dimer, linear chain and polymerized C 60 molecules. Furthermore, the structure of the C 60 films differed depending on the measurement position on dental implants with a threaded-screw design. The fraction of monomeric fullerene C 60 was highest on top of the trapezoidal thread, which had a micropatterned topography. Nano-indentations were performed at this position with a maximum load of 1000 μN. The fullerene C 60 films showed a nano-hardness of 0.3 ± 0.1 GPa and a Young's modulus of 7.6 ± 3.6 GPa at this position, which is typical for monomeric fullerene C 60 with weak interatomic interaction in the face-centred-cubic crystal structure. The murine embryonal calvarial stem-cell line MC3T3-E1 (ECACC, UK), which is driven toward osteogenic differentiation, spread out extremely well on the fullerene C 60 film, with improved cell morphology compared to uncoated Ti-6Al-4 V. Cell nuclei density were determined to be 237.5 cell nuclei per mm2 for the Ti-6Al-4V dental implants with a threaded-screw design with fullerene C 60 coating in "as-deposited" condition. This was approximately 40 % better than that of uncoated Ti-6Al-4 V dental implants with a threaded-screw design. [Display omitted] • Complex shaped dental Ti-6Al-4V implants with a threaded screw design were successfully coated with fullerene C 60. • Fullerene C 60 film micro- and crystal structure differs in dependence on the measurement position at the trapezoidal thread. • Monomeric C 60 fullerene fraction is reduced after in vitro incubation in simulated body liquid. • Nanohardness of C 60 was 0.3 ±0.1 GPa and Young´s modulus was 7.6 ±3.6 GPa on the micropatterned sections of the implants. • Cell nuclei density of MC3T3-E1 was increased on freshly deposited fullerene C 60 films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation is a key factor in engagement, achievement, and career choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While existing research has focused on student motivation toward math in formal school programs, new work is needed that focuses on motivation for those involved in informal STEM programs. Specifically, the role of math mindset and perceived inclusivity of informal STEM sites (to those of varying gender and ethnic backgrounds) on longitudinal trajectories of adolescents' math motivation has not been explored. This study investigates longitudinal changes in math expectancy, interest, and utility values and the effects of math fixed mindset, math growth mindset, and perceptions of the inclusivity of informal STEM learning sites on these changes for adolescents participating in STEM programs at these informal sites in the United Kingdom and the United States (n = 249, M T1age  = 15.2, SD = 1.59). Three latent growth curve models were tested. The data suggest that math expectancy, interest, and utility values declined over three years. Growth mindset positively predicted changes in utility, while fixed mindset negatively predicted changes in utility. Inclusivity positively influenced the initial levels of utility. Girls reported lower initial expectancy than boys. Age influenced both the initial levels and rate of change for expectancy. Older adolescents had lower levels of expectancy compared to their younger counterparts; however, they had a less steep decline in expectancy over three years. These findings suggest that designing inclusive learning environments and promoting growth mindset may encourage math motivation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)