Long-Term Influence of Incidental Emotions on the Emotional Judgment of Neutral Faces

Background: Evidence indicates that the processing of facial stimuli may be influenced by incidental factors, and these influences are particularly powerful when facial expressions are ambiguous, such as neutral faces. However, limited research investigated whether emotional contextual information presented in a preceding and unrelated experiment could be pervasively carried over to another experiment to modulate neutral face processing.Objective: The present study aims to investigate whether an emotional text presented in a first experiment could generate negative emotion toward neutral faces in a second experiment unrelated to the previous experiment.Methods: Ninety-nine students (all women) were randomly assigned to read and evaluate a negative text (negative context) or a neutral text (neutral text) in the first experiment. In the subsequent second experiment, the participants performed the following two tasks: (1) an attentional task in which neutral faces were presented as distractors and (2) a task involving the emotional judgment of neutral faces.Results: The results show that compared to the neutral context, in the negative context, the participants rated more faces as negative. No significant result was found in the attentional task.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that incidental emotional information available in a previous experiment can increase participants’ propensity to interpret neutral faces as more negative when emotional information is directly evaluated. Therefore, the present study adds important evidence to the literature suggesting that our behavior and actions are modulated by previous information in an incidental or low perceived way similar to what occurs in everyday life, thereby modulating our judgments and emotions.

Ultrasound elasticity of diamond at gigapascal pressures

Diamond is the hardest known material in nature and features a wide spectrum of industrial and scientific applications. The key to diamond's outstanding properties is its elasticity, which is associated with its exceptional hardness, shear strength, and incompressibility. Despite many theoretical works, direct measurements of elastic properties are limited to only ∼1.4 kilobar (kb) pressure. Here, we report ultrasonic interferometry measurements of elasticity of void-free diamond powder in a multianvil press from 1 atmosphere up to 12.1 gigapascal (GPa). We obtained high-accuracy bulk modulus of diamond as K0 = 439.2(9) GPa, K0′ = 3.6(1), and shear modulus as G0 = 533(3) GPa, G0′ = 2.3(3), which are consistent with our first-principles simulation. In contrast to the previous experiment of isothermal equation of state, the K0′ obtained in this work is evidently greater, indicating that the diamond is not fully described by the “n-m” Mie–Grüneisen model. The structural and elastic properties measured in this work may provide a robust primary pressure scale in extensive pressure ranges.

Microplastics Reduce the Negative Effects of Litter-Derived Plant Secondary Metabolites on Nematodes in Soil

Microplastics and plant litter are ubiquitous in the soil environment, and both materials can influence soil properties and biota. Plant litter releases secondary metabolites (e.g., phenolic compounds) during the decomposition process, including chemical compounds active in plant defense. Effects of microplastics and plant litter on soil biota have been studied independently but we have limited information about the combined effects of both sources of chemicals. Here, we specifically focused on the interaction between plant litter and microplastics, as well as their potential effects on soil biota (i.e., nematodes). We used soils from a previous experiment that included three different types of microplastic fibers (MFs) and four different types of plant litter, which were incubated in the soil in all combinations of materials. After soil incubation (42 days) in the previous experiment, we here tested for effects on nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans). Plant litter treatments negatively affected the reproduction of nematodes, but these effects were reduced when the soils were incubated along with MFs. We measured the phenolic concentrations in plant litter extracts in a kinetic experiment and found that phenolic concentrations significantly decreased with some of the MF additions. Our results suggest that microplastics can affect the potential effects of natural chemicals such as plant phenolic compounds. We urge future studies to consider this possibility as a key explanatory process underpinning effects of microplastic in the soil environment.

Mobile Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution: A New Perspective for the Moss-Bag Approach

In this work the potential of moving moss-bags, fixed to bicycles, to intercept particulate matter (PM) and linked metal(loid)s was tested for the first time. Seven volunteers carried three moss-bags for fifty days while commuting by bicycle in the urban area of Antwerp, Belgium. Moreover, one bike, equipped with mobile PM samplers, travelled along four routes: urban, industrial, green route and the total path, carrying three moss-bags at each route. The saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) signal and chemical composition (assessed by HR-ICP-MS) of the moss samples indicated that the industrial route was the most polluted. Element fluxes (i.e., the ratio between element daily uptake and the specific leaf area) could discriminate among land uses; particularly, they were significantly higher in the industrial route for Ag, As, Cd and Pb; significantly lowest in the green route for As and Pb; and comparable for all accumulated elements along most urban routes. A comparison with a previous experiment carried out in the same study area using similar moss-bags at static exposure points, showed that the element fluxes were significantly higher in the mobile system. Finally, PM2.5 and PM10 masses measured along the four routes were consistent with element fluxes.

The middle cingulate cortex and dorso-central insula: A mirror circuit encoding observation and execution of vitality forms

Actions with identical goals can be executed in different ways (gentle, rude, vigorous, etc.), which D. N. Stern called vitality forms [D. N. Stern, Forms of Vitality Exploring Dynamic Experience in Psychology, Arts, Psychotherapy, and Development (2010)]. Vitality forms express the agent’s attitudes toward others. In a series of fMRI studies, we found that the dorso-central insula (DCI) is the region that is selectively active during both vitality form observation and execution. In one previous experiment, however, the middle cingulate gyrus also exhibited activation. In the present study, in order to assess the role of the cingulate cortex in vitality form processing, we adopted a classical vitality form paradigm, but making the control condition devoid of vitality forms using jerky movements. Participants performed two different tasks: Observation of actions performed gently or rudely and execution of the same actions. The results showed that in addition to the insula, the middle cingulate cortex (MCC) was strongly activated during both action observation and execution. Using a voxel-based analysis, voxels showing a similar trend of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in both action observation and execution were found in the DCI and in the MCC. Finally, using a multifiber tractography analysis, we showed that the active sites in MCC and DCI are reciprocally connected.

Recall Accuracy in Children: Age vs. Conceptual Thinking

The aim of this study was to replicate a previous experiment using a different stimulus event. The present study examined the relationship between age, development of conceptual thinking, and responses to free recall, suggestive and specific option-posing questions in children and adults. Sixty-three children (aged 7–14) and 30 adults took part in an experiment in which they first participated in a live staged event, then, a week later, were interviewed about the event and tested using the Word Meaning Structure Test. Age and level of conceptual thinking were positively correlated in children. Compared to age, conceptual thinking ability better predicted children's accurate free recall and inaccurate responses to specific option-posing questions, but not inaccurate responses to suggestive questions.

Home Biogas Production using Homemade Bio-activator with Chicken Manure

The previous experiment was obtained that homemade activator is the best activator to produce biogas by using food waste consist of vegetable, fruit and rice waste. The current research is carried out by adding chicken manure as a co-activator. Chicken manure content rich in nitrogen can be significantly enhance biogas production. This study is expected to increase the biogas production. There are two processes conducted at the laboratory scale, batch and semi-continuous process. The batch process aim to activate bacteria. The ratio set at food waste/chicken manure, 2 : 1 of digester #1, 3 : 1 of digester #2, 4 : 1 of digester #3 and digester control using food waste only. Stage two aims to produce biogas by adding food waste for 6 days periodically. The ratio is set at food waste/water, 1 : 2. The highest biogas yielded is digester 2 with a cumulative volume biogas 120.77 liters consist of 71.01% CH4, 26% CO2, 2.9% O2 and 0.088% H2S. The potential of methane gas produced is 0.87 kWh and methane volume per TS and VS at around 18.72 L/kg and 34.68 L/kg, respectively.

Integrative Analysis of Multiomics Data Identified Acetylation as Key Variable of Excessive Energy Metabolism in Hyperthyroidism-induced Osteoporosis Rats

Background The results from the previous experiment have demonstrated that there were occurrence of bone loss and excess metabolism in Hyperthyroidism-induced rats. Thus, there was speculation that there may be an underlying relationship between metabolism and bone loss. In addition, there were past studies showing acetylation influencing metabolism in tissues and diseases. The hypothesis from this case study stated that excessive metabolism was induced upon acetylated vital metabolism enzymes. Results In the case study, a HYP-induced osteoporosis rats model was used and the glucose metabolite was tested through the acetylation of proteins by the mass spectrometer. The results showed that pivotal enzymes of Glycolysis-Tricarboxylic acid cycle-Oxidative phosphorylation were acetyled along with upregulated metabolites. All the acetyly-lysine sites of related enzymes were listed in this article.Our results showed that bone loss in HYP rats accompanied by upregulation of CREB-binding protein (Crebbp, CBP). Furthermore, our result indicated that CBP has a close relationship with enhancement of LDHa that promote glucose metabolism. Conclusions Acetylation is the key variable of energy metabolism in hyperthyroid osteoporosis rats, therein, we showed a representation relationship between CBP and LDHa.

Sense of Resistance for a Cursor Moved by User’s Keystrokes

Haptic sensation of a material can be modulated by its visual appearance. A technique that utilizes this visual-haptic interaction is called as pseudo-haptic feedback. Conventional studies have investigated pseudo-haptic feedback in situations, wherein a user manipulated a virtual object using a computer mouse, a force-feedback device, etc. The present study investigated whether and how it was possible to offer pseudo-haptic feedback to a user who manipulated a virtual object using keystrokes. Participants moved a cursor toward a destination by pressing a key. While the cursor was moving, the cursor was temporarily slowed down on a square area of the screen. The participants’ task was to report, on a five-point scale, how much resistance they felt to the cursor’s movement. In addition to the basic speed of the cursor, the ratio of the basic speed to the speed within the square area was varied. In Experiment 1, we found that these two factors interacted significantly with each other, but further analysis showed that the cursor speed within the square area was the most important determinant of perceived resistance. In Experiment 2, consistent with the results of the previous experiment, it was found that the cursor movement outside of the square area was not required to generate the sense of resistance. Counterintuitively, in Experiment 3, the sense of resistance was apparent even without user’s keystrokes. We discuss how the sense of resistance for a cursor moved by keystrokes can be triggered visually, but interpreted by the brain as a haptic impression.

Sense of resistance for a cursor moved by user’s keystrokes

Haptic sensation of a material can be modulated by its visual appearance. A technique that utilizes this visual-haptic interaction is called pseudo-haptic feedback. Conventional studies have investigated pseudo-haptic feedback in situations wherein a user manipulated a virtual object using a computer mouse, a force-feedback device, etc. The present study investigated whether and how it was possible to offer pseudo-haptic feedback to a user who manipulated a virtual object using keystrokes. Participants moved a cursor toward a destination by pressing a key. While the cursor was moving, the cursor was temporarily slowed down on a square area of the screen. The participants' task was to report, on a 5-point scale, how much resistance they felt to the cursor's movement. In addition to the basic speed of the cursor, the ratio of the basic speed to the speed within the square area was varied. In Experiment 1, we found that these two factors interacted significantly with each other, but further analysis showed that the cursor speed within the square area was the most important determinant of perceived resistance. In Experiment 2, consistent with the results of the previous experiment, it was found that the cursor movement outside of the square area was not required to generate the sense of resistance. Counterintuitively, in Experiment 3, the sense of resistance was apparent even without user's keystrokes. We discuss how the sense of resistance for a cursor moved by keystrokes can be triggered visually, but interpreted by the brain as a haptic impression.