Explicit recognition of emotional facial expressions is shaped by expertise: evidence from professional actors

Can reading others' emotional states be shaped by expertise? We assessed processing of emotional facial expressions in professional actors trained either to voluntary activate mimicry to reproduce character's emotions (as foreseen by the “Mimic Method”), or to infer others' inner states from reading the emotional context (as foreseen by “Stanislavski Method”). In explicit recognition of facial expressions (Experiment 1), the two experimental groups differed from each other and from a control group with no acting experience: the Mimic group was more accurate, whereas the Stanislavski group was slower. Neither acting experience, instead, influenced implicit processing of emotional faces (Experiment 2). We argue that expertise can selectively influence explicit recognition of others' facial expressions, depending on the kind of “emotional expertise”

Impaired Conscious Recognition of Negative Facial Expressions in Patients with Locked-in Syndrome

The involvement of facial mimicry in different aspects of human emotional processing is widely debated. However, little is known about relationships between voluntary activation of facial musculature and conscious recognition of facial expressions. To address this issue, we assessed severely motor-disabled patients with complete paralysis of voluntary facial movements due to lesions of the ventral pons [locked-in syndrome (LIS)]. Patients were required to recognize others’ facial expressions and to rate their own emotional responses to presentation of affective scenes.LISpatientswere selectivelyimpairedin recognition of negativefacial expressions,thusdemonstratingthatthe voluntary activation of mimicry represents a high-level simulation mechanism crucially involved in explicit attribution of emotions

Genetic mapping and QTL analysis of growth-related traits in Hevea brasiliensis using microsatellite and SNP markers

Orientadores: Anete Pereira de Souza, Lívia Moura de SouzaTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: O aspecto emblemático que a seringueira sugere quando se trata de produção de borracha natural no Brasil, é limitado atualmente devido, principalmente, a ausência de clones resistentes a doença chamada mal-das-folhas, causada pelo fungo Microcyclus ulei. Clones adaptados a "áreas de escape", onde níveis epidêmicos da doença não são observados, podem ser uma alternativa para contornar problemas relacionados às condições climáticas desfavoráveis ao crescimento e produção de látex. O uso de ferramentas da biologia molecular pode ajudar na identificação de locos que controlam características quantitativas (QTLs), sobretudo a partir do desenvolvimento das tecnologias de sequenciamento de nova geração (NGS). Foi desenvolvido na presente tese um mapa genético para uma população F1 segregante (GT1 e RRIM701), onde medidas fenotípicas de diâmetro foram obtidas em diferentes idades de crescimento (12 meses, 17 meses, 22 meses, 28 meses e 35 meses), para a detecção de QTLs relacionados ao crescimento e vigor das plantas. A partir da abordagem de genotipagem por sequenciamento (GBS), foi possível selecionar 2.998 SNPs utilizando diferentes parâmetros de filtragem. Um total de 1.082 marcadores SSRs e SNPs foram mapeados, sendo 671 SNPs oriundos de GBS. Os marcadores foram distribuídos em 18 grupos de ligação e cobriram um total de 3.779,7 cM, com uma densidade de 1 marcador a cada 3,49 cM. A genotipagem de marcadores SNP através da técnica de GBS contribuiu para o aumento da densidade de marcadores, em especial em regiões onde se observava uma quantidade reduzida de marcadores SSRs. Foram detectados 19 QTLs relacionados ao diâmetro de caule em cinco épocas de crescimento avaliadas durante as estações de verão e inverno. Também foi possível observar efeitos aditivos e de dominância dos QTLs com diversos padrões de segregação auxiliando no maior entendimento da arquitetura genética de caracteres quantitativos, possibilitando novo direcionamento para o melhoramento genético da seringueiraAbstract: The symbolic aspect that rubber tree suggests by the natural rubber production in Brazil is currently limited, mainly due the lack of resistant clones to the South America Leaf Blight disease, caused by the fungus Microcyclus ulei. Clones adapted to the so-called "escape regions", where epidemic levels of disease is not observed, may be an alternative to overcome problems related to unfavorable climatic conditions for growth and latex production. Molecular biology tools usage can help to identify loci controlling quantitative traits (QTL), especially with the development of next generation sequencing technologies. It was developed in this thesis a genetic map for a full-sib population (GT1 and RRIM701) with phenotypic measures for diameter made at different growth ages (12 months, 17 months, 22 months, 28 months and 35 months) to detect QTL related to plant-growth and vigor. From the genotyping by sequencing approach (GBS), it was possible to detect 2,998 SNPs using different filtering parameters. A total of 1,082 SSR and SNP markers were mapped, with 671 SNPs from GBS. The markers were distributed into 18 linkage groups and covered a total of 3,779.7 cM with a marker density of 3.49 cM. SNP genotyping using the GBS contributed to increase marker density, especially in regions where it was observed a reduced quantity of SSR markers. We detected 19 QTL related to stem diameter at five growth periods evaluated during summer and winter seasons. It was also observed additive and dominance effects for QTL with different patterns of segregation that helps better understand the genetic architecture of quantitative traits, thus enabling new directions to genetic breeding of rubber treeDoutoradoGenetica Vegetal e MelhoramentoDoutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecular2007/50562-4, 2012/50491-8562979/2010-7, 478701/2012-8, 162629/2015-0FAPESPCNP

Behavioral sentiment analysis of depressive states

The need to release accurate and incontrovertible diagnoses of depression has fueled the search for new methodologies to obtain more reliable measurements than the commonly adopted questionnaires. In such a context, research has sought to identify non-biased measures derived from analyses of behavioral data such as voice and language. For this purpose, sentiment analysis techniques were developed, initially based on linguistic characteristics extracted from texts and gradually becoming more and more sophisticated by adding tools for the analyses of voice and visual data (such as facial expressions and movements). This work summarizes the behavioral features accounted for detecting depressive states and sentiment analysis tools developed to extract them from text, audio, and video recordings

Radiotherapy of large target volumes in Hodgkin's lymphoma: normal tissue sparing capability of forward IMRT versus conventional techniques

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This paper analyses normal tissue sparing capability of radiation treatment techniques in Hodgkin's lymphoma with large treatment volume.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>10 patients with supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's lymphoma and planning target volume (PTV) larger than 900 cm³were evaluated. Two plans were simulated for each patient using 6 MV X-rays: a conventional multi-leaf (MLC) parallel-opposed (AP-PA) plan, and the same plan with additional MLC shaped segments (forward planned intensity modulated radiation therapy, FPIMRT). In order to compare plans, dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of PTV, lungs, heart, spinal cord, breast, and thyroid were analyzed. The Inhomogeneity Coefficient (IC), the PTV receiving 95% of the prescription dose (V95), the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and dose-volume parameters for the OARs were determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>the PTV coverage was improved (mean V95_AP-PA= 95.9 and IC_AP-PA= 0.4 vs. V95_FPIMRT= 96.8 and IC_FPIMRT= 0.31, <it>p </it>≤ 0.05) by the FPIMRT technique compared to the conventional one. At the same time, NTCPs of lung, spinal cord and thyroid, and the volume of lung and thyroid receiving ≥ 30 Gy resulted significantly reduced when using the FPIMRT technique.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The FPIMRT technique can represent a very useful and, at the same time, simple method for improving PTV conformity while saving critical organs when large fields are needed as in Hodgkin's lymphoma.</p