The effect of embarrassed facial expressions on observer motive <Article>

This study had two purposes: first, we investigated whether the effect of embarrassed expressions on observer motive varied as a result of the situation that caused the embarrassment, and second, we investigated whether observer motive differed by type of embarrassed facial expression. Participants read scenarios in which a friend was either positively or negatively evaluated by a third person and the friend expressed one of four types of facial expression: three embarrassed and one neutral. Participants were then asked questions that explored their motive to act on behalf of themselves, on behalf of their friend, and to attempt to recover the disrupted social interaction. In order to examine whether the effect of embarrassed expression on observer motive varied according to the situation that resulted in the embarrassment and whether observer motive differed by type of facial expression, two-way ANOVAs, simple main effect analysis, and multiple comparisons were conducted Results revealed that the interactions of situation and facial expression type were significant on all observer motive. Moreover, there were significant differences in each observer motive between types of facial expression when the friend was positively evaluated; however, no such differences were found when the friend was evaluated negatively. These findings suggest that the effect of embarrassed facial expressions on observer motive is differed by the situation that caused the embarrassment, and that the effect of facial expressions on observer motive exist in only under conditions of positive evaluation

A high-performance deep reservoir computing experimentally demonstrated with ion-gating reservoirs

While physical reservoir computing (PRC) is a promising way to achieve low power consumption neuromorphic computing, its computational performance is still insufficient at a practical level. One promising approach to improving PRC performance is deep reservoir computing (deep-RC), in which the component reservoirs are multi-layered. However, all of the deep-RC schemes reported so far have been effective only for simulation reservoirs and limited PRCs, and there have been no reports of nanodevice implementations. Here, as the first nanodevice implementation of Deep-RC, we report a demonstration of deep physical reservoir computing using an ion gating reservoir (IGR), which is a small and high-performance physical reservoir. While previously reported Deep-RC scheme did not improve the performance of IGR, our Deep-IGR achieved a normalized mean squared error of 0.0092 on a second-order nonlinear autoregressive moving average task, with is the best performance of any physical reservoir so far reported. More importantly, the device outperformed full simulation reservoir computing. The dramatic performance improvement of the IGR with our deep-RC architecture paves the way for high-performance, large-scale, physical neural network devices.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure

シュウダン トウギ バメン ニ オケル ダイイッセイ ノ キョウユウセイ ノ チガイ ガ シュウダン イシ ケッテイ ニ アタエル エイキョウ

本研究は、集団討議での情報共有の失敗をもたらす要因のうち、共有情報バイアスに着目し、集団討議の第一声で共有する情報の共有性の違いが集団意思決定に与える影響を検討した。認知的葛藤が新しい知識の獲得を促進することから、第一声情報が共有情報の場合より、非共有情報の場合の方が集団意思決定の正答率が高いとの仮説を立てた。実験では、隠れたプロファイルを用いて3名集団での集団討議を実施した。その結果、第一声情報の種類の違いと集団意思決定の正答率の間に、有意な連関は見られず、仮説は支持されなかった。しかしながら、集団多数選好と集団意思決定の正答率の間に有意な連関が見られた。このことから、第一声情報の影響よりも集団初期多数選好の影響を強く受けた可能性、および第一声情報の情報価がその後の討議に影響を与える可能性が示唆された。This study examined whether proposing shared or unshared information at the beginning of discussion facilitates solving hidden profile problem. 51three-person groups decided which of two candidates in a presented scenario was put up for a sales department.A 2(information: shared/unshared)×2(person: A/B) between-participants design was used.A randomly selected memberstartedthe discussionwith the proposal of shared/unshared information. Also, based ontheinformationthat participantsreceivedprior to the discussion, each participant selected one suitable candidate from the two candidatesbefore the discussion began. The results of Chi-squared tests suggested that there was no difference in the percentage of solving hidden profile problemregaldress of the first information. Rather, the majority preference in the group predicted the result ofthegroup'sdecision making. Theseresultssuggestthat neither shared nor unshared information at the beginning of discussion helpsto solve hidden profileproblembutthat the majority preference in the grouphaslarger influencesthan the impact of the first wordin discussion.原

Detecting gastrointestinal manifestations in patients with systemic sclerosis using anti-gAChR antibodies

Background: Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) complicated by gastrointestinal dysmotility are difficult to treat and have high mortality. To clarify the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal manifestations, we aimed to demonstrate the association among the clinical features of SSc, the serological markers, the autoantibodies against nicotinic acetylcholine receptor at autonomic ganglia (gAChR). Methods: Fifty patients were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of gastrointestinal manifestations, and the characteristics were analyzed between these two groups. We measured biomarkers and the autoantibodies against two gAChRα3 and β4 subunits to test sera samples. Furthermore, patients were classified based on the presence or absence of anti-gAChR autoantibodies, and their clinical features were compared. Results: In patients with SSc and gastrointestinal manifestations, digital ulcers were more frequent (p = 0.050) and VEGF expression was significantly higher (p = 0.038). Seven subjects with SSc were seropositive for α3 subunit, whereas one patient was seropositive for β4 subunit. The mean level of anti-gAChRα3 autoantibodies in SSc patients with gastrointestinal manifestations was significantly higher than that in SSc patients without gastrointestinal manifestations (p = 0.001). The group of patients with SSc and gAChR autoantibodies had significantly higher endostatin levels (p = 0.046). Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate that clinical characteristics of SSc patients with seropositivity for gAChR autoantibodies. Patients with SSc have circulating autoantibodies against gAChR, which may contribute to gastrointestinal manifestations associated with this disease, suggesting that gAChR-mediated autonomic neurotransmission may provide a pathomechanism for gastrointestinal dysmotility in SSc

Intravenous cyclophosphamide treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus with severe autonomic disorders confirmed by head-up tilt table test: A case series

Autonomic disorders are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the therapeutic strategy and methods for evaluating the effects of therapy have not been established. We describe the three cases of SLE patients who developed severe autonomic disorders as demonstrated by the head-up tilt table test (HUT). All three patients were treated by intensive immunosuppressive treatments including intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY); their HUT results all became negative. Our cases suggest that IVCY treatment can be a good therapeutic option for severe autonomic disorders in SLE patients. The HUT is a useful objective method for the diagnosis of and the evaluation of longitudinal therapeutic effects on autonomic disorders in SLE patients with orthostatic intolerance

Dietary Lactoferrin Alleviates Age-Related Lacrimal Gland Dysfunction in Mice

BACKGROUND: Decrease in lacrimal gland secretory function is related to age-induced dry eye disease. Lactoferrin, the main glycoprotein component of tears, has multiple functions, including anti-inflammatory effects and the promotion of cell growth. We investigated how oral administration of lactoferrin affects age-related lacrimal dysfunction. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Twelve-month-old male C57BL/6Cr Slc mice were randomly divided into a control fed group and an oral lactoferrin treatment group. Tear function was measured at a 6-month time-point. After euthanasia, the lacrimal glands were subjected to histological examination with 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) antibodies, and serum concentrations of 8-OHdG and hexanoyl-lysine adduct (HEL) were evaluated. Additionally, monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression levels were determined by real-time PCR. The volume of tear secretion was significantly larger in the treated group than in the control. Lactoferrin administration reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and the MCP-1 and TNF-α expression levels. Serum concentrations of 8-OHdG and HEL in the lactoferrin group were lower than those in the control group and were associated with attenuated 8-OHdG immunostaining of the lacrimal glands. CONCLUSION: Oral lactoferrin administration preserves lacrimal gland function in aged mice by attenuating oxidative damage and suppressing subsequent gland inflammation

The effects of video-taped method on promoting college students' job hunting behaviors

大学生の就職活動意図に及ぼす映像ビデオの効果を検討することを目的として、17名の女子大学生を対象にした実験を行った。その結果、就職活動に成功した人物を紹介するビデオを視聴した学生は、一時的に進路選択に対する自己効力感を増加させることが示された。一方で就職活動に失敗した人物を紹介するビデオを視聴した学生は、ビデオ視聴直後に就職活動意図を増加させるが、ビデオ視聴の1～2ヶ月後には自己効力感を低下させることが示された。これらの結果から適切な就職支援にとってのこれらの映像ビデオの有効性が考察された

Features of emotional experiences in the situation arousing the feeling of gratitude

本研究の目的は,感謝が生じやすい状況と生じにくい状況を明らかにした上で,それらの状況における感謝の感情体験の違いを検討することであった。482 名の日本人大学生を対象とする調査の結果,感謝が生じやすい状況は,他者から直接支援を受けるような状況や,他者に負荷がかかることで間接的に支援を受けるような状況であることが示された。これに対して,個人をとりまく状態が好転するような状況や,一見大きな変化のない平穏な状況では,感謝が生じにくいことが示された。さらに,感謝が生じやすい状況では,感謝の肯定的内容(満足感)と非肯定的内容(申し訳なさ)がいずれもある程度強く経験されているのに対して,感謝が生じにくい状況では,そのうちどちらかが経験されていなかったり,どちらの感情体験も弱いことが明らかとなった

Types of Situations Arousing Gratitude : Classification by difference of emotional experiences

The purpose of this study was to classify the situations arousing gratitude. 425 undergraduate students were presented with 10 types of situations that give rise to feelings of gratitude. They recorded scales of the 3 groups of emotional experiences: contentment, apologetic emotion, and unpleasantness. Cluster analysis revealed that situations were clustered into 5 groups: (a) imposing on others: situations that one is indirectly-helped by others, (b) receiving help: situations in which one is helped when in trouble, (c) receiving gifts: situations in which one receive a gift when not in trouble, (d) good condition: situations in which one's surroundings are good for them, (e) knowing about other's distress: situations in which one knows other's bad condition. In addition, results of ANOVAs showed that the strength of emotional experiences differed by the type of situation