Genetic architecture of well-being: cumulative effect of serotonergic polymorphisms.

Serotonin influences mental health and well-being. To understand the influences of genetic variations in serotonin pathway on well-being, we examined the effects of seven serotonergic polymorphisms on subjective well-being (i.e. affective balance and global life satisfaction) and psychological well-being (i.e. optimal psychological functions in the face of existential challenges) in a larger sample. Results indicated that the cumulative genetic score, but single genetic effects of serotonergic polymorphisms, was related to individual differences in well-being. Specifically, individuals with a greater cumulative genetic score, which is related to a low risk of depression, tended to exhibit high levels of subjective well-being and psychological well-being. These findings suggest that the overall serotoninergic genetic profile, rather than a specific genetic polymorphism, could greatly influence the individual differences in well-being.

Contact forces and motion behavior of non-Newtonian fluid-solid food by coupled SPH-FEM method.

The non-Newtonian fluid-solid interaction food has complex physical properties and complicated contact force, which brings the greater technical challenge to improving the food fetching rate. In this work, we used the smooth particle hydrodynamics and finite element coupling method for a node-to-surface penalty function contact to characterize the contact forces between non-Newtonian fluid food and solid foods. The shear rheological properties and density of non-Newtonian fluid food, including xanthan gum (XG) and guar gum (GG), were investigated by a viscometer and densitometer, respectively. The results showed that the shear viscosity of non-Newtonian fluid food depends to some extent on the mass ratio of the thickening gums. We investigated the effects of the end-effector with different fetching velocities and different inclination angles, and the nut root powder paste (NRPP) food with different ratios of XG and GG, on the fetching rate, stress-strain, and motion behavior. The results showed that the stress increased with increasing v1 and w; however, the v2 had less effect on the stress. The sparseness of the distribution of solid food was related to the v1 and w, whereas it was less influenced by the v2 . The distribution of solid food became denser in the X-Z plane and sparser in the X-Y plane with increasing inclination angle. The motion behavior of viscoelastic solid foods depended on the mass ratio of XG to GG dissolved in NRPP. The present work can provide a theoretical foundation for meal-assisting robots and robots in the field of food engineering with the task of improving the food fetching rate.

The OXTR rs53576 impacts moral permissibility of attempted but failed harms in populations of students and prisoners.

Previous research has highlighted the roles of oxytocin in empathy and altruistic behaviors. Based on these findings, recent studies have examined the association between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and outcome-based moral judgment with sacrificial dilemmas (e.g. runaway trolley case). However, little is known about the relationships between OXTR polymorphisms and intent-based moral judgment of harms (e.g. attempted but failed harm or intentionally committed harm). This study investigated the association between the OXTR rs53576 and intent-based moral judgment in college students (N = 544) and prisoners (N = 540). Results indicated that both students and prisoners with the GG genotype of OXTR rs53576 rated attempted but failed harm as less permissible than those with the AA and AG genotypes. These findings highlight the role of the OXTR gene in intent-based moral judgment.

Intranasal oxytocin administration but not peripheral oxytocin regulates behaviors of attachment insecurity: A meta-analysis.

In light of the roles of oxytocin (OT) in social bonding and interpersonal relationship, studies have examined the roles of OT in human attachment, but by and large previous findings are inconsistent. Here, we conducted - meta-analyses to estimate the associations between peripheral OT level (e.g., blood and salivary OT) and attachment (i.e., attachment dimensions and behaviors of attachment insecurity) and examine the effects of intranasal OT administration on behaviors of attachment insecurity. The analyses indicated that: (1) Peripheral OT level was not significantly associated with attachment dimensions (e.g., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and behaviors of attachment insecurity; (2) intranasal OT administration significantly reduced behaviors of attachment insecurity of neutral contexts, particularly behaviors of attachment avoidance. The findings suggest that intranasal OT administration is an available approach for reducing behaviors of attachment insecurity of interpersonal situations with ambiguous social cues, which implicates suggestions for therapeutic treatments of attachment-related dysfunctions.