Individual differences in laughter perception reveal roles for mentalizing and sensorimotor systems in the evaluation of emotional authenticity.

Humans express laughter differently depending on the context: polite titters of agreement are very different from explosions of mirth. Using functional MRI, we explored the neural responses during passive listening to authentic amusement laughter and controlled, voluntary laughter. We found greater activity in anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) to the deliberate, Emitted Laughs, suggesting an obligatory attempt to determine others' mental states when laughter is perceived as less genuine. In contrast, passive perception of authentic Evoked Laughs was associated with greater activity in bilateral superior temporal gyri. An individual differences analysis found that greater accuracy on a post hoc test of authenticity judgments of laughter predicted the magnitude of passive listening responses to laughter in amPFC, as well as several regions in sensorimotor cortex (in line with simulation accounts of emotion perception). These medial prefrontal and sensorimotor sites showed enhanced positive connectivity with cortical and subcortical regions during listening to involuntary laughter, indicating a complex set of interacting systems supporting the automatic emotional evaluation of heard vocalizations.

The pathways for intelligible speech: multivariate and univariate perspectives.

An anterior pathway, concerned with extracting meaning from sound, has been identified in nonhuman primates. An analogous pathway has been suggested in humans, but controversy exists concerning the degree of lateralization and the precise location where responses to intelligible speech emerge. We have demonstrated that the left anterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) responds preferentially to intelligible speech (Scott SK, Blank CC, Rosen S, Wise RJS. 2000. Identification of a pathway for intelligible speech in the left temporal lobe. Brain. 123:2400-2406.). A functional magnetic resonance imaging study in Cerebral Cortex used equivalent stimuli and univariate and multivariate analyses to argue for the greater importance of bilateral posterior when compared with the left anterior STS in responding to intelligible speech (Okada K, Rong F, Venezia J, Matchin W, Hsieh IH, Saberi K, Serences JT,Hickok G. 2010. Hierarchical organization of human auditory cortex: evidence from acoustic invariance in the response to intelligible speech. 20: 2486-2495.). Here, we also replicate our original study, demonstrating that the left anterior STS exhibits the strongest univariate response and, in decoding using the bilateral temporal cortex, contains the most informative voxels showing an increased response to intelligible speech. In contrast, in classifications using local "searchlights" and a whole brain analysis, we find greater classification accuracy in posterior rather than anterior temporal regions. Thus, we show that the precise nature of the multivariate analysis used will emphasize different response profiles associated with complex sound to speech processing.

Shape selectivity by guest-driven restructuring of a porous material.

A flexible metal-organic framework selectively sorbs para- (pX) over meta-xylene (mX) by synergic restructuring around pX coupled with generation of unused void space upon mX loading. The nature of the structural change suggests more generally that flexible structures which are initially mismatched in terms of fit and capacity to the preferred guest are strong candidates for effective molecular separations.

Determination of zinc incorporation in the Zn-substituted gallophosphate ZnULM-5 by multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion techniques.

The location of isomorphously substituted zinc over eight crystallographically different gallium sites has been determined in a single-crystal study of the gallophosphate ZnULM-5, Ga((16-x))Zn(x)(PO(4))(14)(HPO(4))(2)(OH)(2)F(7), [H(3)N{CH(2)}(6)NH(3)](4), 6H(2)O, in an 11 wavelength experiment, using data from Station 9.8, SRS Daresbury. The measurement of datasets around the K edges of both Ga and Zn, as well as two reference datasets away from each absorption edge, was utilized to selectively exploit dispersive differences of each metal atom type in turn, which allowed the major sites of Zn incorporation to be identified as the metal 1 and 3 sites, M1 and M3. The preferential substitution of Zn at these sites probably arises because they are located in double four-ring (D4R) building units which can relax to accommodate the incorporation of hetero atoms. As the crystal is non-centrosymmetric, with space group P2(1)2(1)2, it was also possible to use anomalous differences to corroborate the results obtained from the dispersive differences. These results were obtained firstly from difference Fourier maps, calculated using a phase set from the refined structure from data measured at the Zr K edge. Also, refined dispersive and anomalous occupancies, on an absolute scale, could be obtained using the program MLPHARE, allowing estimates for the Zn incorporation of approximately 22 and 18 at. % at the M1 and M3 sites to be obtained. In addition, f' and f'' values for Ga and Zn at each wavelength could be estimated both from MLPHARE results, and by refinement in JANA2006. The fully quantitative determinations of the dispersive and anomalous coefficients for Ga and Zn at each wavelength, as well as metal atom occupancies over the eight metal atom sites made use of the CCP4's MLPHARE program as well as SHELXL and JANA2006. The results by these methods agree closely, and JANA2006 allowed the ready determination of standard uncertainties on the occupancy parameters, which were for M1 and M3, 20.6 (3) and 17.2 (3) at %, respectively.

Improvement of anisotropic displacement parameters from invariom-model refinements for three L-hydroxylysine structures.

Three L-hydroxylysine structures have been determined at 100 K by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. High-resolution data using either a laboratory or synchrotron source were collected and subjected to invariom- and independent atom-model (IAM) refinements. Anisotropic displacement parameters (ADPs) obtained from invariom refinement were compared (i) with results from a full multipole and (ii) with an IAM high-order refinement. Differences were visualized with the program PEANUT and were complemented by quantitative results from a Hirshfeld test. Influences of scale factor differences, and of refinement against F;2 versus F, have been investigated. Systematic errors were observed in the IAM, especially when only low-order data were available. Although these errors were reduced in high-order IAM refinements, they only disappeared in charge density--and likewise--invariom refinements.

The effect of clenbuterol on time of lambing and neonatal death loss.

Two experiments were conducted to test the ability of clenbuterol, a beta-sympathomimetic agonist, to delay lambing. Ewes in all experiments were induced to lamb with 2.5 mg of flumethasone given intramuscularly on Day 141, 142 or 143 of gestation. Beginning on the day of flumethasone administration and continuing daily until lambing, ewes in Experment 1 were given injections intramuscularly (i.m.) with either 1) vehicle solution at 2200 h, 2) 240 ug of clenbuterol at 2200 h or 3) 240 ug of clenbuterol at 1600 and at 2200 h. There was a greater proportion of ewes lambing between 0800 h and 1600 h (P<0.01) and more stillbirths (P=0.05) in the groups which received clenbuterol than in the vehicle control group. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine if a lower dosage of clenbuterol, given as a single injection 37 h after flumethasone, would delay lambing without increasing the proportion of stillbirths. Ewes received either the vehicle solution, or 36 or 146 ug of clenbuterol. Lambing was delayed in the group which received 146 ug but not 36 ug of clenbuterol. There were no adverse effects of treatment on lamb survival in Experiment 2.

Cervical dilation, conception rate, and concentrations of progesterone and estradiol-17B in postpartum ewes treated with porcine relaxin.

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of porcine relaxin (pRLX) on cervical dilation and conception rates in postpartum ewes. In Experiment 1, ewes received medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) sponge on day 16 (day 0 = lambing) and 750 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) at sponge removal on day 30. Control ewes received saline and relaxin-treated (RLX) ewes received 0.5 mg pRLX (>/= 3000 U/mg) i.m. at 24 h and 1.0 mg pRLX at 36 h after PMSG. All ewes were inseminated (Al) at 55 h after PMSG with 0.4 ml fresh semen. The proportion of RLX treated ewes (6 6 ) in which the cervix was penetrated was greater (P < 0.05) than in Control ewes (0 5 ). However, ova recovery rate was lower (P < 0.05) for RLX ewes (1 6 ) than for control ewes (5 5 ). In Experiment 2, ewes between Days 90 to 120 post partum received MAP sponges for a period of 8 d and 750 IU PMSG at sponge removal. Control ewes (n = 9) received saline; RLX-1 ewes (n = 8) received 0.5 mg pRLX at 24 h and an additional 0.5 mg pRLX at 36 h after PMSG; and RLX-1.5 ewes (n = 9) received 0.5 mg pRLX at 24 h and an additional 1.0 mg pRLX at 36 h after PMSG. Ewes were mated to rams at estrus, and cervical dilation was checked at 55 h after PMSG. The cervix could not be penetrated in any of the ewes. Conception rates on Day 26 were 66, 56 and 63% for control, RLX-1 and RLX-1.5 groups, respectively. These results demonstrate that the effect of relaxin on cervical dilation and conception rate is dependent upon the postpartum stage of the ewes.

Embryonic survival in the uterus of ewes inseminated at the uterotubal junction on Day 32 post partum.

Experiments were conducted to determine 1) if pregnancy initiated on Day 32 post partum would be maintained until lambing, 2) if there is a difference in the ability of the previously gravid or nongravid uterine horn to maintain pregnancy, and 3) if season has an effect on embryo loss. Estrus was induced in ewes on Day 32 post partum. At estrus, ewes were inseminated surgically at the uterotubal junction and assigned to the following groups: 1) inseminated at estrus and laparotomized on Day 3 to collect embryos for determination of fertilization rate (C), 2) inseminated in the previously gravid uterine horn (PG), 3) inseminated in the previously nongravid uterine horn (NG), and 4) inseminated when both horns were previously gravid (BG). Ewes pregnant in the PG, NG and BG groups were allowed to lamb. Conception rate in Group C at embryo collection was 70%. Embryo loss, based on concentrations of progesterone at Day 18 post insemination, was 43, 19 and 18% in the BG, NG and PG group, respectively. The high embryo loss in Group BG occurred only during the breeding season. Only 24% of the ewes that had been inseminated lambed. This was due to the prepartum loss of embryos and fetuses (47, 48 and 33% in Group BG, NG and PG, respectively. In conclusion, the detrimental effects of the uterus on embryo survival was evident within 18 d post insemination in Group BG (breeding season), and embryo loss prior to lambing was high in all the treatment groups (both seasons).

Inhibition by progesterone of IUD-induced luteal regression in the ewe.

PIP: A U.S. Department of Agriculture study at Beltsville, Maryland investigated the effect of progesterone on IUD-induced luteal regression in 95 ewes. The IUD was a plastic spiral with diameter 9 mm and length 30 mm. The first experiment suggested that IUD-induced regression of a corpus luteum (CL) is dependent upon the stage of the estrous cycle but unrelated to the age of the CL. When ovulation was induced on Cycle Day 5 in 4 ewes and an IUD was inserted on Day 7, neither the original CLs, about 6 days old, nor the induced CLs, about 1 day old, regressed. Experiment 2 provided evidence that exogenous progesterone generally prevents IUD-induced luteal regression. 29 ewes were injected twice daily on Days 1-4 of a cycle with 10 mg of progesterone in corn oil or with corn oil alone. An IUD was inserted on Day 3. Sacrifice was on Day 9. Early CL (ovaries ipsilateral to IUD) regression occurred in 7 in the corn-oil group but in only 2 in the progesterone group. In Experiment 3 the administration of progesterone to estradiol- and IUD-treated ewes tended to reduce the percentage of ewes with regressed CL's (p=.10, ovaries ipsilateral to IUD). Estradiol itself extends the stage during which the insertion of an IUD causes luteolysis.^ieng

Attempts to overcome the anti-fertility effect of intrauterine plastic spirals in the ewe.

PIP: A study was conducted to determine whether the antifertilization of intrauterine devices in ewes could be overcome by the use of hormones or drugs that either stimulate or inhibit uterine motility. 44 parous, western ewes were unilaterally ovariectomized, and a plastic spiral was inserted into the uterine horn opposite the remaining ovary. Spirals were immediately removed from 5 ewes. At the time of mating, 2 weeks to 3 months post surgery, sham-operated and spiral control ewes were injected with saline solution. Ewes with spirals were injected with either estradiol, epinephrine, oxytocin, oxytocin and acetylcholine, or oxytocin, acetylcholine, and physostigmine. Other ewes with spirals were laparotomized, and either the uterus was massaged or the cervical lumen was cleaned. 3 days postmating, 8 ova recovered from 5 sham-operated ewes were all cleaved, with a mean of 90 accessory sperm in the zonae pellucidae. 3 of 12 ova recovered from 8 spiral control ewes were cleaved. Only 1 of 40 ova recovered from 28 treated ewes was cleaved. Accessory sperm were not found in either cleaved or uncleaved ova from any spiral ewe. None of the treatments overcame the antifertilization effect of the spiral.^ieng

Lifespan of corpora lutea induced in estrous-synchronized cycling and anestrous ewes.

The effect of pretreatment with flurogestone acetate (FA) on the lifespan of corpora lutea induced with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMS) was examined in cycling and anestrous ewes. Cycling ewes received one of three treatments: 750 IU PMS 2 d before expected estrus (P), FA-impregnated vaginal sponges for 16 d (F), and FA sponges for 16 d and 750 IU PMS 2 d before sponge removal (FP). A fourth group served as controls (C). When compared with d 12 means within treatment, plasma progesterone means were lower (P less than .05) on d 16 in control ewes, on d 15 in P and F ewes, and on d 14 in FP ewes. Only 44% of ewes receiving FA treatment alone exhibited estrus (P less than .05) compared with 100% of untreated ewes. The FP treatment increased ovulation rate compared with controls (P less than .01). The decrease in luteal lifespan observed in cycling ewes suggests a possibility of asynchrony between the uterus and embryo, which could result in failure of an embryo to prevent luteal regression, thus resulting in reduced fertility. None of the seasonally anestrous ewes that received PMS alone and only 55% of those treated with FA sponges for 8 d before PMS injection exhibited estrus. Ewes pretreated with FA exhibited higher plasma progesterone concentrations on d 10 through 16 after PMS injection. There were no differences in luteal lifespan as measured by peripheral plasma progesterone patterns. Although FA treatment did not alter luteal lifespan in anestrous ewes, the increased plasma progesterone concentrations observed with FA treatment suggest that progestogen pretreatment may be essential for optimal luteal function.

Effect of homogenized embryos on IUD-induced luteal regression in the ewe.

PIP: The effect of homogenized embryos on IUD-induced luteal regression in the ewe was studied. Plastic spiral IUDs were inserted in an uterine horn adjacent to an ovary containing a corpus luteum during various times of the estrous cycle. The ewes were sacrificed on Day 6 for examination of the corpus luteum. Estrous Cycle Day 3 was the last day in which the IUD insertion induced luteal regression. Corpus luteum was maintained in ewes when the IUD was inserted on Day 4, 5, or 6. Corpus luteum regression was not prevented when homogenized 14- or 15-day-old embryos were injected into the uterus at the time of IUD insertion. Ewes which received an IUD, a cannula, and an infusion of saline or homogenized embryos on Days 3, 4, and 5 maintained corpora lutea in 4 of 7 embryo-infused ewes and in none of 7 saline-infused ewes (p less than .05). It was determined that the IUD must remain in the uterine horn for longer than 1 day to induce corpus luteum regression and that embryos can sometimes prevent the IUD-induced regression.^ieng

Interaction of stage of the breeding season and intrauterine devices on estrous cycle length in the ewe.

PIP: To determine whether the presence of IUDs would reduce estrous-cycle length throughout a breeding season, 51 and 58 ewes, respectively, were studied in 2 experiments. The estrous cycles of ewes with an IUD adjacent to each ovary averaged 9.6 days in length from September through November, and nearly 20 days from December through February. The same ewes showed a similar pattern in a second September-to-February breeding season. In the third breeding season, ewes with an IUD in each uterine horn were laparotomized if they had not returned to heat within 9 days after a designated estrous period. Of 54 ewes laparotomized during the course of the breeding season, corpora lutea 1) had regressed or were regressing in 49 (91%) by Day 9, and 2) had regressed in the other 5 ewes by Day 18. It is concluded that cycles longer than 9 days were usually caused by 1 or more successive ovulations without estrus, and that the increased mean cycle length for IUD-bearing ewes during the second half of the breeding season was due primarily to a greater frequency of ovulation without estrus.^ieng

Conception rates in early postpartum ewes bred naturally or by intrauterine insemination.

Ewes were treated with a medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) sponge for 8 d followed, at sponge removal, with 500 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) at d 30, 40 or 50 (d 0 = lambing) to induce estrus. Dry and lactating ewes were divided into equal numbers at each postpartum day and bred at estrus. Conception rates and number of accessory sperm were determined by flushing the oviducts 3 d after mating and examining the recovered ova. There was no effect (P greater than .05) of lactational status on conception rates. Conception rates increased (P less than .05) from d 30 (10%) to d 40 (45%) and from d 40 to d 50 (80%). There were fewer (P less than .05) ova with accessory sperm (5/26) in d-30 ewes compared with d-40 (10/27) or d-50 (12/24) ewes. In Exp. 2, ewes were assigned to two groups after receiving PMSG on d 30: 1) mated naturally or 2) inseminated during laparotomy near the uterotubal junction (UTJ). Dry and lactating ewes were divided evenly within each of the two treatments. Oviducts were flushed and ova were examined for cleavage. The conception rate was 60% in ewes that were inseminated in the UTJ vs 10% in ewes mated to rams (P less than .05). Lactational status had no effect on results. In conclusion, conception rates in postpartum ewes treated with MAP sponge and PMSG increased from postpartum d 30 to d 50 with natural breeding, and d-30 conception rates were increased over natural mating by insemination into the uterine horn near the UTJ.

Chromosomal evaluation of a ewe lamb with atresia ani vaginalis.

Chromosomes of a ewe lamb born with atresia ani vaginalis were examined after a 72-hour culture of peripheral whole blood. The 2n number of chromosomes was 54,XX, with no apparent deviation from normality. Pedigree analysis of the ewe lamb indicated that her sire and dam were only slightly related (Rsd = 0.59%); therefore, the amount of inbreeding of the lamb was small (Fx = 0.30%).

Within-wood Spatial Dispersion of the Pinewood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner &Buhrer) Nickle, spatial dispersion was determined in Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L., bolts infested with the pine sawyer beetle, Monochamus carolinensis (Olivier) and in bolts without M. carolinensis. According to Taylor's power law and Green's index of dispersion, nematode dispersion was aggregated in both sets of bolts. The degree of aggregation did not differ significantly between beetle-infested and noninfested bolts, suggesting that the presence of M. carolinensis does not affect nematode dispersion within a bolt. Nematode population densities differed radially in bolts not infested with pine sawyers, but in a nonregular pattern. Moisture content of the bolts was correlated with population density of B. xylophilus, suggesting that nematode aggregates occur in areas of high moisture content.

Effect of Monochamus carolinensis on the Life History of the Pinewood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

The development of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in pine wood infested with and free of Monochamus carolinensis was investigated. Formation of third-stage dispersal juveniles occurred in the presence and absence of pine sawyer beetles. The proportion of third-stage dispersal juveniles in the total nematode population was negatively correlated with moisture content of the wood. Formation of nematode dauer juveniles was dependent on the presence of the pine sawyer beetle. Dauer juveniles were present in 3 of 315 wood samples taken from non-beetle-infested Scots pine bolts and 81 of 311 samples taken from beetle-infested bolts. Nematode densities were greater in wood samples taken adjacent to insect larvae, pupae, and teneral adults compared with samples taken from areas void of insect activity. Nematodes recovered from beetle larvae, pupae, and teneral adults were mostly fourth-stage dauer juveniles, although some third-stage dispersal juveniles were also recovered. Dauer juvenile density was highest on teneral adult beetles.

Explanatory style, dispositional optimism, and reported parental behavior.

The relationship between two cognitive personality constructs (explanatory style and dispositional optimism) and retrospective self-reports of maternal and paternal behavior were investigated. College students (62 men and 145 women) completed the Life Orientation Test, Attributional Style Questionnaire, and Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire in a single session. As predicted, dispositional optimism was positively correlated with reported maternal and paternal warmth/acceptance and negatively correlated with aggression/hostility, neglect/indifference, and undifferentiated rejection during middle childhood. Unexpectedly, explanatory style was found to be more strongly associated with retrospective reports of paternal as opposed to maternal behavior. The implications of these results for future research concerning the developmental antecedents of differences in explanatory style and dispositional optimism are discussed.

Side-chain control of porosity closure in single- and multiple-peptide-based porous materials by cooperative folding.

Porous materials are attractive for separation and catalysis-these applications rely on selective interactions between host materials and guests. In metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), these interactions can be controlled through a flexible structural response to the presence of guests. Here we report a MOF that consists of glycyl-serine dipeptides coordinated to metal centres, and has a structure that evolves from a solvated porous state to a desolvated non-porous state as a result of ordered cooperative, displacive and conformational changes of the peptide. This behaviour is driven by hydrogen bonding that involves the side-chain hydroxyl groups of the serine. A similar cooperative closure (reminiscent of the folding of proteins) is also displayed with multipeptide solid solutions. For these, the combination of different sequences of amino acids controls the framework's response to the presence of guests in a nonlinear way. This functional control can be compared to the effect of single-point mutations in proteins, in which exchange of single amino acids can radically alter structure and function.