The interpersonal effects of emotional expressions with both and single valences on work-related satisfaction: an examination of emotions and perceived openness as mediators.

ABSTRACTWork-related satisfaction has critical benefits. To predict work-related satisfaction, we investigated how a counterpart's expressions of emotional complexity (both positive and negative emotions), positive emotions, and negative emotions influenced a perceiver's work-related satisfaction during discussions over different work-relevant ideas. We conducted a three-wave coworker survey (N = 529) and an experiment with a confederate as a task partner (N = 378). The results consistently showed significant positive impacts of a counterpart's emotional complexity and positive emotion expressions on a perceiver's work-related satisfaction by enhancing the perceiver's positive emotions and evaluation of the counterpart's openness. Conversely, a counterpart's negative emotion expression significantly decreased a perceiver's work-related satisfaction by reducing perceived counterpart openness. We also did not find a perceiver's negative emotion as a significant mediator of the associations between the three emotional expressions and work-related satisfaction. Therefore, our investigation highlights similar positive effects of emotional complexity and positive emotion expressions and suggests that an expression of both positive and negative emotions promotes satisfaction by enhancing positive emotions and openness perception.

Can conflict cultivate collaboration? The positive impact of mild versus intense task conflict via perceived openness rather than emotions.

Previous research has demonstrated negative associations between task-relevant conflicts and collaboration. To supplement the previous findings and explore the potential benefits of conflicts, we differentiate between two types of task conflict expressions (i.e., mild vs. intense task conflicts, such as debates vs. disagreements regarding work-related issues) in dyad interactions and propose the differential effects of mild versus intense task conflicts on collaboration based on the theory of conflict expression. In three studies with experimental manipulations and surveys on working adults, the results demonstrated that perceptions of debates versus disagreements (in Studies 1 and 2) or mild versus intense task conflicts (in Study 3) enhanced perceivers' collaboration with others via the perceivers' assessments of others' openness rather than emotions. The findings regarding positive associations between mild task conflicts and collaboration implicate the coexistence of conflict and collaboration. Moreover, the results showed that debates versus disagreements (in Study 1) or mild versus intense task conflicts (in Study 3) achieved high task performance by enhancing perceptions of others' openness that subsequently increased collaboration. These findings clarify why conflicts inconsistently influence interpersonal interactions and task performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of an Online Quality Control System for Injection Molding Process.

This research developed an adaptive control system for injection molding process. The purpose of this control system is to adaptively maintain the consistency of product quality by minimize the mass variation of injection molded parts. The adaptive control system works with the information collected through two sensors installed in the machine only-the injection nozzle pressure sensor and the temperature sensor. In this research, preliminary experiments are purposed to find master pressure curve that relates to product quality. Viscosity index, peak pressure, and timing of the peak pressure are used to characterize the pressure curve. The correlation between product quality and parameters such as switchover position and injection speed were used to produce a training data for back propagation neural network (BPNN) to compute weight and bias which are applied on the adaptive control system. By using this system, the variation of part weight is maintained to be as low as 0.14%.

PCDH10 exerts tumor-suppressor functions through modulation of EGFR/AKT axis in colorectal cancer.

Protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) is identified as a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers. The molecular mechanisms that mediate the functions of PCDH10 have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of PCDH10 in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells induced cell cycle retardation and increased apoptosis through regulation of the p53/p21/Rb axis and Bcl-2 expression. Overexpression of PCDH10 reversed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process with morphological changes and EMT marker alterations. Mechanistic study revealed that PCDH10 inhibited AKT/GSK3ß signaling pathway which in turn reduced ß-catenin activity and thus attenuated Snail and Twist1 expression. Furthermore, PCDH10 inhibited the stemness of CRC cells, including spheroid formation and stem cell markers. A proteomics approach revealed that PCDH10 could interact with EGFR, which was further verified by co-immunoprecipitation. Moreover, restoration of PCDH10 expression reduced EGFR phosphorylation. Accordingly, our work proposes a novel pathway by which PCDH10 directly engages in the negative regulation of EGFR/AKT/ß-catenin signaling pathway, resulting in tumor suppression.

Confidence is sexy and it can be trained: Examining male social confidence in initial, opposite-sex interactions.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether men's social confidence in an initial, opposite-sex chatting context can be improved through a video tutorial and the extent to which being perceived as socially confident results in being seen as more romantically desirable and worthy of future contact. METHOD: Women chatted with men who had received or not received a tutorial on how to handle speed-dating chats (Study 1: N = 129; Study 2: N = 60) or with male targets selected for having high versus moderate confidence in handling initial, opposite-sex encounters (Study 3: N = 46). RESULTS: Tutorial-trained men felt more confident going into the chats and they, as well as male targets selected for their confidence, were perceived by female chat partners to be higher in social confidence, status, and dominance. However, only perceptions of social confidence were further associated with being perceived as more romantically desirable (as a short-term mate) and worthy of future contact. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that social confidence is trainable and that other-perceived social confidence can impact the outcomes of social interactions.

Quantitative Bioimage Analysis of Passaging Effect on the Migratory Behavior of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells During Spheroid Formation.

The quality of stem cells obtained through serial subcultivation is the pivotal factor determining the therapeutic effectiveness of regenerative medicine. However, an effective quality monitoring system for cell culture is yet to be established. Detailed parameter studies of the migratory behavior of stem cells at different passages may provide insight into the deterioration of stemness. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of quantitative bioimage analysis for monitoring stem cell quality during in vitro culture and to explore the passaging effects on stem cell migration. An image-based analytical tool using cell tracking, cytometric analyses, and gating with time-lapse microscopy was developed to characterize the migratory behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) isolated from human adipose tissue (hADAS) and placenta (hPDMC) cultured on chitosan membranes. Quantitative analysis was performed for the single cells and assembled spheroids selected from 15 videos of Passages 3, 5, and 11 for hADAS and those from 12 videos of Passages 7, 11, and 16 for hPDMC. These passages were selected to represent the young, matured, and degenerated stem cells, respectively. Migratory behavior varied with cell passages. The mobility of single hMSCs decreased at degenerated passages. In addition, enhancement of mobility, due to transformation from single cells to spheroids, occurred at each passage. The young hMSCs seemed more likely to move as single cells rather than as aggregates. Once matured, they tended to aggregate with strong 3D spheroid formability and increased mobility. However, the spheroid formability and mobility decreased at late passage. The increase in aggregation rate with passaging may be a compensatory mechanism to enhance the declining mobility of hMSCs through cell coordination. Our findings regarding the passaging effects on stem-cell migratory behavior agree with biochemical reports, suggesting that the developed imaging method is capable of monitoring the cell-culture quality effectively. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Depletion manipulations decrease openness to dissent via increased anger.

We investigated a potential outcome of ego depletion manipulations and an important factor behind cooperative failure: a lack of openness to others' dissenting opinions. Across five studies in a variety of task settings, we examined the effect of depletion manipulations on openness to dissent and investigated two negative emotions as potential mediators of this process: fatigue and anger. The results demonstrated a negative effect of depletion manipulations on openness to dissent through increased anger rather than fatigue (Studies 1-5). In Studies 3 and 4, we also eliminated perceived trust towards a task counterpart as a significant mediator of the relationship between depletion manipulations and openness to dissent. These findings help clarify the nature of ego depletion manipulations and shed light on why individuals may fail to consider others' dissenting opinions and, thus, fall short of achieving cooperation.

The Effects of Perceived Decision-Making Styles on Evaluations of Openness and Competence That Elicit Collaboration.

When interacting with a task partner, individuals often rely upon characteristics they infer about their partner to determine their level of collaboration with the partner. To explore social perception processes related to collaboration, we examined perceptions of an actor's decision-making style as predictors. Using different methods in various research settings, we found that compared with perceptions of an actor's intuitive decision-making style or of a nonspecific decision-making style, perceptions of an actor's rational decision-making style were more positively associated with inferences of the actor's openness and competence, both of which were in turn associated with the perceiver's collaborative intention with the actor. Intentions to engage in mutual collaboration were also positively associated with performance in an idea generation task. Therefore, our research offers a novel illustration of how to enhance collaboration based on perceptions of openness and competence inferred from others' rational rather than intuitive decision-making style.

Mate Preferences for Warmth-Trustworthiness Predict Romantic Attraction in the Early Stages of Mate Selection and Satisfaction in Ongoing Relationships.

People seek warm and trustworthy individuals as long-term mates for numerous reasons. Indeed, such individuals are prone to cooperation, have strong parenting skills, have the ability to fulfill our need to belong, and may provide a relationship that is characterized by greater closeness, protection, acceptance, and safety. Although prior work has shown that both sexes indicate equally strong preferences for these traits in potential mates, few studies have examined whether people actually respond favorably to partners high in warmth-trustworthiness in live mating contexts. We, thus, demonstrated that people's stated preferences for warmth-trustworthiness (a) predicted their attraction to potential mates in a live mate-selection context (Study 1) and (b) interacted with their partners' actual traits to predict satisfaction with their marriages (Study 2). Together, these studies demonstrate the importance of partner traits associated with warmth and trustworthiness and add to recent research suggesting that people can accurately report their romantic-partner preferences.

Darling, Get Closer to Me: Spatial Proximity Amplifies Interpersonal Liking.

Does close distance increase liking for a social object? In a preliminary sociogram task, an association between proximity and intimacy was found in drawings of self and others. In three experimental studies, male participants consistently preferred female targets who were (actually or appeared to be) close than far from them. Distance was manipulated through various means-sitting distance (Study 2), presenting two facial images separately to each eye by a stereoscopic device (Study 3), or a video clip (Study 4). This effect was stronger among those with deprived social needs and occurred in part because close (vs. far) targets seemed psychologically more accessible to the perceiver. Our findings offer rare experimental evidence for the empirically challenged propinquity effect and provide new insights on how distance shapes inner experience.

Alteration of colonic epithelial cell differentiation in mice deficient for glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase 4.

Glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferases (NDSTs) are the first enzymes that mediate the initiation of heparan sulfate sulfation. We previously identified NDST4 as a putative tumor suppressor in human colorectal cancer. In the study, we generated an Ndst4 knockout (Ndst4-/-) mouse strain and explored its phenotypic characteristics, particularly in the development of colonic epithelial homeostasis. The Ndst4-deficient mice were viable and fertile, and their life spans were similar to those of wild-type littermates. No gross behavioral or morphological differences were observed between the Ndst4-/- and wild-type mice, and no significant changes were determined in the hematological or serum biochemical parameters of the Ndst4-/- mice. Ndst4 RNA transcripts were expressed in the brain, lung, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and ovary. However, Ndst4-null mice exhibited no gross or histological abnormalities in the studied organs, except for the colon. Although no alterations were observed in the crypt length or number of proliferating cells, the Ndst4-/- mice exhibited an increased number of goblet cells and a decreased number of colonocytes in the proximal colon compared with the wild-type mice. Moreover, Ndst4 deficiency increased the basal level of apoptosis in the colonic epithelium. Taken together, we established, for the first time, an Ndst4-/- mouse strain and revealed the involvement of Ndst4 in the development and homeostasis of colonic epithelium. Accordingly, NDST4 in human colon might direct the biosynthesis of specific heparan sulfate proteoglycans that are essential for the maintenance of colonic epithelial homeostasis. Thus, the loss of its function may result in the tumorigenesis and progression of colorectal cancer.

Too materialistic to get married and have children?

We developed new materials to induce a luxury mindset and activate materialistic values, and examined materialism's relationship to attitudes toward marriage and having children in Singapore. Path analyses indicated that materialistic values led to more negative attitudes toward marriage, which led to more negative attitudes toward children, which in turn led to a decreased number of children desired. Results across two studies highlight, at the individual level, the tradeoff between materialistic values and attitudes toward marriage and procreation and suggest that a consideration of psychological variables such as materialistic values may allow for a better understanding of larger-scale socioeconomic issues including low fertility rates among developed countries. We discuss implications and describe how psychological factors relating to low fertility fit within evolutionary mismatch and life history theory frameworks.

DNA Hypermethylation of SHISA3 in Colorectal Cancer: An Independent Predictor of Poor Prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Shisa3 is a novel tumor suppressor identified in lung cancer. However, its antitumor activity in other human cancers and the mechanism of gene inactivation remain unknown. METHODS: SHISA3 expression was measured by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). DNA methylation was determined by bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing. RESULTS: Down-regulation of SHISA3 expression was observed in all of 11 colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and was further confirmed in 34 (65.4 %) of 52 colorectal carcinomas by RT-qPCR. Four of six CRC cell lines could restore SHISA3 expression after treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Tumor-specific methylation of five CpG sites in the first intron of SHISA3 was identified by bisulfite sequencing, and their methylation levels were quantified in 127 pairs of primary CRC tissues by bisulfite pyrosequencing. The methylation levels of SHISA3 in tumors were noticeably higher than that in their matched normal mucosae. In addition, SHISA3 hypermethylation was significantly associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence in patients with stage II and III disease (P = 0.007) and was an independent predictor of poor overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) 2.9, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.5-5.8; P = 0.002] and disease-free survival (HR 4.0, 95 % CI 1.6-10.2; P = 0.003) of CRC patients. CONCLUSIONS: SHISA3 gene is epigenetically inactivated in a substantial fraction of CRC, and its hypermethylation is of prognostic significance in predicting clinical outcome. The quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing assay established could be a cost-effective tool for providing a potential biomarker of adverse prognosis in CRC.

Segmentation and tracking of stem cells in time lapse microscopy to quantify dynamic behavioral changes during spheroid formation.

Dynamic behavior of stem cells during in vitro development is diverse. Previous cell tracking studies have focused more on cell proliferation than on cell aggregation. However, the enhancement of cell proliferation in association with cell aggregation has been reported. In a previous study, we also demonstrated that the aggregation of adult human mesenchymal stem cells to form three-dimensional (3D) cellular spheroids helped maintain the expression of stemness marker genes in the cells. However, the dynamic behavioral changes triggered by spheroid formation remain to be investigated. A scheme of image processing techniques is proposed to meet this need. A hybrid-thresholding technique was first developed for efficient segmentation of cell clusters, after which a cell tracking method based on pair-matching with topological constraints was designed. Two morphological indices were derived to track the timing of 3D spheroid formation during the cellular aggregation process. Five cell motility indices measured from single cells and 3D spheroids were then compared. After confirmation of more than 90% correspondence between the results obtained by manual tracking and the proposed methods, an analysis of cellular behavior reveals a significant increase in motility in association with spheroid formation, consistent with a previous report that used a gene expression approach. This study proposed a systematic image analysis method to quantify the dynamic behavior of stem cells for stemness evaluation during cell culturing in vitro. Results demonstrated the validity of the developed platform in investigation of the dynamic behavior of cell aggregation in stem cell cultures in vitro.

Protocadherin 10 suppresses tumorigenesis and metastasis in colorectal cancer and its genetic loss predicts adverse prognosis.

Protocadherin 10 (PCDH10), a novel tumor suppressor gene in human cancers, is located in a common deleted region at chromosome 4q28 in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to ascertain the genetic loss of PCDH10 and its clinical relevance in CRC and to explore the tumor suppressor function of PCDH10. The genetic deletion of PCDH10 was determined in 171 pairs of primary tumors and corresponding normal mucosae by loss of heterozygosity study. In total, 53 carcinomas were positive for allelic loss of PCDH10. The genetic aberration was significantly associated with tumor progression and distant metastasis (p = 0.021 and p = 0.018, respectively) and was an independent predictor of poor survival for CRC patients (p = 0.005). Expression of PCDH10 gene was silenced or markedly down-regulated in all of 12 CRC cell lines tested and in 41 of 53 colorectal carcinomas compared with their matched normal mucosae. Ectopic expression of PCDH10 suppressed cancer cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration and invasion in vitro. Subcutaneous injection of PCDH10-expressing CRC cells into SCID mice revealed the reduction of tumor growth compared with that observed in mock-inoculated mice. Furthermore, through intrasplenic implantation, the re-expression of PCDH10 in silenced cells restrained liver metastasis and improved survival in SCID mice. In conclusion, PCDH10 is a pivotal tumor suppressor in CRC, and the loss of its function promotes not only tumor progression but also liver metastasis. In addition, the genetic deletion of PCDH10 represents an adverse prognostic marker for the survival of patients with CRC.

NDST4 is a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene at chromosome 4q26 and its genetic loss predicts adverse prognosis in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Genomic deletion at tumor suppressor loci is a common genetic aberration in human cancers. The study aimed to explore candidate tumor suppressor genes at chromosome 4q25-q28.2 and to delineate novel prognostic biomarkers associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Deletion mapping of chromosome 4q25-q28.2 was conducted in 114 sporadic CRC by loss of heterozygosity study with 11 microsatellite markers. A novel candidate tumor suppressor gene, namely NDST4, was identified at 4q26. Gene expression of NDST4 was investigated in 52 pairs of primary CRC tissues by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Allelic loss of NDST4 gene was further determined in 174 colorectal carcinomas by loss of heterozygosity analysis, and then was assessed for clinical relevance. RESULTS: One minimal deletion region was delineated between D4S2297 and D4S2303 loci at 4q26, where NDST4 was the only gene that had markedly been downregulated in CRC tumors. By laser capture microdissection, NDST4 RNA expression was demonstrated in colonic epithelial cells, but was undetectable in tumor cells. In total, 30 (57.7%) of 52 colorectal carcinomas showed a dramatic reduction in NDST4 gene expression compared with matched normal mucosae. The genetic loss of NDST4 was significantly associated with advanced pathological stage (P = 0.039) and poorer overall survival of patients (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: NDST4 gene is a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene in human cancer, and the loss of its function might be involved in CRC progression. In addition, the loss of heterozygosity assay, which was established to determine the allelic loss of NDST4 gene, could be a cost-effective tool for providing a useful biomarker of adverse prognosis in CRC.

Mad enough to see the other side: anger and the search for disconfirming information.

The current research explored the effect of anger on hypothesis confirmation-the propensity to seek information that confirms rather than disconfirms one's opinion. We argued that the moving against action tendency associated with anger leads angry individuals to seek out more disconfirming information than sad individuals, attenuating the confirmation bias. We tested this hypothesis in two studies of experimentally primed anger and sadness on the selective exposure to hypothesis confirming and disconfirming information. In Study 1, participants in the angry condition were more likely to choose disconfirming information than those in the sad or neutral condition when given the opportunity to read more about a social debate, and reading the disconfirming information affected their subsequent attitude. Study 2 measured participants' opinions and information selection about the 2008 US Presidential Election and their desire to "move against" a person or object. Participants in the angry condition reported a greater tendency to oppose a person or object, which resulted in the attenuation of the confirmation bias.

Mapping of genetic deletions on chromosome 3 in colorectal cancer: loss of 3p25-pter is associated with distant metastasis and poor survival.

PURPOSE: There is no detailed analysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 3 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Our aim was to define frequently deleted loci on chromosome 3 and to explore novel prognostic markers and the locations of candidate tumor suppressor genes associated with CRC. METHODS: LOH at 23 microsatellite markers spanning on chromosome 3 was determined in 112 sporadic CRC by automated fluorescence-based polymerase chain reaction. Genetic loss was assessed for the clinicopathological significance by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Fifty-eight (51.8%) of 112 carcinomas exhibited LOH at one or more loci tested. Among seven loci with high LOH rates, allelic losses at D3S1297 and D3S1266 occurred more frequently in younger patients. A marked gender distortion for genetic deletion was observed at six loci, where LOH was identified more frequently in male cases. For clinical outcome, LOH solely at D3S1297 (3p26.3) was significantly associated with distant metastasis (P = 0.001) and was indicative of a shorter overall survival (P = 0.014). In addition, loss of one common deletion region at 3p25-pter was significantly correlated to distant metastasis (P = 0.009) and had an adverse effect on patients' overall survival in univariate and multivariate tests (P = 0.009 and 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Loss of chromosome 3p25-pter could act as an independent predicator of poor prognosis in CRC, suggesting that microsatellite analysis is a useful means to stratify patients into different risk groups. In addition, inactivation of candidate tumor suppressor genes in this region might involve in CRC progression.

Mitochondrial genomic instability in colorectal cancer: no correlation to nuclear microsatellite instability and allelic deletion of hMSH2, hMLH1, and p53 genes, but prediction of better survival for Dukes' stage C disease.

PURPOSE: Malfunction of mismatch repair (MMR) system and p53 produces nuclear genomic instability and is involved in colorectal tumorigenesis. In addition to a nuclear genome, eukaryotic cells have cytoplasmic genomes that are compartmentalized in the mitochondria. The aims of this study were to detect the mitochondrial genomic instability (mtGI) in colorectal carcinomas, and to explore its relationship with nuclear genetic alterations and its prognostic meaning. METHODS: Eighty-three colorectal carcinomas with corresponding normal mucosa were analyzed for mtGI, nuclear microsatellite instability (nMSI), and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of hMSH2, hMLH1, and p53 genes. Mitochondrial and nuclear alterations were examined for mutual correlation and for associations with clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Out of 83 cases, mtGI was identified in 23 carcinomas (27.7%), whereas nMSI was detected in 11 (13.3%). Of the 23 cases with mtGI, only two showed nMSI simultaneously. The frequencies of LOH of hMSH2, hMLH1, and p53 were 16.1%, 11.6%, and 65.3%, respectively. There was no significant association between mtGI and these allelic losses. Notably, Dukes' C patients with mtGI had better disease-free and overall survival than those lacking this feature (p = 0.0516 and 0.0313, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Mitochondrial genomic instability occurs with a high frequency in colorectal carcinomas but is independent of nMSI and allelic deletion of hMSH2, hMLH1, and p53 genes. The results suggest that, instead of nuclear MMR system, there might be different mechanisms involving mitochondrial genomic integrity, and mtGI confers a better prognosis in Dukes' C colorectal cancer.