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Sample records for laughing hyenas wailing

  1. What the hyena's laugh tells: Sex, age, dominance and individual signature in the giggling call of Crocuta crocuta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weldele Mary

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Among mammals living in social groups, individuals form communication networks where they signal their identity and social status, facilitating social interaction. In spite of its importance for understanding of mammalian societies, the coding of individual-related information in the vocal signals of non-primate mammals has been relatively neglected. The present study focuses on the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta, a social carnivore known for its complex female-dominated society. We investigate if and how the well-known hyena's laugh, also known as the giggle call, encodes information about the emitter. Results By analyzing acoustic structure in both temporal and frequency domains, we show that the hyena's laugh can encode information about age, individual identity and dominant/subordinate status, providing cues to receivers that could enable assessment of the social position of an emitting individual. Conclusions The range of messages encoded in the hyena's laugh is likely to play a role during social interactions. This call, together with other vocalizations and other sensory channels, should ensure an array of communication signals that support the complex social system of the spotted hyena. Experimental studies are now needed to decipher precisely the communication network of this species.

  2. Collective in exile: Utilizing terror management theory to understand women's wailing performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamliel, Tova

    2017-08-01

    Although women's wailing at death rites in various cultures typically amplifies mortality salience, this ritual phenomenon is absent in the research literature on terror management theory (TMT). This study explored Yemenite-Jewish wailing in Israel as an example of how a traditional performance manages death anxiety in a community context. Observations of wailing events and interviews with Yemenite-Jewish wailers and mourners in Israel were analyzed to understand respondents' perceptions of the experience of wailing as well as the anxiety-oriented psychotherapeutic expertise involved. The findings are discussed to propose an alternative outlook on the intersubjective adaptive value of death anxiety. After describing TMT's view on the role of culture in coping with death anxiety, I consider the extent to which Yemenite-Jewish wailing is consistent with the premises of TMT.

  3. Lions, hyenas and mobs (oh my!)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, Tracy M.; MacLachlan, Sarah M.; Parker, Jenna M.; Spagnuolo, Olivia S.; VandeWetering, Kelsey J.; Bills, Patrick S.; Holekamp, Kay E.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Understanding the factors that facilitate the emergence of cooperation among organisms is central to the study of social evolution. Spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta frequently cooperate to mob lions Panthera leo, approaching the lions as a tightknit group while vocalizing loudly in an attempt to overwhelm them and drive them away. Whereas cooperative mobbing behavior has been well documented in birds and some mammals, to our knowledge it has never been described during interactions between 2 apex predators. Using a 27-year dataset, we characterize lion–hyena encounters, assess rates of mobbing behavior observed during these interactions, and inquire whether mobbing results in successful acquisition of food. Lions and hyenas interacted most often at fresh kills, especially as prey size and the number of hyenas present increased. Possession of food at the beginning of an interaction positively affected retention of that food by each predator species. The presence of male lions increased the probability of an interspecific interaction but decreased the likelihood of hyenas obtaining or retaining possession of the food. Hyena mobbing rates were highest at fresh kills, but lower when adult male lions were present. The occurrence of mobbing was predicted by an increase in the number of hyenas present. Whether or not mobbing resulted in acquisition of food from lions was predicted by an increase in the number of mobs formed by the hyenas present, suggesting that cooperation among hyenas enhances their fitness. PMID:29491990

  4. Steppe lion remains imported by Ice Age spotted hyenas into the Late Pleistocene Perick Caves hyena den in northern Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrich, Cajus G.

    2009-05-01

    Upper Pleistocene remains of the Ice Age steppe lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) have been found in the Perick Caves, Sauerland Karst, NW Germany. Bones from many hyenas and their imported prey dating from the Lower to Middle Weichselian have also been recovered from the Perick Cave hyena den. These are commonly cracked or exhibit deep chew marks. The absence of lion cub bones, in contrast to hyena and cave bear cub remains in the Perick Caves, and other caves of northern Germany, excludes the possibility that P. leo spelaea used the cave for raising cubs. Only in the Wilhelms Cave was a single skeleton of a cub found in a hyena den. Evidence of the chewing, nibbling and cracking of lion bones and crania must have resulted from the importation and destruction of lion carcasses (4% of the prey fauna). Similar evidence was preserved at other hyena den caves and open air sites in Germany. The bone material from the Perick and other Central European caves points to antagonistic hyena and lion conflicts, similar to clashes of their modern African relatives.

  5. Wide Angle Imaging Lidar (WAIL): Theory of Operation and Results from Cross-Platform Validation at the ARM Southern Great Plains Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polonsky, I. N.; Davis, A. B.; Love, S. P.

    2004-05-01

    WAIL was designed to determine physical and geometrical characteristics of optically thick clouds using the off-beam component of the lidar return that can be accurately modeled within the 3D photon diffusion approximation. The theory shows that the WAIL signal depends not only on the cloud optical characteristics (phase function, extinction and scattering coefficients) but also on the outer thickness of the cloud layer. This makes it possible to estimate the mean optical and geometrical thicknesses of the cloud. The comparison with Monte Carlo simulation demonstrates the high accuracy of the diffusion approximation for moderately to very dense clouds. During operation WAIL is able to collect a complete data set from a cloud every few minutes, with averaging over horizontal scale of a kilometer or so. In order to validate WAIL's ability to deliver cloud properties, the LANL instrument was deployed as a part of the THickness from Off-beam Returns (THOR) validation IOP. The goal was to probe clouds above the SGP CART site at night in March 2002 from below (WAIL and ARM instruments) and from NASA's P3 aircraft (carrying THOR, the GSFC counterpart of WAIL) flying above the clouds. The permanent cloud instruments we used to compare with the results obtained from WAIL were ARM's laser ceilometer, micro-pulse lidar (MPL), millimeter-wavelength cloud radar (MMCR), and micro-wave radiometer (MWR). The comparison shows that, in spite of an unusually low cloud ceiling, an unfavorable observation condition for WAIL's present configuration, cloud properties obtained from the new instrument are in good agreement with their counterparts obtained by other instruments. So WAIL can duplicate, at least for single-layer clouds, the cloud products of the MWR and MMCR together. But WAIL does this with green laser light, which is far more representative than microwaves of photon transport processes at work in the climate system.

  6. Altered behavior in spotted hyenas associated with increased human activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boydston, Erin E.; Kapheim, Karen M.; Watts, Heather E.; Szykman, Micaela; Holekamp, Kay E.

    2003-01-01

    To investigate how anthropogenic activity might affect large carnivores, we studied the behaviour of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) during two time periods. From 1996 to 1998, we documented the ecological correlates of space utilization patterns exhibited by adult female hyenas defending a territory at the edge of a wildlife reserve in Kenya. Hyenas preferred areas near dense vegetation but appeared to avoid areas containing the greatest abundance of prey, perhaps because these were also the areas of most intensive livestock grazing. We then compared hyena behaviour observed in 1996–98 with that observed several years earlier and found many differences. Female hyenas in 1996–98 were found farther from dens, but closer to dense vegetation and to the edges of their territory, than in 1988–90. Recent females also had larger home ranges, travelled farther between consecutive sightings, and were more nocturnal than in 1988–90. Finally, hyenas occurred in smaller groups in 1996–98 than in 1988–90. We also found several changes in hyena demography between periods. We next attempted to explain differences observed between time periods by testing predictions of hypotheses invoking prey abundance, climate, interactions with lions, tourism and livestock grazing. Our data were consistent with the hypothesis that increased reliance on the reserve for livestock grazing was responsible for observed changes. That behavioural changes were not associated with decreased hyena population density suggests the behavioural plasticity typical of this species may protect it from extinction.

  7. Severe Streptococcus infection in spotted hyenas in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höner, Oliver P; Wachter, Bettina; Speck, Stephanie; Wibbelt, Gudrun; Ludwig, Arne; Fyumagwa, Robert D; Wohlsein, Peter; Lieckfeldt, Dietmar; Hofer, Heribert; East, Marion L

    2006-06-15

    In a population of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) monitored between 1996 and 2005 in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, 16 individuals from five of eight social groups displayed clinical signs of an infection, including severe unilateral swelling of the head followed by abscess formation at the mandibular angle, respiratory distress, mild ataxia, and lethargy. Two (12.5%) of these 16 individuals died within days of developing signs. Clinical signs in hyenas were first noted in 2001, and most cases occurred between September 2002 and February 2003, suggesting an outbreak of infection during this period. Histopathological examination of internal organs from one hyena that died with signs revealed morphological changes consistent with severe bacterial infection. Phenotypic examination and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of the causative agent of infection revealed a Lancefield group C Streptococcus with a high level of homology to S. equi subsp. ruminatorum, a subspecies of S. equi recently described in domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and goats (Capra hircus) with mastitis in Spain. Strains similar to this bacterium were also isolated from two hyenas without obvious clinical signs, suggesting that hyenas may be 'carriers' of this bacterium, and from a sympatric Burchell's zebra (Equus burchelli), a herbivore species often consumed by hyenas. To our knowledge this is the first report of a Streptococcus infection in these two wildlife species. The high genetic similarity between the hyena and zebra isolates indicates that inter-specific transmission may occur, possibly when hyenas consume infected zebra carcasses.

  8. Ecology and conservation of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta Erxleben 1777)in human dominated landscapes in Northern Ethiopia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yirga Abay, Gidey

    2013-01-01

    Most scientific literature on hyena-human interrelationships in Africa sug-gests conflict situations, often resulting in the killing of hyenas. Hyenas survive with difficulty in human-altered habitats and coexistence between hyenas and local communities is problematic. This is because hyenas need

  9. Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) coexisting at high density with people in Wukro district, northern Ethiopia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yirga, Gidey; Ersino, Wondimu; De Iongh, Hans H.

    2013-01-01

    hyenas per 100 km2 or a total population of 535 hyenas in the district. We quantified the economic impact of spotted hyena predation on livestock using semi structured interviews with randomly selected households. Respondents indicated a total loss of 203 domestic animals to hyena depredation over...... the past five years. Average annual depredation per household was 0.13 livestock worth US$ 6.1. The diet of spotted hyenas was assessed in three sub-districts by scat analysis and showed 99% prey items of domestic origin, only three of 211 scat contained hair of Ethiopian hare (Lepus fagani) and porcupine...

  10. Status of Lion (Panthera leo) and Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bheema

    Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Zoology, University of Oxford. ... account for the low density of lion and hyena in the park, and perhaps might result in local ..... Carnivore conservation, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp.61–92.

  11. Proactive behavior, but not inhibitory control, predicts repeated innovation by spotted hyenas tested with a multi-access box.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson-Ulrich, Lily; Johnson-Ulrich, Zoe; Holekamp, Kay

    2018-05-01

    Innovation is widely linked to cognitive ability, brain size, and adaptation to novel conditions. However, successful innovation appears to be influenced by both cognitive factors, such as inhibitory control, and non-cognitive behavioral traits. We used a multi-access box (MAB) paradigm to measure repeated innovation, the number of unique innovations learned across trials, by 10 captive spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Spotted hyenas are highly innovative in captivity and also display striking variation in behavioral traits, making them good model organisms for examining the relationship between innovation and other behavioral traits. We measured persistence, motor diversity, motivation, activity, efficiency, inhibitory control, and neophobia demonstrated by hyenas while interacting with the MAB. We also independently assessed inhibitory control with a detour cylinder task. Most hyenas were able to solve the MAB at least once, but only four hyenas satisfied learning criteria for all four possible solutions. Interestingly, neither measure of inhibitory control predicted repeated innovation. Instead, repeated innovation was predicted by a proactive syndrome of behavioral traits that included high persistence, high motor diversity, high activity and low neophobia. Our results suggest that this proactive behavioral syndrome may be more important than inhibitory control for successful innovation with the MAB by members of this species.

  12. Late Pleistocene steppe lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) footprints and bone records from open air sites in northern Germany - Evidence of hyena-lion antagonism and scavenging in Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrich, Cajus G.

    2011-07-01

    Bone remains and a trackway of Pantheraichnus bottropensis nov. ichg. ichnsp. of the Late Pleistocene lion Panthera leo spelaea ( Goldfuss, 1810) have been recovered from Bottrop and other open air sites in northern Germany. Some of these bones are from open air hyena den sites. A relative high proportion of lion bones (20%) exhibit bite, chew or nibble marks, or bone crushing and nibbling caused by a large carnivore. Repeated patterns of similar bone damage have been compared to bone remains found at hyena dens in gypsum karst areas and cave sites in northern Germany. Ice Age spotted hyenas have been the main antagonists and the main scavengers on lion carcasses. The remains appear to have been imported often by hyenas into their communal dens, supporting the theory of strong hyena-lion antagonism, similar to the well documented antagonism between modern African lions and spotted hyenas. Most of the lion bones from the open air hyena den at Bottrop are probably a result of such antagonism, as are the rare remains of these carnivores found within large hyena prey bone accumulations along the Pleistocene rivers. The Emscher River terrace also has the largest quantity of hyena remains from open air river terrace sites in northern Germany. Their cub remains, and incomplete chewed prey bones from mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses, typical of hyena activity, underline the character of these sites as cub-raising and communal dens, where their prey was accumulated along the riverbanks in a similar manner to modern African hyenas.

  13. Sexual differentiation in three unconventional mammals: spotted hyenas, elephants and tammar wallabies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glickman, Stephen E; Short, Roger V; Renfree, Marilyn B

    2005-11-01

    The present review explores sexual differentiation in three non-conventional species: the spotted hyena, the elephant and the tammar wallaby, selected because of the natural challenges they present for contemporary understanding of sexual differentiation. According to the prevailing view of mammalian sexual differentiation, originally proposed by Alfred Jost, secretion of androgen and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) by the fetal testes during critical stages of development accounts for the full range of sexually dimorphic urogenital traits observed at birth. Jost's concept was subsequently expanded to encompass sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior. Although the central focus of this review involves urogenital development, we assume that the novel mechanisms described in this article have potentially significant implications for sexual differentiation of brain and behavior, a transposition with precedent in the history of this field. Contrary to the "specific" requirements of Jost's formulation, female spotted hyenas and elephants initially develop male-type external genitalia prior to gonadal differentiation. In addition, the administration of anti-androgens to pregnant female spotted hyenas does not prevent the formation of a scrotum, pseudoscrotum, penis or penile clitoris in the offspring of treated females, although it is not yet clear whether the creation of masculine genitalia involves other steroids or whether there is a genetic mechanism bypassing a hormonal mediator. Wallabies, where sexual differentiation occurs in the pouch after birth, provide the most conclusive evidence for direct genetic control of sexual dimorphism, with the scrotum developing only in males and the pouch and mammary glands only in females, before differentiation of the gonads. The development of the pouch and mammary gland in females and the scrotum in males is controlled by genes on the X chromosome. In keeping with the "expanded" version of Jost's formulation, secretion

  14. The Hyena: Witch's Auxiliary or Nature's Fool?

    OpenAIRE

    Dunham, Margaret

    2006-01-01

    Le texte publié sera accompagné des enregistrements sonores et de l'analyse interlinéaire de deux contes mettant en scène des hyènes.; Although the hyena cannot be considered a 'keystone' animal in Valangi culture, through its associations with witchcraft, it nevertheless holds an important place in the collective imagination and in the traditional folklore.; Bien que l'hyène ne puisse pas être considérée comme animal 'clé de voûte' dans la culture Valangi, elle tient néanmoins une place impo...

  15. In the absence of a "landscape of fear": How lions, hyenas, and cheetahs coexist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, Alexandra; Arnold, Todd; Kosmala, Margaret; Forester, James; Packer, Craig

    2016-12-01

    Aggression by top predators can create a "landscape of fear" in which subordinate predators restrict their activity to low-risk areas or times of day. At large spatial or temporal scales, this can result in the costly loss of access to resources. However, fine-scale reactive avoidance may minimize the risk of aggressive encounters for subordinate predators while maintaining access to resources, thereby providing a mechanism for coexistence. We investigated fine-scale spatiotemporal avoidance in a guild of African predators characterized by intense interference competition. Vulnerable to food stealing and direct killing, cheetahs are expected to avoid both larger predators; hyenas are expected to avoid lions. We deployed a grid of 225 camera traps across 1,125 km 2 in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, to evaluate concurrent patterns of habitat use by lions, hyenas, cheetahs, and their primary prey. We used hurdle models to evaluate whether smaller species avoided areas preferred by larger species, and we used time-to-event models to evaluate fine-scale temporal avoidance in the hours immediately surrounding top predator activity. We found no evidence of long-term displacement of subordinate species, even at fine spatial scales. Instead, hyenas and cheetahs were positively associated with lions except in areas with exceptionally high lion use. Hyenas and lions appeared to actively track each, while cheetahs appear to maintain long-term access to sites with high lion use by actively avoiding those areas just in the hours immediately following lion activity. Our results suggest that cheetahs are able to use patches of preferred habitat by avoiding lions on a moment-to-moment basis. Such fine-scale temporal avoidance is likely to be less costly than long-term avoidance of preferred areas: This may help explain why cheetahs are able to coexist with lions despite high rates of lion-inflicted mortality, and highlights reactive avoidance as a general mechanism for

  16. Visceral pentastomiasis caused by Armillifer armillatus in a captive striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Chiang Mai Night Safari, Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dechkajorn, Sakorn; Nomsiri, Raksiri; Boonsri, Kittikorn; Sripakdee, Duanghatai; Sukontason, Kabkaew L; Wannasan, Anchalee; Chailangkarn, Sasisophin; Tiwananthagorn, Saruda

    2016-02-01

    Visceral pentastomiasis (porocephalosis) caused by Armillifer armillatus larvae was incidentally diagnosed in a female striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) of unknown age which died unexpectedly in 2013. The hyena had been imported from Tanzania 8years earlier and have been since then in a zoo in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Pathological examination revealed visceral nymph migrans of pentastomes throughout the intestine, liver, diaphragm, omentum and mesentery, spleen, kidneys, and urinary bladder. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing that targeted the pentastomid-specific 18S rRNA gene determined 100% identity with reference sequence for A. armillatus, suggesting that its ova can infect the hyena to serve as an intermediate host for the parasite. Further studies to identify the source of infection, its risk factors, and host range for A. armillatus are important to determine its zoonotic potential and to better prevent and manage the disease to protect animal and human health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Wide-angle imaging LIDAR (WAIL): a ground-based instrument for monitoring the thickness and density of optically thick clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Love, Steven P.; Davis, A.B.; Rohde, C.A.; Ho, Cheng

    2001-01-01

    Traditional lidar provides little information on dense clouds beyond the range to their base (ceilometry), due to their extreme opacity. At most optical wavelengths, however, laser photons are not absorbed but merely scattered out of the beam, and thus eventually escape the cloud via multiple scattering, producing distinctive extended space- and time-dependent patterns which are, in essence, the cloud's radiative Green functions. These Green functions, essentially 'movies' of the time evolution of the spatial distribution of escaping light, are the primary data products of a new type of lidar: Wide Angle Imaging Lidar (WAIL). WAIL data can be used to infer both optical depth and physical thickness of clouds, and hence the cloud liquid water content. The instrumental challenge is to accommodate a radiance field varying over many orders of magnitude and changing over widely varying time-scales. Our implementation uses a high-speed microchannel plate/crossed delay line imaging detector system with a 60-degree full-angle field of view, and a 532 nm doubled Nd:YAG laser. Nighttime field experiments testing various solutions to this problem show excellent agreement with diffusion theory, and retrievals yield plausible values for the optical and geometrical parameters of the observed cloud decks.

  18. Aping expressions? Chimpanzees produce distinct laugh types when responding to laughter of others.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davila-Ross, Marina; Allcock, Bethan; Thomas, Chris; Bard, Kim A

    2011-10-01

    Humans have the ability to replicate the emotional expressions of others even when they undergo different emotions. Such distinct responses of expressions, especially positive expressions, play a central role in everyday social communication of humans and may give the responding individuals important advantages in cooperation and communication. The present work examined laughter in chimpanzees to test whether nonhuman primates also use their expressions in such distinct ways. The approach was first to examine the form and occurrence of laugh replications (laughter after the laughter of others) and spontaneous laughter of chimpanzees during social play and then to test whether their laugh replications represented laugh-elicited laugh responses (laughter triggered by the laughter of others) by using a quantitative method designed to measure responses in natural social settings. The results of this study indicated that chimpanzees produce laugh-elicited laughter that is distinct in form and occurrence from their spontaneous laughter. These findings provide the first empirical evidence that nonhuman primates have the ability to replicate the expressions of others by producing expressions that differ in their underlying emotions and social implications. The data further showed that the laugh-elicited laugh responses of the subjects were closely linked to play maintenance, suggesting that chimpanzees might gain important cooperative and communicative advantages by responding with laughter to the laughter of their social partners. Notably, some chimpanzee groups of this study responded more with laughter than others, an outcome that provides empirical support of a socialization of expressions in great apes similar to that of humans.

  19. Disappearance of the last lions and hyenas of Europe in the Late Quaternary - a chain reaction of large mammal prey migration, extinction and human antagonism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrich, Cajus G.

    2010-05-01

    In the Eemian to Early/Middle Weichselian (Late Pleistocene), when the Scandinavian and Alpine Glaciers were still small, and northern Germany under mammoth steppe to taiga palaoenvironment conditions, Late Quaternary steppe lions were well distributed in northern to central Germany, whereas generally all over Central Europe bones and rarely articulated skeletons were found less at open air but mainly at cave sites (Diedrich 2007a, 2008a-b, 2009a-b, 2010a-c, k, in review a-b; Diedrich and Rathgeber in review). A similar distribution, but more dense, is reported for the Late Quaternary Ice Age spotted hyenas (Diedrich 2005, 2006, 2007b-c, 2008a, c, 2010f-j, in review c-d, Diedrich and Žák 2006). The last lions of northern Europe were thought to have reached into the final Magdalénan (cf. Musil 1980). This can be not concluded with a restudy of the bone material from the Late Magdalenian (V-VI) Teufelsbrücke stone arch site near Saalfeld (Thuringia, Central Germany) and many other Magdalenian stations (open air and caves) in northern to central Germany (Münsterland Bay, Sauerland Karst, Harz Mountain Karst, Thuringian Karst). None of those sites yield remains of final Upper Pleistocene spotted hyenas or steppe lion bones anymore, nor in the few preserved Late Magdalenian mobile art can those be recognized in those regions. The last lion remains seem to reach into the Aurignacian or possibly into the Early Gravettian (early Late Weichselian) documented especially at the cave bear den, hyena den and overlapping Neandertalian to Modern human camp site Balve Cave (Sauerland Karst, cf. archaeology in Günther 1964) where still a mammoth fauna is documented for that time (Diedrich 2010a). The last and by archaeological layers dated hyena remains were also found in the Balve Cave and are from the Late Middle Palaeolithic cave site reaching a maximum Aurignacian age documenting an overlapping of hyena den and human camp site use (Diedrich 2010a, b). In northern Germany

  20. Spotted hyena and steppe lion predation behaviours on cave bears of Europe - ?Late Quaternary cave bear extinction as result of predator stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrich, Cajus G.

    2010-05-01

    Cave bears hibernated in caves all over Eurasia (e.g. Rabeder et al., 2000) including alpine regions using mainly larger caves for this purpose. Late Quaternary spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta spelaea instead occupied mainly areas close to the cave entrances as their dens (Diedrich and Žák 2006, Diedrich 2010). The largest predator, the steppe lion Panthera leo spelaea was only a sporadic cave dweller (Diedrich 2007b, 2009b). His presence and its remains from caves all over Europe can be recently explained best as result of imported carcasses after killing by their largest antagonists, the Late Quaternary spotted hyenas. In some cases the kill might have happened in the hyena den cave itself during the theft of prey remains by lions (Diedrich 2009a). Another reason of their remains in caves of Europe is the hunting onto the herbivorous cave bears, especially during hibernation times, when megafauna prey was less available in the open environments (Diedrich 2009c). These lion remains from caves of Europe, nearly all of which were from adult animals, provide evidence of active predation by lions onto cave bears even in medium high alpine regions (Diedrich 2009b, in review). Lion skeletons in European cave bear dens were therefore often found amongst originally articulated cave bear skeletons or scattered cave bear remains and even close to their hibernation nests (Diedrich et al. 2009c, in review). Not only lions fed on cave bears documented mainly by the large quantities of chewed, punctured and crushed cave bear long-bones; even damaged skulls reveal that hyenas scavenged primarily on cave bear carcasses which were mainly responsible for the destruction of their carcasses and bones (Diedrich 2005, 2009d). Predation and scavenging on cave bears by the two largest Late Quaternary predators C. c. spelaea and P. l. spelaea explains well the large quantity of fragmented cave bear bones over all European caves in low to medium high mountainous elevations, whereas in

  1. Sex differences in the play behavior of immature spotted hyenas, Crocuta crocuta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, J M; Glickman, S E; Frank, L G; Beach, F A

    1990-09-01

    Social, locomotor, and object play were studied in a colony of five male and five female peer-reared spotted hyenas during 12 1-hr tests while the animals were 13-19 months of age. Animals were tested in both same-sex and mixed-sex groups and were stimulated to play by the introduction of fresh straw and sawdust bedding. Each test was videotaped and the frequency of each type of play was determined by a time sampling procedure. Females played more frequently than males, however, the category of play which was elevated depended upon the social context during testing. In same-sex tests the frequency of vigorous social play displayed by females markedly exceeded that by males, but no comparable sex difference appeared in mixed-sex tests. Females engaged in locomotor play more frequently than males in mixed-sex tests, but no comparable sex difference appeared in same-sex tests. No sex difference in object play was observed. Two male and two female hyenas were gonadectomized prior to the initiation of the present sequence of tests. The results suggest that gonadectomy during the prepubertal period does not affect the frequency of play behavior. However, the small sample sizes preclude any conclusive determination of the effects of these gonadectomies on play.

  2. He who laughs last - Jesus and laughter in the Synoptic and Gnostic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of the article is to examine the meaning of references to laughter in the Synoptic Gospels and a number of Gnostic texts. Whereas Jesus is depicted as an object of ridicule (Mk 5:40 par.) and as condemning those who laugh in the Synoptic Gospels (Lk 6:25), it is he who often laughs derisively at the ignorance of ...

  3. Hypervitaminosis A-induced premature closure of epiphyses (physeal obliteration) in humans and calves (hyena disease): a historical review of the human and veterinary literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rothenberg, Alexis B.; Berdon, Walter E.; Woodard, J.C.; Cowles, Robert A.

    2007-01-01

    Vitamin A toxicity in the infant, which now occurs rarely from dietary overdosage, was recognized in the 1940s as painful periostitis with rare progression to premature closure of the lower limb epiphyses. Decades later, most cases of vitamin A-induced premature epiphyseal closure (physeal obliteration) occur in pediatric dermatologic patients given vitamin A analogues. This phenomenon resembles a strange disease discovered in more recent years in calves with closed epiphyses of the hind limbs, known as hyena disease. This was a mystery until proved to be caused by vitamin A toxicity from enriched grain that causes the calves to have short hind limbs that resemble those of a hyena and gait disturbance. This historical review links the human and veterinary literature in terms of vitamin A-induced epiphyseal closure using a case report format of a 16-month-old human infant with closed knee epiphyses and gait disturbance that is reminiscent of hyena disease seen in calves. (orig.)

  4. Social, state-dependent and environmental modulation of faecal corticosteroid levels in free-ranging female spotted hyenas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goymann, W; East, M L; Wachter, B; Höner, O P; Möstl, E; Van't Hof, T J; Hofer, H

    2001-12-07

    Little is known about to what extent the sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may be state dependent and vary in the same species between environments. Here we tested whether the faecal corticosteroid concentrations of matrilineal adult female spotted hyenas are influenced by social and reproductive status in adjacent ecosystems and whether they vary between periods with and without social stress. Females in the Serengeti National Park frequently become socially subordinate intruders in other hyena territories by undertaking long-distance foraging trips to migratory herds, whereas in the Ngorongoro Crater they usually forage inside their own small territories on resident prey. The faecal corticosteroid concentrations in Serengeti females were significantly higher than in Ngorongoro females. Energy expenditure by lactation is exceptionally high in spotted hyenas and this may be reflected in their corticosteroid levels. The faecal corticosteroid levels in both populations were higher in lactating than in non-lactating females. During periods of social stability, faecal corticosteroid concentrations increased in non-lactating females but not in lactating females as social status declined. Lactating Serengeti females had significantly higher faecal corticosteroid concentrations during periods with acute severe social stress than during periods without, indicating that the HPA axis is sensitive to social stimuli even in lactating females. So far few studies have used non-invasive monitoring methods for assessing social stress in freeranging animals. This study demonstrates for the first time, to the authors' knowledge, that corticosteroid concentrations may differ between periods with and without social stress for a free-ranging female mammal and that the modulating effect of social status may depend on reproductive status.

  5. [Neurology of laughter and humour: pathological laughing and crying].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arias, Manuel

    2011-10-01

    Laughter, which is usually a healthy biological phenomenon, may be also a symptom of several severe brain pathologies. To review the neurobiological bases of laughter and humour, as well as those of pathological laughing and crying syndrome. At the mesencephalic-pontine junction there is a central coordinator of the nuclei that innervate the muscles involved in laughter (facial expression, respiratory and phonatory). This centre receives connections from three systems: inhibitory (pre-motor and motor cortex), excitatory (temporal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus) and modulator (cerebellum). Humour is a complex phenomenon with a range of components: the perception of the unexpected incongruence (occipitotemporal area, prefrontal cortex), emotional (reward circuit) and volitional (temporal and frontal cortex). Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies do not reveal a markedly prominent role of the right frontal lobe in processing humour, as had been suggested in the classical studies. The causes of pathological laughing and crying syndrome can be classified in two groups: altered behaviour with unmotivated happiness (Angelman syndrome, schizophrenia, manias, dementia) and interference with the inhibitory/excitatory mechanisms (gelastic epilepsy, fou rire prodromique in strokes, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Parkinson-plus, traumatic injuries, tumours). Serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors, levodopa, lamotrigine and the association of dextromethorphan/quinidine can be effective in certain cases of pathological laughing and crying. As human neurobiological phenomena, laughter and humour also belong to the field of clinical neurology; their processing is affected in a number of different diseases and, in certain cases, effective treatment can be established.

  6. Innovative problem solving by wild spotted hyenas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson-Amram, Sarah; Holekamp, Kay E.

    2012-01-01

    Innovative animals are those able to solve novel problems or invent novel solutions to existing problems. Despite the important ecological and evolutionary consequences of innovation, we still know very little about the traits that vary among individuals within a species to make them more or less innovative. Here we examine innovative problem solving by spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in their natural habitat, and demonstrate for the first time in a non-human animal that those individuals exhibiting a greater diversity of initial exploratory behaviours are more successful problem solvers. Additionally, as in earlier work, we found that neophobia was a critical inhibitor of problem-solving success. Interestingly, although juveniles and adults were equally successful in solving the problem, juveniles were significantly more diverse in their initial exploratory behaviours, more persistent and less neophobic than were adults. We found no significant effects of social rank or sex on success, the diversity of initial exploratory behaviours, behavioural persistence or neophobia. Our results suggest that the diversity of initial exploratory behaviours, akin to some measures of human creativity, is an important, but largely overlooked, determinant of problem-solving success in non-human animals. PMID:22874748

  7. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Produce the Same Types of 'Laugh Faces' when They Emit Laughter and when They Are Silent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davila-Ross, Marina; Jesus, Goncalo; Osborne, Jade; Bard, Kim A

    2015-01-01

    The ability to flexibly produce facial expressions and vocalizations has a strong impact on the way humans communicate, as it promotes more explicit and versatile forms of communication. Whereas facial expressions and vocalizations are unarguably closely linked in primates, the extent to which these expressions can be produced independently in nonhuman primates is unknown. The present work, thus, examined if chimpanzees produce the same types of facial expressions with and without accompanying vocalizations, as do humans. Forty-six chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) were video-recorded during spontaneous play with conspecifics at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. ChimpFACS was applied, a standardized coding system to measure chimpanzee facial movements, based on FACS developed for humans. Data showed that the chimpanzees produced the same 14 configurations of open-mouth faces when laugh sounds were present and when they were absent. Chimpanzees, thus, produce these facial expressions flexibly without being morphologically constrained by the accompanying vocalizations. Furthermore, the data indicated that the facial expression plus vocalization and the facial expression alone were used differently in social play, i.e., when in physical contact with the playmates and when matching the playmates' open-mouth faces. These findings provide empirical evidence that chimpanzees produce distinctive facial expressions independently from a vocalization, and that their multimodal use affects communicative meaning, important traits for a more explicit and versatile way of communication. As it is still uncertain how human laugh faces evolved, the ChimpFACS data were also used to empirically examine the evolutionary relation between open-mouth faces with laugh sounds of chimpanzees and laugh faces of humans. The ChimpFACS results revealed that laugh faces of humans must have gradually emerged from laughing open-mouth faces of ancestral apes. This work examines the main evolutionary

  8. Pathologies in the extinct Pleistocene Eurasian steppe lion Panthera leo spelaea ()-Results of fights with hyenas, bears and lions and other ecological stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothschild, Bruce M; Diedrich, Cajus G

    2012-12-01

    Late Pleistocene Eurasian steppe lions Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) frequently (3 of 13) have skull damage attributable to bites. Such evidence is found only in lions from hyena or cave bear dens. Wounds on frontal and parietal bones appear to be the result of battles during cave bear hunts, by antagonistic conflicts with hyenas, and less often from fights with conspecifics. Skull bite damage is extremely rare in modern lions, suggesting that this Eurasian lion pathology is the result of inter-specific (with cave bears) rather than intra-specific conflicts. The sex specificity of maxillary porosity (found only in lions among modern felidae) is also documented in its close genetic relation, P. l. spelaea. The pattern of skeletal exostotic reaction reveals them to have been pursuit rather than ambush predators. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Produce the Same Types of ‘Laugh Faces’ when They Emit Laughter and when They Are Silent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davila-Ross, Marina; Jesus, Goncalo; Osborne, Jade; Bard, Kim A.

    2015-01-01

    The ability to flexibly produce facial expressions and vocalizations has a strong impact on the way humans communicate, as it promotes more explicit and versatile forms of communication. Whereas facial expressions and vocalizations are unarguably closely linked in primates, the extent to which these expressions can be produced independently in nonhuman primates is unknown. The present work, thus, examined if chimpanzees produce the same types of facial expressions with and without accompanying vocalizations, as do humans. Forty-six chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) were video-recorded during spontaneous play with conspecifics at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. ChimpFACS was applied, a standardized coding system to measure chimpanzee facial movements, based on FACS developed for humans. Data showed that the chimpanzees produced the same 14 configurations of open-mouth faces when laugh sounds were present and when they were absent. Chimpanzees, thus, produce these facial expressions flexibly without being morphologically constrained by the accompanying vocalizations. Furthermore, the data indicated that the facial expression plus vocalization and the facial expression alone were used differently in social play, i.e., when in physical contact with the playmates and when matching the playmates’ open-mouth faces. These findings provide empirical evidence that chimpanzees produce distinctive facial expressions independently from a vocalization, and that their multimodal use affects communicative meaning, important traits for a more explicit and versatile way of communication. As it is still uncertain how human laugh faces evolved, the ChimpFACS data were also used to empirically examine the evolutionary relation between open-mouth faces with laugh sounds of chimpanzees and laugh faces of humans. The ChimpFACS results revealed that laugh faces of humans must have gradually emerged from laughing open-mouth faces of ancestral apes. This work examines the main evolutionary

  10. Recycling of Badger/Fox Burrows in Late Pleistocene Loess by Hyenas at the Den Site Bad Wildungen-Biedensteg (NW, Germany): Woolly Rhinoceros Killers and Scavengers in a Mammoth Steppe Environment of Europe

    OpenAIRE

    Diedrich, Cajus

    2013-01-01

    The Late Pleistocene (MIS 5c-d) Ice Age spotted hyena open air den and bone accumulation site Bad Wildungen-Biedensteg (Hesse, NW, Germany) represents the first open air loess fox/badger den site in Europe, which must have been recycled by Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) as a birthing den. Badger and fox remains, plus remains of their prey (mainly hare), have been found within the loess. Hyena remains from that site include parts of cub skeletons which represent 10% of the megafauna ...

  11. Laugh and Interview with Antonia Baehr

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicia G. Hierro

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Con motivo del programa Secciò Irregular celebrado en el Mercat de les Flors en Barcelona el pasado 16 de enero, la artista alemana Antonia Baehr2 mostró el resultado de una extensa investigación sobre la risa que ha ocupado los últimos siete años de su carrera. Rire, Laugh, Lachen3 (título original en tres idiomas se presentó dentro del circuito performativo en Madrid en el año 2010 dentro de Escena Contemporánea. En esta ocasión, en 2013 repite la misma performance aplaudida por la escena internacional.

  12. Phylogenetic characterisation of Taenia tapeworms in spotted hyenas and reconsideration of the "Out of Africa" hypothesis of Taenia in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terefe, Yitagele; Hailemariam, Zerihun; Menkir, Sissay; Nakao, Minoru; Lavikainen, Antti; Haukisalmi, Voitto; Iwaki, Takashi; Okamoto, Munehiro; Ito, Akira

    2014-07-01

    The African origin of hominins suggests that Taenia spp. in African carnivores are evolutionarily related to the human-infecting tapeworms Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica. Nevertheless, the hypothesis has not been verified through molecular phylogenetics of Taenia. This study aimed to perform phylogenetic comparisons between Taenia spp. from African hyenas and the congeneric human parasites. During 2010-2013, 233 adult specimens of Taenia spp. were collected from 11 spotted hyenas in Ethiopia. A screening based on short DNA sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene classified the samples into four mitochondrial lineages designated as I-IV. DNA profiles of nuclear genes for DNA polymerase delta (pold) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) showed that lineages II and III can be assigned as two independent species. Common haplotypes of pold and pepck were frequently found in lineages I and IV, suggesting that they constitute a single species. Morphological observations suggested that lineage II is Taenia crocutae, but the other lineages were morphologically inconsistent with known species, suggesting the involvement of two new species. A phylogenetic tree of Taenia spp. was reconstructed by the maximum likelihood method using all protein-coding genes of their mitochondrial genomes. The tree clearly demonstrated that T. crocutae is sister to T. saginata and T. asiatica, whereas T. solium was confirmed to be sister to the brown bear tapeworm, Taenia arctos. The tree also suggested that T. solium and T. arctos are related to two species of Taenia in hyenas, corresponding to lineages I+IV and III. These results may partially support the African origin of human-infecting Taenia spp., but there remains a possibility that host switching of Taenia to hominins was not confined to Africa. Additional taxa from African carnivores are needed for further testing of the "Out of Africa" hypothesis of Taenia in humans. Copyright © 2014 Australian

  13. He who laughs last – Jesus and laughter in the Synoptic and Gnostic traditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marius J. Nel

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the article is to examine the meaning of references to laughter in the Synoptic Gospels and a number of Gnostic texts. Whereas Jesus is depicted as an object of ridicule (Mk 5:40 par. and as condemning those who laugh in the Synoptic Gospels (Lk 6:25, it is he who often laughs derisively at the ignorance of others in Gnostic texts. The meaning of laughter in the Synoptic Gospels and a number of Gnostic texts is examined in the light of the general Greco-Roman attitude towards laughter and, more specifically, in regard to the archetypical distinction between playful and consequential laughter in Greek culture.

  14. He who laughs last – Jesus and laughter in the Synoptic and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2014-05-06

    May 6, 2014 ... a result of this reappraisal of laughter as healthy for both the individual and for .... stomach with the pleasure of eating), difficult for people to ..... in the Gnostic myths, human beings laugh at Jahweh (Gilhus 1997:71–73).

  15. Parathion alters incubation behavior of laughing gulls

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, D.H.; Mitchell, C.A.; Hill, E.F.

    1983-01-01

    One member of each pair of incubating laughing gulls at 9 nests was trapped, orally dosed with either 6 mg/kg parathion in corn oil or corn oil alone, and marked about the neck with red dye. Each nest was marked with a numbered stake and the treatment was recorded. A pilot study with captive laughing gulls had determined the proper dosage of parathion that would significantly inhibit their brain AChE activity (about 50% of normal) without overt signs of poisoning. After dosing, birds were released and the nests were observed for 2 1/2 days from a blind on the nesting island. The activities of the birds at each marked nest were recorded at 10-minute intervals. Results indicated that on the day of treatment there was no difference (P greater than 0.05, Chi-square test) in the proportion of time spent on the nest between treated and control birds. However, birds dosed with 6 mg/kg parathion spent significantly less time incubating on days 2 and 3 than did birds receiving only corn oil. By noon on the third day, sharing of nest duties between pair members in the treated group had approached normal, indicating recovery from parathion intoxication. These findings suggest that sublethal exposure of nesting birds to an organophosphate (OP) insecticide, such as parathion, may result in decreased nest attentiveness, thereby making the clutch more susceptible to predation or egg failure. Behavioral changes caused by sublethal OP exposure could be especially detrimental in avian species where only one pair member incubates or where both members are exposed in species sharing nest duties.

  16. Media Detectives: Bridging the Relationship among Empathy, Laugh Tracks, and Gender in Childhood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanthan, Sruti; Graham, James A.; Azarchi, Lynne

    2016-01-01

    Empathy in college-age students is decreasing at unprecedented rates. Understanding empathy in children can act as primary prevention in tackling the problem. This study considers laugh tracks' capacity to bias reality, foster empathy, and investigate differences across time and gender in 181 fifth grade students. Findings from this…

  17. Behaviour, Physiology and Experience of Pathological Laughing and Crying in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olney, Nicholas T.; Goodkind, Madeleine S.; Lomen-Hoerth, Catherine; Whalen, Patrick K.; Williamson, Craig A.; Holley, Deborah E.; Verstaen, Alice; Brown, Laurel M.; Miller, Bruce L.; Kornak, John; Levenson, Robert W.; Rosen, Howard J.

    2011-01-01

    Pathological laughing and crying is a disorder of emotional expression seen in a number of neurological diseases. The aetiology is poorly understood, but clinical descriptions suggest a disorder of emotion regulation. The goals of this study were: (i) to characterize the subjective, behavioural and physiological emotional reactions that occur…

  18. Laugh and Smile upon the Holy Quran: The Study of Analytical Objectivities

    Science.gov (United States)

    al-Domi, Mohammad Mahmoud

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to examine the positive impact of The Holy Quran based on the laugh and smile. This kind of derivatives in which context of praise, expression the feeling of happiness and joyful in the positive senses. Everyone needs to relieve his heart so that happiness and joy on their faces can be seen. Laughter also are some of attribute…

  19. Presidential laugh lines. Candidate display behavior and audience laughter in the 2008 primary debates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Patrick A

    2010-09-01

    Political humor has long been used by candidates to mobilize supporters by enhancing status or denigrating the opposition. Research concerning laughter provides insight into the building of social bonds; however, little research has focused on the nonverbal cues displayed by the individual making humorous comments. This study first investigates whether there is a relationship between facial display behavior and the presence and strength of laughter. Next, the analysis explores whether specific candidate displays during a humorous comment depend on the target of the comment. This paper analyzes the use of humor by Republican and Democratic candidates during ten 2008 presidential primary debates. Data analyzed here employs laughter as an indicator of a successful humorous comment and documents candidate display behavior in the seconds immediately preceding and during each laughter event. Findings suggest specific facial displays play an important communication role. Different types of smiles, whether felt, false, or fear-based, are related to who laughs as well as how intensely the audience is judged to laugh.

  20. Environmentally acquired lead, cadmium, and manganese in the cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis, and the laughing gull, Larus atricilla

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hulse, M; Mahoney, J S; Schroder, G D; Hacker, C S; Pier, S M

    1980-01-01

    Concentrations of lead, cadmium, and manganese in the tissues of cattle egrets and laughing gulls gathered from the Galveston Bay region of Texas were compared to determine if different patterns of accumulation exist. Lead, cadmium, and manganese levels in these species were within the range reported for other bird species. Lead levels in bones were comparable, but gulls had more lead in brain, liver, and kidney tissues than egrets had, which suggested a higher rate of accumulation or exposure. Because of their high abundance and comparable positions in the estuarine and terrestrial food webs, cattle egrets and laughing gulls may serve as convenient biological indicators to monitor potentially toxic substances in these ecosystems. (29 references, 7 tables)

  1. Judy Collins shares a laugh with First Lady Hillary Clinton

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-01-01

    Singer Judy Collins (left) shares a laugh with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Apollo/Saturn V Facility. Both women are at KSC to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93 scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. Judy Collins has honored the commander with a song, 'Beyond the Sky,' which was commissioned by NASA through the NASA Art Program.

  2. Helper contributions in the cooperatively breeding laughing kookaburra: feeding young is no laughing matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legge

    2000-05-01

    I studied the contributions of individuals to incubation and nestling feeding in a population of cooperatively breeding laughing kookaburras, Dacelo novaeguineae. In most cooperatively breeding birds where nest success is limited by nestling starvation, related helpers increase the overall level of provisioning to the nest, thus boosting the production of nondescendent kin. However, although partial brood loss is the largest cause of lost productivity in kookaburra nests, additional helpers failed to increase overall provisioning. Instead, all group members, but especially helpers, reduced their feeding contributions as group size increased. Breeders and helpers reduced the size of prey delivered, and helpers also reduced the number of feeding visits. An important benefit of helping in kookaburras may be to allow all group members to reduce their effort. Within groups, contributions to care depended on status, sex, group size and the brood size. Breeding males delivered the most food. Breeding females provisioned less than their partner, but their effort was comparable to that of male helpers. Female helpers contributed the least food. Incubation effort followed similar patterns. The relatedness of helpers to the brood had no impact on their provisioning. Across all group sizes, helpers generally brought larger items to the nest than breeders. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

  3. Gene expression, glutathione status and indicators of hepatic oxidative stress in laughing gull (Larus atricilla) hatchlings exposed to methylmercury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenko, Kathryn; Karouna-Renier, Natalie K.; Hoffman, David J.

    2012-01-01

    Despite extensive studies of methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity in birds, molecular effects on birds are poorly characterized. To improve our understanding of toxicity pathways and identify novel indicators of avian exposure to Hg, the authors investigated genomic changes, glutathione status, and oxidative status indicators in liver from laughing gull (Larus atricilla) hatchlings that were exposed in ovo to MeHg (0.05–1.6 µg/g). Genes involved in the transsulfuration pathway, iron transport and storage, thyroid-hormone related processes, and cellular respiration were identified by suppression subtractive hybridization as differentially expressed. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) identified statistically significant effects of Hg on cytochrome C oxidase subunits I and II, transferrin, and methionine adenosyltransferase RNA expression. Glutathione-S-transferase activity and protein-bound sulfhydryl levels decreased, whereas glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity increased dose-dependently. Total sulfhydryl concentrations were significantly lower at 0.4 µg/g Hg than in controls. T ogether, these endpoints provided some evidence of compensatory effects, but little indication of oxidative damage at the tested doses, and suggest that sequestration of Hg through various pathways may be important for minimizing toxicity in laughing gulls. This is the first study to describe the genomic response of an avian species to Hg. Laughing gulls are among the less sensitive avian species with regard to Hg toxicity, and their ability to prevent hepatic oxidative stress may be important for surviving levels of MeHg exposures at which other species succumb.

  4. Diets of nesting laughing gulls (Larus atricilla) at the Virginia Coast Reserve: observations from stable isotope analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knoff, A.J.; Macko, S.A.; Erwin, R.M.

    2001-01-01

    Food web studies often ignore details of temporal, spatial, and intrapopulation dietary variation in top-level consumers. In this study, intrapopulation dietary variation of a dominant carnivore, the Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla), was examined using carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope analysis of gull tissues as well as their prey (fish, invertebrates, and insects) from the Virginia Coast Reserve estuarine system. As earlier traditional diet studies found evidence of individual dietary specialization within gull populations, this study used stable isotope analysis to assess specialization in a coastal Laughing Gull population. Specifically, blood, muscle, and feather isotope values indicated significant intrapopulation dietary specialization. Some gulls relied more heavily on estuarine prey (mean blood δ13C = -17.5, δ15N = 12.6, and δ34S = 9.3), whereas others appeared to consume more foods of marine origin (mean blood δ13C = -19.4, δ15N = 14.8, and δ34S = 10.4). It is important to account for such dietary variability when assessing trophic linkages in dynamic estuarine systems.

  5. Laughter Differs in Children with Autism: An Acoustic Analysis of Laughs Produced by Children with and without the Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudenko, William J.; Stone, Wendy; Bachorowski, Jo-Anne

    2009-01-01

    Few studies have examined vocal expressions of emotion in children with autism. We tested the hypothesis that during social interactions, children diagnosed with autism would exhibit less extreme laugh acoustics than their nonautistic peers. Laughter was recorded during a series of playful interactions with an examiner. Results showed that…

  6. Breathing, Laughing, Sneezing, Coughing: Model and Control of an Anatomically Inspired, Physically-Based Human Torso Simulation

    OpenAIRE

    DiLorenzo, Paul Carmen

    2008-01-01

    Breathing, laughing, sneezing and coughing are all important human behaviors that are generated in the torso. Yet, when these behaviors are animated, the movement of the human torso is often simplified and stylized. Recent work aiming to depict the movement of the torso has focused on pure data-driven approaches such as a skin capture of an actor using a motion capture system. Although this generates impressive results to recreate the captured motion, it does not provide control to an animato...

  7. Fear of Being Laughed at in Borderline Personality Disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolin Brück

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Building on the assumption of a possible link between biases in social information processing frequently associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD and the occurrence of gelotophobia (i.e., a fear of being laughed at, the present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence rate of gelotophobia among BPD patients. Using the Geloph<15> , a questionnaire that allows a standardized assessment of the presence and severity of gelotophobia symptoms, rates of gelotophobia were assessed in a group of 30 female BPD patients and compared to data gathered in clinical and non-clinical reference groups. Results indicate a high prevalence of gelotophobia among BPD patients with 87% of BPD patients meeting the Geloph<15> criterion for being classified as gelotophobic. Compared to other clinical and non-clinical reference groups, the rate of gelotophobia among BPD patients appears to be remarkably high, far exceeding the numbers reported for other groups in the literature to date, with 30% of BPD patients reaching extreme levels, 37% pronounced levels, and 20% slight levels of gelotophobia.

  8. Active probing of cloud multiple scattering, optical depth, vertical thickness, and liquid water content using wide-angle imaging lidar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Steven P.; Davis, Anthony B.; Rohde, Charles A.; Tellier, Larry; Ho, Cheng

    2002-09-01

    At most optical wavelengths, laser light in a cloud lidar experiment is not absorbed but merely scattered out of the beam, eventually escaping the cloud via multiple scattering. There is much information available in this light scattered far from the input beam, information ignored by traditional 'on-beam' lidar. Monitoring these off-beam returns in a fully space- and time-resolved manner is the essence of our unique instrument, Wide Angle Imaging Lidar (WAIL). In effect, WAIL produces wide-field (60-degree full-angle) 'movies' of the scattering process and records the cloud's radiative Green functions. A direct data product of WAIL is the distribution of photon path lengths resulting from multiple scattering in the cloud. Following insights from diffusion theory, we can use the measured Green functions to infer the physical thickness and optical depth of the cloud layer, and, from there, estimate the volume-averaged liquid water content. WAIL is notable in that it is applicable to optically thick clouds, a regime in which traditional lidar is reduced to ceilometry. Here we present recent WAIL data on various clouds and discuss the extension of WAIL to full diurnal monitoring by means of an ultra-narrow magneto-optic atomic line filter for daytime measurements.

  9. Active probing of cloud multiple scattering, optical depth, vertical thickness, and liquid water content using wide-angle imaging LIDAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Love, Steven P.; Davis, Anthony B.; Rohde, Charles A.; Tellier, Larry L.; Ho, Cheng

    2002-01-01

    At most optical wavelengths, laser light in a cloud lidar experiment is not absorbed but merely scattered out of the beam, eventually escaping the cloud via multiple scattering. There is much information available in this light scattered far from the input beam, information ignored by traditional 'on-beam' lidar. Monitoring these off-beam returns in a fully space- and time-resolved manner is the essence of our unique instrument, Wide Angle Imaging Lidar (WAIL). In effect, WAIL produces wide-field (60-degree full-angle) 'movies' of the scattering process and records the cloud's radiative Green functions. A direct data product of WAIL is the distribution of photon path lengths resulting from multiple scattering in the cloud. Following insights from diffusion theory, we can use the measured Green functions to infer the physical thickness and optical depth of the cloud layer, and, from there, estimate the volume-averaged liquid water content. WAIL is notable in that it is applicable to optically thick clouds, a regime in which traditional lidar is reduced to ceilometry. Here we present recent WAIL data oti various clouds and discuss the extension of WAIL to full diurnal monitoring by means of an ultra-narrow magneto-optic atomic line filter for daytime measurements.

  10. A Hepatozoon species genetically distinct from H. canis infecting spotted hyenas in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    East, Marion L; Wibbelt, Gudrun; Lieckfeldt, Dietmar; Ludwig, Arne; Goller, Katja; Wilhelm, Kerstin; Schares, Gereon; Thierer, Dagmar; Hofer, Heribert

    2008-01-01

    Health monitoring of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, revealed Hepatozoon infection in all of 11 immature individuals examined following death from natural causes. Hepatozoon infection was probably an important factor contributing to mortality in two cases that exhibited clinical signs of ataxia, lethargy, ocular discharge, retching, and labored breathing before death. Whether Hepatozoon infection contributed to six deaths from fire, probable lion predation and unknown causes could not be determined. Four deaths from infanticide and starvation were unlikely to be associated with Hepatozoon infection. Histologic examination revealed lung tissue infected with cyst-like structures containing protozoan stages in all eight cases examined and interstitial pneumonia in most cases. Systemic spread of infection to several organs was found in three cases. Alignment of a 426 bp sequence from the parasite's 18s rRNA gene revealed a Hepatozoon species identical to that recently described from two domestic cats in Spain and only 7 bp substitutions when a 853 bp sequence was aligned to this cat Hepatozoon species. Previous reports of infection of wild carnivores in eastern and southern Africa with an unspecified Hepatozoon species similar in appearance to H. canis may have involved the species described in this study.

  11. LAUGHING AT OURSELVES: REFLECTING MALAYSIAN ETHNIC DISPARITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SWAGATA SINHA ROY

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Malaysia’s various ethnic groups make interesting study both sociologically and culturally. With such a heady mix of cultural elements to explore, it is often natural that the many groups stumble upon ‘rare gems’ that reflect their ‘Malaysianess’. Have Malaysians really ever appreciated the many and varied aspects of culture that they are seemingly suddenly thrown into? Do we embrace these happily or are we constantly rejecting them? Fortunately, through the medium of film, we are, from time to time, allowed to reflect on our obvious similarities and even more apparent disparities. In this paper, we explore the culture and perceptions of people from the major ethnic groups that are the human base of this very country. When was it we have last laughed at ourselves … heartily? Nasi Lemak 2.0 provides an interesting, if not disturbing insight into the workings of the Malaysian ‘mind’. Nasi Lemak 2.0 was released on 8th September 2011 and impacted a whole generation of Malaysians. The characters have been well chosen and have done a wonderful job of being representations of the various communities in this nation. Ethnocentrism is a reality and often rears its head, ‘ugly’ or otherwise in several situations. Are we able to grapple with the levels of ethnocentrism that we encounter? These are some of the issues that will trigger much debate and discussion among ourselves and perhaps also reflect our cores.

  12. Spatial and temporal variation in lead and cadmium in the Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reid, M; Hacker, C S

    1982-11-01

    Lead and cadmium concentrations were measured in eggs and in bone, kidney, liver and stomach contents of downy young, prefledgling, and adult Laughing Gulls collected from Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay, Texas. Matagorda Bay drains a rural, moderately industrialized region while the Galveston Bay area is heavily urbanized and industrialized. Lead levels were lower in birds from Matagorda Bay and decreased in birds from Galveston Bay between 1977 and 1980. Cadmium levels were also lower in birds from Matagorda Bay but increased over the three-year period in those from Galveston Bay. The temporal decrease in lead may be associated with such environmental control efforts as reduced point source emissions and substitution of unleaded gasoline.

  13. Oral health promotion and education messages in Live.Learn.Laugh. projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, Virginie; Phantumvanit, Prathip

    2014-10-01

    The FDI-Unilever Live.Learn.Laugh. phase 2 partnership involved dissemination of the key oral health message of encouraging 'twice-daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste' and education of people worldwide by FDI, National Dental Associations, the Unilever Oral Care global team and local brands. The dissemination and education process used different methodologies, each targeting specific groups, namely: mother and child (Project option A); schoolchildren (Project option B); dentists and patients (Project option C); and specific communities (Project option D). Altogether, the partnership implemented 29 projects in 27 countries. These consisted of educational interventions, evaluations including (in some cases) clinical assessment, together with communication activities at both global and local levels, to increase the reach of the message to a broader population worldwide. The phase 2 experience reveals the strength of such a public-private partnership approach in tackling global oral health issues by creating synergies between partners and optimising the promotion and education process. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

  14. Eye Contact and Fear of Being Laughed at in a Gaze Discrimination Task

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Torres-Marín

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Current approaches conceptualize gelotophobia as a personality trait characterized by a disproportionate fear of being laughed at by others. Consistently with this perspective, gelotophobes are also described as neurotic and introverted and as having a paranoid tendency to anticipate derision and mockery situations. Although research on gelotophobia has significantly progressed over the past two decades, no evidence exists concerning the potential effects of gelotophobia in reaction to eye contact. Previous research has pointed to difficulties in discriminating gaze direction as the basis of possible misinterpretations of others’ intentions or mental states. The aim of the present research was to examine whether gelotophobia predisposition modulates the effects of eye contact (i.e., gaze discrimination when processing faces portraying several emotional expressions. In two different experiments, participants performed an experimental gaze discrimination task in which they responded, as quickly and accurately as possible, to the eyes’ directions on faces displaying either a happy, angry, fear, neutral, or sad emotional expression. In particular, we expected trait-gelotophobia to modulate the eye contact effect, showing specific group differences in the happiness condition. The results of Study 1 (N = 40 indicated that gelotophobes made more errors than non-gelotophobes did in the gaze discrimination task. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, the happiness expression did not have any special role in the observed differences between individuals with high vs. low trait-gelotophobia. In Study 2 (N = 40, we replicated the pattern of data concerning gaze discrimination ability, even after controlling for individuals’ scores on social anxiety. Furthermore, in our second experiment, we found that gelotophobes did not exhibit any problem with identifying others’ emotions, or a general incorrect attribution of affective features, such as valence

  15. The fear of being laughed at as additional diagnostic criterion in social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havranek, Michael M; Volkart, Fleur; Bolliger, Bianca; Roos, Sophie; Buschner, Maximilian; Mansour, Ramin; Chmielewski, Thomas; Gaudlitz, Katharina; Hättenschwiler, Josef; Seifritz, Erich; Ruch, Willibald

    2017-01-01

    Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is the most common anxiety disorder and has considerable negative impact on social functioning, quality of life, and career progression of those affected. Gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) shares many similarities and has therefore been proposed as a subtype of SAD. This hypothesis has, however, never been tested in a clinical sample. Thus, the relationship between gelotophobia, SAD and avoidant personality disorder (APD) was investigated by examining a sample of 133 participants (64 psychiatric patients and 69 healthy controls matched for age and sex) using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) and an established rating instrument for gelotophobia (GELOPH). As expected, gelotophobia scores and the number of gelotophobic individuals were significantly higher among patients with SAD (n = 22) and APD (n = 12) compared to healthy controls and other psychiatric patients. Furthermore, gelotophobia scores were highest in patients suffering from both SAD and APD. In fact, all patients suffering from both disorders were also suffering from gelotophobia. As explained in the discussion, the observed data did not suggest that gelotophobia is a subtype of SAD. The findings rather imply that the fear of being laughed at is a symptom characteristic for both SAD and APD. Based on that, gelotophobia may prove to be a valuable additional diagnostic criterion for SAD and APD and the present results also contribute to the ongoing debate on the relationship between SAD and APD.

  16. The fear of being laughed at as additional diagnostic criterion in social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael M Havranek

    Full Text Available Social anxiety disorder (SAD is the most common anxiety disorder and has considerable negative impact on social functioning, quality of life, and career progression of those affected. Gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at shares many similarities and has therefore been proposed as a subtype of SAD. This hypothesis has, however, never been tested in a clinical sample. Thus, the relationship between gelotophobia, SAD and avoidant personality disorder (APD was investigated by examining a sample of 133 participants (64 psychiatric patients and 69 healthy controls matched for age and sex using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition and an established rating instrument for gelotophobia (GELOPH. As expected, gelotophobia scores and the number of gelotophobic individuals were significantly higher among patients with SAD (n = 22 and APD (n = 12 compared to healthy controls and other psychiatric patients. Furthermore, gelotophobia scores were highest in patients suffering from both SAD and APD. In fact, all patients suffering from both disorders were also suffering from gelotophobia. As explained in the discussion, the observed data did not suggest that gelotophobia is a subtype of SAD. The findings rather imply that the fear of being laughed at is a symptom characteristic for both SAD and APD. Based on that, gelotophobia may prove to be a valuable additional diagnostic criterion for SAD and APD and the present results also contribute to the ongoing debate on the relationship between SAD and APD.

  17. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) inhalation as an alternative to electroconvulsive therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milne, Brian

    2010-05-01

    Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used widely in the treatment of psychiatric conditions; however, its use is not without controversy with some recommending a moratorium on its clinical use. Complications and side effects of ECT include memory loss, injury, problems originating from sympathetic stimulation such as arrhythmias and myocardial ischemia and the risk of general anesthesia. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) could potentially substitute for ECT as it shares some similar effects, has potential beneficial properties for these psychiatric patients and is relatively safe and easy to administer. Nitrous oxide induces laughter which has been described as nature's epileptoid catharsis which one might surmise would be beneficial for depression. It also produces a central sympathetic stimulation similar to ECT and causes release of endogenous opioid peptides, which are potential candidates for the development of antidepressant drugs. Nitrous oxide is also associated with seizure like activity itself. Administration of nitrous oxide as a substitute for ECT is eminently feasible and could be given in a series of treatments similar to ECT therapy.

  18. Testing of an oral dosing technique for double-crested cormorants, Phalacocorax auritus, laughing gulls, Leucophaeus atricilla, homing pigeons, Columba livia, and western sandpipers, Calidris mauri, with artificially weather MC252 oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dean, K M; Cacela, D; Carney, M W; Cunningham, F L; Ellis, C; Gerson, A R; Guglielmo, C G; Hanson-Dorr, K C; Harr, K E; Healy, K A; Horak, K E; Isanhart, J P; Kennedy, L V; Link, J E; Lipton, I; McFadden, A K; Moye, J K; Perez, C R; Pritsos, C A; Pritsos, K L; Muthumalage, T; Shriner, S A; Bursian, S J

    2017-12-01

    Scoping studies were designed to determine if double-crested cormorants (Phalacocorax auritus), laughing gulls (Leucophaues atricilla), homing pigeons (Columba livia) and western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) that were gavaged with a mixture of artificially weathered MC252 oil and food for either a single day or 4-5 consecutive days showed signs of oil toxicity. Where volume allowed, samples were collected for hematology, plasma protein electrophoresis, clinical chemistry and electrolytes, oxidative stress and organ weigh changes. Double-crested cormorants, laughing gulls and western sandpipers all excreted oil within 30min of dose, while pigeons regurgitated within less than one hour of dosing. There were species differences in the effectiveness of the dosing technique, with double-crested cormorants having the greatest number of responsive endpoints at the completion of the trial. Statistically significant changes in packed cell volume, white cell counts, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine phosphokinase, gamma glutamyl transferase, uric acid, chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium, total glutathione, glutathione disulfide, reduced glutathione, spleen and liver weights were measured in double-crested cormorants. Homing pigeons had statistically significant changes in creatine phosphokinase, total glutathione, glutathione disulfide, reduced glutathione and Trolox equivalents. Laughing gulls exhibited statistically significant decreases in spleen and kidney weight, and no changes were observed in any measurement endpoints tested in western sandpipers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin Van Riper (eds.), The Laughing Dead: The Horror-Comedy Film from Bride of Frank

    OpenAIRE

    Mullen, Elizabeth

    2017-01-01

    The Laughing Dead is as hybrid as its subject, covering American and British film and television in a broad manner. Most of the essays here do not delve deeply into film aesthetics or theory, but they do provide a different perspective on both commonly analyzed and lesser-known films. The essays dealing with suburbia and gender are the strongest of the book. This collection of sixteen articles explores ways in which comedy and horror subvert generic norms, shattering expectations and forcing ...

  20. The Laugh Model: Reframing and Rebranding Public Health Through Social Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lister, Cameron; Royne, Marla; Payne, Hannah E; Cannon, Ben; Hanson, Carl; Barnes, Michael

    2015-11-01

    We examined the use of low-cost social media platforms in communicating public health messages and outline the laugh model, a framework through which public health organizations can reach and engage communities. In August 2014, we developed an online campaign (Web site and social media) to help promote healthy family meals in Utah in conjunction with the state and local health departments. By the end of September 2014, a total of 3641 individuals had visited the Utahfamilymeals.org Web site. Facebook ads reached a total of 29 078 people, and 56 900 people were reached through Twitter ads. The per-person price of the campaign was 0.2 cents, and the total estimated target population reach was between 10% and 12%. There are 3 key takeaways from our campaign: use of empowering and engaging techniques may be more effective than use of educational techniques; use of social media Web sites and online marketing tactics can enhance collaboration, interdisciplinary strategies, and campaign effectiveness; and use of social media as a communication platform is often preferable to use of mass media in terms of cost-effectiveness, more precise evaluations of campaign success, and increased sustainability.

  1. The Laugh Model: Reframing and Rebranding Public Health Through Social Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royne, Marla; Payne, Hannah E.; Cannon, Ben; Hanson, Carl; Barnes, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We examined the use of low-cost social media platforms in communicating public health messages and outline the laugh model, a framework through which public health organizations can reach and engage communities. Methods. In August 2014, we developed an online campaign (Web site and social media) to help promote healthy family meals in Utah in conjunction with the state and local health departments. Results. By the end of September 2014, a total of 3641 individuals had visited the Utahfamilymeals.org Web site. Facebook ads reached a total of 29 078 people, and 56 900 people were reached through Twitter ads. The per-person price of the campaign was 0.2 cents, and the total estimated target population reach was between 10% and 12%. Conclusions. There are 3 key takeaways from our campaign: use of empowering and engaging techniques may be more effective than use of educational techniques; use of social media Web sites and online marketing tactics can enhance collaboration, interdisciplinary strategies, and campaign effectiveness; and use of social media as a communication platform is often preferable to use of mass media in terms of cost-effectiveness, more precise evaluations of campaign success, and increased sustainability. PMID:26378824

  2. Long-term memory of heterospecific vocalizations by African lions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grinnell, Jon; van Dyk, Gus; Slotow, Rob

    2005-09-01

    Animals that use and evaluate long-distance signals have the potential to glean valuable information about others in their environment via eavesdropping. In those areas where they coexist, African lions (Panthera leo) are a significant eavesdropper on spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), often using hyena vocalizations to locate and scavenge from hyena kills. This relationship was used to test African lions' long-term memory of the vocalizations of spotted hyenas via playback experiments. Hyena whoops and a control sound (Canis lupus howls) were played to three populations of lions in South Africa: (1) lions with past experience of spotted hyenas; (2) lions with current experience; and (3) lions with no experience. The results strongly suggest that lions have the cognitive ability to remember the vocalizations of spotted hyenas even after 10 years with no contact of any kind with them. Such long-term memory of heterospecific vocalizations may be widespread in species that gain fitness benefits from eavesdropping on others, but where such species are sympatric and often interact it may pass unrecognized as short-term memory instead.

  3. Laugh syncope as a rare sub-type of the situational syncopes: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishida Katsufumi

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Laughter is a good medicine; it enhances cardiovascular health and the immune system. What happens, however, if a person laughs too much or the laughter becomes out of control? Laughter-induced syncope is rare and likely goes unrecognized by many health care providers. It is thought to be another form of Valsalva-induced syncope. Case presentation We report the case of a 56-year-old, moderately obese (body mass index of 35 man with a past medical history of sleep apnea, hypertension and hyperlipidemia who suffered from syncope secondary to intense laughter. The patient also had a history of syncope in the distant past when he collapsed on the floor for several seconds. Treadmill stress testing after the incident revealed no arrhythmia or ischemic disease, although he complained of dizziness after the test and a sudden drop in blood pressure was noted. Conclusion Laughter-induced or gelastic syncope is extremely rare. It is thought to be a sub-type of the situational syncopes.

  4. Status of Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena in Hatay and Şanlıurfa-Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erol Atay

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, an 18 month survey, involving face to face interviews with the local people and deployment camera-traps, was carried out on about 600 km2 areas in Turkey. Field surveys and camera-trapping resulted in strong evidences that striped hyenas travel and live around Hatay (Syria border and Şanlıurfa Provinces in Turkey. However, a comprehensive study was not carried out about the status of striped hyenas in this region. Our results showed that striped hyenas were frequently observed around the wasteland and the chicken farm in Hatay Province. Alternatively, they live in small groups in Şanlıurfa Province. Several caves suitable for striped hyenas were identified by footprints, feces and other animal remnants observed in and before those caves. We performed molecular characterization of striped hyenas in Turkey for the first time using Cytb mitochondrial DNA isolated from hair, ear and carcass tissues. Sequences of Cytb DNA sequences from10 different striped hyena samples from Turkey were found to be identical to each other. Comparison of the sequences with the previously reported Cytb sequences, including prehistoric ones, showed that Ctyb gene was highly conserved among the Hyaena hyaena species. During the field surveys we also observed that habitat destruction and fragmentation are detected on high level in the studied regions due to the intensive agricultural areas, settlements and quarries. Illegal hunting, frequent cave usage by shepherds, extensive porcupines hunting, water pollution from olive oil production facilities and highway crashes have been negatively affecting striped hyena population in Hatay and Şanlıurfa regions. It appears that a comprehensive study and protection plan should be exerted to preserve the habitat of striped hyenas.

  5. Terapias complementarias en los cuidados: Humor y risoterapia Complementary therapies in the cares: humour and laugh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Carmen Ruiz Gómez

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Dentro de las terapias complementarias, la utilización de la risoterapia aporta beneficios tanto en la salud como en las situaciones de enfermedad, siendo un "instrumento de cuidados" barato y sin efectos secundarios. La tendencia actual hacia todo lo natural, las corrientes sobre cuidados de salud de las distintas culturas, unidas a las recomendaciones de la OMS a los enfermeros sobre la necesidad de utilizar los "métodos tradicionales y complementarios" para conseguir mejorar la salud de la población, hacen que la risoterapia sea una alternativa como instrumento opcional de cuidados. Planteamos una revisión bibliográfica con el objetivo de conocer la aplicación de la risoterapia en la salud y más concretamente en los cuidados enfermeros. Del análisis de los resultados podemos concretar que la risa se trabaja en diferentes ámbitos profesionales, no sólo en el sanitario. Es en el campo de la comunicación donde más se divulga esta terapia. Hemos encontrado pocas publicaciones de enfermería, pero muy valiosas ya que trabajan en el terreno de la investigación y de la docencia. Sería interesante que los profesionales de enfermería utilizaran esta terapia que mejora la calidad de los cuidados y ofrece un campo independiente propicio para la investigación.Related to complementary therapies, humour and laugh contribute to enhance health status and diminish illness situations. Humour as a therapy is an inexpensive tool in the patient care and it has not secondary effects in most cases. Current tendencies, either about natural ways to health or believes on health care of popular cultures, and who recommendations to patients in the use of traditional and complementary methods to improve population health, make humour and laugh an alternative therapy as an optional care tool. We have reviewed the literature with the aim of recognize the application of humour therapy on health and more specifically on nurse cares.On the basis of the review

  6. The Prince of Wails

    OpenAIRE

    Knight, Stephen E.

    2012-01-01

    Rain, a northerly wind, the sun low, ‘everyone packing up everyone going home’ – a place which, for all the formal ingenuity and playfulness of Stephen Knight’s approaches and despite the cool authority of his ‘level, heartbreaking voice’ (Joseph Brodsky), remains endlessly receding, haunted, unforgiving, its familiarity itself a form of strangeness.\\ud \\ud Through the ebb and flow of the poems, two rites of passage – the death of a father; late fatherhood – are the constant watermark....

  7. The Intestinal Eukaryotic and Bacterial Biome of Spotted Hyenas: The Impact of Social Status and Age on Diversity and Composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitlinger, Emanuel; Ferreira, Susana C M; Thierer, Dagmar; Hofer, Heribert; East, Marion L

    2017-01-01

    In mammals, two factors likely to affect the diversity and composition of intestinal bacteria (bacterial microbiome) and eukaryotes (eukaryome) are social status and age. In species in which social status determines access to resources, socially dominant animals maintain better immune processes and health status than subordinates. As high species diversity is an index of ecosystem health, the intestinal biome of healthier, socially dominant animals should be more diverse than those of subordinates. Gradual colonization of the juvenile intestine after birth predicts lower intestinal biome diversity in juveniles than adults. We tested these predictions on the effect of: (1) age (juvenile/adult) and (2) social status (low/high) on bacterial microbiome and eukaryome diversity and composition in the spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ), a highly social, female-dominated carnivore in which social status determines access to resources. We comprehensively screened feces from 35 individually known adult females and 7 juveniles in the Serengeti ecosystem for bacteria and eukaryotes, using a set of 48 different amplicons (4 for bacterial 16S, 44 for eukaryote 18S) in a multi-amplicon sequencing approach. We compared sequence abundances to classical coprological egg or oocyst counts. For all parasite taxa detected in more than six samples, the number of sequence reads significantly predicted the number of eggs or oocysts counted, underscoring the value of an amplicon sequencing approach for quantitative measurements of parasite load. In line with our predictions, our results revealed a significantly less diverse microbiome in juveniles than adults and a significantly higher diversity of eukaryotes in high-ranking than low-ranking animals. We propose that free-ranging wildlife can provide an intriguing model system to assess the adaptive value of intestinal biome diversity for both bacteria and eukaryotes.

  8. On the acoustics of overlapping laughter in conversational speech

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Truong, Khiet Phuong; Trouvain, Jürgen

    The social nature of laughter invites people to laugh together. This joint vocal action often results in overlapping laughter. In this paper, we show that the acoustics of overlapping laughs are different from non-overlapping laughs. We found that overlapping laughs are stronger prosodically marked

  9. [Early sibling aggression in mammals and its hormonal correlates].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antonevich, A L; Naĭdenko, S V

    2007-01-01

    Early sibling aggression is a widespread phenomenon in birds. Ornithologists distinguish species with "obligate" and "facultative" siblicide. Sibling aggression was described in some mammal species: the domestic pig (Sus scrofa), the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), and the Iberian lynx (L. par-dinus). In all of them, sibling aggression corresponds well with the "facultative" siblicide model in birds. Sibling aggression was observed at the age of 36-64 days in both lynx species. It is usually restricted to a single fight and can change the hierarchical structure and growth rate of the kittens. In the spotted hyena and the domestic pig, the frequency and intensity of aggressive interactions between siblings are strongest during the first days of postnatal ontogeny and then decrease gradually. The newborns of these species are much developed than newborn lynx kittens. Usually adult lynx females, in contrast to hyenas and pigs, try to stop sibling fights. This is probably related to the larger parental investment at the time of the fight in lynxes (a kitten's body weight is about 10% of the mother's) than in pigs (0.5%) and hyenas (1.9%). Sibling aggression in spotted hyenas could be related to the high level of androstenedione and is not related to testosterone concentration. In the Eurasian lynx, female sibs attack their littermates slightly more often than male sibs do, and sibling aggression is not testosterone-dependent. Hormones secreted by the adrenal glands may play an important role in this phenomenon. The data available so far, however, do not positively confirm the presence of hormonal trigger effects in mammal sibling aggression.

  10. "Did You Climax or Are You Just Laughing at Me?" Rare Phenomena Associated With Orgasm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinert, Anna E; Simon, James A

    2017-07-01

    The study of the human orgasm has shown a core set of physiologic and psychological symptoms experienced by most individuals. The study of normal sheds light on the abnormal and has spotlighted rare physical and psychological symptoms experienced by some individuals in association with orgasm. These phenomena are rare and, as is typical of rare phenomena, their documentation in the medical literature is largely confined to case studies. To identify peri-orgasmic phenomena, defined as unusual physical or psychological symptoms subjectively experienced by some individuals as part of the orgasm response, distinct from the usual or normal orgasm response. A list of peri-orgasmic phenomena was made with help from sexual health colleagues and, using this list as a foundation, a literature search was performed of articles published in English. Publications included in this review report on physical or psychological phenomena at the time of orgasm that are distinct from psychological, whole-body, and genito-pelvic sensations commonly experienced at the time of orgasm. Cases of physical symptoms related to the physiology of sexual intercourse and not specifically to orgasm were excluded. Case studies of peri-orgasmic phenomena were reviewed, including cases describing cataplexy (weakness), crying, dysorgasmia, dysphoria, facial and/or ear pain, foot pain, headache, pruritus, laughter, panic attack, post-orgasm illness syndrome, seizures, and sneezing. The literature review confirms the existence of diverse and frequently replicated peri-orgasmic phenomena. The value of case studies is in the collection and recording of observations so that hypotheses can be formed about the observed phenomena. Accordingly, this review could inspire further research on the neurophysiologic mechanisms of orgasm. Reinert AE, Simon JA. "Did You Climax or Are You Just Laughing at Me?" Rare Phenomena Associated With Orgasm. Sex Med Rev 2017;5:275-281. Copyright © 2017 International Society for

  11. After the Laughter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stengel, Barbara S.

    2014-01-01

    We humans laugh often and it is not always because something is funny. We laugh in the face of the pathetic or the powerless; sometimes we laugh at our own powerlessness or pathos. In short, we laugh at both the comical and the difficult. Here I am especially interested in the laughter that is sparked by what is difficult and how that…

  12. Investigating the neuroanatomical substrate of pathological laughing and crying in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with multimodal neuroimaging techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christidi, Foteini; Karavasilis, Efstratios; Ferentinos, Panagiotis; Xirou, Sophia; Velonakis, Georgios; Rentzos, Michalis; Zouvelou, Vasiliki; Zalonis, Ioannis; Efstathopoulos, Efstathios; Kelekis, Nikolaos; Evdokimidis, Ioannis

    2018-02-01

    Pathological laughing and crying (PLC) is common in several neurological and psychiatric diseases and is associated with a distributed network involving the frontal cortex, the brainstem and cortico-pontine-cerebellar circuits. By applying multimodal neuroimaging approach, we examined the neuroanatomical substrate of PLC in a sample of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We studied 56 non-demented ALS patients and 25 healthy controls (HC). PLC was measured in ALS using the Center of Neurologic Study Lability Scale (CNS-LS; cutoff score: 13). All participants underwent 3D-T1-weighted and 30-directional diffusion-weighted imaging at 3T. Voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial-statistics analysis was used to examine gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) differences between ALS patients with and without PLC (ALS-PLC and ALS-nonPLC, respectively). Comparisons were restricted to regions with detected differences between ALS and HC, controlling for age, gender, total intracranial volume and depressive symptoms. In regions with significant differences between ALS and HC, ALS-PLC patients showed decreased GM volume in left orbitofrontal cortex, frontal operculum, and putamen and bilateral frontal poles, compared to ALS-nonPLC. They also had decreased fractional anisotropy in left cingulum bundle and posterior corona radiata. WM abnormalities were additionally detected in WM associative and ponto-cerebellar tracts (using a more liberal threshold). PLC in ALS is driven by both GM and WM abnormalities which highlight the role of circuits rather than isolated centers in the emergence of this condition. ALS is suggested as a useful natural experimental model to study PLC.

  13. A survey for Echinococcus spp. of carnivores in six wildlife conservation areas in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagendo, D; Magambo, J; Agola, E L; Njenga, S M; Zeyhle, E; Mulinge, E; Gitonga, P; Mbae, C; Muchiri, E; Wassermann, M; Kern, P; Romig, T

    2014-08-01

    To investigate the presence of Echinococcus spp. in wild mammals of Kenya, 832 faecal samples from wild carnivores (lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, wild dogs and silver-backed jackals) were collected in six different conservation areas of Kenya (Meru, Nairobi, Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks, Samburu and Maasai Mara National Reserves). Taeniid eggs were found in 120 samples (14.4%). In total, 1160 eggs were isolated and further analysed using RFLP-PCR of the nad1 gene and sequencing. 38 of these samples contained eggs of Echinococcus spp., which were identified as either Echinococcus felidis (n=27) or Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (n=12); one sample contained eggs from both taxa. E. felidis was found in faeces from lions (n=20) and hyenas (n=5) while E. granulosus in faeces from lions (n=8), leopards (n=1) and hyenas (n=3). The host species for two samples containing E. felidis could not be identified with certainty. As the majority of isolated eggs could not be analysed with the methods used (no amplification), we do not attempt to give estimates of faecal prevalences. Both taxa of Echinococcus were found in all conservation areas except Meru (only E. felidis) and Tsavo West (only E. granulosus). Host species identification for environmental faecal samples, based on field signs, was found to be unreliable. All samples with taeniid eggs were subjected to a confirmatory host species RLFP-PCR of the cytochrome B gene. 60% had been correctly identified in the field. Frequently, hyena faeces were mistaken for lion and vice versa, and none of the samples from jackals and wild dogs could be confirmed in the tested sub-sample. This is the first molecular study on the distribution of Echinococcus spp. in Kenyan wildlife. The presence of E. felidis is confirmed for lions and newly reported for spotted hyenas. Lions and hyenas are newly recognized hosts for E. granulosus s.s., while the role of leopards remains uncertain. These data provide the basis for

  14. Deceptive pictures and revealing sounds / Anu Allas

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Allas, Anu, 1977-

    2009-01-01

    2009. aasta Ars Fennica kunstipreemia pälvinud eesti kunstniku ja fotograafi Mark Raidpere videokunstist, muusika ja heli tähtsast rollist tema videotes (videod "Pühendus/Dedication" (2008), "5 Guards" (2006), "Wailing Woman" (2007), "Majestoso Mystico" (2007), "Vekovka" (2008) jt.)

  15. Why do we laugh at misfortunes? An electrophysiological exploration of comic situation processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manfredi, Mirella; Adorni, Roberta; Proverbio, Alice Mado; Proverbio, Alice

    2014-08-01

    The goal of the present study was to shed some light on a particular kind of humour, called slapstick, by measuring brain bioelectrical activity during the perception of funny vs. non-funny pictures involving misfortunate circumstances. According to our hypothesis, the element mostly providing a comic feature in a misfortunate situation is the facial expression of the victims: the observer׳s reaction will usually be laughing only if the victims will show a funny bewilderment face and not a painful or anger expression. Several coloured photographs depicting people involved in misfortunate situations were presented to 30 Italian healthy volunteers, while their EEG was recorded. Three different situations were considered: people showing a painful or an angry expression (Affective); people showing a bewilderment expression and, so, a comic look (Comic); people engaged in similar misfortunate situations but with no face visible (No Face). Results showed that the mean amplitude of both the posterior N170 and anterior N220 components was much larger in amplitude to comic pictures, than the other stimuli. This early response could be considered the first identification of a comic element and evidence of the compelling and automatic response that usually characterizes people amused reaction during a misfortune. In addition, we observed a larger P300 amplitude in response to comic than affective pictures, probably reflecting a more conscious processing of the comic element. Finally, no face pictures elicited an anteriorly distributed N400, which might reflect the effort to comprehend the nature of the situation displayed without any affective facial information, and a late positivity, possibly indexing a re-analysis processing of the unintelligible misfortunate situation (comic or unhappy) depicted in the No Face stimuli. These data support the hypothesis that the facial expression of the victims acts as a specific trigger for the amused feeling that observers usually

  16. Prevalence and diversity of Babesia, Hepatozoon, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella in wild and domestic carnivores from Zambia, Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Brianna M; Berentsen, Are; Shock, Barbara C; Teixiera, Maria; Dunbar, Michael R; Becker, Matthew S; Yabsley, Michael J

    2014-03-01

    A molecular survey was conducted for several hemoparasites of domestic dogs and three species of wild carnivores from two sites in Zambia. Three Babesia spp. were detected including Babesia felis and Babesia leo in lions (Panthera leo) and a Babesia sp. (similar to Babesia lengau) in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and a single lion. All wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and domestic dogs were negative for Babesia. High prevalences for Hepatozoon were noted in all three wild carnivores (38-61%) and in domestic dogs (13%). Significantly higher prevalences were noted in hyenas and wild dogs compared with domestic dogs and lions. All carnivores were PCR negative for Ehrlichia canis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Bartonella spp. Overall, high prevalences and diversity of Babesia and Hepatozoon were noted in wild carnivores from Zambia. This study is the first molecular characterization of Babesia from any hyena species and is the first report of a Babesia sp. closely related to B. lengau, a parasite previously only reported from cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), in lions and hyenas. Although usually benign in wild carnivores, these hemoparasites can be pathogenic under certain circumstances. Importantly, data on vectors for these parasites are lacking, so studies are needed to identify vectors as well as determine transmission routes, infection dynamics, and host specificity of these hemoparasites in wildlife in Africa and also the risk of transmission between domestic animals and wildlife.

  17. International Journal of Arts and Humanities (IJAH) Bahir Dar- Ethiopia

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DrNneka

    mechanics and sundry workers arrived on the back of a lorry…” (450). This portrays a .... After Koto's driver had an accident with her car, “In the distance she could be heard wailing, not about the .... His camera becomes his instrument of war.

  18. Employment Relations in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Jørgen Steen; Due, Jesper Jørgen; Andersen, Søren Kaj

    2011-01-01

    Jørgen Steen Madsen, Jesper Due og Søren Kaj Andersen har skrevet et kapitel om udviklingen i dansk arbejdsmarkedsregulering til bogen International and Comparative Employment Relations, redigeret af Greg Bamber, Russell Lansbury og Nick Wailes. Bogen indeholder bidrag, der præsenterer og...

  19. Smiech ako moc a premeny človeka súčasnosti (The Laughter as a Power and Changes of Contemporary Human

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romana Javorčeková

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This article deals with the power of laugh as an expression of a human evoked by emotional, cognitive, physiological, and expressive changes which cause further changes in another person and society. Ambivalence is one of the basic characteristics of laugh which is why it cannot be fullly grasped in theory, even though it has been proved that joy expressed by laugh is the most universal emotion. Examples from movies serve well to observe laugh as a form of social gesture in contemporary society.

  20. Dealing with Laughter and Ridicule in Adolescence: Relations with Bullying and Emotional Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proyer, René T.; Meier, Lukas E.; Platt, Tracey; Ruch, Willibald

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia), the joy in being laughed at (gelotophilia), and the joy in laughing at others (katagelasticism) in adolescent students (N = 324, 13-15 years). Gelotophobia was associated primarily with the victim and katagelasticism with the bully-role (self-and peer reports). Gelotophobia correlated…

  1. Detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in carnivores in Razavi Khorasan province, Iran using mitochondrial DNA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Molouk Beiromvand

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Echinococcus multilocularis is the source of alveolar echinococcosis, a potentially fatal zoonotic disease. This investigation assessed the presence of E. multilocularis infection in definitive hosts in the Chenaran region of Razavi Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Fecal samples from 77 domestic and stray dogs and 14 wild carnivores were examined using the flotation/sieving method followed by multiplex PCR of mitochondrial genes. The intestinal scraping technique (IST and the sedimentation and counting technique (SCT revealed adult Echinococcus in the intestines of five of 10 jackals and of the single wolf examined. Three jackals were infected only with E. multilocularis but two, and the wolf, were infected with both E. multilocularis and E. granulosus. Multiplex PCR revealed E. multilocularis, E. granulosus, and Taenia spp. in 19, 24, and 28 fecal samples, respectively. Echinococcus multilocularis infection was detected in the feces of all wild carnivores sampled including nine jackals, three foxes, one wolf, one hyena, and five dogs (6.5%. Echinococcus granulosus was found in the fecal samples of 16.9% of dogs, 66.7% of jackals, and all of the foxes, the wolf, and the hyena. The feces of 16 (21.8% dogs, 7 of 9 (77.8% jackals, and all three foxes, one wolf and one hyena were infected with Taenia spp. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of E. multilocularis in wild carnivores of rural areas of the Chenaran region is high, indicating that the life cycle is being maintained in northeastern Iran with the red fox, jackal, wolf, hyena, and dog as definitive hosts.

  2. Divergent Sapovirus Strains and Infection Prevalence in Wild Carnivores in the Serengeti Ecosystem: A Long-Term Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ximena A Olarte-Castillo

    Full Text Available The genus Sapovirus, in the family Caliciviridae, includes enteric viruses of humans and domestic animals. Information on sapovirus infection of wildlife is limited and is currently lacking for any free-ranging wildlife species in Africa. By screening a large number of predominantly fecal samples (n = 631 obtained from five carnivore species in the Serengeti ecosystem, East Africa, sapovirus RNA was detected in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta, family Hyaenidae, African lion (Panthera leo, family Felidae, and bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis, family Canidae, but not in golden or silver-backed jackals (Canis aureus and C. mesomelas, respectively, family Canidae. A phylogenetic analysis based on partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp gene sequences placed the sapovirus strains from African carnivores in a monophyletic group. Within this monophyletic group, sapovirus strains from spotted hyenas formed one independent sub-group, and those from bat-eared fox and African lion a second sub-group. The percentage nucleotide similarity between sapoviruses from African carnivores and those from other species was low (< 70.4%. Long-term monitoring of sapovirus in a population of individually known spotted hyenas from 2001 to 2012 revealed: i a relatively high overall infection prevalence (34.8%; ii the circulation of several genetically diverse variants; iii large fluctuations in infection prevalence across years, indicative of outbreaks; iv no significant difference in the likelihood of infection between animals in different age categories. The likelihood of sapovirus infection decreased with increasing hyena group size, suggesting an encounter reduction effect, but was independent of socially mediated ano-genital contact, or the extent of the area over which an individual roamed.

  3. A Safe Place: The Role of Librarians and Writing Centers in Addressing Citation Practices and Plagiarism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buranen, Lise

    2009-01-01

    In American colleges and universities, plagiarism is a hot topic: teachers wail and moan about the rise in student plagiarism (though often without evidence to demonstrate this supposed rise); they complain that the Web has "caused" plagiarism; and at the same time, many believe that technology is the key to "solving" the problem of student…

  4. Rabies, canine distemper, and canine parvovirus exposure in large carnivore communities from two Zambian ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berentsen, Are R; Dunbar, Mike R; Becker, Matthew S; M'soka, Jassiel; Droge, Egil; Sakuya, Nicholas M; Matandiko, Wigganson; McRobb, Rachel; Hanlon, Cathleen A

    2013-09-01

    Disease transmission within and among wild and domestic carnivores can have significant impacts on populations, particularly for threatened and endangered species. We used serology to evaluate potential exposure to rabies virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), and canine parvovirus (CPV) for populations of African lions (Panthera leo), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) and Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP) as well as community lands bordering these areas. In addition, domestic dogs in the study region were evaluated for exposure to CDV and rabies. We provide the first comprehensive disease exposure data for these species in these ecosystems. Twenty-one lions, 20 hyenas, 13 wild dogs, and 38 domestic dogs were sampled across both regions from 2009 to 2011. Laboratory results show 10.5% of domestic dogs, 5.0% of hyenas, and 7.7% of wild dogs sampled were positive for CDV exposure. All lions were negative. Exposure to CPV was 10.0% and 4.8% for hyenas and lions, respectively. All wild dogs were negative, and domestic dogs were not tested due to insufficient serum samples. All species sampled were negative for rabies virus neutralizing antibodies except lions. Forty percent of lions tested positive for rabies virus neutralizing antibodies. Because these lions appeared clinically healthy, this finding is consistent with seroconversion following exposure to rabies antigen. To our knowledge, this finding represents the first ever documentation of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies consistent with rabies exposure that did not lead to clinical disease in free-ranging African lions from this region. With ever-increasing human pressure on these ecosystems, understanding disease transmission dynamics is essential for proper management and conservation of these carnivore species.

  5. Seminar

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    abp

    6 mai 2014 ... &Corresponding author: Wail Bouzoubaa, Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique II, CHU Hassan II, Fès, Maroc. Key words: ... le couple écho-mammographie a la recherche de multifocalité, multicentricité ou bilatéralité, d'où l'intérêt de l'IRM qui est la technique la plus sensible pour la ... work is properly cited.

  6. A sylvatic lifecycle of Echinococcus equinus in the Etosha National Park, Namibia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wassermann, Marion; Aschenborn, Ortwin; Aschenborn, Julia; Mackenstedt, Ute; Romig, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Various species of Echinococcus have been described in the past from wild mammals of sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is only recently, that a few isolates have become available for molecular identification; therefore, the involvement of wildlife in the lifecycles of the various cryptic species within Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato is still only partially known. A preliminary survey was undertaken in Etosha National Park, Namibia, from August to October 2012. Faecal samples were obtained from 34 individual wild carnivores, and metacestodes were collected from carcasses of 18 culled herbivores. Single eggs and metacestode tissue were lysed and identified from sequences of the mitochondrial nad1 gene. In case of metacestodes, the cox1 gene was additionally sequenced and haplotype networks were constructed. Echinococcus equinus was found in lions (4 of 6), black-backed jackals (2 of 7) and Burchell's zebras (11 of 12). The frequency of this parasite in the absence of domestic dogs, horses and donkeys strongly indicates its transmission in a wildlife cycle. Further, a variety of sequences were obtained from eggs and cysticerci from lions, cheetahs, caracals, spotted hyenas and oryx, which most closely clustered with species of Taenia. Only 3 of them, 2 of lion and 1 of hyena origin, could be allocated to Hydatigera (=Taenia) taeniaeformis (lion), Taenia regis (lions and oryx) and Taenia cf. crocutae (spotted hyena and oryx). PMID:25830103

  7. Hypercarnivory, durophagy or generalised carnivory in the Mio-Pliocene hyaenids of South Africa?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Hartstone-Rose

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Carnivorans, the members of the order Carnivora, exhibit wide dietary diversity – from overwhelmingly herbivorous species (like the giant and red pandas to species that specialise in the consumption of flesh (like the hypercarnivorous felids. Throughout the evolution of this order, many craniodental forms have emerged and gone extinct – notably the sabretooth felids that existed until the late Pleistocene. However, one carnivoran lineage, remarkable for its extreme masticatory adaptations, persists – the bone-cracking hyaenids. Three of the four extant members of this family (Crocuta crocuta, Hyaena hyaena and Parahyaena brunnea are among the most durophagous mammals to have ever lived. The fourth extant hyaenid – the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus – also exhibits impressive, although wholly different, masticatory adaptations as one of the most derived mammalian insectivores. How and when did the level of durophagy evident in extant bone-cracking hyenas evolve, and how do Mio-Pliocene hyenas compare to the extant members of the order in terms of their own dietary specialisations? An examination of the premolars of the Mio-Pliocene hyaenids from Langebaanweg, South Africa suggests that modern levels of durophagy appeared relatively recently. Results from an analysis of dental radii-of-curvature and premolar intercuspid notches suggest that these hyenas were neither bone crackers nor flesh specialists, but were dietary generalists.

  8. The Volunteer Soldier--A Self-Portrait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-05-27

    in too long now. Now, it’s just almost too easy. Uplifting experience? I could only say, meeting my husband. A girlfriend of mine, in the barracks, she...he was always in a bad mood , and he was really hard on us. I seen him outright lie, and it’s not just him. I seen other recruiters, from the Air...I didn’t salute you (laughs). It kind of made me angry (laughs). I think you were in a bad mood (laughs). I went back and I was all huffy the rest of

  9. Feather and nest mites of two common resident birds in two ecologically different Egyptian governorates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morsy, T A; Mazyad, S A; Younis, M S

    1999-08-01

    The study of the role played by birds in the distribution of various bacterial, viral and parasitic infections is increasingly from year to year, taking into consideration the flying ability of birds and their migration for food and vital processes. Two of the common Egyptian resident birds, house sparrow (Passer d. niloticus) and laughing dove (Streptopelia s. aegyptiaca) were chosen to study their mite fauna. The overall mite index was 4.74 on the house sparrow and 7.22 on the laughing dove. As to mites, a total of 31 species belonging to 23 genera, 17 families and 3 suborders were collected. The common mites on both types of birds were 22 species. Three species only on house sparrow, and six species only on laughing dove. The house sparrow served host for 25 mite species and the laughing dove served host for 28 mite species. The infestation rates of mites on house sparrow ranged between 1.11% to 23.33% and 0.21% to 34.54% in Sharkia and Qalyobia governorates respectively. For laughing dove, the mite infestation rates ranged between 0.82% to 50% and 3.45% to 55.17% for both governorates respectively. Some of the collected mites have medical and/or veterinary importance. The whole results were discussed.

  10. Are You Managing Your Email - Or is Email Managing You? An Analysis of Email Among Personnel Within Army Project Management Offices

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-12-01

    such as LOL, for laughing out loud , should be reserved for personal communication (Mackiewicz, 2003). You need to know and understand who your...typing LOL as a shortcut for “ laughing out loud .” Older participants didn’t always know what the shorthand meant. Younger participants knew

  11. Exploring sequences of speech and laughter activity using visualisations of conversations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trouvain, Jürgen; Truong, Khiet Phuong

    In this study, we analysed laughter in dyadic conversational interaction. We attempted to categorise patterns of speaking and laughing activity in conversation in order to gain more insight into how speaking and laughing are timed and related to each other. Special attention was paid to a particular

  12. White-Matter Structural Connectivity Underlying Human Laughter-Related Traits Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ching-Lin; Zhong, Suyu; Chan, Yu-Chen; Chen, Hsueh-Chih; Gong, Gaolang; He, Yong; Li, Ping

    2016-01-01

    Most research into the neural mechanisms of humor has not explicitly focused on the association between emotion and humor on the brain white matter networks mediating this connection. However, this connection is especially salient in gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at), which is regarded as the presentation of humorlessness, and two related traits, gelotophilia (the enjoyment of being laughed at) and katagelasticism (the enjoyment of laughing at others). Here, we explored whether the topological properties of white matter networks can account for the individual differences in the laughter-related traits of 31 healthy adults. We observed a significant negative correlation between gelotophobia scores and the clustering coefficient, local efficiency and global efficiency, but a positive association between gelotophobia scores and path length in the brain's white matter network. Moreover, the current study revealed that with increasing individual fear of being laughed at, the linking efficiencies in superior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus decreased. However, there were no significant correlations between either gelotophilia or katagelasticism scores or the topological properties of the brain white matter network. These findings suggest that the fear of being laughed at is directly related to the level of local and global information processing of the brain network, which might provide new insights into the neural mechanisms of the humor information processing.

  13. Geological Structures in the WaIls of Vestan Craters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittlefehldt, David; Nathues, A.; Beck, A. W.; Hoffmann, M.; Schaefer, M.; Williams, D. A.

    2014-01-01

    A compelling case can be made that Vesta is the parent asteroid for the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites [1], although this interpretation has been questioned [2]. Generalized models for the structure of the crust of Vesta have been developed based on petrologic studies of basaltic eucrites, cumulate eucrites and diogenites. These models use inferred cooling rates for different types of HEDs and compositional variations within the clan to posit that the lower crust is dominantly diogenitic in character, cumulate eucrites occur deep in the upper crust, and basaltic eucrites dominate the higher levels of the upper crust [3-5]. These models lack fine-scale resolution and thus do not allow for detailed predictions of crustal structure. Geophysical models predict dike and sill intrusions ought to be present, but their widths may be quite small [6]. The northern hemisphere of Vesta is heavily cratered, and the southern hemisphere is dominated by two 400-500 km diameter basins that excavated deep into the crust [7-8]. Physical modeling of regolith formation on 300 km diameter asteroids predicts that debris layers would reach a few km in thickness, while on asteroids of Vesta's diameter regolith thicknesses would be less [9]. This agrees well with the estimated =1 km thickness of local debris excavated by a 45 km diameter vestan crater [10]. Large craters and basins may have punched through the regolith/megaregolith and exposed primary vestan crustal structures. We will use Dawn Framing Camera (FC) [11] images and color ratio maps from the High Altitude and Low Altitude Mapping Orbits (HAMO, 65 m/pixel; LAMO, 20 m/pixel) to evaluate structures exposed on the walls of craters: two examples are discussed here.

  14. Observing conversational laughter in frontotemporal dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pressman, Peter S; Simpson, Michaela; Gola, Kelly; Shdo, Suzanne M; Spinelli, Edoardo G; Miller, Bruce L; Gorno-Tempini, Maria Luisa; Rankin, Katherine; Levenson, Robert W

    2017-05-01

    We performed an observational study of laughter during seminaturalistic conversations between patients with dementia and familial caregivers. Patients were diagnosed with (1) behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), (2) right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (rtFTD), (3) semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), (4) non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) or (5) early onset Alzheimer's disease (eoAD). We hypothesised that those with bvFTD would laugh less in response to their own speech than other dementia groups or controls, while those with rtFTD would laugh less regardless of who was speaking. Patients with bvFTD (n=39), svPPA (n=19), rtFTD (n=14), nfvPPA (n=16), eoAD (n=17) and healthy controls (n=156) were recorded (video and audio) while discussing a problem in their relationship with a healthy control companion. Using the audio track only, laughs were identified by trained coders and then further classed by an automated algorithm as occurring during or shortly after the participant's own vocalisation ('self' context) or during or shortly after the partner's vocalisation ('partner' context). Individuals with bvFTD, eoAD or rtFTD laughed less across both contexts of self and partner than the other groups. Those with bvFTD laughed less relative to their own speech comparedwith healthy controls. Those with nfvPPA laughed more in the partner context compared with healthy controls. Laughter in response to one's own vocalisations or those of a conversational partner may be a clinically useful measure in dementia diagnosis. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  15. Consumption Sustained or Playing with Hyenas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Vries, J.; Te Riele, H.

    2005-03-01

    An outline is given of a new strategy to 'green' consumption, aimed at a reduction of the environmental burden of consumer goods. Key elements in the strategy are a selection of 44 product groups which have considerable environmental effects; long-term targets in relation with macro-economical developments and persistent environmental problems; introduction of the transition process in order to speed up the greening of consumption; reconsideration of the role of the Dutch government as initiator and coordinator, next to the autonomous activities of manufacturers, consumers and other actors [nl

  16. Patch use in time and space for a meso-predator in a risky world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Shomen; Zelcer, Michal; Kotler, Burt P

    2009-03-01

    Predator-prey studies often assume a three trophic level system where predators forage free from any risk of predation. Since meso-predators themselves are also prospective prey, they too need to trade-off between food and safety. We applied foraging theory to study patch use and habitat selection by a meso-predator, the red fox. We present evidence that foxes use a quitting harvest rate rule when deciding whether or not to abandon a foraging patch, and experience diminishing returns when foraging from a depletable food patch. Furthermore, our data suggest that patch use decisions of red foxes are influenced not just by the availability of food, but also by their perceived risk of predation. Fox behavior was affected by moonlight, with foxes depleting food resources more thoroughly (lower giving-up density) on darker nights compared to moonlit nights. Foxes reduced risk from hyenas by being more active where and when hyena activity was low. While hyenas were least active during moon, and most active during full moon nights, the reverse was true for foxes. Foxes showed twice as much activity during new moon compared to full moon nights, suggesting different costs of predation. Interestingly, resources in patches with cues of another predator (scat of wolf) were depleted to significantly lower levels compared to patches without. Our results emphasize the need for considering risk of predation for intermediate predators, and also shows how patch use theory and experimental food patches can be used for a predator. Taken together, these results may help us better understand trophic interactions.

  17. Humour production may enhance observational learning of a new tool-use action in 18-month-old infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esseily, Rana; Rat-Fischer, Lauriane; Somogyi, Eszter; O'Regan, Kevin John; Fagard, Jacqueline

    2016-01-01

    Many studies have shown that making children laugh enhances certain cognitive capacities such as attention, motivation, perception and/or memory, which in turn enhance learning. However, no study thus far has investigated whether laughing has an effect on learning earlier in infancy. The goal of this study was to see whether using humour with young infants in a demonstration of a complex tool-use task can enhance their learning. Fifty-three 18-month-old infants participated in this study and were included either in a humorous or a control demonstration group. In both groups infants observed an adult using a tool to retrieve an out-of-reach toy. What differed between groups was that in the humorous demonstration group, instead of playing with the toy, the adult threw it on the floor immediately after retrieval. The results show that infants who laughed at the demonstration in the humorous demonstration group reproduced significantly more frequent target actions than infants who did not laugh and those in the control group. This effect is discussed with regard to individual differences in terms of temperament and social capacities as well as positive emotion and dopamine release.

  18. Infant Cries Rattle Adult Cognition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Dudek

    Full Text Available The attention-grabbing quality of the infant cry is well recognized, but how the emotional valence of infant vocal signals affects adult cognition and cortical activity has heretofore been unknown. We examined the effects of two contrasting infant vocalizations (cries vs. laughs on adult performance on a Stroop task using a cross-modal distraction paradigm in which infant distractors were vocal and targets were visual. Infant vocalizations were presented before (Experiment 1 or during each Stroop trial (Experiment 2. To evaluate the influence of infant vocalizations on cognitive control, neural responses to the Stroop task were obtained by measuring electroencephalography (EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs in Experiment 1. Based on the previously demonstrated existence of negative arousal bias, we hypothesized that cry vocalizations would be more distracting and invoke greater conflict processing than laugh vocalizations. Similarly, we expected participants to have greater difficulty shifting attention from the vocal distractors to the target task after hearing cries vs. after hearing laughs. Behavioral results from both experiments showed a cry interference effect, in which task performance was slower with cry than with laugh distractors. Electrophysiology data further revealed that cries more than laughs reduced attention to the task (smaller P200 and increased conflict processing (larger N450, albeit differently for incongruent and congruent trials. Results from a correlation analysis showed that the amplitudes of P200 and N450 were inversely related, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between attention and conflict processing. The findings suggest that cognitive control processes contribute to an attention bias to infant signals, which is modulated in part by the valence of the infant vocalization and the demands of the cognitive task. The findings thus support the notion that infant cries elicit a negative arousal bias that is

  19. Laughing for Real?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karlsen, Mads Peter; Villadsen, Kaspar

    2015-01-01

    Management and humour are becoming more closely interlinked in contemporary organizational life. Whereas humour was conventionally viewed as a deleterious, alien element at the workplace, it is now increasingly viewed as a valuable management tool. This development raises the question of whether...... humour can still be regarded as having critical or subversive potential. This article discusses three research approaches to management and humour: the instrumental, the ideological critical, and contemporary critical organization studies, giving particular emphasis to extending the last tradition. Hence......, the article situates itself in the critical debate on the function of humour in the workplace and on ‘cynical reasoning’ recently initiated in organization studies. It seeks to contribute to this debate by defining the features of a critical humoristic practice in a post-authoritarian management context...

  20. Space use of African wild dogs in relation to other large carnivores.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela M Darnell

    Full Text Available Interaction among species through competition is a principle process structuring ecological communities, affecting behavior, distribution, and ultimately the population dynamics of species. High competition among large African carnivores, associated with extensive diet overlap, manifests in interactions between subordinate African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus and dominant lions (Panthera leo and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta. Using locations of large carnivores in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, we found different responses from wild dogs to their two main competitors. Wild dogs avoided lions, particularly during denning, through a combination of spatial and temporal avoidance. However, wild dogs did not exhibit spatial or temporal avoidance of spotted hyenas, likely because wild dog pack sizes were large enough to adequately defend their kills. Understanding that larger carnivores affect the movements and space use of other carnivores is important for managing current small and fragmented carnivore populations, especially as reintroductions and translocations are essential tools used for the survival of endangered species, as with African wild dogs.

  1. Science on the Moon: The Wailing Wall of Space Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    Science on and from the Moon has important implications for expanding human knowledge and understanding, a prospect for the 21st Century that has been under discussion for at least the past 25 years. That having been said, however, there remain many issues of international versus national priorities, strategy, economy, and politics that come into play. The result is a very complex form of human behavior where science and exploration take center stage, but many other important human options are sacrificed. To renew this dialogue about the Moon, it seems we are already rushing pell-mell into it as has been done in the past. The U.S., Japan, China, India, and Russia either have sent or plan to send satellites and robotic landers there at this time. What does a return to the Moon mean, why are we doing this now, who should pay for it, and how? The only semblance of such a human enterprise seems to be the LHC currently coming online at CERN. Can it be used as a model of international collaboration rather than a sports or military event focused on national competition? Who decides and what is the human sacrifice? There are compelling arguments for establishing science on the Moon as one of the primary goals for returning to the Moon and venturing beyond. A number of science endeavors will be summarized, beyond lunar and planetary science per se. These include fundamental physics experiments that are background-limited by the Earth's magnetic dipole moment and noise produced by its atmosphere and seismic interior. The Moon is an excellent platform for some forms of astronomy. Other candidate Moon-based experiments vary from neutrino and gravitational wave astronomy, particle astrophysics, and cosmic-ray calorimeters, to space physics and fundamental physics such as proton decay. The list goes on and includes placing humans in a hostile environment to study the long-term effects of space weather. The list is long, and even newer ideas will come from this COSPAR conference. However, whatever the list the issue of cooperation and binding collaboration remains. As observers of Moon and other space enterprises, we all know that a room full of 60 scientists will not agree on much of anything and there will probably be 60! please for more funding. People have special interests and little common sense (e.g., conflict between NSF- and NASA-funding roadmaps). Scientists are no exception. Nevertheless, CERN has done it on Earth! Can we do the same on the Moon? Some of the present generation of proposals for science from and on the Moon, plus new ones, will witness a place in space exploration's future. It is clear, however, that the world has not thought this through adequately, except for talk about an international space federation whatever that is. An outpost on the Moon with humans permanently living there much like Antarctica on Earth may be in our future. However, such planning is our collective international responsibility and not that of special-interest investigators from individual nations unless they intend to pay for it.

  2. Science on the Moon: The Wailing Wall of Space Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Thomas

    Science on and from the Moon has important implications for expanding human knowledge and understanding, a prospect for the 21st Century that has been under discussion for at least the past 25 years [1-3]. That having been said, however, there remain many issues of international versus national priorities, strategy, economy, and politics that come into play. The result is a very complex form of human behavior where science and exploration take center stage, but many other important human options are sacrificed. To renew this dialogue about the Moon, it seems we are already rushing pell-mell into it as has been done in the past. The U.S., Japan, China, India, and Russia either have sent or plan to send satellites and robotic landers there at this time. What does a return to the Moon mean, why are we doing this now, who should pay for it, and how? The only semblance of such a human enterprise seems to be the LHC currently coming online at CERN. Can it be used as a model of international collaboration rather than a sports or military event focused on national competition? Who decides and what is the human sacrifice? There are compelling arguments for establishing science on the Moon as one of the primary goals for returning to the Moon and venturing beyond. A number of science endeavors will be summarized, beyond lunar and planetary science per se. These include fundamental physics experiments that are background-limited by the Earth's magnetic dipole moment and noise produced by its atmosphere and seismic interior. The Moon is an excellent platform for some forms of astronomy. Other candidate Moon-based experiments vary from neutrino and gravitational wave astronomy, particle astrophysics, and cosmic-ray calorimeters, to space physics and fundamental physics such as proton decay. The list goes on and includes placing humans in a hostile environment to study the long-term effects of space weather. The list is long, and even newer ideas will come from this COSPAR conference. However, whatever the list the issue of cooperation and binding collaboration remains. As observers of Moon and other space enterprises, we all know that a room full of 60 scientists will not agree on much of anything and there will probably be 60! pleas for more funding. People have special interests and little common sense (e.g., conflict between NSF- and NASA-funding roadmaps). Scientists are no exception. Nevertheless, CERN has done it on Earth! Can we do the same on the Moon? Some of the present generation of proposals for science from and on the Moon, plus new ones, will witness a place in space exploration's future. It is clear, however, that the world has not thought this through adequately, except for talk about an international space federation - whatever that is. An outpost on the Moon with humans permanently living there much like Antarctica on Earth may be in our future. However, such planning is our collective international responsibility and not that of special-interest investigators from individual nations - unless they intend to pay for it. [1] Mendell W. W. (1985) Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston. [2] Potter A. E. and Wilson T. L. (1990) Physics and Astrophysics from a Lunar Base, AIP Conf. Proc. 202, American Institute of Physics, New York. [3] Mumma M. J. and Smith H. J. (1990) Astrophysics from the Moon, AIP Conf. Proc. 207, American Institute of Physics, New York.

  3. Placentation in mammals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carter, A M; Enders, A C

    2016-01-01

    but may nevertheless allow transfer from mother to fetus through the exocelom. Hemophagous areas with columnar trophoblast are paraplacental structures in carnivores and elephants but occur also within the placenta as in hyenas and moles. In shrews, it is the yolk sac that ingests and processes red cells...

  4. Adults' implicit associations to infant positive and negative acoustic cues: Moderation by empathy and gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senese, Vincenzo Paolo; Venuti, Paola; Giordano, Francesca; Napolitano, Maria; Esposito, Gianluca; Bornstein, Marc H

    2017-09-01

    In this study a novel auditory version of the Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT-A) was developed to investigate (a) the valence of adults' associations to infant cries and laughs, (b) moderation of implicit associations by gender and empathy, and (c) the robustness of implicit associations controlling for auditory sensitivity. Eighty adults (50% females) were administered two SC-IAT-As, the Empathy Quotient, and the Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale. Adults showed positive implicit associations to infant laugh and negative ones to infant cry; only the implicit associations with the infant laugh were negatively related to empathy scores, and no gender differences were observed. Finally, implicit associations to infant cry were affected by noise sensitivity. The SC-IAT-A is useful to evaluate the valence of implicit reactions to infant auditory cues and could provide fresh insights into understanding processes that regulate the quality of adult-infant relationships.

  5. Exploring the ethical basis of animal treatment in Malawi

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    City councils in Malawi have often considered shooting animals, especially .... believed that a hyena's tail makes people fall into a deep slumber and facilitates the .... Observing such animals performing acts akin to human beings helps us to love ... of indirect duties a human being who kills a dog belonging to someone or.

  6. No Laughing Matter: Presence, Consumption Trends, Drug Awareness, and Perceptions of “Hippy Crack” (Nitrous Oxide among Young Adults in England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther M. Ehirim

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In clinical settings, nitrous oxide gas is a safe anesthetic used during childbirth, in dentistry, and to relieve anxiety in emergencies. Colloquially known as “hippy crack”’ or “laughing gas,” it is increasingly taken recreationally for its euphoric and relaxing effects and hallucinogenic properties. Using a self-reported survey, we gathered quantitative and qualitative information on users and non-users of hippy crack among a young population regarding: consumption patterns, knowledge, risk awareness and intentions toward future abuse. Quantitative responses from a total of 140 participants were analyzed for frequencies and relationships, whereas qualitative data were evaluated via identifying the reoccurring themes. Overall, 77.1% (n = 108 had heard of hippy crack and 27.9% (n = 39 admitted to past-year use. Prior users mostly indicated intended future use, had an average low number of past-year uses but some with > 20 occasions, had a varied number of inhalations per occasion (often 1–10 with an effect lasting up to 5 min, and a majority preferred social rather than lone use. For non-users, 79.2% said they would take hippy crack with the vast majority (94% preferring a social setting. The results show a concerning gap between available evidence and awareness of side effects. Despite serious reported side effects, including psychosis and myeloneuropathy—especially on the young developing brain—only a minority (29.3% was aware of any side effects. In contrast, in a hypothetical scenario depicting a first social encounter with hippy crack, the qualitative responses were in contrast to qualitative outcomes revealing that participants would try (n = 30/not try (n = 25 it, would feel under pressure to try it (n = 6 with only 11 opting to exit the situation. In summary, this first report of trends and perceptions of the use of hippy crack among young adults in the England highlights a lack of concern with

  7. Fatal attraction phenomenon in humans: cat odour attractiveness increased for toxoplasma-infected men while decreased for infected women.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroslav Flegr

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Latent toxoplasmosis, a lifelong infection with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, has cumulative effects on the behaviour of hosts, including humans. The most impressive effect of toxoplasmosis is the "fatal attraction phenomenon," the conversion of innate fear of cat odour into attraction to cat odour in infected rodents. While most behavioural effects of toxoplasmosis were confirmed also in humans, neither the fatal attraction phenomenon nor any toxoplasmosis-associated changes in olfactory functions have been searched for in them.Thirty-four Toxoplasma-infected and 134 noninfected students rated the odour of urine samples from cat, horse, tiger, brown hyena and dog for intensity and pleasantness. The raters were blind to their infection status and identity of the samples. No signs of changed sensitivity of olfaction were observed. However, we found a strong, gender dependent effect of toxoplasmosis on the pleasantness attributed to cat urine odour (p = 0.0025. Infected men rated this odour as more pleasant than did the noninfected men, while infected women rated the same odour as less pleasant than did noninfected women. Toxoplasmosis did not affect how subjects rated the pleasantness of any other animal species' urine odour; however, a non-significant trend in the same directions was observed for hyena urine.The absence of the effects of toxoplasmosis on the odour pleasantness score attributed to large cats would suggest that the amino acid felinine could be responsible for the fatal attraction phenomenon. Our results also raise the possibility that the odour-specific threshold deficits observed in schizophrenia patients could be caused by increased prevalence of Toxoplasma-infected subjects in this population rather than by schizophrenia itself. The trend observed with the hyena urine sample suggests that this carnivore, and other representatives of the Feliformia suborder, should be studied for their possible role as definitive hosts in

  8. Fear of the dark or dinner by moonlight? Reduced temporal partitioning among Africa's large carnivores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cozzi, Gabriele; Broekhuis, Femke; McNutt, John W; Turnbull, Lindsay A; Macdonald, David W; Schmid, Bernhard

    2012-12-01

    Africa is home to the last intact guild of large carnivores and thus provides the only opportunity to investigate mechanisms of coexistence among large predator species. Strong asymmetric dominance hierarchies typically characterize guilds of large carnivores; but despite this asymmetry, subdominant species may persist alongside their stronger counterparts through temporal partitioning of habitat and resources. In the African guild, the subdominant African wild dogs and cheetahs are routinely described as diurnal and crepuscular. These activity patterns have been interpreted to result from the need to avoid encounters with the stronger, nocturnal spotted hyenas and lions. However, the idea that diel activity patterns of carnivore species are strongly shaped by competition and predation has recently been challenged by new observations. In a three-year study in the Okavango Delta, we investigated daily activity patterns and temporal partitioning for wild dogs, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and lions by fitting radio collars that continuously recorded activity bursts, to a total of 25 individuals. Analysis of activity patterns throughout the 24-h cycle revealed an unexpectedly high degree of temporal overlap among the four species. This was mainly due to the extensive and previously undescribed nocturnal activity of wild dogs and cheetahs. Their nocturnal activity fluctuated with the lunar cycle, represented up to 40% of the diel activity budget and was primarily constrained by moonlight availability. In contrast, the nocturnal activity patterns of lions and hyenas were unaffected by moonlight and remained constant over the lunar cycle. Our results suggest that other ecological factors such as optimal hunting conditions have shaped the diel activity patterns of subdominant, large predators. We suggest that they are "starvation driven" and must exploit every opportunity to obtain a meal. The benefits of activity on moonlit nights therefore offset the risks of encountering

  9. Occurrence of Listeria species in different captive wild animals of Nandankanan Zoo, Baranga, Odisha, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.N. Sarangi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Listeria species were isolated from faecal samples collected from different captive wild animals of Nandankanan Zoo, Baranga, Odisha, using selective enrichment medium. The isolates were characterized based on their cell morphology, biochemical and sugar fermentation characteristics as well as culture morphology. Further, in vitro and in vivo pathogenicity tests were carried out to assess the pathogenic potential of the isolates. Listeria were found in 24 (23.07% of the total 104 faecal samples. Listeria were isolated from the samples of tiger, bear, hyena, leopard, zebra, elephant, jackal, lion, barking deer, porcupine, chital, monkey and wild boar. Out of the 24 Listeria isolates 11 were confirmed as L. monocytogenes. The other 13 isolates included L. innocua, L. seeligeri, L. welshimeri and L. ivanovii. The pathogenicity study revealed that only four isolates were pathogenic. Three of these were L. monocytogenes isolated from tiger, hyena and elephant and one was L. ivanovii isolated from leopard. Antibiotic sensitivity of the 24 isolates was high towards ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, azithromycin and enrofloxacin. The isolates showed resistance towards oxytetracyclin, gentamicin, cephadroxil, penicillin- G and nalidixic acid.

  10. «Nothing Better than Mirth and Hilarity»

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Williams, Abigail

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available It has been claimed that the eighteenth century invented happiness – or at least, began to entertain the notion that secular happiness could be expected as part of virtuous Christian life. Studies of the notion of happiness in this period have tended to focus on the philosophical dimensions of the concept. This essay offers a different perspective, by considering jest book culture and the idea of mirth through reading. It had long been argued that melancholy could be driven away by sociable jollity, and the eighteenth century sees the development of this literary tradition, in a glut of publications designed to ‘purge melancholy’ and drive away care. Yet, as this article will demonstrate, the idea of becoming happy through laughing together was a complex one, necessitating a balance between laughing with and laughing at others. We can also see the way in which jovial sociability complicated ideas of contentment through retirement. 

  11. Malaria Epidemics in Dembia, Northwest Ethiopia 1952 – 1953

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    unhcc

    result, dead bodies were reportedly devoured by dogs and wild animals. That was particularly the case when domestic servants died. They were left in the open field to be eaten by vultures, dogs, and hyenas. Some of the lucky ones were .... had fever and enormous swelling of the spleen and nearly all of them had serious ...

  12. Laughing rats are optimistic.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafal Rygula

    Full Text Available Emotions can bias human decisions- for example depressed or anxious people tend to make pessimistic judgements while those in positive affective states are often more optimistic. Several studies have reported that affect contingent judgement biases can also be produced in animals. The animals, however, cannot self-report; therefore, the valence of their emotions, to date, could only be assumed. Here we present the results of an experiment where the affect-contingent judgement bias has been produced by objectively measured positive emotions. We trained rats in operant Skinner boxes to press one lever in response to one tone to receive a food reward and to press another lever in response to a different tone to avoid punishment by electric foot shock. After attaining a stable level of discrimination performance, the animals were subjected to either handling or playful, experimenter-administered manual stimulation - tickling. This procedure has been confirmed to induce a positive affective state in rats, and the 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalisations (rat laughter emitted by animals in response to tickling have been postulated to index positive emotions akin to human joy. During the tickling and handling sessions, the numbers of emitted high-frequency 50-kHz calls were scored. Immediately after tickling or handling, the animals were tested for their responses to a tone of intermediate frequency, and the pattern of their responses to this ambiguous cue was taken as an indicator of the animals' optimism. Our findings indicate that tickling induced positive emotions which are directly indexed in rats by laughter, can make animals more optimistic. We demonstrate for the first time a link between the directly measured positive affective state and decision making under uncertainty in an animal model. We also introduce innovative tandem-approach for studying emotional-cognitive interplay in animals, which may be of great value for understanding the emotional-cognitive changes associated with mood disorders.

  13. Condoms No Laughing Matter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Jiwa

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available This multimedia project was as a beer commercial, a lad’snight in, an environment that can be used to target therelevant audience. The goal was to deploy a familiaratmosphere and recognisable characters whilst delivering aserious message with humour in a very short space of time.

  14. Laughing All the Way.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young Children, 1988

    1988-01-01

    Points out that a key to discipline is the developing of a fun-filled friendship between adults and children in the child care environment. Suggests that "me vs. you" situations can be avoided by distracting the child with something interesting and fun, such as directions given in the form of a jingle or song. (RWB)

  15. Having The Last Laugh

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aggerholm, Kenneth; Ronglan, Lars Tore

    2012-01-01

    This paper provides an existential analysis of humour as a social virtue in invasion games at the elite sport level. The main argument is that humour in this particular context can be valuable both in the competitive social training environment and in game performance. This is investigated through...... philosophical and psychological conceptualisations of humour that are used to reveal and analyse the appearance and possible value of a humorous approach in various social situations experienced during invasion games and the associated training situations. It is concluded that humour can help balance...... and structure the social training environment as well as facilitate creative game performance. On this basis it is suggested that the existential perspectives on humour presented could make a fruitful contribution to talent development in the domain of invasion games....

  16. Mobile inspection and repackaging unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitney, G.A.; Roberts, R.J.

    1992-12-01

    Storage of large volumes of radioactive mixed waste (RMW) and transuranic waste generated over the past 20 years at the Hanford Site has resulted in various waste management challenges. Presently disposal capacity for this waste type does not exist. The waste wail be stored until processing facilities can be completed to provide treatment and final disposed. Because of the complexity of these wastes, special projects have been initiated to properly manage them. This paper addresses one such project. The goal of this project is to develop a mobile solid waste inspection and repackaging facility for solid RMW and transuranic waste

  17. The influence of cultural practices on the HIV and AIDS pandemic in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2010-07-08

    Jul 8, 2010 ... parents of the child agree, then that couple should invite this particular child to ... Breugel mentions that on the last day the girl's head is shaven. (Moyo 2001). ... hyena], because he comes secretly and he is given money by the girl's ... a taboo for a woman to do so in either traditional or modern society in ...

  18. Methane emission from naturally ventilated livestock buildings can be determined from gas concentration measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerg, B; Zhang, Guoqiang; Madsen, J

    2012-01-01

    Determination of emission of contaminant gases as ammonia, methane, or laughing gas from natural ventilated livestock buildings with large opening is a challenge due to the large variations in gas concentration and air velocity in the openings. The close relation between calculated animal heat pr...... to investigate the influence of feed composition on methane emission in a relative large number of operating cattle buildings and consequently it can support a development towards reduced greenhouse gas emission from cattle production.......Determination of emission of contaminant gases as ammonia, methane, or laughing gas from natural ventilated livestock buildings with large opening is a challenge due to the large variations in gas concentration and air velocity in the openings. The close relation between calculated animal heat...... ventilated, 150 milking cow building. The results showed that the methane emission can be determined with much higher precision than ammonia or laughing gas emissions, and, for methane, relatively precise estimations can be based on measure periods as short as 3 h. This result makes it feasible...

  19. Validation of laughter for diagnosis and evaluation of depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro, J; del Moral, R; Alonso, M F; Loste, P; Garcia-Campayo, J; Lahoz-Beltra, R; Marijuán, P C

    2014-05-01

    In the medical field, laughter has been studied for its beneficial effects on health and as a therapeutic method to prevent and treat major medical diseases. However, very few works, if any, have explored the predictive potential of laughter and its potential use as a diagnostic tool. We registered laughs of depressed patients (n=30) and healthy controls (n=20), in total 934 laughs (517 from patients and 417 from controls). All patients were tested by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The processing was made in Matlab, with calculation of 8 variables per laugh plosive. General and discriminant analysis distinguished patients, controls, gender, and the association between laughter and HDRS test. Depressed patients and healthy controls differed significantly on the type of laughter, with 88% efficacy. According to the Hamilton scale, 85.47% of the samples were correctly classified in males, and 66.17% in women, suggesting a tight relationship between laughter and the depressed condition. (i) The compilation of humorous videos created to evoke laughter implied quite variable chances of laughter production. (ii) Some laughing subjects might not feel comfortable when recording. (iii) Evaluation of laughter episodes depended on personal inspection of the records. (iv) Sample size was relatively small and may not be representative of the general population afflicted by depression. Laughter may be applied as a diagnostic tool in the onset and evolution of depression and, potentially, of neuropsychiatric pathologies. The sound structures of laughter reveal the underlying emotional and mood states in interpersonal relationships. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Advanced materials: The key to attractive magnetic fusion power reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bloom, E.E.

    1992-01-01

    Fusion is one of the most attractive central station power sources from the viewpoint of potential safety and environmental impact characteristics. Studies also indicate that fusion can be economically competitive with other options such as fission reactors and fossil-fired power stations. However, to achieve this triad of characteristics we must develop advanced materials with properties tailored for performance in the various fusion reactor systems. This paper discusses the desired characteristics of materials and the status of materials technology in four critical areas: (1) structural material for the first wail and blanket (FWB), (2) plasma-facing materials, (3) materials for superconducting magnets, and (4) ceramics for electrical and structural applications

  1. Assessing Dispositions Toward Ridicule and Laughter in the Workplace: Adapting and Validating the PhoPhiKat-9 Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Hofmann

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The current paper addresses the measurement of three dispositions toward ridicule and laughter; i.e., gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at, gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at, and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others. These traits explain inter-individual differences in responses to humor, laughter, and social situations related to humorous encounters. First, an ultra-short form of the PhoPhiKat-45 (Ruch and Proyer, 2009 was adapted in two independent samples (Construction Sample N = 157; Replication Sample N = 1,774. Second, we tested the validity of the PhoPhiKat-9 in two further independent samples. Results showed that the psychometric properties of the ultra-short form were acceptable and the proposed factor structure could be replicated. In Validation Sample 1 (N = 246, we investigated the relation of the three traits to responses in a ridicule and teasing scenario questionnaire. The results replicated findings from earlier studies by showing that gelotophobes assigned the same emotions to friendly teasing and malicious ridicule (predominantly low joy, high fear, and shame. Gelotophilia was mainly predicted by relating joy to both, teasing and ridicule scenarios, while katagelasticism was predicted by assigning joy and contempt to ridicule scenarios. In Validation Sample 2 (N = 1,248, we investigated whether the fear of being laughed at is a vulnerability at the workplace: If friendly teasing and laughter of co-workers, superiors, or customers are misperceived as being malicious, individuals may feel less satisfied and more stressed. The results from a representative sample of Swiss employees showed that individuals with a fear of being laughed at are generally less satisfied with life and work and experience more work stress. Moreover, gelotophilia went along with positive evaluations of one's life and work, while katagelasticism was negatively related to work satisfaction and positively related to work stress. In

  2. Large Scale Visual Recognition

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    Miniature pinscher Figure 2.5: Visualization of the mammal hierarchy. 23 900 1000 1100 elephant okapi panda platypus Caltech101 Lossless JPG size in...limousine taxi Flat Ours Golden Retriever dog Chihuahua dog Husky domes c animal canine English Se er hyena canine polar bear carnivore...snow leopard feline o er living thing conch en y wheelbarrow carnivore orangutan mammal meerkat mammal carnivore polar bear lynx lion Flat

  3. Lions as Bone Accumulators? Paleontological and Ecological Implications of a Modern Bone Assemblage from Olduvai Gorge.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mari Carmen Arriaza

    Full Text Available Analytic models have been developed to reconstruct early hominin behaviour, especially their subsistence patterns, revealed mainly through taphonomic analyses of archaeofaunal assemblages. Taphonomic research is used to discern which agents (carnivores, humans or both generate the bone assemblages recovered at archaeological sites. Taphonomic frameworks developed during the last decades show that the only large-sized carnivores in African biomes able to create bone assemblages are leopards and hyenas. A carnivore-made bone assemblage located in the short-grassland ecological unit of the Serengeti (within Olduvai Gorge was studied. Taphonomic analyses of this assemblage including skeletal part representation, bone density, breakage patterns and anatomical distribution of tooth marks, along with an ecological approach to the prey selection made by large carnivores of the Serengeti, were carried out. The results show that this bone assemblage may be the first lion-accumulated assemblage documented, although other carnivores (namely spotted hyenas may have also intervened through postdepositional ravaging. This first faunal assemblage potentially created by lions constitutes a new framework for neotaphonomic studies. Since lions may accumulate carcasses under exceptional circumstances, such as those documented at the site reported here, this finding may have important consequences for interpretations of early archaeological and paleontological sites, which provide key information about human evolution.

  4. Lions as Bone Accumulators? Paleontological and Ecological Implications of a Modern Bone Assemblage from Olduvai Gorge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arriaza, Mari Carmen; Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Yravedra, José; Baquedano, Enrique

    2016-01-01

    Analytic models have been developed to reconstruct early hominin behaviour, especially their subsistence patterns, revealed mainly through taphonomic analyses of archaeofaunal assemblages. Taphonomic research is used to discern which agents (carnivores, humans or both) generate the bone assemblages recovered at archaeological sites. Taphonomic frameworks developed during the last decades show that the only large-sized carnivores in African biomes able to create bone assemblages are leopards and hyenas. A carnivore-made bone assemblage located in the short-grassland ecological unit of the Serengeti (within Olduvai Gorge) was studied. Taphonomic analyses of this assemblage including skeletal part representation, bone density, breakage patterns and anatomical distribution of tooth marks, along with an ecological approach to the prey selection made by large carnivores of the Serengeti, were carried out. The results show that this bone assemblage may be the first lion-accumulated assemblage documented, although other carnivores (namely spotted hyenas) may have also intervened through postdepositional ravaging. This first faunal assemblage potentially created by lions constitutes a new framework for neotaphonomic studies. Since lions may accumulate carcasses under exceptional circumstances, such as those documented at the site reported here, this finding may have important consequences for interpretations of early archaeological and paleontological sites, which provide key information about human evolution.

  5. Feliform carnivores have a distinguished constitutive innate immune response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja K. Heinrich

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Determining the immunological phenotype of endangered and threatened populations is important to identify those vulnerable to novel pathogens. Among mammals, members of the order Carnivora are particularly threatened by diseases. We therefore examined the constitutive innate immune system, the first line of protection against invading microbes, of six free-ranging carnivore species; the black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas, the brown hyena (Hyena brunnea, the caracal (Caracal caracal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus, the leopard (Panthera pardus and the lion (Panthera leo using a bacterial killing assay. The differences in immune responses amongst the six species were independent of their foraging behaviour, body mass or social organisation but reflected their phylogenetic relatedness. The bacterial killing capacity of black-backed jackals, a member of the suborder Caniformia, followed the pattern established for a wide variety of vertebrates. In contrast, the five representatives of the suborder Feliformia demonstrated a killing capacity at least an order of magnitude higher than any species reported previously, with a particularly high capacity in caracals and cheetahs. Our results suggest that the immunocompetence of threatened felids such as the cheetah has been underestimated and its assessment ought to consider both innate and adaptive components of the immune system.

  6. Lions as Bone Accumulators? Paleontological and Ecological Implications of a Modern Bone Assemblage from Olduvai Gorge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arriaza, Mari Carmen; Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Yravedra, José; Baquedano, Enrique

    2016-01-01

    Analytic models have been developed to reconstruct early hominin behaviour, especially their subsistence patterns, revealed mainly through taphonomic analyses of archaeofaunal assemblages. Taphonomic research is used to discern which agents (carnivores, humans or both) generate the bone assemblages recovered at archaeological sites. Taphonomic frameworks developed during the last decades show that the only large-sized carnivores in African biomes able to create bone assemblages are leopards and hyenas. A carnivore-made bone assemblage located in the short-grassland ecological unit of the Serengeti (within Olduvai Gorge) was studied. Taphonomic analyses of this assemblage including skeletal part representation, bone density, breakage patterns and anatomical distribution of tooth marks, along with an ecological approach to the prey selection made by large carnivores of the Serengeti, were carried out. The results show that this bone assemblage may be the first lion-accumulated assemblage documented, although other carnivores (namely spotted hyenas) may have also intervened through postdepositional ravaging. This first faunal assemblage potentially created by lions constitutes a new framework for neotaphonomic studies. Since lions may accumulate carcasses under exceptional circumstances, such as those documented at the site reported here, this finding may have important consequences for interpretations of early archaeological and paleontological sites, which provide key information about human evolution. PMID:27144649

  7. Science Is A Laughing Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissman, P. R.

    2017-12-01

    Humor can be a powerful tool in communicating science to a professional or lay audience. Humor relaxes the audience and encourages them to pay better attention, lest they miss the next funny comment or slide (and be sure that you provide it for them). Humor sends the message that the speaker is so confident in his/her material that the speaker can joke about it; this tends to deter spurious or trivial questions after the talk. But humor is not for the faint of heart. It requires planning, practice, and especially, good timing. Good humorists are always on the lookout for new material that they can use in a talk, be it a funny image, a cartoon, or a quip from a movie or from a professional comedian. But the humorist must also be a strict self-censor. Politically incorrect material can be extremely dangerous and can backfire on the speaker. Don't ever use material that insults some faction in the audience, even if that faction is not present at the moment or too stupid to notice. Don't include so much humor that the science in your talk gets lost in the laughter. Lastly, speakers who are not funny, should never attempt humor. There is nothing so damaging to a talk as poor humor that falls flat on its face. But if you have a good sense of humor, go for it. Life should be fun and so should science.

  8. Antinuclear laugh, but ecologists cry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nifenecker, H.

    2002-01-01

    Facing the decision of the German Government, of renounce the nuclear before 2001 and replace by fossil energy, the author compares the nuclear disadvantages and those of the fossil fuels, producers of greenhouse gases. (A.L.B.)

  9. Neural correlates of the affective properties of spontaneous and volitional laughter types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavan, Nadine; Rankin, Georgia; Lorking, Nicole; Scott, Sophie; McGettigan, Carolyn

    2017-01-27

    Previous investigations of vocal expressions of emotion have identified acoustic and perceptual distinctions between expressions of different emotion categories, and between spontaneous and volitional (or acted) variants of a given category. Recent work on laughter has identified relationships between acoustic properties of laughs and their perceived affective properties (arousal and valence) that are similar across spontaneous and volitional types (Bryant & Aktipis, 2014; Lavan et al., 2016). In the current study, we explored the neural correlates of such relationships by measuring modulations of the BOLD response in the presence of itemwise variability in the subjective affective properties of spontaneous and volitional laughter. Across all laughs, and within spontaneous and volitional sets, we consistently observed linear increases in the response of bilateral auditory cortices (including Heschl's gyrus and superior temporal gyrus [STG]) associated with higher ratings of perceived arousal, valence and authenticity. Areas in the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) showed negative linear correlations with valence and authenticity ratings across the full set of spontaneous and volitional laughs; in line with previous research (McGettigan et al., 2015; Szameitat et al., 2010), we suggest that this reflects increased engagement of these regions in response to laughter of greater social ambiguity. Strikingly, an investigation of higher-order relationships between the entire laughter set and the neural response revealed a positive quadratic profile of the BOLD response in right-dominant STG (extending onto the dorsal bank of the STS), where this region responded most strongly to laughs rated at the extremes of the authenticity scale. While previous studies claimed a role for right STG in bipolar representation of emotional valence, we instead argue that this may in fact exhibit a relatively categorical response to emotional signals, whether positive or negative

  10. « Weegee… The Famous »

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frédéric Perrier

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available For the pictures in this book (Naked City I was on the scene ;sometimes drawn there by some power I can’t explain,and I caught the New Yorkers withtheir masks off… not afraid to Laugh, Cry, or make love.What I felt I photographed, laughing and crying with them.Des panneaux 4 par 3 sur la ligne 12 du métro parisien affichent un cow-boy avachi sur la banquette d’un restaurant (« Cow-Boy fatigué dans les années 1940 » et indiquent aux voyageurs pressés : « Weegee — Musée Maillol — Dans la coll...

  11. Maternal Dispositional Empathy and Electrodermal Reactivity: Interactive Contributions to Maternal Sensitivity with Toddler-Aged Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emery, Helen T.; McElwain, Nancy L.; Groh, Ashley M.; Haydon, Katherine C.; Roisman, Glenn I.

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigated maternal dispositional empathy and skin conductance level (SCL) reactivity to infant emotional cues as joint predictors of maternal sensitivity. Sixty-four mother-toddler dyads (31 boys) were observed across a series of interaction tasks during a laboratory visit, and maternal sensitivity was coded from approximately 55 minutes of observation per family. In a second, mother-only laboratory visit, maternal SCL reactivity to infant cues was assessed using a cry-laugh audio paradigm. Mothers reported on their dispositional empathy via a questionnaire. As hypothesized, mothers with greater dispositional empathy exhibited more sensitive behavior at low, but not high, levels of SCL reactivity to infant cues. Analyses examining self-reported emotional reactivity to the cry-laugh audio paradigm yielded a similar finding: dispositional empathy was related to greater sensitivity when mothers reported low, but not high, negative emotional reactivity. Results provide support for Dix’s (1991) affective model of parenting that underscores the combined contribution of the parent’s empathic tendencies and his/her own emotional experience in response to child emotions. Specificity of the Empathy × Reactivity interaction is discussed with respect to the context in which reactivity was assessed (infant cry versus laugh) and the type of sensitivity examined (sensitivity to the child’s distress versus non-distress). PMID:24955589

  12. The impact of a pathogenic bacterium on a social carnivore population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höner, Oliver P; Wachter, Bettina; Goller, Katja V; Hofer, Heribert; Runyoro, Victor; Thierer, Dagmar; Fyumagwa, Robert D; Müller, Thomas; East, Marion L

    2012-01-01

    1. The long-term ecological impact of pathogens on group-living, large mammal populations is largely unknown. We evaluated the impact of a pathogenic bacterium, Streptococcus equi ruminatorum, and other key ecological factors on the dynamics of the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta population in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. 2. We compared key demographic parameters during two years when external signs of bacterial infection were prevalent ('outbreak') and periods of five years before and after the outbreak when such signs were absent or rare. We also tested for density dependence and calculated the basic reproductive rate R(0) of the bacterium. 3. During the five pre-outbreak years, the mean annual hyena mortality rate was 0.088, and annual population growth was relatively high (13.6%). During the outbreak, mortality increased by 78% to a rate of 0.156, resulting in an annual population decline of 4.3%. After the outbreak, population size increased moderately (5.1%) during the first three post-outbreak years before resuming a growth similar to pre-outbreak levels (13.9%). We found no evidence that these demographic changes were driven by density dependence or other ecological factors. 4. Most hyenas showed signs of infection when prey abundance in their territory was low. During the outbreak, mortality increased among adult males and yearlings, but not among adult females - the socially dominant group members. These results suggest that infection and mortality were modulated by factors linked to low social status and poor nutrition. During the outbreak, we estimated R(0) for the bacterium to be 2.7, indicating relatively fast transmission. 5. Our results suggest that the short-term 'top-down' impact of S. equi ruminatorum during the outbreak was driven by 'bottom-up' effects on nutritionally disadvantaged age-sex classes, whereas the longer-term post-outbreak reduction in population growth was caused by poor survival of juveniles during the outbreak and subsequent

  13. Putting Laughter in Context: Shared Laughter as Behavioral Indicator of Relationship Well-Being

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurtz, Laura E.; Algoe, Sara B.

    2015-01-01

    Laughter is a pervasive human behavior that most frequently happens in a social context. However, data linking the behavior of laughter with psychological or social outcomes is exceptionally rare. Here, we draw attention to shared laughter as a useful objective marker of relationship well-being. Spontaneously-generated laughs of 71 heterosexual romantic couples were coded from a videorecorded conversation about how the couple first met. Multilevel models revealed that, while controlling for all other laughter present, the proportion of the conversation spent laughing simultaneously with the romantic partner was uniquely positively associated with global evaluations of relationship quality, closeness, and social support. Results are discussed with respect to methodological considerations and theoretical implications for relationships and behavioral research more broadly. PMID:26957946

  14. Therapeutic Approach of a High Functioning Individual With Traumatic Brain Injury and Subsequent Emotional Volatility With Features of Pathological Laughter and Crying With Dextromethorphan/Quinidine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Baran, Dynela; Johnson, Thomas M; Wagner, Joyce; Shen, Joann; Geers, Michelle

    2016-03-01

    Pathological laughing and crying, or pseudobulbar affect (PBA), has been described in patients with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) since the 19th century (Schiffer 2005). The syndrome is characterized by inappropriate episodes of laughing or crying after minor stimuli. It was first coined a disinhibition of cortical control by Kinnier Wilson in 1924. It was observed in brain disease and seen with mild TBI. It can impair social and occupational function and is largely underrecognized in clinical settings. PBA is usually treated with antidepressants and dopaminergic agents. In this case we treated a military recruit with TBI with Nuedexta-a dextromethorphan/Quinidine derivative with a subsequent decrease in his episodes.

  15. Chemical characterization of milk oligosaccharides of an African lion (Panthera leo) and a clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senda, Akitsugu; Hatakeyama, Emi; Kobayashi, Rui; Fukuda, Kenji; Uemura, Yusuke; Saito, Tadao; Packer, Craig; Oftedal, Olav T; Urashima, Tadasu

    2010-12-01

    The Carnivora include the superfamilies Canoidea and Feloidea. In species of Canoidea other than the domestic dog, Canis lupus, the milk contains only traces of lactose and much larger concentrations of oligosaccharides. In this study, lactose was found to be the dominant saccharide in the milk or colostrum of two species of Feloidea, namely the African lion (Panthera leo) and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). In addition to lactose, the following oligosaccharides were characterized in the milk of a lion; Neu5Gc(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (3'-NGc-SL), Fuc(α1-2)Gal(β1-4)Glc (2'-fucosyllactose) and GalNAc(α1-3)[Fuc(α1-2)]Gal(β1-4)Glc (A-tetrasaccharide). The colostrum of a clouded leopard contained 3'-NGc-SL, Gal(α1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (isoglobotriose) and A-tetrasaccharide. These oligosaccharides differ in some respects from those previously identified in another species of Feloidea, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). These milks contained 3'-NGc-SL and A-tetrasaccharide, while spotted hyena colostrum did not; however, it contained Neu5Ac(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (3'-NAc-SL) and Gal(α1-3)[Fuc(α1-2)]Gal(β1-4)Glc (B-tetrasaccharide). © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  16. Senses and Your 1- to 3-Month-Old

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... may startle at the unexpected bark of a dog nearby or seem soothed by the gentle whirring ... siblings laughing and playing. Baby rattles and musical mobiles and toys are other good ways to stimulate ...

  17. Treating Asthma in Children under 5

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... laughing Gastrointestinal reflux Changes or extremes in weather Asthma emergencies Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening ... Changes in activity levels or sleep patterns Control asthma triggers Depending on the triggers for your child's ...

  18. From Corpus to Dictionary: A Hybrid Prescriptive, Descriptive and Proscriptive Undertaking Okulondoola engeli Eitu ly'Olusoga bwe Linaatuusibwa mu Iwanika: Omutindo ogulaga Olulimi bwe luli, bwe luteekwa okuba oba bwe lube lutwalibwe.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minah Nabirye

    2012-01-01

    :

    Obufunze: Empandiika y'Olusoga ekaali inhuma inho waile nga waliwooku obubonelo obulaga enkola y'obuzila mu kugizimba. Olusoga lukaawagamiile wansi w'ennimi nga Oluganda n'olulimi olw'eiwanga, Olungeleza. Ensonga endala ku dhikaalemeisa Olusoga okwetengelela n'okuba nti lulina ebigambo ebilwingila buli olukeile. Eky'embi, enkyukakyuka ebigambo bino ebiyaaka by'eleetawo eli kwidha mu kiseela nga Olusoga lwene lukaali kufunilwaku mpandiika ntongole. Waile walifu dh'Olusoga buti dhiliwo kamaala, wazila ndala ku dho eli kugobelelwa mu kuwandiika kubanga abantu bakaawandiika nga bwe babona. Ebiwandiiko ebili ku Lusoga oba mu lulimi Olusoga byetaagibwa okulaga Olusoga bwe lulina okuba ela n'ebilina okwebuuzibwaku. Eibula ly'ebiwandiiko oti ni bino litegeeza nti omunoonheleza alina okwefunila entambi dh'Olusoga olwogelwa ela yeewanulila Olusoga oluli mu ntambi edho okusobola okutegeela engeli olulimi olwo bwe luli mu kiseela ekyo. Kino kileeseewo obuzibu obundi nti Olusoga olwogelwa tilutongoze ate lulimu emigote kamaala egyandibaile gilondoolwa okusinziila ku mutindo omusengeke singa lubailem mu buwandiike. Ekika ky'Olusoga oluli mu mbeela eyogelwa kya ndhawulo ku kili mu mbeela y'obuwandiike. Okuwanula Olusoga okuva mu ntambi kw'aba nti kugiililiile kwagayaga na kunoga kibala kikaali kwenga bukalamu. Aye engeli ye kili nti Olusoga lulina aboogezi abaswika mu bukaile obubili, abanoonheleza ku Lusoga baalisaine kutandiika li? Olupapula luno lulambulula enzimba y'eitu ly'Olusoga nga ekitundutundu ky'eitu lino kiviile mu Lusoga olwawanulwa okuva mu mbeela eyogelwa. Obuzibu obwayagaanibwa mu mpandiika y'ebigambo ebyawanulwa n'obusimbiibwaku eisila. Okulaga engeli y'okuzigula obuzibu bw'empandiika mu isomo ly'amawanika kwetaagisa enkola eteekubila inho ku nsonga ndala aye enoonheleza engeli esinga kugasa omutendela gw'obuzibu obulondoolebwa. Waile nga obuzibu obundi busobola okugondhoolwa okugiila ku mutendela oguteebwawo, gwalaga olulimi nga bwe luteekwa okuba, obuzibu

  19. The birth and survival of wildebeest calves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estes, R D; Estes, R K

    1979-05-01

    This paper describes social organization, parturition, post partum behavior of wildebeest mothers and offspring, and calf predation during the annual birth peak in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. The wildebeest's "follower-calf" system, unique among the Bovidae, is remarkably effective in protecting neonates. Even during hte one-month peak, the major predator on calves, the spotted hyena, is unable to feed to satiation. Calf survival is consistently high, despite large fluctuations in the numbers of wildebeest, with consequent effects on the size of the yearly calf crop.

  20. How Alzheimer's Changes the Brain

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Aug ... you don't laugh you'll cry. - Duration: 1:36. Painting To Remember 1,283,161 views ...

  1. Laughter and MIRTH (Methodical Investigation of Risibility, Therapeutic and Harmful): narrative synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferner, R E; Aronson, J K

    2013-12-12

    To review the beneficial and harmful effects of laughter. Narrative synthesis. We searched Medline (1946 to June 2013) and Embase (1974 to June 2013) for reports of benefits or harms from laughter in humans, and counted the number of papers in each category. Benefits of laughter include reduced anger, anxiety, depression, and stress; reduced tension (psychological and cardiovascular); increased pain threshold; reduced risk of myocardial infarction (presumably requiring hearty laughter); improved lung function; increased energy expenditure; and reduced blood glucose concentration. However, laughter is no joke-dangers include syncope, cardiac and oesophageal rupture, and protrusion of abdominal hernias (from side splitting laughter or laughing fit to burst), asthma attacks, interlobular emphysema, cataplexy, headaches, jaw dislocation, and stress incontinence (from laughing like a drain). Infectious laughter can disseminate real infection, which is potentially preventable by laughing up your sleeve. As a side effect of our search for side effects, we also list pathological causes of laughter, among them epilepsy (gelastic seizures), cerebral tumours, Angelman's syndrome, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or motor neuron disease. Laughter is not purely beneficial. The harms it can cause are immediate and dose related, the risks being highest for Homeric (uncontrollable) laughter. The benefit-harm balance is probably favourable. It remains to be seen whether sick jokes make you ill or jokes in bad taste cause dysgeusia, and whether our views on comedians stand up to further scrutiny.

  2. How front-line healthcare workers respond to stock-outs of essential ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    care.[14-19]. While the National Department of Health is committed to ... 1 AIDS and Society Research Unit, Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, ... clinic manager laughed when asked if her facility had a pharmacist.

  3. Reading Aloud.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giorgis, Cyndi; Johnson, Nancy J.

    1999-01-01

    Offers brief descriptions of 34 children's books that are excellent for reading aloud: some of them for inviting interaction, for laughing out loud, for prompting discussion, for living vicariously, for lingering over language, and for making curricular connections. (SR)

  4. The influence of vegetation structure on bird communities in a Karoo ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The commonest species nesting in gardens during this study was the Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus), followed by the Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis), and Greater Striped Swallow (Hirundo cucullata). Bar-throated Apalis (Apalis thoracica), Namaqua Warbler (Phragmacia substriata), Fiscal Flycatcher ...

  5. Memories as religion: What can the broken continuity of tradition ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2015-06-09

    Jun 9, 2015 ... Read online: Scan this QR ... to read online. Introduction ... for example, by social media, music or sport. ... of calling up its integral store of remembrances. ...... across the hills and the faces of our friends laugh upon us with ...

  6. Double dissociation between implicit and explicit affiliative motives : A closer look at socializing behavior in dyadic interactions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hagemeyer, Birk; Dufner, Michael; Denissen, J.J.A.

    2016-01-01

    In the present research, we followed two objectives. First, we aimed to replicate the classic finding by McAdams, Jackson, and Kirshnit (1984) that strong implicit affiliative motives predict high levels of nonverbal socializing behavior (eye contact, laughing, smiling) in dyadic interactions with

  7. Angelman syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... parents may notice a delay in their child's development, such as not crawling or starting to talk. Children between 2 and 5 years of age start to show symptoms such as jerky walking, happy personality, laughing often, no speech, and intellectual problems.

  8. The Two Most Powerful Weapons against Doublespeak.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kehl, D. G.

    1988-01-01

    Discusses the relationship between doublespeak and humor in the works of George Orwell, W.H. Auden, Doris Lessing, and others. Suggests that one of the most effective responses to doublespeak is humor, a response which acknowledges doublespeak's incongruities and laughs at them. (ARH)

  9. "The New England Way": Teaching over the Stereotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Robert A.

    1993-01-01

    Maintains that most history teachers perpetuate the stereotype of the Puritans of colonial history as a dour, austere, intolerant group. Contends that recent historiography indicates that the Puritans laughed, treated Native Americans and African Americans with respect, and enjoyed music and other cultural pleasures. (CFR)

  10. Convergence of laughter in conversational speech: effects of quantity, temporal alignment and imitation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trouvain, Jürgen; Truong, Khiet Phuong

    A crucial feature of spoken interaction is joint activity at various linguistic and phonetic levels that requires fine-tuned coordination. This study gives a brief overview on how laughing in conversational speech can be phonetically analysed as partner-specific adaptation and joint vocal action.

  11. Clinical research on abdominal acupuncture plus conventional acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meng, Chang-rong; Fan, Li; Fu, Wen-bin

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To probe the therapeutic effect of abdominal acupuncture plus conventional acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: PEMS3.1 software was used. The 105 patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into an abdominal acupuncture group, a conventional acupuncture group...... and a combined group (abdominal acupuncture plus conventional acupuncture). For the abdominal acupuncture group, the abdominal acupuncture was performed at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Wailing (ST 26), Daheng (SP 15), Lower Rheumatism point and Qipang with needles retained for 30 minutes....... For the conventional acupuncture group, the acupuncture was practiced at Neixiyan (EX-LE4) and Dubi (ST 35) of the affected limb, Yanglingquan (GB 34), Liangqiu (ST 34), Xuehai (SP 10) and Xiyangguan (GB 33). For the combined group, both methods were applied. Treatment was given once a day, 6 times a week, for 4 weeks...

  12. Decision-Level Fusion for Audio-Visual Laughter Detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reuderink, B.; Poel, Mannes; Truong, Khiet Phuong; Poppe, Ronald Walter; Pantic, Maja; Popescu-Belis, Andrei; Stiefelhagen, Rainer

    Laughter is a highly variable signal, which can be caused by a spectrum of emotions. This makes the automatic detection of laugh- ter a challenging, but interesting task. We perform automatic laughter detection using audio-visual data from the AMI Meeting Corpus. Audio- visual laughter detection is

  13. Familiarisation et dé-familiarisation : la figure de l’« étranger » dans la comédie indo-britannique Familiarisation and De-Familiarisation: The Figure of the “Foreigner” in British-Asian Comedy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amandine Ducray

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Though considered as a popular form of light entertainment, could not comedyalso be a means of “correcting customs by laughing at them” (castigat ridendomores? This article, which focuses on three British-Asian comedies – East is East (Damien O’Donnell, 1999; screenplay by Ayub Khan Din, Bend It Like Beckham (Gurinder Chadha, 2002 and Bride and Prejudice (Gurinder Chadha, 2004 – aims, through a comparative analysis, at highlighting common discursive and iconographic trategies. Meant to make the audience laugh, these films nevertheless try to changeboth the representation and perception of British-Asian ethnic minorities as well as hose of so-called “indigenous” Britons themselves. By giving an ethnic dimension to he notions of “familiarisation” and “de-familiarisation” – essential to comedy at large– the three directors thus seem to have encouraged the emergence of mainstream BritishAsian cinema in Britain, whilst celebrating, through comedy, some fusion of identitiesbetween the “Other” and the “Self”.

  14. Social Facilitation of Laughter and Smiles in Preschool Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caspar Addyman

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Surprisingly little is known about the social dimensions of laughter in preschool children. We studied children’s responses to amusing video clips in the presence or absence of peers. The sample consisted of 9 boys and 11 girls aged 31–49 months (M 39.8, SD 4.2 who watched three cartoons under three different conditions: individually, in pairs, or in groups of 6 or 8. The social viewing conditions showed significantly higher numbers of laughs and smiles than the individual viewing condition. On average children laughed eight times as much in company as on their own and smiled almost three times as much. No differences were found between pairs and groups, and no association was found between subjective funniness ratings and group size. This suggests that the presence of even a single social partner can change behavior in response to humorous material. It supports the idea that laughter and smiles are primarily flexible social signals rather than reflexive responses to humor.

  15. Laughter and Subjective Health Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Kei; Kawachi, Ichiro; Ohira, Tetsuya; Kondo, Katsunori; Shirai, Kokoro; Kondo, Naoki

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of laughter with subjective health independent of socioeconomic status and social participation among older people in Japan. We used the data of 26,368 individuals (men, 12,174; women, 14,194) 65 years or older who participated in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) in 2013. Participants provided information on laughter and self-rated health, depression, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors. We evaluated laughter from three perspectives: frequency, opportunities, and interpersonal interactions. Even after adjustment for depression, sociodemographic factors, and social participation, the prevalence ratio for poor subjective health among women who never or almost never laugh was 1.78 (95% confidence interval, 1.48–2.15) compared with those who reported laughing every day. Similar associations were observed among men. Laughter may be an important factor for the promotion of general and mental health of older adults. The mechanisms linking laughter and health warrant further study. PMID:26649930

  16. Characterization of fossil remains using XRF, XPS and XAFS spectroscopies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zougrou, I M; Katsikini, M; Pinakidou, F; Paloura, E C; Brzhezinskaya, M; Papadopoulou, L; Vlachos, E; Tsoukala, E

    2016-01-01

    Synchrotron radiation micro-X-Ray Fluorescence (μ-XRF), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopies are applied for the study of paleontological findings. More specifically the costal plate of a gigantic terrestrial turtle Titanochelon bacharidisi and a fossilized coprolite of the cave spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea are studied. Ca L 2,3 -edge NEXAFS and Ca 2p XPS are applied for the identification and quantification of apatite and Ca containing minerals. XRF mapping and XAFS are employed for the study of the spatial distribution and speciation of the minerals related to the deposition environment. (paper)

  17. Laugh of Art. Deformation of the Face

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jhon Felipe Benavides Narváes

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Reflexiones que recrean la relación entre el arte y el humor, a partir de la revisión de la obra plástica de Adrián Montenegro, ofreciendo una panorámica del arte contemporáneo de Pasto. Ejercicio de escritura que busca acentuar la deformación del rostro, y la risa, en la obra y acción artísticas.

  18. Scholars See Comics as No Laughing Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viadero, Debra

    2009-01-01

    Once fuel for mass book burnings, comic books are gaining a foothold in the nation's schools, with teachers seeing them as a learning tool and scholars viewing them as a promising subject for educational research. Evidence of the rising credibility of Spiderman, Batman, and Archie came last month when Fordham University's graduate school of…

  19. [Orthodontics and vertical distraction osteogenesis of the maxilla

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Breuning, K.H.; Lange, M. de; Strijen, P.J. van; Perdijk, F.B.T.; Bolouri, S.

    2008-01-01

    A female patient (age 26) visited the orthodontist for correction of the reduced exposure of the upper incisors during laughing. She also reported crowding of the lower incisors and an association between lisping and her open bite. The diagnosis in this case: a Class III malocclusion case with

  20. Regional Novels in the Study of Rural Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Dianne S.

    1983-01-01

    Contrasts and compares historical research on rural and Native American education and regional novels ("To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Laughing Boy") in order to demonstrate the importance of diversity in the concept of rurality. Suggests regional novels are an important component in the study of rural education. (AH)

  1. The Novel in Educational Research: The Rhythm of the Land and Its People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Dianne S.

    Regional novels constitute an important component for research in rural education because they deal with relationships between people and place and with the impact of schooling on human life. Selected incidents from Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1960) and LaFarge's "Laughing Boy" (1929) are congruent with contemporary research…

  2. Do Students Experience "Social Intelligence," Laughter, and Other Emotions Online?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Katrina A.; Jones, Stephanie J.

    2012-01-01

    Are online activities devoid of emotion and social intelligence? Graduate students in online and blended programs at Texas Tech University and the University of Memphis were surveyed about how often they laughed, felt other emotions, and expressed social intelligence. Laughter, chuckling, and smiling occurred "sometimes" as did other…

  3. Playful and Mindful Interactions in the Recursive Adaptations of the Zone of Proximal Development: A Critical Complexity Science Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raia, Federica; Deng, Mario C.

    2011-01-01

    We discuss Konstantinos Alexakos, Jayson Jones and Victor Rodriguez's hermeneutic study of formation and function of kinship-like relationships among inner city male students of color in a college physics classroom. From our Critical Complexity Science framework we first discuss the reading "erlebnisse" of students laughing at and with each other…

  4. Finding the Cause: Verbal Framing Helps Children Extract Causal Evidence Embedded in a Complex Scene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, Lucas P.; Markman, Ellen M.

    2012-01-01

    In making causal inferences, children must both identify a causal problem and selectively attend to meaningful evidence. Four experiments demonstrate that verbally framing an event ("Which animals make Lion laugh?") helps 4-year-olds extract evidence from a complex scene to make accurate causal inferences. Whereas framing was unnecessary when…

  5. When you think you know what you're doing : experiencing self-agency over intended and unintended outcomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Weiden, A.

    2013-01-01

    As social beings, people often find themselves in situations where the cause of events is ambiguous. One may experience having caused one's friends to laugh by telling a funny story, while their laughter may as well be caused by a person with a strange haircut who just walked by. Hence, the

  6. Funny in animated films and literature: what the russian children ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Funny in animated films and literature: what the russian children laugh at. ... tell Funny episodes from these works of fiction and television cartoon serials. ... Preferences in the choice of a comic plot are reflected by the level of informative, emotional, speech development, ... EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

  7. Near East/South Asia Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-12-23

    displeasure with the Cairo Declaration, but such displeasure is expressed by some romantics and those with a passion for drawing parallels. As for...tonight and the , members had a good laugh over the comedy of errors, since it became known later that the Prime Minister did not say that the meeting

  8. Eosinophilic cystitis in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Ming; Zhang Yuzhen; Li Yuhua; Wang Qiuyan; Xie Hua

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To discuss the clinical manifestations and CT findings of eosinophilic cystitis in children. Methods: Nine cases including Six boys and 3 girls, three to 13 years old, mean age of 8.3- year, have symptoms of hematuria, irritative voiding, dysuria and abdominal pain. The eosinophilic cystitis was pathologically proved in 7 patients and eosinophilic granulomatous cystitis in 2 patients, which based on cystoscopic tissue biopsy or surgery retrospectively. Results: Local thickened bladder walls or nodular and sessile masses along the bladder dome showed in four cases with eosinophilic granulomatous cystitis, and the diffusely irregularly thickened bladder wails showed on CT scans in the rest 5 cases with eosinophilic cystitis. Conclusion: CT findings are helpful to reveal the site, size and other features of eosinophilic cystitis in children. But biopsy of the lesion is necessary to rule out other bladder tumor and selecting the proper management. (authors)

  9. Using Combat Camera Still Imagery Products To Improve U.S. Strategic Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-04-01

    seven local farmers on a split-cost basis and teaches them how to properly raise, maintain and manage egg-laying poultry . (U.S. Navy photo by Petty...Infantry Division, Military Policeman Sgt. Thomas Dwyer of Ft. River, N.J., laughs with Iraqi children while on a patrol in the Muhalla 513 neighborhood

  10. Hope, Laughter, and Humor in Residents and Staff at an Assisted Living Facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westburg, Nancy G.

    2003-01-01

    Assesses and compares hope levels and laughter and humor experiences of 24 elderly residents and 21 staff at an assisted living facility. Residents and staff reported numerous benefits from humor and laughing, but differences arose between the two groups about the source and frequency of humor and laughter. Implications for mental health…

  11. Aglagvinmi (At School).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulu, Tupou L.; And Others

    This first level social studies text, designed for children in bilingual Inupiat-English programs in the Alaskan villages of Ambler, Kobuk, Kiana, Noorvik, Selawik, and Shungnak, is about ordinary physical activities such as opening and closing doors, walking, laughing and clapping. Each page has a command and an appropriate black-and-white…

  12. The Pleasure of Fear

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjøllund, Niels-Peder Osmundsen

    I plan to take departure in the Freudian concept of the uncanny and unfold how this also plays on aesthetics of pleasure. The way we cope with fear is often related to pleasure, for example how children often laugh when frightened. This will lead me to a discussion of how fear and pleasure...

  13. Recreational nitrous oxide use: Prevalence and risks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Amsterdam, Jan; Nabben, Ton; van den Brink, Wim

    2015-01-01

    Nitrous oxide (N2O; laughing gas) is clinically used as a safe anesthetic (dentistry, ambulance, childbirth) and appreciated for its anti-anxiety effect. Since five years, recreational use of N2O is rapidly increasing especially in the dance and festival scene. In the UK, N2O is the second most

  14. The applicability of the GELOPH <15> in children and adolescents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Führ, Martin

    2010-01-01

    Gelotophobia is defined as the fear of being laughed at. This is the first empirical study on gelotophobia among children and adolescents (aged 11-16 years). Data was collected in Denmark (N = 1,322). The Danish version of the GELOPH<15> (Führ, Proyer & Ruch, 2009) was used and yielded good psych...

  15. Gelotophobia and the Challenges of Implementing Laughter into Virtual Agents Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruch, Willibald F.; Platt, Tracey; Hofmann, Jennifer; Niewiadomski, Radosław; Urbain, Jérôme; Mancini, Maurizio; Dupont, Stéphane

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated which features of AVATAR laughter are perceived threatening for individuals with a fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia), and individuals with no gelotophobia. Laughter samples were systematically varied (e.g., intensity, laughter pitch, and energy for the voice, intensity of facial actions of the face) in three modalities: animated facial expressions, synthesized auditory laughter vocalizations, and motion capture generated puppets displaying laughter body movements. In the online study 123 adults completed, the GELOPH (Ruch and Proyer, 2008a,b) and rated randomly presented videos of the three modalities for how malicious, how friendly, how real the laughter was (0 not at all to 8 extremely). Additionally, an open question asked which markers led to the perception of friendliness/maliciousness. The current study identified features in all modalities of laughter stimuli that were perceived as malicious in general, and some that were gelotophobia specific. For facial expressions of AVATARS, medium intensity laughs triggered highest maliciousness in the gelotophobes. In the auditory stimuli, the fundamental frequency modulations and the variation in intensity were indicative of maliciousness. In the body, backwards and forward movements and rocking vs. jerking movements distinguished the most malicious from the least malicious laugh. From the open answers, the shape and appearance of the lips curling induced feelings that the expression was malicious for non-gelotophobes and that the movement round the eyes, elicited the face to appear as friendly. This was opposite for gelotophobes. Gelotophobia savvy AVATARS should be of high intensity, containing lip and eye movements and be fast, non-repetitive voiced vocalization, variable and of short duration. It should not contain any features that indicate a down-regulation in the voice or body, or indicate voluntary/cognitive modulation. PMID:25477803

  16. A Forever Friend%永远的朋友

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2007-01-01

    @@ A friend walk in when the rest of the world walks out. Sometimes in life, You find a special friend; Someone who changes your life just by being part of it. Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop; Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.

  17. About Stressful Situations

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... make a new friend — plus catch up in social studies. Get support. Find someone to talk to about your situation. Ask for help or advice. Be with people who believe in you, make you laugh, and help you feel good about yourself. Sometimes just a listening ear helps a lot. It helps you know ...

  18. Environmental Assessment: Construction of Air Traffic Control Tower Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-01

    130 Carrier Flight Deck Commercial Jet Takeoff (200 ft) 120 Threshold of Pain Pile Driver (50 ft) 110 Rock Music Concert 32 times as loud 16...way. They apparently got it right, though. The album and the title track both hit No. 1 - Bentley’s sixth Fir~·,;- is- ali’ laughs. On

  19. YouTube Video Project: A "Cool" Way to Learn Communication Ethics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehman, Carol M.; DuFrene, Debbie D.; Lehman, Mark W.

    2010-01-01

    The millennial generation embraces new technologies as a natural way of accessing and exchanging information, staying connected, and having fun. YouTube, a video-sharing site that allows users to upload, view, and share video clips, is among the latest "cool" technologies for enjoying quick laughs, employing a wide variety of corporate activities,…

  20. The Role of Humor in Learning Physics: A Study of Undergraduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berge, Maria

    2017-01-01

    We all know that they do it, but what do students laugh "about" when learning science together? Although research has shown that students do use humor when they learn science, the role of humor in science education has received little attention. In this study, undergraduate students' laughter during collaborative work in physics has been…

  1. LOL Teacher! Using Humor to Enhance Student Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrell, Shelly

    2015-01-01

    Laughing with students can help them connect on a deeper level with the teacher and the learning. This article offers the following four strategies to incorporate humor into teaching: (1) Integrate humorous bits to boost engagement; (2) Choose humorous materials; (3) Create interest with humorous web tools and apps; and (4) Teach with silly…

  2. Infant Humor Perception from 3- to 6-months and Attachment at One Year

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mireault, Gina; Sparrow, John; Poutre, Merlin; Perdue, Brittany; Macke, Laura

    2012-01-01

    Infancy is a critical time for the development of secure attachment, which is facilitated by emotionally synchronous interactions with parents. Humor development, which includes shared laughter and joint attention to an event, emerges concurrently with attachment, but little is known regarding the relationship, if any, between humor development and attachment in the first year. Thirty 3-month-old infants were videoed at home each month until they were 6-months old while their parents attempted to amuse them. Frequency of infants’ smiles and laughs served as a measure of “state humor”, and the smiling/laughing subscale of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised served as a measure of “trait humor”. State and trait humor were not correlated. Lower trait humor as 6 months predicted higher attachment security on the Attachment Q-sort at 12-months (r=. 46), suggesting that less good-humored infants elicit greater parental engagement, which works to the benefit of attachment, or vice versa. Future studies should examine the importance of smiling and laughter as they relate to other developmental phenomena in the first year. PMID:22982281

  3. Infant humor perception from 3- to 6-months and attachment at one year.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mireault, Gina; Sparrow, John; Poutre, Merlin; Perdue, Brittany; Macke, Laura

    2012-12-01

    Infancy is a critical time for the development of secure attachment, which is facilitated by emotionally synchronous interactions with parents. Humor development, which includes shared laughter and joint attention to an event, emerges concurrently with attachment, but little is known regarding the relationship, if any, between humor development and attachment in the first year. Thirty 3-month-old infants were videoed at home each month until they were 6-months old while their parents attempted to amuse them. Frequency of infants' smiles and laughs served as a measure of "state humor", and the smiling/laughing subscale of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised served as a measure of "trait humor". State and trait humor were not correlated. Lower trait humor as 6 months predicted higher attachment security on the Attachment Q-sort at 12-months (r=.46), suggesting that less good-humored infants elicit greater parental engagement, which works to the benefit of attachment, or vice versa. Future studies should examine the importance of smiling and laughter as they relate to other developmental phenomena in the first year. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Dextromethorphan/quinidine for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patatanian, Edna; Casselman, Jessica

    2014-04-01

    To evaluate the role of dextromethorphan/quinidine (DM/Q; Nuedexta™) in the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (PBA). A literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed (January 1966-June 2013) was conducted using search terms pseudobulbar affect, pathological laughing and/or crying, emotional lability, dextromethorphan, and quinidine. English language clinical trials and case reports evaluating the safety and efficacy of DM/Q in PBA were included for review. Bibliographies of all relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations. PBA, a poorly understood disorder, is characterized by involuntary crying and/or laughing. In the past, antidepressants and antiepileptics have been used off-label with mixed results. Four clinical trials have evaluated the use of DM/Q for the treatment of PBA. Although the therapeutic outcomes with DM/Q have been positive, interpretation of the published evidence is limited by small sample size and short treatment duration. Based on the data available, DM/Q may be a viable, short-term treatment alternative for PBA. Long-term safety and efficacy data are lacking.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGettigan, C; Walsh, E; Jessop, R; Agnew, Z K; Sauter, D A; Warren, J E; Scott, S K

    2015-01-01

    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 Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press.

  6. Laughter is the Best Medicine? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Japanese Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Kei; Kawachi, Ichiro; Ohira, Tetsuya; Kondo, Katsunori; Shirai, Kokoro; Kondo, Naoki

    2016-10-05

    We sought to evaluate the associations between frequency of daily laughter with heart disease and stroke among community-dwelling older Japanese women and men. We analyzed cross-sectional data in 20 934 individuals (10 206 men and 10 728 women) aged 65 years or older, who participated in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study in 2013. In the mail-in survey, participants provided information on daily frequency of laughter, as well as body mass index, demographic and lifestyle factors, and diagnoses of cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and depression. Even after adjustment for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, depression, body mass index, and other risk factors, the prevalence of heart diseases among those who never or almost never laughed was 1.21 (95% CI, -1.03-1.41) times higher than those who reported laughing every day. The adjusted prevalence ratio for stroke was 1.60 (95% CI, 1.24-2.06). Daily frequency of laughter is associated with lower prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. The association could not be explained by confounding factors, such as depressive symptoms.

  7. The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum: Campaigning for freedom in the ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2011-01-31

    Jan 31, 2011 ... Complicating the prospects for peaceful change is the fact that Mugabe has appointed not one but two vice-presidents, which raises the spectre of political chaos in the event of a sudden handover of power. “Such a cauldron of potential explosion!” says Shumba with a wry laugh. Should Zimbabwe collapse ...

  8. Recognizing Student Fear: The Elephant in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bledsoe, T. Scott; Baskin, Janice J.

    2014-01-01

    Understanding fear, its causes, and its impact on students can be important for educators who seek ways to help students manage their fears. This paper explores common types of student fears such as performance-based anxiety, fear of failure, fear of being laughed at, and cultural components of fear that impact learning. The cognitive, emotional,…

  9. Features of spermatogenesis in the laughing dove Streptopelia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    and regression of the testes as described by Lofts & Mur- ton (1973) but probably has the testicular tubules in some development/regression equilibrium which would allow mature spermatozoa to be produced throughout the year but would also have some parts of the tubules in a resting condition. It has been established in ...

  10. Laughing Out Loud with Jonathan Coe: A Conversation

    OpenAIRE

    Guignery, Vanessa

    2016-01-01

    This conversation with Jonathan Coe took place at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon on 15 October 2015. Part of the discussion focuses on Coe’s fictional production and part of it draws from essays included in Marginal Notes, Doubtful Statements. Non-Fiction, 1990-2013, a collection which contains pieces about such comic or satirical writers as Henry Fielding, Jonathan Swift, Laurence Sterne, B.S. Johnson, Alasdair Gray and David Nobbs, as well as musicians and film directors. The book com...

  11. Adnexal torsion in 6 years old girl

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plachkov, I.; Tzvetankov, K.; Dimova, M.; Dobreva, Tz.; Hadjidekov, G.

    2012-01-01

    MRI and US findings in Ovarian torsion in a premenarcheal girl are described. Adnexal torsion is an uncommon cause of severe lower abdominal pain in young women (mean age is 10-11), and in 50% of cases such symptoms are observed in pre-menarchal females. However, adnexal torsion should be considered in all premenarcheal girls admitted with acute abdominal pain and evidence of an ovarian mass. Accurate imaging is crucial after onset of early clinical symptoms to confirm the diagnosis and to preserve the viability of the affected ovary. A pelvic ovoid mass was visualised on ultrasound, suggesting several hypothesis -cystic mass, ovarian torsion, dermoid. Magnetic resonance imaging visualized edematous ovary enlargement and the presence of multiple follicules at the periphery due to congestion from the twisted vascular pedicule. Smooth wail thickening of the partially necrotic. Twisted ovary was seen in the subacute phase, which has been confirmed during laparoscopy. CT was not considered in this 6 years old girl due to ionizing radiation. (authors)

  12. : Leper hyena with foam at the mouth. A rhetorical analysis of antifeminism

    OpenAIRE

    Abbou, Julie

    2015-01-01

    International audience; Partisans of order define language as a mirror of an essentialised world. In their view, language is a loyal designation of reality. Among these partisans, one can mention the antifeminists, who go along misogyny, sexism, patriarchy, masculinism or machism. Analysing the moral values framing their discourses shed therefore a critical light on their ideological landscapes. Based on a corpus of 8 digital antifeminist texts, this paper provides a discursive analysis of as...

  13. The Bogdanov Affair

    CERN Multimedia

    Baez, John

    2002-01-01

    We all laughed when the physicist Alan Sokal wrote a deliberately silly paper entitled "Transgressing the boundaries: towards a transformative hermeneutics of quantum gravity" and managed to get it accepted by a refereed journal of social and cultural studies, Social Text. But, after, we learned that two brothers got Ph. D in physics on the basis of this work (4 pages)

  14. Learning in the Fast Lane: The Freeway Game

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giraud-Carrier, François C.; Schmidt, Glen M.

    2015-01-01

    When deciding whether to get on the freeway during rush hour, did you ever stop to consider that if you did so, you would slow everybody ELSE down? When we ask our students that question, they typically laugh--their only consideration is how long their own trip will take. When a decision maker does not account for all the costs or benefits…

  15. Welcoming the Homeless into Libraries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Leeder

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available photo by Alex Barth on Flickr I hope those reading this post had a warm, happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by family and friends. I spent most of last week in Florida at my parents’ “snowbird” house with my immediate family, all of us having traveled at least 1,200 miles to eat, drink, and laugh together by [...

  16. What Happens in the Library…

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brett Bonfield

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available In 1968, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, a couple of newlywed architects, had the humility to laugh with Las Vegas rather than at it. A few years earlier, Tom Wolfe had written, Las Vegas has become, just as Bugsy Siegel dreamed, the American Monte Carlo-without any of the inevitable upper-class baggage of the casinos… [...

  17. Games To Play with Babies. (Revised and Expanded).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silberg, Jackie

    Aimed at parents with infants, this book is a collection of 250 simple, fun-filled games that can be played with children up to the age of 1. The games have been categorized into the following eight types: (1) growing and learning games; (2) special bonding games; (3) kitchen games; (4) laughing and having fun games; (5) art and singing games; (6)…

  18. Age-related emotional bias in processing two emotionally valenced tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Philip A; Lien, Mei-Ching; Jardin, Elliott

    2017-01-01

    Previous studies suggest that older adults process positive emotions more efficiently than negative emotions, whereas younger adults show the reverse effect. We examined whether this age-related difference in emotional bias still occurs when attention is engaged in two emotional tasks. We used a psychological refractory period paradigm and varied the emotional valence of Task 1 and Task 2. In both experiments, Task 1 was emotional face discrimination (happy vs. angry faces) and Task 2 was sound discrimination (laugh, punch, vs. cork pop in Experiment 1 and laugh vs. scream in Experiment 2). The backward emotional correspondence effect for positively and negatively valenced Task 2 on Task 1 was measured. In both experiments, younger adults showed a backward correspondence effect from a negatively valenced Task 2, suggesting parallel processing of negatively valenced stimuli. Older adults showed similar negativity bias in Experiment 2 with a more salient negative sound ("scream" relative to "punch"). These results are consistent with an arousal-bias competition model [Mather and Sutherland (Perspectives in Psychological Sciences 6:114-133, 2011)], suggesting that emotional arousal modulates top-down attentional control settings (emotional regulation) with age.

  19. Laughter and the Management of Divergent Positions in Peer Review Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raclaw, Joshua; Ford, Cecilia E.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we focus on how participants in peer review interactions use laughter as a resource as they publicly report divergence of evaluative positions, divergence that is typical in the give and take of joint grant evaluation. Using the framework of conversation analysis, we examine the infusion of laughter and multimodal laugh-relevant practices into sequences of talk in meetings of grant reviewers deliberating on the evaluation and scoring of high-level scientific grant applications. We focus on a recurrent sequence in these meetings, what we call the score-reporting sequence, in which the assigned reviewers first announce the preliminary scores they have assigned to the grant. We demonstrate that such sequences are routine sites for the use of laugh practices to navigate the initial moments in which divergence of opinion is made explicit. In the context of meetings convened for the purposes of peer review, laughter thus serves as a valuable resource for managing the socially delicate but institutionally required reporting of divergence and disagreement that is endemic to meetings where these types of evaluative tasks are a focal activity. PMID:29170594

  20. Sex Differences in Preferences for Humor: A Replication, Modification, and Extension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liana S. E. Hone

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Evolutionary-minded scientists have proposed that humor is a sexually selected trait in men that signals mate quality. Indeed, women tend to prefer men who make them laugh and men tend to prefer women who laugh at their jokes. However, it is unclear how robust this pattern is. Here we report a replication of one of the first studies (Bressler, Martin, and Balshine, 2006 to examine the sex differences in preferences for humor receptivity versus humor production. We replicate Bressler et al.'s (2006 findings that men prefer women who are receptive to their humor whereas women prefer men who produce humor. These findings held even after we modified Bressler et al.'s questionnaire for better conceptual validity. Furthermore, using a separate measure designed to assess trade-offs, we found that men viewed humor receptivity as a necessity and humor production as a luxury when they were asked to create an ideal long-term partner. For women, it was just the opposite. These results bolster the claim that sexual selection has shaped sex differences regarding preferences for a prospective mate's sense of humor and that what one means by “sense of humor” can vary.

  1. Sex differences in preferences for humor: a replication, modification, and extension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hone, Liana S E; Hurwitz, William; Lieberman, Debra

    2015-02-10

    Evolutionary-minded scientists have proposed that humor is a sexually selected trait in men that signals mate quality. Indeed, women tend to prefer men who make them laugh and men tend to prefer women who laugh at their jokes. However, it is unclear how robust this pattern is. Here we report a replication of one of the first studies (Bressler, Martin, and Balshine, 2006) to examine the sex differences in preferences for humor receptivity versus humor production. We replicate Bressler et al.'s (2006) findings that men prefer women who are receptive to their humor whereas women prefer men who produce humor. These findings held even after we modified Bressler et al.'s questionnaire for better conceptual validity. Furthermore, using a separate measure designed to assess trade-offs, we found that men viewed humor receptivity as a necessity and humor production as a luxury when they were asked to create an ideal long-term partner. For women, it was just the opposite. These results bolster the claim that sexual selection has shaped sex differences regarding preferences for a prospective mate's sense of humor and that what one means by "sense of humor" can vary.

  2. Did you hear the one about the doctor? An examination of doctor jokes posted on Facebook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Matthew A; Haney, Carol Sue; Weeks, William B; Sirovich, Brenda E; Anthony, Denise L

    2014-02-13

    Social networking sites such as Facebook have become immensely popular in recent years and present a unique opportunity for researchers to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues. We sought to explore doctor-related humor by examining doctor jokes posted on Facebook. We performed a cross-sectional study of 33,326 monitored Facebook users, 263 (0.79%) of whom posted a joke that referenced doctors on their Facebook wall during a 6-month observation period (December 15, 2010 to June 16, 2011). We compared characteristics of so-called jokers to nonjokers and identified the characteristics of jokes that predicted joke success measured by having elicited at least one electronic laugh (eg, an LOL or "laughing out loud") as well as the total number of Facebook "likes" the joke received. Jokers told 156 unique doctor jokes and were the same age as nonjokers but had larger social networks (median Facebook friends 227 vs 132, PFacebook likes (rate ratio [RR] 2.36, 95% CI 0.97-5.74). This study provides insight into the use of social networking sites for research pertaining to health and medicine, including the world of doctor-related humor.

  3. Current inverters as the main component of photovoltaic plants. Independent power generation; Wechselrichter als Herz der Photovoltaik. Unabhaengige Stromerzeugung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trattmann, Ulrich [Mastervolt GmbH Deutschland, Koeln (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    At present, it's all very well for the manufacturers of photovoltaic plants to laugh. Nothing is to be felt by a recession or crisis despite strong reduction of the reimbursement in its business division. Everywhere, the indicators stand on growth. The prescribed targets of sale for the current financial year already are reached or exceeded. One calmly expects the discussion on degression.

  4. The Simpsons: Public Choice in the Tradition of Swift and Orwell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Considine, John

    2006-01-01

    The author disagrees with Homer Simpson who claims that "...cartoons don't have any deep meaning. They're just stupid drawings that give you a cheap laugh." He argues that The Simpsons have a deep meaning in the same way as the works of Jonathan Swift and George Orwell. The message in The Simpsons, Swift, and Orwell is that those in charge do not…

  5. Academic stimulus package

    CERN Document Server

    Cham, Jorge

    2009-01-01

    The fourth collection of the popular comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper, which chronicles life (or the lack thereof) in academia. Includes the popular strip series Quantum Gradnamics, ANOVA: Analysis of Value, Seminar Bingo and many more. Whether you managed to escape academia, are struggling through it, or are thinking of applying to it, this smart comic strip will have you laughing all the way.

  6. Effects of oil transferred from incubating gulls to their eggs

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, K.A.; LeFever, C.A.

    1979-01-01

    No. 2 fuel oil, or water, was applied to the breast feathers of incubating laughing gulls trapped at their nest site on an island colony in Texas. Gulls were released after treatment and allowed to incubate their eggs for 5 days. Oil was transferred from the feathers of incubating adults to their eggs and resulted in 41% embryo mortality compared with 2% in controls.

  7. Relations of Dispositions toward Ridicule and Histrionic Self-Presentation with Quantitative and Qualitative Humor Creation Abilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renner, Karl-Heinz; Manthey, Leonie

    2018-01-01

    Previous research has shown that humor and self-presentation are linked in several ways. With regard to individual differences, it turned out that gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at) and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others) are substantially associated with the histrionic self-presentation style that is characterized by performing explicit As-If-behaviors (e.g., irony, parodying others) in everyday interactions. By contrast, gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) shows a negative correlation with histrionic self-presentation. In order to further contribute to the nomological network, we have explored whether the three dispositions toward ridicule and laughter as well as histrionic self-presentation are related to humor creation abilities. In doing so, we have assessed the four constructs in a study with 337 participants that also completed the Cartoon Punch line Production Test (CPPT, Köhler and Ruch, 1993, unpublished). In the CPPT, subjects were asked to generate as many funny punch lines as possible for six caption-removed cartoons. The created punch lines were then analyzed with regard to quantitative (e.g., number of punch lines) and qualitative (e.g., wittiness of the punch lines and overall wittiness of the person as evaluated by three independent raters) humor creation abilities. Results show that both gelotophilia and histrionic self-presentation were positively correlated with quantitative and qualitative humor creation abilities. By contrast, gelotophobia showed slightly negative and katagelasticism no associations with the assessed humor creation abilities. These findings especially apply to the subgroup of participants that created punch lines for each of the six cartoons and partly replicate and extend the results of a previous study by Ruch et al. (2009). Altogether, the results of our study show that individual differences in humor-related traits are associated with the quantity and quality of humorous punch lines. It is

  8. Relations of Dispositions toward Ridicule and Histrionic Self-Presentation with Quantitative and Qualitative Humor Creation Abilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renner, Karl-Heinz; Manthey, Leonie

    2018-01-01

    Previous research has shown that humor and self-presentation are linked in several ways. With regard to individual differences, it turned out that gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at) and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others) are substantially associated with the histrionic self-presentation style that is characterized by performing explicit As-If-behaviors (e.g., irony, parodying others) in everyday interactions. By contrast, gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) shows a negative correlation with histrionic self-presentation. In order to further contribute to the nomological network, we have explored whether the three dispositions toward ridicule and laughter as well as histrionic self-presentation are related to humor creation abilities. In doing so, we have assessed the four constructs in a study with 337 participants that also completed the Cartoon Punch line Production Test (CPPT, Köhler and Ruch, 1993, unpublished). In the CPPT, subjects were asked to generate as many funny punch lines as possible for six caption-removed cartoons. The created punch lines were then analyzed with regard to quantitative (e.g., number of punch lines) and qualitative (e.g., wittiness of the punch lines and overall wittiness of the person as evaluated by three independent raters) humor creation abilities. Results show that both gelotophilia and histrionic self-presentation were positively correlated with quantitative and qualitative humor creation abilities. By contrast, gelotophobia showed slightly negative and katagelasticism no associations with the assessed humor creation abilities. These findings especially apply to the subgroup of participants that created punch lines for each of the six cartoons and partly replicate and extend the results of a previous study by Ruch et al. (2009). Altogether, the results of our study show that individual differences in humor-related traits are associated with the quantity and quality of humorous punch lines. It is

  9. La flêche du temps pas de retour vers le futur pour les particules

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Press Office. Geneva

    1998-01-01

    We have all laughed at those fragments of film run backwards, where broken vases miraculously reassemble themselves, or sprinters reverse at full speed into their starting blocks. In the everyday world these things could never happen time's arrow only points forwards. Hitherto, the laws of fundamental physics have seemed to be reversible: a film of elementary particle behaviour run backwards is indistinguishable from the same film run forwards.

  10. Women´s laughter while talking about shopping and sexuality

    OpenAIRE

    Merziger, Barbara

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Laughter is a social behaviour, influenced by culture and normed by society. Women´s laughter has not received sufficient attention, despite of the fact that it has a special meaning in female speech. My research describes female laughing and laughter as systematic and organized within interaction and clarifies communicative and social functions. This approach contradicts current conceptions of laughter as "natural" and "explosive" vs. "controlled" behaviour, and acts against ...

  11. The laughing librarian a history of American library humor

    CERN Document Server

    Smith, Jeanette C

    2012-01-01

    ""Should be required reading for all librarians and library-school students""--Booklist; ""a must have...recommend""--Library History Buff Blog; ""charts the largely unexplored territory of library wit and satire, both inside and outside the profession""--C&RL News.

  12. Why Does the Buddha Laugh? Exploring Ethnic Visual Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Ryan

    2010-01-01

    As an art educator and a native Korean immersed in Asian culture until 30 years of age, and one who has gained some insights into the two cultures of East Asia and America, the author is constantly thinking of what students will learn from embracing Asian visuals and objects in art curriculum. He asks if their history, identity, form and function,…

  13. Hurtful Cyber-Teasing and Violence: Who's Laughing out Loud?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madlock, Paul E.; Westerman, David

    2011-01-01

    The current study sought to specifically examine the affect of teasing by way of technology (cyber-teasing) and the importance of the redressive component of a tease. A triangulated approach was used here to gain better insight into the concept of "hurtful" cyber-teasing between romantic partners. A pretheoretical model was developed…

  14. Excluded by laughter: laughing until it hurts someone else.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klages, Stephanie V; Wirth, James H

    2014-01-01

    Can laughter cause social pain? Given the host of ways exclusion is communicated, we examined if exclusive laughter could produce the aversive consequences accordant with social exclusion. Using a validated recall paradigm, participants recounted a time of exclusive or inclusive laughter or a typical Wednesday (control condition). Participants recalling exclusive laughter felt more ostracized, increased social pain. thwarted basic needs, worsened mood, reduced relational evaluation, and increased temptations to aggress compared to inclusive laughter or a typical Wednesday; there were generally no significant differences between the inclusive laughter and a typical Wednesday. Participants recalling exclusive laughter also felt more verbally and emotionally bullied, demonstrating empirically, for one of the first times, a link between social exclusion and bullying.

  15. The effect of secure attachment state and infant facial expressions on childless adults’ parental motivation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fangyuan Ding

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the association between infant facial expressions and parental motivation as well as the interaction between attachment state and expressions. Two-hundred eighteen childless adults (Mage=19.22, 118 males, 100 females were recruited. Participants completed the Chinese version of the State Adult Attachment Measure and the E-prime test, which comprised three components a liking, the specific hedonic experience in reaction to laughing, neutral, and crying infant faces; b representational responding, actively seeking infant faces with specific expressions; and c evoked responding, actively retaining images of three different infant facial expressions. While the first component refers to the liking of infants, the second and third components entail the wanting of an infant. Random intercepts multilevel models with emotion nested within participants revealed a significant interaction between secure attachment state and emotion on both liking and representational response. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the unique contributions of secure attachment state. Findings demonstrated that, after controlling for sex, anxious, and avoidant, secure attachment state positively predicted parental motivations (liking and wanting in the neutral and crying conditions, but not the laughing condition. These findings demonstrate the significant role of secure attachment state in parental motivation, specifically when infants display uncertain and negative emotions.

  16. The Effect of Secure Attachment State and Infant Facial Expressions on Childless Adults' Parental Motivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Fangyuan; Zhang, Dajun; Cheng, Gang

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the association between infant facial expressions and parental motivation as well as the interaction between attachment state and expressions. Two-hundred eighteen childless adults (M age = 19.22, 118 males, 100 females) were recruited. Participants completed the Chinese version of the State Adult Attachment Measure and the E-prime test, which comprised three components (a) liking, the specific hedonic experience in reaction to laughing, neutral, and crying infant faces; (b) representational responding, actively seeking infant faces with specific expressions; and (c) evoked responding, actively retaining images of three different infant facial expressions. While the first component refers to the "liking" of infants, the second and third components entail the "wanting" of an infant. Random intercepts multilevel models with emotion nested within participants revealed a significant interaction between secure attachment state and emotion on both liking and representational response. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the unique contributions of secure attachment state. Findings demonstrated that, after controlling for sex, anxious, and avoidant, secure attachment state positively predicted parental motivations (liking and wanting) in the neutral and crying conditions, but not the laughing condition. These findings demonstrate the significant role of secure attachment state in parental motivation, specifically when infants display uncertain and negative emotions.

  17. Exploration of the neural correlates of ticklish laughter by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wattendorf, Elise; Westermann, Birgit; Fiedler, Klaus; Kaza, Evangelia; Lotze, Martin; Celio, Marco R

    2013-06-01

    The burst of laughter that is evoked by tickling is a primitive form of vocalization. It evolves during an early phase of postnatal life and appears to be independent of higher cortical circuits. Clinicopathological observations have led to suspicions that the hypothalamus is directly involved in the production of laughter. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation, healthy participants were 1) tickled on the sole of the right foot with permission to laugh, 2) tickled but asked to stifle laughter, and 3) requested to laugh voluntarily. Tickling that was accompanied by involuntary laughter activated regions in the lateral hypothalamus, parietal operculum, amygdala, and right cerebellum to a consistently greater degree than did the 2 other conditions. Activation of the periaqueductal gray matter was observed during voluntary and involuntary laughter but not when laughter was inhibited. The present findings indicate that hypothalamic activity plays a crucial role in evoking ticklish laughter in healthy individuals. The hypothalamus promotes innate behavioral reactions to stimuli and sends projections to the periaqueductal gray matter, which is itself an important integrative center for the control of vocalization. A comparison of our findings with published data relating to humorous laughter revealed the involvement of a common set of subcortical centers.

  18. Impaired socio-emotional processing in a developmental music disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, César F.; Brancatisano, Olivia; Fancourt, Amy; Müllensiefen, Daniel; Scott, Sophie K.; Warren, Jason D.; Stewart, Lauren

    2016-01-01

    Some individuals show a congenital deficit for music processing despite normal peripheral auditory processing, cognitive functioning, and music exposure. This condition, termed congenital amusia, is typically approached regarding its profile of musical and pitch difficulties. Here, we examine whether amusia also affects socio-emotional processing, probing auditory and visual domains. Thirteen adults with amusia and 11 controls completed two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants judged emotions in emotional speech prosody, nonverbal vocalizations (e.g., crying), and (silent) facial expressions. Target emotions were: amusement, anger, disgust, fear, pleasure, relief, and sadness. Compared to controls, amusics were impaired for all stimulus types, and the magnitude of their impairment was similar for auditory and visual emotions. In Experiment 2, participants listened to spontaneous and posed laughs, and either inferred the authenticity of the speaker’s state, or judged how much laughs were contagious. Amusics showed decreased sensitivity to laughter authenticity, but normal contagion responses. Across the experiments, mixed-effects models revealed that the acoustic features of vocal signals predicted socio-emotional evaluations in both groups, but the profile of predictive acoustic features was different in amusia. These findings suggest that a developmental music disorder can affect socio-emotional cognition in subtle ways, an impairment not restricted to auditory information. PMID:27725686

  19. TEORI KOMPENSASI EMOSI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mardeli Mardeli

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Growth and emotional development, as well as in other behaviors, is determined by a process of maturation and learning processes. A newborn baby has been able to cry, but he almost reached a certain level of maturity before he could laugh. If the child is older, he will learn that crying and laughing can be used for certain purposes in certain situations. In newborns, the only real emotion is anxiety that appear as displeasure in the new cry and struggled. In general, our daily actions accompanied by certain feelings, the feelings of pleasure or displeasure. Feelings of pleasure or displeasure that always accompanies / deeds of our daily called Effective Colors. Effective color is sometimes strong, sometimes weak or vague. The difference between feelings and emotions can not be stated emphatically, as both a qualitative continuity that is not undefined. At a certain moment, an effective color can be described as a feeling, but it can also be said as emotion. So, once we define difficult emotions. Therefore, what is meant by emotion here is not limited to emotions or feelings, but includes any circumstances in a person who is accompanied by a color effectively, both at the weak (shallow as well as at the level of the (deep.

  20. Special Section: On Masculinities, Latin America, and the Global Age: NarCoMedia: Mexican Masculinities

    OpenAIRE

    Rebecca E. Biron

    2015-01-01

    Given the political force of how different social sectors conceive of narco-masculinity, what can we make of 21st century Mexican representations that neither fear nor admire narcos? Three post-2007 theatrical release feature films, Rudo y Cursi (2008), El infierno (2010), and Salvando al soldado Pérez (2011), invite viewers to laugh at the link between masculinity and criminality. Their refusal to take narco-masculinity seriously complicates debates regarding Mexican masculini...

  1. Scientific coats of arms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fara, Patricia

    2005-09-01

    With their mythical creatures and arcane symbolism, coats of arms seem to have little connection with modern science. Yet despite its chivalric origins, the ancient language of heraldry has long fascinated famous scientists. Although this idiosyncratic tradition was parodied by Victorian geologists, who laughingly replaced unicorns and griffins with images of dinosaurs that they had recently discovered, it has been perpetuated since by Ernest Rutherford, who liked to present himself as a new alchemist.

  2. Defense AT&L. Volume 37, Number 4, July-August 2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-08-01

    ir - ritating tendency to overstay their welcome and overtake common sense, so we need to have some irregs too.” He let out a huge laugh, scattering...dynamics-based model of counterinsurgency that provides insights into ir - regular warfare. The awards will be presented to winners May 11 at the DoD...North Dakota, Okla- homa , Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming

  3. Examining playfulness in adults: Testing its correlates with personality, positive psychological functioning, goal aspirations, and multi-methodically assessed ingenuity

    OpenAIRE

    René T. Proyer

    2012-01-01

    The prime aim of this set of studies was to test the disposition to play (playfulness) in adults in its relation with various measures of personality but also ability (self-estimated but also psychometri- cally measured ingenuity). Study 1 (n = 180) shows that adults playfulness relates primarily to extraversion, lower conscientiousness, and higher endorsements of culture; joy of being laughed at (gelotophilia) and agreeableness were also predictive in a regression analysis; Study 2 (n = 264)...

  4. He Defies You Still: The Memoirs of a Sissy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tommi Avicolli

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available SCENE ONE: A home room in a Catholic High School in South Philadelphia. The boy sits quietly in the first aisle, third desk, reading a book. He does not look up, not even for a moment. He is hoping no one will remember he is sitting there. He wishes he were invisible. The teacher is not yet in the classroom so the other boys are talking and laughing loudly.

  5. Zinc isotope ratios of bones and teeth as new dietary indicators: results from a modern food web (Koobi Fora, Kenya)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaouen, Klervia; Beasley, Melanie; Schoeninger, Margaret; Hublin, Jean-Jacques; Richards, Michael P.

    2016-05-01

    In order to explore the possibilities of using zinc (Zn) stable isotope ratios as dietary indicators, we report here on the measurements of the ratio of stable isotopes of zinc (66Zn/64Zn, expressed here as δ66Zn) in bioapatite (bone and dental enamel) of animals from a modern food web in the Koobi Fora region of the Turkana Basin in Kenya. We demonstrate that δ66Zn values in both bone and enamel allow a clear distinction between carnivores and herbivores from this food web. Differences were also observed between browsers and grazers as well as between carnivores that consumed bone (i.e. hyenas) compared to those that largely consume flesh (i.e. lions). We conclude that Zn isotope ratio measurements of bone and teeth are a new and promising dietary indicator.

  6. Mapping, Awareness, And Virtualization Network Administrator Training Tool Virtualization Module

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    bike rides. I learned so much from you all, and will miss each and every one of you. To Mr. John Gibson and Dr. Alan Shaffer: thank you for your...guidance, your long-leash approach to thesis advising, and for the laughs we shared during our meetings. I appreciate the enthusiasm you both had for the...Conclusion and Future Work. This chapter discusses the successes and limitations of the MAVNATT Virtualization Module’s prototype and identifies

  7. Laughter in the Old Testament: A hotchpotch of humour, mockery and rejoicing?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hennie A.J. Kruger

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Aspects of humour appearing in society, religion, literature and speech have been discussed. The article investigated in particular the current tendency to interpret certain passages in the Bible as evidence of humorous traits. In these cases humour is taken as an interpretative key. A prerequisite to provide a hermeneutical basis for reading the Old Testament in terms of humour has been discussed. A few texts that present Yahweh as laughing have been considered.

  8. What do long-distance caregivers do? : judgment of propositions and the epistemics of long-distance family relationships

    OpenAIRE

    中川, 敦; Atsushi, NAKAGAWA

    2015-01-01

    This study clarifies what long-distance caregivers do. To this end, I conducted a conversation analysis of video data of a care conference in which a long-distance caregiver participated. When a professional caregiver proposes a care plan to a long-distance caregiver, he/she substitutes technical terms with laymen terms for easy understanding, indicating his/her orientation that a long-distance caregiver is not a professional. However, if the caregiver laughs or averts his/her eyes during the...

  9. Sharpley’s Bottom Historic Sites: Phase I Interdisciplinary Investigations, Tombigbee River Multi-Resource District, Alabama and Mississippi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-01-01

    catnip tea was adopted as a means of treating baby colic . Mrs. Helen Crawford recounts the story of one of her remarkable ancestors, a woman who took...people walked up and down the sidewalks laughing and having a good time. The ice cream parlor was especially busy; Myrtle and friends would sit...outside on the cars eating ice cream and watching the people go by. Inside, the parlor had those iron chairs and tables with the openwork scroll backs

  10. [Delocalizing the mind. Peirce, James, Wittgenstein, Descombes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauviré, Christiane

    2010-01-01

    The cognitive sciences have breathed fresh air into the old problem of localizing mental functions, which was often laughed off. Regarding the most philosophical form of the question on the localization of the mind, authors such as Peirce, James, Wittgenstein, and most recently Descombes have imagined delocalizing the mind in order to spread the conviction that the idea itself of a location of the mental is meaningless and to criticize the localisationism of today's cognitive scientists.

  11. Brain networks of social action-outcome contingency: The role of the ventral striatum in integrating signals from the sensory cortex and medial prefrontal cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumiya, Motofumi; Koike, Takahiko; Okazaki, Shuntaro; Kitada, Ryo; Sadato, Norihiro

    2017-10-01

    Social interactions can be facilitated by action-outcome contingency, in which self-actions result in relevant responses from others. Research has indicated that the striatal reward system plays a role in generating action-outcome contingency signals. However, the neural mechanisms wherein signals regarding self-action and others' responses are integrated to generate the contingency signal remain poorly understood. We conducted a functional MRI study to test the hypothesis that brain activity representing the self modulates connectivity between the striatal reward system and sensory regions involved in the processing of others' responses. We employed a contingency task in which participants made the listener laugh by telling jokes. Participants reported more pleasure when greater laughter followed their own jokes than those of another. Self-relevant listener's responses produced stronger activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Laughter was associated with activity in the auditory cortex. The ventral striatum exhibited stronger activation when participants made listeners laugh than when another did. In physio-physiological interaction analyses, the ventral striatum showed interaction effects for signals extracted from the mPFC and auditory cortex. These results support the hypothesis that the mPFC, which is implicated in self-related processing, gates sensory input associated with others' responses during value processing in the ventral striatum. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. In the absence of a ?landscape of fear?: How lions, hyenas, and cheetahs coexist

    OpenAIRE

    Swanson, Alexandra; Arnold, Todd; Kosmala, Margaret; Forester, James; Packer, Craig

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Aggression by top predators can create a “landscape of fear” in which subordinate predators restrict their activity to low‐risk areas or times of day. At large spatial or temporal scales, this can result in the costly loss of access to resources. However, fine‐scale reactive avoidance may minimize the risk of aggressive encounters for subordinate predators while maintaining access to resources, thereby providing a mechanism for coexistence. We investigated fine‐scale spatiotemporal a...

  13. Why and When ‘Laughing out Loud’ in Game Playing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Unknown, [Unknown; Nijholt, A.; Nijholt, Antinus

    2012-01-01

    Playing games is fun. Being visible to others and knowing about others in social media is fun. Obviously, other factors are involved. We want to play games to escape from daily life, and we want to play games in order to satisfy our needs to compete and win, with other words, to prove ourselves in

  14. No Laughing Matter: Gelastic Migraine and Other Unusual Headache Syndromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathew, Paul G; Robertson, Carrie E

    2016-05-01

    Primary and secondary headache disorders have established diagnostic criteria in the International Classification of Headache Disorders IIIb, as well as classic findings, which although not part of the formal criteria are often suggestive of a particular diagnosis. At times, headache disorders can involve unusual symptoms that lack an identifiable secondary cause. This review will discuss some of these unusual symptoms, including headache associated auditory and olfactory symptoms, as well as two case reports involving gelastic migraine and migrainous thoracalgia.

  15. [Ether Day--no laughing matter. The birth of modern anaesthesia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goerig, Michael; Wulf, Hinnerk

    2013-10-01

    Since centuries the first public demonstration of the anaesthetic properties of ether by William Thomas Green Morton at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on October 16th 1846 is celebrated as "Ether Day" world-wide. The news of the beneficial effects, primarily disposed as a "Yankee Invention", spread over all continents quickly. This was the result of an article, published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal on November 18th, 1846. It is mentioning worth that this article was written when Morton had disclosed that the used "preparation", later named as "Nostrum" or "Letheon", was sulphuric ether. The important discovery later became a patent case and was overshadowed by a long lasting priority claim. Nevertheless the readers of the New England Journal of Medicine voted in a survey that this article was the most important publication in the 200 years journals history ever. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York.

  16. CE-mark for gas appliances: A laugh or a tear?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timmers, H.

    1993-01-01

    The title CE-mark is a quality mark for products, assigned by the European Community (EC). One and a half year ago the EC Gas Appliances Directive (GAD) came into force. According to the program 'Europe 1992' the European internal market should have been established by now. In this article the state of the art for gas appliances is given. Attention is paid to the systematics of European verification, the GAD contents, the consequences of a number of other Directives (for low-voltage materials, for electromagnetic compatibility, for efficiencies of central heating boilers, for machines, and for building products), which also affect the use of gas appliances, GASTEC's role as Notified Body, and experiences gained from European certification up to now. 6 ills., 3 tabs

  17. Why and When ‘Laughing out Loud’ in Game Playing

    OpenAIRE

    Unknown, [Unknown; Nijholt, A.; Nijholt, Antinus

    2012-01-01

    Playing games is fun. Being visible to others and knowing about others in social media is fun. Obviously, other factors are involved. We want to play games to escape from daily life, and we want to play games in order to satisfy our needs to compete and win, with other words, to prove ourselves in game situations where we are confronted with challenges that we think we can master. There are video games where a single player has to deal with the game challenges. There are games where individua...

  18. Trait humor and longevity: do comics have the last laugh?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rotton, J

    1992-01-01

    Four sets of biographical data were analyzed in order to test the hypothesis that the ability to generate humor is associated with longevity. Although steps were taken to ensure that tests had high levels of statistical power, analyses provided very little support for the idea that individuals with a well-developed sense of humor live longer than serious writers and other entertainers. In addition, a subsidiary analysis revealed that those in the business of entertaining others died at an earlier age than those in other lines of endeavor. These findings suggest that researchers should turn their attention from trait humor to the effects of humorous material.

  19. Parathion causes secondary poisoning in a laughing gull breeding colony

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, D.H.; King, K.A.; Mitchell, C.A.; Hill, E.F.; Lamont, T.G.

    1979-01-01

    Use of organophosphate insecticides as replacements for the more persistent organochlorine compounds has increased dramatically in recent years. Organophosphates are desirable for field application because they break down rapidly in the environment and do not persist in animal tissues (Stickel 1974). Nevertheless, certain organophosphates are extremely toxic to wildlife for short periods after application and have caused widespread mortality among exposed animals (Mills 1973, Stickel 1974, 1975, Mendelssohn 1977, and Zinkl et al. 1978).

  20. Computed tomography in hypothalamic hamartoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Koreaki; Takeuchi, Juji; Hanakita, Junya; Handa, Hajime; Nakano, Yoshihisa.

    1981-01-01

    Two cases of hypothalamic hamartoma were reported. Hypothalamic hamartoma is a rate tumor. The onset of symptoms is in infancy and early childhood. Clinical symptoms are composed of convulsive seizures, laughing spells and precocious puberty. CT finding of hypothalamic hamartoma is a mass in the suprasellar and interpeduncular cisterns which has the same density as the surrounding normal brain. The mass is not enhanced by injection of the contrast material and is easily differentiated from other masses in the suprasellar region. (author)

  1. AS A MYTH CREATER, NASREDDIN HODJA

    OpenAIRE

    Şenocak, Ebru

    2016-01-01

    The representative of Turkish folk's words, Nasreddin Hodja is the immortal carrier of the cultural values that flow from the past to the future. He is a volunteer guide that will serve forever for the rising and perpetuating of a tradition that he made people laugh and think with irony while giving them the chance of correcting themselves by integrating the logic and world of love. Nasreddi Hodja, being devoted to ancestor's cult and aiming to update things in memories by using the...

  2. Electroencephalographic responses to SMS shortcuts

    OpenAIRE

    Ganushchak, L.; Krott, A.; Meyer, A.

    2010-01-01

    As the popularity of sending messages electronically increases, so does the necessity of conveying messages more efficiently. One way of increasing efficiency is to abbreviate words and expressions by combining letters with numbers such as gr8 for “great,” using acronyms, such as lol for “laughing out loud,” or clippings such as msg for “message.” The present study compares the processing of shortcuts to the processing of closely matched pseudo-shortcuts. ERPs were recorded while participants...

  3. Upon Their Shoulders: A History of the Mississippi River Commission from Its Inception through the Advent of the Modern Mississippi River and Tributaries Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    cannot bar its path with an obstruction which it will not tear dOl\\’l1, dance over, and laugh at. Bllt a discreet man will not put these things...greeted his entourage in the ballroom of the Mayflower Hotel, "where he sat enthroned in a bower of flowers and banners." Following the brief festivi...Babcock, " Pineapple Politics," The Nation 126 (3277), 16 April 1928: 480-81 ; Douglas Bukowski, Big Bill Thompson. Chicago. and the Politics of

  4. Evidence for Chlamydia in wild mammals of the Serengeti.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pospischil, Andreas; Kaiser, Carmen; Hofmann-Lehmann, Regina; Lutz, Hans; Hilbe, Monika; Vaughan, Lloyd; Borel, Nicole

    2012-10-01

    Only limited information is available on the presence of Chlamydiaceae in wildlife, a deficit that is particularly acute concerning mammalian wildlife in Africa. In a retrospective analysis of organ material from an earlier study on wild mammals from the Seregenti National Park, 521 samples from 54 animals of 14 mammalian species were investigated. The presence of Chlamydiaceae was analyzed using molecular methods and immunohistochemistry. Chlamydial DNA was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from large ruminants (African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, n=4) and a large predator (spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta, n=1). Microarray results revealed Chlamydia abortus in all cases, confirmed by sequencing of selected samples, and a mixed infection with Chlamydia abortus and Chlamydia pneumoniae in an African buffalo. This is the first report of Chlamydiaceae in African wildlife of the Serengeti area.

  5. FAMILY, TRADITIONS AND THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY IN URUMS / URUMLARDA AİLE, GELENEKLERİ VE KURUMSAL YAPISI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Erdoğan ALTINKAYNAK

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Urums are Orthodox Turks who live in Donetsk State of Ukrain. Their family construction, traditions and traditional applications resemble the other Turkish people who live in Anatolia and its surroundings. In this society everybody is tied firmly to their customs and usages and everyone is responsible to each other. Women are the closest defenders of the tradition and they live introverted life. Somebody who joins the family has to learn and accept the rules of the family. The children are well-educated. During the wedding feasts, different games and punishments which force bridegrooms are applicated. Games at wedding feasts resemble Crimean Tatar Turks’ games. These games are Kaytarma, Yarım Ava, Agir Ava, Sirtaki and Bogdanka. Game Agir Ava is usually played by older people. Henna night and henna songs are like in Anatolia. Baby and birth incidents bring special delight about the people. Godmother and godfather are the people who must be respected as like as “kirvelik” case. Salting tradition of new-born babies is like in Anatolia. They have wail tellers at funerals. Deceased meal is served during funerals. Deceaseds are mentioned and incence is prepared on certain days.

  6. Report of research and investigation committee for infrared radiation heating technology. Sekigai hosha kanetsu gijutsu kenkyu chosa iinkai hokoku

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsui, M. (Fukuyama Univ., Hiroshima (Japan). Faculty of Engineering)

    1994-07-01

    The committee was established in July 1990 for research and investigation of infrared (IR) heating technology and finished its activity in March 1993. This report describes the committee members and the results of research and investigation. (1) Application of IR radiation (sensing): the research and investigation results were reported on the following items; the recognition of letters and patterns on cultural properties by IR radiation, the passive sensor (detecting the IR radiated from the object without emitting from the sensor), the IR image system, and the diagnosis of outer wail of buildings. (2) The following were researched on the IR radiation source and IR emitting material; multi-functional heating element having far infrared radiation function and deodorant function, the emissivity of far IR radiation, and the evaluation of the functions by the difference in emissivity. (3) The IR heating technology was described on the following: drying the persimmon using far IR radiation, the present situation of research on IR heating done by foreign power supply companies, and the feature and the application of far IR heater. In addition to these, the following were also reported; (4) measurement of IR radiation and (5) effect of living body and organism.

  7. The Union Defence Force Between the Two World Wars, 1919-1940

    OpenAIRE

    Ian Van der Waag

    2012-01-01

    South Africa was ill prepared for the Second World War. Her war potential was limited and Hitler is reputed to have laughed when the South African declaration came on 6 September 1939. The Permanent and Active Citizen Forces were under strength: the first comprised only 350 officers and some five thousand men. There were a further 122 000 men in the Commandos, of whom only 18 000 were reasonably equipped, and, being rurally based and overwhelmingly Afrikaans, many of these men did not support...

  8. Chemoprevention Trial of Selenium and Prostate Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-10-01

    use in slowing the growth of prostate cancer. This study will not use selenium as a treatment option for the possible cure of prostate cancer...slice or 1 piece o Q rj Chocolate candy and candy bars o o o o o Q o o c 1 small bar or 1 ounce ._> . ■Q Hard candy, jam, jelly, honey , or...your stream? Have you noticed any stress incontinence? (leakage of urine when sneezing, coughing or laughing) _1 -NOT AT ALL _ 2-LESS THAN 1 IN 5

  9. Folly Beach, South Carolina. Survey Report on Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection. Appendixes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-08-01

    Animal species which may be observed in this community include the ground dove, mockingbird , robin, blackbird, grackle, opossum, rabbit, raccoon, gray...Laughing gull Larus- atricilia Least tern Sterna al bi fruncs Lesser yellowlegs Totanus flavip es Marsh hawk Circus cyaneus Mockingbird rlinus...ve’c It kill 0Iinltso ilt -iolIr;nt pet erilfi I grasses-- slit It Is- ci uiis (l~iiP j il it i I - il-it) .0 bit i ci 1tutu I grass 0’a n i tie

  10. Stepping backwards with disability humor? The case of NY Gov. David Paterson’s representation on ‘Saturday Night Live’

    OpenAIRE

    Beth Haller; Amy Bree Becker

    2014-01-01

    In the modern era, discerning TV viewers know the shows that trade in cheap laughs by making fun of people with disabilities are not tapping into much creativity. So it was a surprise in 2008 when the highly regarded comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) stooped to that level by ridiculing the blind governor of New York, David Paterson, in a series of sketches lasting two years. This article analyzes the way humor narratives about a high-profile blind politician on television, like those depi...

  11. Crowing Sound Analysis of Gaga' Chicken; Local Chicken from South Sulawesi Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Aprilita Bugiwati, Sri Rachma; Ashari, Fachri

    2008-01-01

    Gaga??? chicken was known as a local chicken at South Sulawesi Indonesia which has unique, specific, and different crowing sound, especially at the ending of crowing sound which is like the voice character of human laughing, comparing with the other types of singing chicken in the world. 287 birds of Gaga??? chicken at 3 districts at the centre habitat of Gaga??? chicken were separated into 2 groups (163 birds of Dangdut type and 124 birds of Slow type) which is based on the speed...

  12. Dogs Have the Most Neurons, Though Not the Largest Brain: Trade-Off between Body Mass and Number of Neurons in the Cerebral Cortex of Large Carnivoran Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Débora Jardim-Messeder

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Carnivorans are a diverse group of mammals that includes carnivorous, omnivorous and herbivorous, domesticated and wild species, with a large range of brain sizes. Carnivory is one of several factors expected to be cognitively demanding for carnivorans due to a requirement to outsmart larger prey. On the other hand, large carnivoran species have high hunting costs and unreliable feeding patterns, which, given the high metabolic cost of brain neurons, might put them at risk of metabolic constraints regarding how many brain neurons they can afford, especially in the cerebral cortex. For a given cortical size, do carnivoran species have more cortical neurons than the herbivorous species they prey upon? We find they do not; carnivorans (cat, mongoose, dog, hyena, lion share with non-primates, including artiodactyls (the typical prey of large carnivorans, roughly the same relationship between cortical mass and number of neurons, which suggests that carnivorans are subject to the same evolutionary scaling rules as other non-primate clades. However, there are a few important exceptions. Carnivorans stand out in that the usual relationship between larger body, larger cortical mass and larger number of cortical neurons only applies to small and medium-sized species, and not beyond dogs: we find that the golden retriever dog has more cortical neurons than the striped hyena, African lion and even brown bear, even though the latter species have up to three times larger cortices than dogs. Remarkably, the brown bear cerebral cortex, the largest examined, only has as many neurons as the ten times smaller cat cerebral cortex, although it does have the expected ten times as many non-neuronal cells in the cerebral cortex compared to the cat. We also find that raccoons have dog-like numbers of neurons in their cat-sized brain, which makes them comparable to primates in neuronal density. Comparison of domestic and wild species suggests that the neuronal

  13. Landscape-level movement patterns by lions in western Serengeti: comparing the influence of inter-specific competitors, habitat attributes and prey availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kittle, Andrew M; Bukombe, John K; Sinclair, Anthony R E; Mduma, Simon A R; Fryxell, John M

    2016-01-01

    Where apex predators move on the landscape influences ecosystem structure and function and is therefore key to effective landscape-level management and species-specific conservation. However the factors underlying predator distribution patterns within functional ecosystems are poorly understood. Predator movement should be sensitive to the spatial patterns of inter-specific competitors, spatial variation in prey density, and landscape attributes that increase individual prey vulnerability. We investigated the relative role of these fundamental factors on seasonal resource utilization by a globally endangered apex carnivore, the African lion (Panthera leo) in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. Lion space use was represented by novel landscape-level, modified utilization distributions (termed "localized density distributions") created from telemetry relocations of individual lions from multiple neighbouring prides. Spatial patterns of inter-specific competitors were similarly determined from telemetry re-locations of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), this system's primary competitor for lions; prey distribution was derived from 18 months of detailed census data; and remote sensing data was used to represent relevant habitat attributes. Lion space use was consistently influenced by landscape attributes that increase individual prey vulnerability to predation. Wet season activity, when available prey were scarce, was concentrated near embankments, which provide ambush opportunities, and dry season activity, when available prey were abundant, near remaining water sources where prey occurrence is predictable. Lion space use patterns were positively associated with areas of high prey biomass, but only in the prey abundant dry season. Finally, at the broad scale of this analysis, lion and hyena space use was positively correlated in the comparatively prey-rich dry season and unrelated in the wet season, suggesting lion movement was unconstrained by the spatial patterns

  14. Comparison of the effects of artificial and natural barriers on large African carnivores: implications for interspecific relationships and connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cozzi, Gabriele; Broekhuis, Femke; McNutt, J Weldon; Schmid, Bernhard

    2013-05-01

    1. Physical barriers contribute to habitat fragmentation, influence species distribution and ranging behaviour, and impact long-term population viability. Barrier permeability varies among species and can potentially impact the competitive balance within animal communities by differentially affecting co-occurring species. The influence of barriers on the spatial distribution of species within whole communities has nonetheless received little attention. 2. During a 4-year period, we studied the influence of a fence and rivers, two landscape features that potentially act as barriers on space use and ranging behaviour of lions Panthera leo, spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta, African wild dogs Lycaon pictus and cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Northern Botswana. We compared the tendencies of these species to cross the barriers using data generated from GPS-radio collars fitted to a total of 35 individuals. Barrier permeability was inferred by calculating the number of times animals crossed a barrier vs. the number of times they did not cross. Finally, based on our results, we produced a map of connectivity for the broader landscape system. 3. Permeability varied significantly between fence and rivers and among species. The fence represented an obstacle for lions (permeability = 7.2%), while it was considerably more permeable for hyenas (35.6%) and wild dogs and cheetahs (≥ 50%). In contrast, the rivers and associated floodplains were relatively permeable to lions (14.4%) while they represented a nearly impassable obstacle for the other species (habitat patch on one side of the fence, which might provide a potential refuge for other species. For instance, the competitively inferior wild dogs used this refuge significantly more intensively than the side of the fence with a high presence of lions. 5. We showed that the influence of a barrier on the distribution of animals could potentially result in a broad-scale modification of community structure and ecology within a guild

  15. Lifestyle factors and social ties associated with the frequency of laughter after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Fukushima Health Management Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirosaki, Mayumi; Ohira, Tetsuya; Yasumura, Seiji; Maeda, Masaharu; Yabe, Hirooki; Harigane, Mayumi; Takahashi, Hideto; Murakami, Michio; Suzuki, Yuriko; Nakano, Hironori; Zhang, Wen; Uemura, Mayu; Abe, Masafumi; Kamiya, Kenji

    2018-03-01

    Although mental health problems such as depression after disasters have been reported, positive psychological factors after disasters have not been examined. Recently, the importance of positive affect to our health has been recognised. We therefore investigated the frequency of laughter and its related factors among residents of evacuation zones after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. In a cross-sectional study on 52,320 participants aged 20 years and older who were included in the Fukushima Health Management Survey in Japan's fiscal year 2012, associations of the frequency of laughter with changes in lifestyle after the disaster, such as a changed work situation, the number of family members, and the number of address changes, and other sociodemographic, psychological, and lifestyle factors were examined using logistic regression analysis. The frequency of laughter was assessed using a single-item question: "How often do you laugh out loud?" The proportion of those who laugh almost every day was 27.1%. Multivariable models adjusted for sociodemographic, psychological, and lifestyle factors demonstrated that an increase in the number of family members and fewer changes of address were significantly associated with a high frequency of laughter. Mental health, regular exercise, and participation in recreational activities were also associated with a high frequency of laughter. Changes in lifestyle factors after the disaster were associated with the frequency of laughter in the evacuation zone. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine what factors can increase the frequency of laughter.

  16. Babies in traffic: infant vocalizations and listener sex modulate auditory motion perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuhoff, John G; Hamilton, Grace R; Gittleson, Amanda L; Mejia, Adolfo

    2014-04-01

    Infant vocalizations and "looming sounds" are classes of environmental stimuli that are critically important to survival but can have dramatically different emotional valences. Here, we simultaneously presented listeners with a stationary infant vocalization and a 3D virtual looming tone for which listeners made auditory time-to-arrival judgments. Negatively valenced infant cries produced more cautious (anticipatory) estimates of auditory arrival time of the tone over a no-vocalization control. Positively valenced laughs had the opposite effect, and across all conditions, men showed smaller anticipatory biases than women. In Experiment 2, vocalization-matched vocoded noise stimuli did not influence concurrent auditory time-to-arrival estimates compared with a control condition. In Experiment 3, listeners estimated the egocentric distance of a looming tone that stopped before arriving. For distant stopping points, women estimated the stopping point as closer when the tone was presented with an infant cry than when it was presented with a laugh. For near stopping points, women showed no differential effect of vocalization type. Men did not show differential effects of vocalization type at either distance. Our results support the idea that both the sex of the listener and the emotional valence of infant vocalizations can influence auditory motion perception and can modulate motor responses to other behaviorally relevant environmental sounds. We also find support for previous work that shows sex differences in emotion processing are diminished under conditions of higher stress.

  17. Incontinência do choro e infarto protuberancial unilateral Incontinence of crying and unilateral pontine infarct

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza

    1995-09-01

    Full Text Available O presente estudo trata do caso de um paciente que apresentou incontinência do choro e hemiplegia direita por infarto ventroprotuberancial paramediano detectado pela RNM. O caráter circunscrito da lesão foi endossado pela normalidade dos potenciais evocados sômato-sensitivos e auditivos de curta-latência. Os episódios de choro desapareceram poucos dias depois do início do tratamento com doses baixas de imipramina. Discutimos o choro e riso patológicos como forma de incontinência da mímica resultante de desconexão límbico-motora, enfatizando a impropriedade de incluí-los na síndrome pseudobulbar, uma vez que dependem de correlatos anatômicos e funcionais distintos.A 64-year-old man presented with pathologic crying and right hemiplegia due to a unilateral pontine infarct from probable branch disease of the basilar artery. The circumscribed nature of the lesion was supported by MRI and short-latency evoked potentials. The weeping spells ceased after a few days of imipramine in low doses. Pathologic laughing and crying can be viewed as a limbic-motor disconnection syndrome, in which the faciovocal motor system is released from forebrain afferents carrying information of emotional content. The inclusion of pathologic laughing and crying in the syndrome pseudobulbar palsy is inaccurate and misleading, since each is related to distinct functional and anatomic systems intrinsic to the human brainstem.

  18. Bone accumulation by leopards in the Late Pleistocene in the Moncayo massif (Zaragoza, NE Spain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Víctor Sauqué

    Full Text Available Eating habits of Panthera pardus are well known. When there are caves in its territory, prey accumulates inside them. This helps to prevent its kill from being stolen by other predators like hyenas. Although the leopard is an accumulator of bones in caves, few studies have been conducted on existing lairs. There are, however, examples of fossil vertebrate sites whose main collecting agent is the leopard. During the Late Pleistocene, the leopard was a common carnivore in European faunal associations. Here we present a new locality of Quaternary mammals with a scarce human presence, the cave of Los Rincones (province of Zaragoza, Spain; we show the leopard to be the main accumulator of the bones in the cave, while there are no interactions between humans and leopards. For this purpose, a taphonomic analysis is performed on different bone-layers of the cave.

  19. Training Through Blood and Fire: The Leadership Development of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-04-01

    Chamberlain moved around in the dark administering as much treatment as he could and took down the last wishes of the dying.20 Also, the incident of the 2d...discipline, he was strict but fair.26 In Chamberlain’s own words, “discipline was the soul of armies…taken in the long run, and in all vicissitudes, an...that, but when ‘things’ get very bad, I am apt to laugh. This has carried me through many rough and dark places.”48 Another source of courage for

  20. Translations from Communist China’s MIN-TZU T’UAN-CHIEH (Nationality Solidarity) November and December 1959 and MIN-TZU YEN-CHIU (Nationality Research) November 1959.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1960-03-31

    communes came and organized col- lective living, the woman laughed and in large numbers escaped the en- cumbrance of stove and children and went to the...build your arbor, ■•-•’. = To wear- clothes ’first . spin your silkj’ • ;.,; ■■■"■■’■•’-’■■ iTo build socialism, first learn culture...now has 7$0 mou which is planted in bar- ley, oats, lucerne, millet and other grains and feeds; also beans, cabbage, celery, turnips, melons, and

  1. This is improbable cheese string theory, magnetic chickens and other WTF research

    CERN Document Server

    Abrahams, Marc

    2012-01-01

    Marc Abrahams, the founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, offers an addictive,wryly funny expose of the oddest, most imaginative, and just plain improbable research from around the globe. He looks into why books on ethics are more likely to get stolen, the best way to slice a ham sandwich (mathematically), and what time of month generates highertips for Vegas lap dancers. Abrahams' tour through these unlikeliest investigations of animals, plants, and minerals (including humans) willfirst make you laugh, then make you think about the world in a new way.

  2. Wspólna twarz – Różewicz, Rembrandt i starość

    OpenAIRE

    Rosales Rodriguez, Agnieszka

    2014-01-01

    This article proposes an interpretation of Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Laughing (Wallraf- -Richartz Museum, Cologne) as it appears in Tadeusz Różewicz’s poem Mirror. The 17th-century Dutch artist was known as a painter who portrayed the human body as it really is, i.e. with all its imperfections and changes that are brought about by the passage of time. He has also been regarded as a master who expressed the disappearance and decay of form (Simmel) and the anticipation of death (Malra...

  3. Effects of Bright Light Therapy on Sleep, Cognition, Brain Function, and Neurochemistry in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    rush”, nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), amyl or butyl nitrate ("poppers").      Cannabis :  marijuana, hashish ("hash"), THC, "pot", "grass", "weed...products today? If so, how much? ___________ On average, how many cups of caffeinated coffee do you drink per day? ___________ On average, how...products today? If so, how much? ___________ On average, how many cups of caffeinated coffee do you drink per day? ___________ On average, how

  4. Penggunaan Metafora sebagai Frame Pencetus Unsur Humor dalam Kamigata Rakugo “Tachigire Senkoo” dan “Sutokuin”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nalti Novianti

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available The use of metaphor in a comedy story is a tool to create the funny effect. In many comedy stories of kamigata rakugo, a metaphor can be used as one way to bring the contradict frame that will cause the unbalance in the story (incongruity. It means that the comedy story cannot stand alone without any contradiction of situation. This contradiction of situation is brought up by the story teller to get one phrase that is able to attract the listeners’ attention, and in the end will bring a big laughs.

  5. He Who Laughs First: The Importance of Humor to Young Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krogh, Suzanne

    1985-01-01

    Reviews current theories of humor development, discusses the interaction of humor with other developmental areas (including cognitive development, personality development, creativity, and moral development), and suggests ways in which research can be applied in the early childhood classroom. (Author/DST)

  6. A Review of Humor for Computer Games: Play, Laugh and More

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dormann, Claire; Biddle, Robert

    2009-01-01

    Computer games are now becoming ways to communicate, teach, and influence attitudes and behavior. In this article, we address the role of humor in computer games, especially in support of serious purposes. We begin with a review of the main theories of humor, including superiority, incongruity, and relief. These theories and their…

  7. Those Who Laugh Are Defenseless: How Humor Breaks Resistance to Influence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strick, Madelijn; Holland, Rob W.; van Baaren, Rick B.; van Knippenberg, Ad

    2012-01-01

    Three experiments illustrate that humor in advertisements prevents the development of negative brand associations due to resistance. Previous research on humor in advertising suggested that humor can counter negative responses during ad processing, but less is known about the effect of humor on the development of negative brand associations in…

  8. “They laugh when I sing”: perceived effects of caregiver social ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: Social support provided to caregivers of children has been shown to be protective for caregiver health, parenting and child psychosocial outcomes. However, little work in Southern Africa provides insight on the relationship between caregiver social support and child wellbeing. This report discusses exploratory ...

  9. Deadly funny, laughing at the dead : John Banville’s Birchwood

    OpenAIRE

    Falco, Magali

    2016-01-01

    John Banville’s Birchwood is an uncanny novel whose title refers to Gabriel’s eerie family household. The eponymous title indicates that the novel is first and foremost built on Gothic remains. Birchwood is the name of a grotesque Gothic house that literally consumes Grandma Godkin and the rest of the family, but at a more metaphorical level, it also encompasses Gothic motifs such as family secrets and hauntings, dark doubles, a madwoman in the attic, and most of all, an incestuous affair. Va...

  10. Kids’ Day Brings Smiles, Laughs, and Cheers Despite the Heat | Poster

    Science.gov (United States)

    By Andrea Frydl, Contributing Writer On July 17, more than 200 children attended the National Cancer Institute at Frederick and Fort Detrick 17th annual Take Your Child Work Day (TYCTWD), informally coined “Kids’ Day” by campus employees.

  11. Emoción, gesto y actio: la risa en el Ab Urbe Condita (I

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moreno Ferrero, Isabel

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Ab Vrbe Condita can be read as a set of rules for political and public responsibilities of the Roman citizen of the 1 st Century B.C. Livy stresses the fixed parameters of dignitas, gravitas and urbanitas, and all the traditional virtues of the aristocratic and conservative world that rule the lives of men and women. Those people’s emotions and gestures should abide by the conduct norms which are “convenient” to the world masters. This article deals with the emotions in the AVC, and in particular with laughter, one of the most primary forms of human expression, and, ironically, one which seems to have received little attention in Livy’s account. It is mentioned in but a few passages (ridere/-sus// inridere/-risus // arridere. There is almost no “hilarity” there; we only find it in a scene that describes some Greeks in a party which ends up dramatically shortly afterwards (40.7.1-3. And, unlike in Suetonius’ biography, no one ever bursts out laughing in the AVC. Livy’s heroes do not laugh much, and they do so only in certain circumstances. This scarcity allows us to analyze in detail the general characteristics and the dramatic construction of these passages, highlighting the historian’s ability to modify well-known rhetorical topics, to alter solutions and to adapt forms, in order to get new effects. The analysis also underlines Livy’s didactic and ideological approach and his master use of the traditional techniques of rhetoric.

  12. Consequences of Laughter Upon Trunk Compression and Cortical Activation: Linear and Polynomial Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svebak, Sven

    2016-01-01

    Results from two studies of biological consequences of laughter are reported. A proposed inhibitory brain mechanism was tested in Study 1. It aims to protect against trunk compression that can cause health hazards during vigorous laughter. Compression may be maximal during moderate durations and, for protective reasons, moderate in enduring vigorous laughs. Twenty-five university students volunteered to see a candid camera film. Laughter responses (LR) and the superimposed ha-responses were operationally assessed by mercury-filled strain gauges strapped around the trunk. On average, the thorax compression amplitudes exceeded those of the abdomen, and greater amplitudes were seen in the males than in the females after correction for resting trunk circumference. Regression analyses supported polynomial relations because medium LR durations were associated with particularly high thorax amplitudes. In Study 2, power changes were computed in the beta and alpha EEG frequency bands of the parietal cortex from before to after exposure to the comedy “Dinner for one” in 56 university students. Highly significant linear relations were calculated between the number of laughs and post-exposure cortical activation (increase of beta, decrease of alpha) due to high activation after frequent laughter. The results from Study 1 supported the hypothesis of a protective brain mechanism that is activated during long LRs to reduce the risk of harm to vital organs in the trunk cavity. The results in Study 2 supported a linear cortical activation and, thus, provided evidence for a biological correlate to the subjective experience of mental refreshment after laughter. PMID:27547260

  13. Two cases of childhood narcolepsy mimicking epileptic seizures in video-EEG/EMG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagishita, Tomoe; Ito, Susumu; Ohtani, Yui; Eto, Kaoru; Kanbayashi, Takashi; Oguni, Hirokazu; Nagata, Satoru

    2018-06-06

    Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive sleepiness, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis, and can occur with or without cataplexy. Here, we report two children with narcolepsy presenting with cataplexy mimicking epileptic seizures as determined by long-term video-electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) monitoring. Case 1 was a 15-year-old girl presenting with recurrent episodes of "convulsions" and loss of consciousness, who was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of epilepsy showing "convulsions" and "complex partial seizures". The long-term video-polygraph showed a clonic attack lasting for 15 s, which corresponded to 1-2 Hz with interruption of mentalis EMG discharges lasting for 70-300 ms without any EEG changes. Narcolepsy was suspected due to the attack induced by hearty laughs and the presence of sleep attacks, and confirmed by low orexin levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Case 2 was an 11-year-old girl presenting with recurrent episodes of myoclonic attacks simultaneously with dropping objects immediately after hearty laughs, in addition to sleep attacks, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. The long-term video-polygraph showed a subtle attack, characterized by dropping chopsticks from her hand, which corresponded to an interruption of ongoing deltoid EMG discharges lasting 140 ms without any EEG changes. A diagnosis of narcolepsy was confirmed by the low orexin levels in CSF. These cases demonstrate that children with narcolepsy may have attacks of cataplexy that resemble clonic or myoclonic seizures. Copyright © 2018 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Role of 3.0 T MR vessel wall imaging for identifying the activity of takayasu arteritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiaosheng; Xu Jianrong; Zhao Huilin; Cheng Fang; Lu Qing; Yao Qiuying

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To analyze and explore the value of 3 T high resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging for identifying the activity of Takayasu arteritis. Methods: Twenty-six consecutive patients with Takayasu arteritis underwent 3.0 T high resolution MR vessel wall imaging on supraortic vessels (according to the classification of Lupi-Herrea, type I and III were included). Sixteen patients were in active phase and 10 in inactive phase based on the Kerr criteria. The MR vessel wall imaging appearances of Takayasu arteritis were compared between the active phase and inactive phase cases. Results: Wall thickening was demonstrated in all involved arteries. There were statistically significant differences between active phase and inactive phase cases in MR appearances including multi-ring thickening of vessel wall (75/80 and 18/50), arterial inner wail enhancement (50/80 and 19/50), obscurity of perivascular fat (55/80 and 18/50, X 2 =50.39, 7.41, 13.40, P<0.01). There was also a statistically significant difference in the thickness of carotid artery wall between the two groups [ (3.8 ± 0.2) mm vs (2.5 ± 0.8) mm]. Conclusion: 3 T high resolution MR vessel wall imaging is valuable for identifying the activity of Takayasu arteritis. (authors)

  15. Time reversal technique for gas leakage detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maksimov, A O; Polovinka, Yu A

    2015-04-01

    The acoustic remote sensing of subsea gas leakage traditionally uses sonars as active acoustic sensors and hydrophones picking up the sound generated by a leak as passive sensors. When gas leaks occur underwater, bubbles are produced and emit sound at frequencies intimately related to their sizes. The experimental implementation of an acoustic time-reversal mirror (TRM) is now well established in underwater acoustics. In the basic TRM experiment, a probe source emits a pulse that is received on an array of sensors, time reversed, and re-emitted. After time reversal, the resulting field focuses back at the probe position. In this study, a method for enhancing operation of the passive receiving system has been proposed by using it in the regime of TRM. Two factors, the local character of the acoustic emission signal caused by the leakage and a resonant nature of the bubble radiation at their birth, make particularly effective scattering with the conjugate wave (CW). Analytical calculations are performed for the scattering of CW wave on a single bubble when CW is formed by bubble birthing wail received on an array, time reversed, and re-emitted. The quality of leakage detection depends on the spatio-temporal distribution of ambient noise.

  16. Take It, Leave It, Fold It

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elias, Camelia

    2008-01-01

    This introduction to the volume sets the tone for a reading experience of Federman's works. Since the early 60s, Raymond Federman has been one of the most important American writers. In his highly experimental fictions, in works that bear such titles as Take It or Leave It, Double or Nothing......, and The Twofold Vibrations, he has explored cultural and personal memory, invented intricate narrative strategies, and above all has given readers an experience that exceeds the ordinary. Creating situations that make one really think and really laugh is a tall order for any writer. But Federman did it. He is one...

  17. Perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behavior in an urban community in Vietnam: an explorative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Ham, Lia; Wright, Pamela; Van, Thang Vo; Doan, Vuong D K; Broerse, Jacqueline E W

    2011-10-01

    This explorative study assesses perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behavior among adults in Vietnam. Methods included questionnaires (200) and focus group discussions (eight). Respondents were often unable to name specific mental illnesses. Frequently mentioned symptoms of mental illness were talking nonsense, talking/laughing alone and wandering. Pressure/stress and studying/thinking too much were often identified causes. Most respondents showed a preference for medical treatment options, often in combination with family care. The results show that perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behaviour are influenced by a lack of knowledge and a mix of traditional and modern views.

  18. Ridere degli dèi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurizio Bettini

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The Charlie Hebdo shooting has tragically attracted new attention on a characteristic of the monotheistic religions that had been progressively overshadowed at least in Western societies: the impossibility of making fun of God and religion in general. On the contrary in Greek and Roman societies the practice of “laughing at the gods” was considered perfectly legitimate, as shown by a plurality of examples from Homer to Lucian of Samosata. The essay aims at describing the cultural motivations of this phenomenon, by emphasizing some of the most relevant differences between polytheistic and monotheistic religions.

  19. Laughter and collective awareness: The cinema auditorium as public space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julian Hanich

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This article looks at how the collective experience of laughter in the movie theater is related to the idea of the cinema as a public space. Through the nonverbal expression of laughter the audience ‘constructs’ a public space the viewers may not have been aware of to the same degree prior to the collective public expression. Moreover, the public space created through laughter allows for an expedient type of monitoring: inappropriate laughter may be exposed in front of others. With viewers who laugh approvingly about racist violence or misogynist jokes, we can easily lay bare the ethical implications.

  20. Astronomers Anonymous Getting Help with the Puzzles and Pitfalls of Practical Astronomy

    CERN Document Server

    Ringwood, Steve

    2010-01-01

    In this entertaining parody of letters to a typical “lonely hearts” columnist, real-life expert and long-time astronomy columnist Steve Ringwood presents a sweeping overview of common questions and problems practical and amateur astronomers face, compiled from Ringwood's own experiences in the world of astronomy. His screamingly funny comments will keep you laughing out loud throughout, so be careful of reading this book in public! Written especially for troubled astronomers, but also accessible to anyone with an interest in space or astronomy, readers will easily recognize the difficulties they face and enjoy the humor being directed at them and their science.

  1. Love in Love’s Labour’s Lost: Ontological Foundation or Laughing Matter?

    OpenAIRE

    Mousley, Andy

    2015-01-01

    Love’s labour is often lost in Shakespeare’s (un)romantic comedy because love is folly and lovers, ridiculous. We know, however, that Shakespeare delights in paradoxes and reversals which alert us to the possibility of finding wisdom in folly and folly in self-professed wisdom. Given the insisted-upon interchangeability of wisdom and folly in Shakespeare’s plays, how can we be confident of being able to tell them apart? If lovers are foolish in Love’s Labour’s Lost then what wisdom might ther...

  2. "Laisse-moi rire! Fais-moi parler!" ("Let Me Laugh! Make Me Speak!").

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borgomano, Laure

    1983-01-01

    A discussion of the use of cartoons and humorous vignettes in French instruction is presented. It is suggested that there exists a wealth of such material but little guidance in using it. Problems of cultural context, understanding the use of pictures, and potential for classroom discussion are considered. (MSE)

  3. The Einstein formula: E0=mc2. 'Isn't the Lord laughing?'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okun, L B

    2008-01-01

    The article traces the way Einstein formulated the relation between energy and mass in his work from 1905 to 1955. Einstein emphasized quite often that the mass m of a body is equivalent to its rest energy E 0 . At the same time, he frequently resorted to the less clear-cut statement of the equivalence of energy and mass. As a result, Einstein's formula E 0 =mc 2 still remains much less known than its popular form, E=mc 2 , in which E is the total energy equal to the sum of the rest energy and the kinetic energy of a freely moving body. One of the consequences of this is the widespread fallacy that the mass of a body increases when its velocity increases and even that this is an experimental fact. As wrote the playwright A N Ostrovsky 'Something must exist for people, something so austere, so lofty, so sacrosanct that it would make profaning it unthinkable.' (from the history of physics)

  4. No Laughing Matter: Interracial and Intra-ethnic Patterns in Off Color Jokes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-15

    highly diverse cultures including, but not limited to, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Chile . Studying work-related...masculinity dimension, Venezuela scores a 73, while Chile scores a 28. There is simply too much variability within the population labeled Hispanic to...Americans or newly immigrated . Secondly, socioeconomic status significantly impacts one’s experiences. Related to socioeconomic status, the education level

  5. Policy Means for Sustainable Energy Scenarios

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meyer, Niels I; Nørgaard, Jørgen

    2011-01-01

    part of the climate change is due to emission of CO2 from the use of fossil fuels. For simplicity, this paper focuses on CO2 emission from fossil fuels, but CO2 from deforestation as well as methane (CH4), laughing gas (N2O) and a number of industrial greenhouse gases should be included in a more......, 2009) lacked sufficient concrete commitments for reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) after 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires. Human activities in their present form are strongly dependent on the supply of energy. A dominant part of the global energy supply is based on fossil fuels and a dominant...

  6. Extreme Facial Expressions Classification Based on Reality Parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, Mohd Shafry Mohd; Rad, Abdolvahab Ehsani; Rehman, Amjad; Altameem, Ayman

    2014-09-01

    Extreme expressions are really type of emotional expressions that are basically stimulated through the strong emotion. An example of those extreme expression is satisfied through tears. So to be able to provide these types of features; additional elements like fluid mechanism (particle system) plus some of physics techniques like (SPH) are introduced. The fusion of facile animation with SPH exhibits promising results. Accordingly, proposed fluid technique using facial animation is the real tenor for this research to get the complex expression, like laugh, smile, cry (tears emergence) or the sadness until cry strongly, as an extreme expression classification that's happens on the human face in some cases.

  7. The Inner Eye Theory of Laughter: Mindreader Signals Cooperator Value

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wonil Edward Jung

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In this hypothesis paper, I propose a three-component set of jointly necessary and sufficient trigger criteria for all cases of involuntary laughter. The theory incorporates concepts from the theory of mind in cognitive science. I then examine the information content of the laughter signal from a game theoretic perspective. I conclude that laughter is a signal of cooperator value as it provides information on the laugher's empathy with the attributed mental states and her sympathy levels for all affected by the laugh-inducing situation. Laughter also indicates what types of mental representations children, autistic people, nonhuman primates and adults possess and can falsify.

  8. The acoustic features of human laughter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachorowski, Jo-Anne; Owren, Michael J.

    2002-05-01

    Remarkably little is known about the acoustic features of laughter, despite laughter's ubiquitous role in human vocal communication. Outcomes are described for 1024 naturally produced laugh bouts recorded from 97 young adults. Acoustic analysis focused on temporal characteristics, production modes, source- and filter-related effects, and indexical cues to laugher sex and individual identity. The results indicate that laughter is a remarkably complex vocal signal, with evident diversity in both production modes and fundamental frequency characteristics. Also of interest was finding a consistent lack of articulation effects in supralaryngeal filtering. Outcomes are compared to previously advanced hypotheses and conjectures about this species-typical vocal signal.

  9. A case report of hypertensive bleed presenting with pathological laughter: Focus on neurobiological correlates and pharmacological management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujita Kumar Kar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Pathological laughter and crying are episodes of either laughter or crying, which is intense and uncontrollable, usually lasting for brief periods and occurring in paroxysms. In the literature, pathological laughing and crying, emotionalism, pseudo-bulbar affect are synonymously used. Favorable evidences exist with regard to the use of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-glutaminergic agents for the management of pathological laughter and crying. In this case report, we highlight the clinical presentation of hypertensive bleed in the form of pathological laughter and its management with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor - sertraline along with literature review regarding its neurobiological basis and pharmacological management.

  10. Rationale for the prevention of oral diseases in primary health care: an international collaborative study in oral health education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourgeois, Denis M; Phantumvanit, Prathip; Llodra, Juan Carlos; Horn, Virginie; Carlile, Monica; Eiselé, Jean-Luc

    2014-10-01

    Ensuring that members of society are healthy and reaching their full potential requires the prevention of oral diseases through the promotion of oral health and well-being. The present article identifies the best policy conditions of effective public health and primary care integration and the actors who promote and sustain these efforts. In this review, arguments and recommendations are provided to introduce an oral health collaborative promotion programme called Live.Learn.Laugh. phase 2, arising from an unique partnership between FDI World Dental Federation, the global company Unilever plc and an international network of National Dental Associations, health-care centres, schools and educators populations. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

  11. Prescrição do dia: infusão de alegria. Utilizando a arte como instrumento na assistência à criança hospitalizada Prescripción del día: infusión de alegría, utilizando el arte como instrumento, en la asistencia al niño hospitalizado Prescription for the day: infusion of joy. Using art as an instrument for the care of hospitalized children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovana Müler Françani

    1998-12-01

    nursing resource in the care to hospitalized children. Having as basis the job performed by the group of physicians "Joy Doctors", and the theoretical grounding from Psychology and Pediatric and Neonatal Nursing, those students founded the Laugh Company that aims at rescuing laugh within the hospitalized child/family. This experiment has caused some changes in daily care: the hospital space has become more informal and relaxed, laugh can be heard more often and some items, such as, objects, sounds, movements, colours, rooms and people can become toys.

  12. Contes et histoires du Yémen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad 'Alî Abduh

    2001-09-01

    Full Text Available Deux contes de la région de Taez, traduits en français, illustrent plusieurs aspects de la vie sociale traditionnelle des villages yéménites. " La brebis devenue hyène " conte les mésaventures d'un groupe d'hommes partis pour une lointaine visite, chargés de qat et accompagnés d'une brebis. " La divination par les os " met en scène le face-à-face entre l'honneur perdu d'un cheikh et celui du hérault de sa tribu.Traditional Tales of YemenThe two tales from the Taez area, translated into French, express different aspects of the traditional social life in Yemeni villages. "The sheep that became a hyena" is about the misfortunes of a group of men that left for a journey transporting qat and a sheep. The other, "Divination by bones", consists in a direct exchange between the lost  honour of a sheikh and the one of the tribe’s herald.

  13. [The man on the portrait].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergstrand, A

    1996-01-01

    Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry 1911. During the preceding year a rumour had circulated in Stockholm that she had had an affaire with one of her assistants. She received a letter, in which she was told that there had been strong opposition to her election not on scientific but moral grounds, and that she should not go to Stockholm, because nobody could forsee what reactions her appearance at the prize ceremony could evoke. Emil Kleen, a man of violent temper and radical opinions, reacted strongly to these rumours. He wrote a paper, with a violent attack on Gustaf Retzius, previous professor of Histology at Karolinska Institutet. Rightly or wrongly he suspected him to be the author of the infamous letter. Retzius is described as a dilletant in scientific matters, as a "sexual hyena" and a garroulus old man. This portrait of Retzius is of course most unfair, but the portrait of Emil Kleen by the famous swedish artist Bruno Liljefors is a masterpiece and one of the most valuable of the Swedish Medical Association.

  14. Intense or malicious? The decoding of eyebrow-lowering frowning in laughter animations depends on the presentation mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    Joyful laughter is the only laughter type that has received sufficient validation in terms of morphology (i.e., face, voice). Still, it is unclear whether joyful laughter involves one prototypical facial-morphological configuration (Duchenne Display and mouth opening) to be decoded as such, or whether qualitatively distinct facial markers occur at different stages of laughter intensity. It was proposed that intense laughter goes along with eyebrow-lowering frowning, but in decoding studies of pictures, these “frowns” were associated with perceived maliciousness rather than higher intensity. Thus, two studies were conducted to investigate the influence of the presentation mode (static, dynamic) and eyebrow-lowering frowning on the perception of laughter animations of different intensity. In Study 1, participants (N = 110) were randomly assigned to two presentation modes (static pictures vs. dynamic videos) to watch animations of Duchenne laughter and laughter with added eyebrow-lowering frowning. Ratings on the intensity, valence, and contagiousness of the laughter were completed. In Study 2, participants (N = 55) saw both animation types in both presentation modes sequentially. Results confirmed that the static presentation lead to eyebrow-lowering frowning in intense laughter being perceived as more malicious, less intense, less benevolent, and less contagious compared to the dynamic presentation. This was replicated for maliciousness in Study 2, although participants could potentially infer the “frown” as a natural element of the laugh, as they had seen the video and the picture. Thus, a dynamic presentation is necessary for detecting graduating intensity markers in the joyfully laughing face. While this study focused on the decoding, future studies should investigate the encoding of frowning in laughter. This is important, as tools assessing facially expressed joy might need to account for laughter intensity markers that differ from the Duchenne Display

  15. Smile and laughter induction and intraoperative predictors of response to deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haq, Ihtsham U; Foote, Kelly D; Goodman, Wayne G; Wu, Samuel S; Sudhyadhom, Atchar; Ricciuti, Nicola; Siddiqui, Mustafa S; Bowers, Dawn; Jacobson, Charles E; Ward, Herbert; Okun, Michael S

    2011-01-01

    We recently treated six patients for OCD utilizing deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior limb of the internal capsule and the nucleus accumbens region (ALIC-NA). We individually tested leads via a scripted intraoperative protocol designed to determine DBS-induced side effects and mood changes. We previously published qualitative data regarding our observations of induced emotional behaviors in our first five subjects. We have now studied these same behaviors in the full cohort of six patients over 2 years of follow-up and have examined the relationship of these behaviors to intraoperative mood changes and postoperative clinical outcomes. Five patients experienced at least one smile response during testing. At higher voltages of stimulation, some of these smiles progressed to natural laughter. Smiles and laughter were associated with mood elevation. At stimulation locations at which smiles were observed, voltage and mood were significantly correlated (p=0.0004 for right brain and plaughter-inducing sites were located relatively medial, posterior, and deep in the ALIC-NA. The presence of stimulation induced laughter predicted improvement in OCD symptoms at 2 years. The higher the percentage of laugh conditions experienced in an individual patient, the greater the reduction in YBOCS (24 months, p=0.034). Other correlations between clinical outcomes and percent of smile/laugh conditions were not significant. These stimulation-induced behaviors were less frequently observed with 1 and 2-month postoperative test stimulation and were not observed at subsequent test stimulation sessions. Intraoperative stimulation-induced laughter may predict long-term OCD response to DBS. Identifying other potential response predictors for OCD will become increasingly important as more patients are implanted with DBS devices. A larger study is needed to better delineate the relationship between induced intraoperative and postoperative emotional behavior and clinical outcome in

  16. Smile and Laughter Induction and Intraoperative Predictors of Response to Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haq, Ihtsham U; Foote, Kelly D; Goodman, Wayne G; Wu, Samuel S; Sudhyadhom, Atchar; Ricciutti, Nicola; Siddiqui, Mustafa S.; Bowers, Dawn; Jacobson, Charles E; Ward, Herbert; Okun, Michael S

    2010-01-01

    We recently treated six patients for OCD utilizing deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior limb of the internal capsule and the nucleus accumbens region (ALIC-NA). We individually tested leads via a scripted intraoperative protocol designed to determine DBS-induced side effects and mood changes. We previously published qualitative data regarding our observations of induced emotional behaviors in our first five subjects. We have now studied these same behaviors in the full cohort of six patients over two years of follow-up and have examined the relationship of these behaviors to intraoperative mood changes and postoperative clinical outcomes. Five patients experienced at least one smile response during testing. At higher voltages of stimulation some of these smiles progressed to natural laughter. Smiles and laughter were associated with mood elevation. At stimulation locations at which smiles were observed, voltage and mood were significantly correlated (p=0.0004 for right brain and plaughter-inducing sites were located relatively medial, posterior, and deep in the ALIC-NA. The presence of stimulation induced laughter predicted improvement in OCD symptoms at two years. The higher the percentage of laugh conditions experienced in an individual patient, the greater the reduction in YBOCS (24 months, p=0.034). Other correlations between clinical outcomes and percent of smile/laugh conditions were not significant. These stimulation-induced behaviors were less frequently observed with one and two-month postoperative test stimulation and were not observed at subsequent test stimulation sessions. Intraoperative stimulation-induced laughter may predict long-term OCD response to DBS. Identifying other potential response predictors for OCD will become increasingly important as more patients are implanted with DBS devices. A larger study is needed to better delineate the relationship between induced intraoperative and postoperative emotional behavior and clinical outcome

  17. Girl child and family in Maharashtra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, D

    1995-01-01

    This article discusses the problems of the girl child at the family level in India. Analysis is based on a field study in Maharashtra state and other studies included in a government report on the "Girl Child and the Family." The family context strongly impacts child growth and development. Evidence indicates that a girl child faces discrimination and inequality. Every sixth female death is attributed to gender discrimination. Household tasks prevent girls' school enrollment. Children learn role expectations at home. Daughters are taught their duties and obligations as if they were a piece of property. 25% of the parents in the sample considered a girl's birth with indifference and unhappiness. In 11% of cases, girls were not immunized at all. Breast feeding was short. 31.8% of mothers and 25% of in-laws expected the girl's birth to be a boy. 98.2% of mothers did not rely on sex determination of the fetus. Almost 60% of households did not restrict smiling or crying among boys or girls. 70% restricted laughing loudly. 42.4% restricted only girls' laughing out loud. 17% restricted girls' smiling or crying. 46.5% restricted girls' movement to the house. 42% did not allow daughters to speak to the opposite sex. 17% restricted access to the market for daughters. Girls were encouraged to cook, stitch, and dance. 60% of girls preferred to spend time with girl friends. Boys had better access to movies. 57% of girls spent time on housework. 47% became gender aware from mass media. Most felt frightened at menstruation. 88% of girls thought that all should equally attain the same level of education. Girls received an equal share of food and health care. 87% of girls did not work for wages. Those who worked did not control their income.

  18. Laughing at the Looking Glass: Does Humor Style Serve as an Interpersonal Signal?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The provision of information appears to be an important feature of humor. The present studies examined whether humor serves as an interpersonal signal such that an individual's style of humor is associated with how the individual is perceived by others. Method: We examined this issue across two studies. In Study 1, undergraduate participants (257 targets were rated more positively by their friends and family members (1194 perceivers when they possessed more benign humor styles. In Study 2, 1190 community participants rated the romantic desirability of targets ostensibly possessing different humor styles. Results: Across both studies, our results were consistent with the possibility that humor serves as a signal. More specifically, individuals with benign humor styles (affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles were evaluated more positively than those targets with injurious humor styles (aggressive and self-defeating humor styles. Conclusion: These findings are discussed in terms of the role that humor may play in interpersonal perception and relationships.

  19. Laughing off the Stereotypes: Age and Aging in Seniors' Online Sex-Related Humor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimrod, Galit; Berdychevsky, Liza

    2017-05-17

    Focusing on sex, the most salient topic featured in ageist jokes, this study aims at exploring the extent to which seniors' own humor reflects common ageist stereotypes or rather echoes contemporary consumer society representations of seniors' sexuality. The study was based on a quantitative content analysis of 300 humorous sex-related messages posted during one full year by members of 14 leading online communities for seniors. Findings indicated that whereas the portrayal of older adults in humor typically relied on negative ageist stereotypes, their representation in seniors' online sex-related humor depended on the social identity of the butt of this humor. If it was an in-group member (oneself, another community member, or the community as a whole), the portrayal was rather positive, but when the butt belonged to the out-group (older adults in general), the depiction was far more ageist. Nonetheless, the representation of older butts of humor was generally more positive than that of the younger ones. These findings suggest that seniors tend to identify with current cultural representations of sexuality in later life and use sex-related humor as a personal means of resisting ageism. They apply two principal strategies: Distancing-reproducing certain ageist stereotypes by ascribing them to other older adults, but less so to their own group and even less than that to themselves-and equalizing older and younger individuals, even according the former an advantage regarding sexuality. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. The carpal tunnel syndrome in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leti Acciaro, A; Pilla, F; Faldini, C; Adani, R

    2017-12-21

    Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in children represents a complex challenge for the hand surgeon because of its rarity, poor patient cooperation, frequently associated malformation syndromes and mental retard, atypical symptoms and nuanced and poor sensitivity of instrumental tests. The most frequently associated causes with the CTS in children are rare congenital malformations and diseases, requiring an overall assessment of the young patient and a high degree of suspicion for the potentially associated canalicular syndrome. On the other hand, the associated syndromes may be the main ally for a diagnosis that starts from the knowledge of the literature and the surgeon's suspicion by observing the child wailing. Early diagnosis and decompression treatment is mandatory. The authors report a case series of 26 children and analyze the etiology and diagnostic algorithms. Patient assessment was based on complete clinical examination and medical history collection of these young patients with the involvement of the family and educators. In all 26 patients treated, along an average period of 23 months (minimum 12, maximum 30), no signs of recurrence or persistence of median nerve disturbances were recorded. In conclusion, we believe that anamnesis, a careful physical examination and analysis of instrumental examinations, should be accompanied by a thorough knowledge of rare diseases in the context of congenital malformations. The carpal tunnel syndrome, while well known and treated by each orthopedic surgeon, reveals a mysterious aspect in the context of the "fabulous" world of childhood illnesses, even more difficult than rare congenital diseases.

  1. Indexed

    CERN Document Server

    Hagy, Jessica

    2008-01-01

    Jessica Hagy is a different kind of thinker. She has an astonishing talent for visualizing relationships, capturing in pictures what is difficult for most of us to express in words. At indexed.blogspot.com, she posts charts, graphs, and Venn diagrams drawn on index cards that reveal in a simple and intuitive way the large and small truths of modern life. Praised throughout the blogosphere as “brilliant,” “incredibly creative,” and “comic genius,” Jessica turns her incisive, deadpan sense of humor on everything from office politics to relationships to religion. With new material along with some of Jessica’s greatest hits, this utterly unique book will thrill readers who demand humor that makes them both laugh and think.

  2. A follow-up study by CT and MRI in 3 cases of Japanese encephalitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoji, H.; Murakami, T.; Murai, I.; Kida, H.; Sato, Y.; Kojima, K.; Abe, T.; Okudera, T.

    1990-01-01

    A follow-up study by CT and MRI in 3 cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) was performed. Neurologically dementia, forced laughing, tetraplegia and parkinsonism were observed as sequelae. In the CT and MR scans about 3 years after the onset of JE, low-density areas (LDAs) or abnormal signal intensities had remained in the thalamus and basal ganglia. The abnormalities were also found in the brain stem. When the main lesions shown by CT and MRI were compared with those of the acute stage, T2-weighted MRI clearly revealed multiple small areas with high signal intensities, although the ones at the acute stage had showed diffuse abnormal signals. These findings may be useful in helping to identity a long time after the onset. (orig.)

  3. Professional Censorship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-07-01

    Some time ago, I was invited to present a lecture on cancer and sexuality to survivors sponsored by a faith-based institution. This is not the first time I have given such a lecture, and I always enjoy interacting with survivors and their partners. Just a couple of months before, I gave a similar talk to an audience of breast cancer survivors at a beautiful conference center in the countryside, owned and operated by a faith-based organization. I talked openly with the women in the audience about vibrators and lubricants, about alternatives to intercourse, and about open communication with one's sexual partner and one's oncology care providers. The women laughed, some cried, and no one seemed offended by the images on the slides.
.

  4. Dal dissenso alla rivoluzione: satira e potere nel mondo arabo contemporaneo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara De Poli

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The satire against Authority can provide a special understanding of contemporary history of Arab countries, especially exploring humour expressions before, during and after the 2011 revolts. After an historical review of satirical expressions in the MENA region in XX century, this study investigate the role that humour and satire played in particular during the Tunisian and Egyptian revolts. Even during the rough and brutal moments of the riots, Tunisians and Egyptians could laugh at the fading power of Ben Alì and Mubarak, testifying their pungent derision of the regimes. Their fall has therefore consented a wider degree of freedom of expression including various forms of humour, chiefly satirical, that nowadays, especially on web sites, provide a parallel overview of recent events.

  5. Diversity Of Mandibular Morphology In Some Carnivorans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahmat S. J.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Comparison of mandibular morphology of some aquatic (seals, walruses, and sea otters and terrestrial (hyenas and pandas carnivorans demonstrates a rather general pattern correlating size of condyloid angle, size of gape, and diet. Structural differences of carnivoran jaws reveal morphological and ecological adaptations that are directly correlated with availability of prey, diving depth, feeding competition and specialized feeding methods. Specifically, the inclination of the condyloid process relative to the axis of the alveolar row (= condyloid angle can be used to determine dietary preferences, including size of prey. Generally, carnivorans with a large condyloid angle feed on larger prey, while a low condyloid angle suggests feeding on small prey or can be an advantageous feeding mechanism. Mirounga angustirostris (Northern elephant seal displays sex-specific characters in cranial and postcranial elements. Likewise, significant sexually dimorphic differences in the size of condyloid angle imply that deeper-diving male Northern elephant seals have a feeding niche dissimilar to that of females. Morphological assessment of male M. angustirostris suggests they are bottom-feeding seals that utilize a suction-feeding mechanism to capture small prey and crush shells with their teeth, which become weaker as they age.

  6. The Occurrence of Some Nonblood Protozoan Parasites in Wild and Domestic Mammals in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukášová, Radka; Halajian, Ali; Bártová, Eva; Kobédová, Kateřina; Swanepoel, Lourens H; O'Riain, M Justin

    2018-04-01

    Relatively little is known about protozoan parasites in African animals. Here we investigated the occurrence of protozoan parasites in mammals from South Africa. Oocysts of protozoan parasites were detected in 13 of 56 (23%) fecal samples using conventional microscopic examination methods. Cryptosporidium spp. and Cystoisospora spp. were detected in eight (14%) and five (9%) samples, respectively. Mixed parasitic infection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Cystoisospora spp. was recorded in banded mongoose ( Mungos mungo). Cryptosporidium spp. was detected for the first time in cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus), spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta), and African polecat ( Ictonyx striatus). Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum were not detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in any of 32 sera tested. We detected T. gondii by PCR in tissues of five of 243 (2%) animals: domestic dog ( Canis lupus familiaris), gerbil ( Gerbilliscus spp.), greater kudu ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros), honey badger ( Mellivora capensis), and white-tailed mongoose ( Ichneumia albicauda). Our isolation of T. gondii from white-tailed mongoose and honey badger was a unique finding. All tissue samples were negative for N. caninum. The study increases our knowledge on the occurrence of protozoan parasites in populations of wild and domestic animals in South Africa.

  7. Large mammals from the Upper Neopleistocene reference sections in the Tunka rift valley, southwestern Baikal Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shchetnikov, A. A.; Klementiev, A. M.; Filinov, I. A.; Semeney, E. Yu.

    2015-03-01

    This work presents the data on new finds of fossil macrotheriofauna in the reference sections of the Upper Neopleistocene sediments in the Tunka rift valley (southwestern Baikal Region). The osteological material of a number of Late Neopleistocene mammals including extinct species rare for the Baikal region such as Crocuta spelaea, Panthera spelaea, and Spirocerus kiakhtensis (?) was directly dated with a radiocarbon (AMS) method. The obtained 14C data (18000-35000 years) allow one to rejuvenate significantly the upper limit of the common age interval of habitat of these animals in southern part of Eastern Siberia. Cave hyena and spiral-horned antelope lived in the Tunka rift valley in the Baikal region in Late Kargino time (37-24 ka), and cave lion survived the maximum in the Sartan cryochron in the region (21-20 ka). The study of collected paleontological collections provides a basis for selection of independent Kargino (MIS 3) faunal assemblages to use them for regional biostratigraphic analysis of Pleistocene deposits. Radiocarbon age dating of samples allows one to attribute confidently all paleofaunal remains available to the second half of the Late Pleistocene.

  8. Animals′ Role in Proper Behaviour: Cheŵa Women′s Instructions in South-Central Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie F Zubieta

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The most common role of animals in the Cheŵa culture of south-central Africa is twofold: they are regarded as an important source of food, and they also provide raw materials for the creation of traditional medicines. Animals, however, also have a nuanced symbolic role that impacts the way people behave with each other by embodying cultural protocols of proper — and not so proper — behaviour. They appear repeatedly in storytelling and proverbs to reference qualities that people need to avoid or pursue and learn from the moral of the story in which animals interplay with each other, just as humans do. For example, someone who wants to prevent the consequences of greed is often advised to heed hyena stories and proverbs. My contribution elaborates on Brian Morris's instrumental work in south-central Africa, which has permitted us to elucidate the symbolism of certain animals and the perception of landscape for Indigenous populations in this region. I discuss some of the ways in which animals have been employed to teach and learn proper behaviour in a particular sacred ceremony of the Cheŵa people which takes place in celebration of womanhood: Chinamwali.

  9. Osteoarthritis in two marine mammals and 22 land mammals: learning from skeletal remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nganvongpanit, Korakot; Soponteerakul, Ratsadakorn; Kaewkumpai, Piyatida; Punyapornwithaya, Veerasak; Buddhachat, Kittisak; Nomsiri, Raksiri; Kaewmong, Patcharaporn; Kittiwatanawong, Kongkiat; Chawangwongsanukun, Rachanchai; Angkawanish, Taweepoke; Thitaram, Chatchote; Mahakkanukrauh, Pasuk

    2017-07-01

    The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) in marine mammals is still questionable. Here we investigated the prevalence of OA in marine (dolphin and dugong) and terrestrial mammals (Asian elephant, Asiatic buffalo, camel, cat, cattle, deer, dog, domestic goat, horse, human, hyena, impala, lion, Malayan tapir, Assam macaque, mule, pig, rabbit, red kangaroo, sheep, tiger and waterbuck). Skeletal remains obtained from five institutes were used as subjects; a total of 45 different parts (locations) of bones were observed for OA lesions. The prevalence of OA was reported as number of OA lesions/total number of bones. Our results revealed that the presence of OA in marine species (dolphin and dugong) was 2.44% and 3.33%, respectively. In dolphins, the highest OA occurrence was on the left and right humeral trochlea, with 13.68% and 12.63%, respectively, while the highest number of OA lesions in dugongs was on the lumbar vertebrae (8.79%). No significant difference (P > 0.05) in the prevalence of OA between sexes in dolphins and dugongs was observed, but we found a significant difference (P mammals, similar to terrestrial mammals, even though their natural habitat is the ocean. © 2017 Anatomical Society.

  10. Histoire de ne pas forcement en rire (A Story To Not Necessarily Laugh About).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenoble, Martine

    1996-01-01

    A rationale is presented for using humor as a French language teaching tool, and several class activities designed for different language skill levels and using humor as a central element are described. Some suggestions are offered for selecting appropriate instructional materials. (MSE)

  11. «Nothing to laugh»: ironic apocalypses of G. Morselli and M. P. Shiel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Sielo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available I romanzi Dissipatio H. G. e The Purple Cloud, entrambi tra le prime testimonianze del tema dell’ “ultimo uomo sulla Terra” nelle rispettive letterature, mostrano un ampio uso dell’ironia, contrariamente a quanto diverrà canonico nel genere apocalittico-distopico. Attraverso un confronto tra elementi dei due romanzi che non trovano riscontro in altre opere del genere, il presente contributo intende analizzare la dinamica tra la rappresentazione ironica della contemporaneità come distopia, l’evento catastrofico e la successiva rifondazione della civiltà su basi utopiche. Tra le tematiche comuni alle due opere fondamentale è il rapporto di conservazione e monumentizzazione dei resti del passato che si rovescia parodicamente in un’ansia di distruzione che i protagonisti mostrano verso ogni testimonianza della storia umana e in particolar modo verso gli oggetti della civiltà moderna. La critica ironica verso la contemporaneità si converte quindi nei due autori nella volontà psicologica di riepilogare e poi «parentesizzare», attraverso una narrazione apocalittica, ogni aspetto della cultura contemporanea, per poter in seguito riattivare una progettualità utopica.

  12. Laugh Away the Fat? Therapeutic Humor in the Control of Stress-induced Emotional Eating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth S. Bast

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This review explores the potential overlap between the fields of nutrition and therapeutic humor, together with the role of humor as a possible tool for aiding those in whom emotions, particularly negative ones, trigger eating as a means to improve mood. We review emotional eating, obesity, and the hypothesized mechanisms of emotional eating. We then review the field of therapeutic humor and its ability to de-stress individuals, possibly through endorphin and opioid systems, both of which are also involved in eating behavior. Finally, we present a novel hypothesis that people may be trained to use humor as a “food substitute” at best, or to blunt hunger stimuli, to achieve similar advantages, without the side effect of weight gain.

  13. Learning to Laugh at Ourselves: Humor, Self-Transcendence, and the Cultivation of Moral Virtues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Mordechai

    2010-01-01

    In this essay Mordechai Gordon begins to address the neglect of humor among philosophers of education by focusing on some interesting connections between humor, self-transcendence, and the development of moral virtues. More specifically, he explores the kind of humor that makes fun of oneself and how it can affect educational encounters. Gordon…

  14. Using Health Conditions for Laughs and Health Policy Support: The Case of Food Allergies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abo, Melissa M; Slater, Michael D; Jain, Parul

    2017-07-01

    Health conditions are sometimes included in entertainment media comedies as a context for and as a source of humor. Food allergies are a typical case in point: They are potentially life-threatening yet may be used in humorous contexts. We conducted a content analysis of food allergies in entertainment media and tested the effects of humorous portrayals from an exemplar entertainment program. The content analysis confirmed that when food allergies were portrayed in television and the movies, it was most frequently in a humorous context and often contained inaccurate information. A follow-up experiment showed viewing a humorous portrayal of food allergies had an indirect negative effect on related health policy support via decreased perceived seriousness of food allergies. Inclusion of an educational video eliminated this effect on reduced policy support, with cognitive dissonance as a mediator. Findings support the hypothesis that portraying a health condition in a humorous context may reduce perceptions of seriousness and willingness to support public health policies to address risks associated with the condition, supporting and extending prior research findings.

  15. Laugh or I’ll Die”: Facing Death on the Stand-up Comedy Stage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keisalo, Marianna Päivikki

    may be at odds with the idea that humor is supposed to be enjoyable, but stand-up comedy comes with risks for both performer and audience. What draws the comedian to keep trying, to face annihilation time after time? I suggest these high emotional stakes are part of the value of comedy, which may...... be at its most enjoyable when it provides a way to engage with fear and pain. Death is also a fairly common topic in comedy routines – death of a loved one, fear of death, etc. Thus, I present a view of stand-up comedy as facing death in both its off-stage and on-stage forms, in relation to the digressions...... on semiotic excess. Comedic digression allows – even requires – us to find new perspectives on the imperatives of life, and a well-timed improvised digression can save a show going badly. The research is based on 20 months of field work in Finland, including becoming an amateur comedian myself....

  16. If I don't laugh, I'll cry: Exploring humor coping in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melton, Laura M

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationship among humor coping, optimism, neuroticism, and depression in a sample of breast cancer survivors and matched control participants. Breast cancer survivors reported marginally lower levels of depression than the controls. In both groups, humor coping was not related to depression, optimism, or neuroticism, but depression was correlated negatively with optimism and positively with neuroticism. In the breast cancer group, humor coping was correlated with the coping subscales of self-distraction, positive reframing, planning, and active coping. In the control group, humor coping was correlated with the coping sub-scales of self-distraction, positive reframing, planning, venting, and using instrumental support. These results suggest either that humor coping is not a stable variable or that whether humor is a positive or negative coping technique depends partly on the population under study.

  17. Laugh Away the Fat? Therapeutic Humor in the Control of Stress-induced Emotional Eating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bast, Elizabeth S.; Berry, Elliot M.

    2014-01-01

    This review explores the potential overlap between the fields of nutrition and therapeutic humor, together with the role of humor as a possible tool for aiding those in whom emotions, particularly negative ones, trigger eating as a means to improve mood. We review emotional eating, obesity, and the hypothesized mechanisms of emotional eating. We then review the field of therapeutic humor and its ability to de-stress individuals, possibly through endorphin and opioid systems, both of which are also involved in eating behavior. Finally, we present a novel hypothesis that people may be trained to use humor as a “food substitute” at best, or to blunt hunger stimuli, to achieve similar advantages, without the side effect of weight gain. PMID:24498514

  18. Association between treated/untreated traumatic dental injuries and impact on quality of life of Brazilian schoolchildren

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pordeus Isabela A

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Traumatic dental injury (TDI could have physical and psychosocial consequences for children. Thus, it is important to measure the impact of TDI on the quality of life of children (QoL. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between treated/untreated TDI and the impact on the quality of life of 11-to-14-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 1612 male and female schoolchildren aged 11 to 14 years attending public and private elementary schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to select the children. Three calibrated examiners used the Andreasen classification for the diagnosis of TDI. Oral health-related quality of life was assessed using the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14 - Impact Short Form (ISF:16, composed of 16 items and self-administered by all children. Other oral conditions (dental caries and malocclusion and the Social Vulnerability Index were determined and used as controlling variables. Results Two hundred nineteen children were diagnosed with untreated TDI and 64 were diagnosed with treated TDI. There were no statistically significant associations between untreated or treated TDI and overall CPQ11-14 (Fisher = 0.368 and Fisher = 0.610, respectively. Children with an untreated TDI were 1.4-fold (95% CI = 1.1-2.1 more likely to report impact on the item "avoided smiling/laughing" than those without TDI, whereas children with a treated TDI were twofold (95% CI = 1.1-3.5 more likely to report impact on the item "other children asked questions" than those without TDI. Conclusions Neither treated nor untreated TDI was associated with oral symptoms, functional limitations or emotional wellbeing. However, children with a TDI in the anterior teeth experienced a negative impact on social wellbeing, mainly with regard to avoiding smiling or laughing and being

  19. Dream-Enacting Behaviors in a Normal Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Tore; Svob, Connie; Kuiken, Don

    2009-01-01

    Study Objectives: Determine the prevalence and gender distributions of behaviors enacted during dreaming (“dream-enacting [DE] behaviors”) in a normal population; the independence of such behaviors from other parasomnias; and the influence of different question wordings, socially desirable responding and personality on prevalence. Design: 3-group questionnaire study Setting: University classrooms Participants: Three undergraduate samples (Ns = 443, 201, 496; mean ages = 19.9 ± 3.2 y; 20.1 ± 3.4 y; 19.1 ± 1.6 y) Interventions: N/A Measurements and Results: Subjects completed questionnaires about DE behaviors and Social Desirability. Study 1 employed a nonspecific question about the behaviors, Study 2 employed the same question with examples, and Study 3 employed 7 questions describing specific behavior subtypes (speaking, crying, smiling/laughing, fear, anger, movement, sexual arousal). Somnambulism, somniloquy, nightmares, dream recall, alexithymia, and absorption were also assessed. Factor analyses were conducted to determine relationships among DE behaviors and their independence from other parasomnias. Prevalence increased with increasing question specificity (35.9%, 76.7%, and 98.2% for the 3 samples). No gender difference obtained for the nonspecific question, but robust differences occurred for more specific questions. Females reported more speaking, crying, fear and smiling/laughing than did males; males reported more sexual arousal. When controlling other parasomnias and dream recall frequency, these differences persisted. Factor solutions revealed that DE behaviors were independent of other parasomnias and of dream recall frequency, except for an association between dream-talking and somniloquy. Sexual arousal was related only to age. Behaviors were independent of alexithymia but moderately related to absorption. Conclusions: Dream-enacting behaviors are prevalent in healthy subjects and sensitive to question wording but not social desirability

  20. CADASIL and A Family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Figen Varlıbaş

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy is a systemic vasculopathy that causes various clinical pictures as recurrent ischemic attacks, migrainous headache, pseudo bulbar palsy, epileptic seizures and dementia. Mutations of notch3 gene on chromosome 19 are responsible for the disease. METHODS: The aim of this study is to draw attention to the family history and neuroradiological investigations of a genetically diagnosed CADASIL case. RESULTS: A forty-seven-years-old woman who presented with left hemiparesis was investigated for the cause of stroke as well as her family history. Her mother was reported to have chronic headache. Then inappropriate crying and laughing attacks, behavioral disturbances, urinary incontinency had contributed and she had died at the age of 51 following sudden loss of consciousness. Her father had had four stroke attacks after 45 and before he died at the age of 73 he was unresponsive for the last 10 years. First sibling, 58 years-old female had a history of three stroke attacks and reported forgetfulness. Second sibling, a female, suffered from headache and had died at the age of 37 succeeding two epileptic seizures. Third sibling, 53 years-old female was said to be living bedridden for the last 5 years. Fourth sibling was 51 years-old male and had had a stroke attack at the age of 38. Fifth sibling was 48 years-old female whose speech disorder started 10 years ago. Laughing and crying attacks, incontinency, childish behavior and forgetfulness were also added. Sixth sibling was our patient. Seventh sibling was 45 years-old, male and had no complaints. First, fourth, sixth and seventh siblings were evaluated in systematic, neurological, neuropsychological and neuroradiological perspectives. CONCLUSION: In addition to family history, hyperintensities in temporal polar region and external capsule on flair and T2-weighted MRI supported the diagnosis of

  1. The Application of the Complex Field of Geodesy to an Entrance Level College Course using Cognitive Learning Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menard, J.; Beall King, A.; Larson, P. B.

    2017-12-01

    The study of the shape of the Earth is called geodesy. It is a complex and rich field, encompassing GPS, the development of satellites to measure Earth, and the many applications of these measurements to better understand our planet. What is the best way to explain complex concepts to an entry-level college student, such as geodesy or gravitation? What is the most efficient way to peek a student's interest in an abstract field? Two people are walking side by side on a crowded street. Do they talk? Do they look at each other? Do they laugh together? Do they touch? Even though the bond between these two people cannot necessarily be physically seen, it is possible, by looking at their behavior towards each other, to determine whether or not they know each other. If they do, they are attracted to one another, walking together in the same direction, exchanging ideas or laughs. The Moon attracts the Earth's oceans, forming tides. The Earth attracts the Moon into staying in orbit. They are attracted to each other by the invisible yet quantifiable force of gravitation. In order to ensure that first year college students understand the concept and applications of geodesy, and find interest in the field, several teaching and learning techniques must be used. These techniques are compared to one another in terms of efficiency both by comparing the students' success through quizzes and discussions, and by comparing the students' enjoyment of and interest in the class through evaluations at the beginning and end of each class in order to assess how much material was learned, understood, and retained. This study is conducted via a short course with volunteer students. The course is a combination of lecture, discussion, experiments, and field work. Quizzes are used to evaluate not the students, but their improvement as a result of the efficacy of the teaching method. In class group and one on one discussions are used as the main part of the final grade.

  2. Local wisdom in preservation of Lake Toba ecosystems (study on Toba Lake community in the Village of Silalahi I, Sub District of Silahisabungan, Dairi Regency, North Sumatera Province)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamdani Harahap, R.; Humaizi

    2018-03-01

    This study aims to analyze the perception of Batak Toba community in Silalahi I Village, Silahisabungan Subdistrict to the existence of Lake Toba, local wisdom owned by Batak Toba community in Silalahi I Village, Silahisabungan Sub District in order to preserve Lake Toba and recommend policy to revitalize it which is still running, which runs partially or which has not been done at all. The type of research used in this research is descriptive research with qualitative analysis. Data collection was conducted by interviews with key informants and informants i.e. community leaders, religious leaders and customary leaders in the study sites. The results showed that the perception of the Silalahi I Village community of Silahiabungan subdistrict to the existence of Lake Toba is a source of life. That means Lake Toba is a source of sustenance, a source of livelihood such as a place to fish, where to put floating net cages and as a sustenance of tourism activities. The form of local wisdom in preserving the area of Lake Toba is the existence of some sacred places such as Nauli basa, Partonunan stone (Deang Namora), that the entire area of Lake Toba called Tao Silalahi controlled by aunty (Namboru) Deang Namora is a purified area so prohibited spit, wearing jewelry, doing immoral, bathing over 6 o’clock, bringing and eating pork or dogs, bathing naked in the lake, laughing until laughing, and for women if there is a long hair should tie and If you want to take a bath must first permit the grandmother (oppung) guard lake. All local wisdom is still done because they still believe, although there is also rarely done. An effective way to revitalize the existing wisdom locals is to continue to perform the ritual or ceremony of the Statue of Silahisabungan once a year, and continue to obey the advice given by the King of Silahisabungan called Poda sagu-sagu marlangan.

  3. Framing a Trickster Character in Two Different Media and Eras: A Study on Br’er Rabbit in Uncle Remus’ Stories and Disney’s Song of the South

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nur Saktiningrum

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This article analyses Br’er Rabbit, a trickster character in African-American folklore. As a trickster Br’er Rabbit possesses a paradoxical nature. On the one hand, Br’er Rabbit acts as a hero but on the other hand, he constantly plays tricks on others and by doing so, he is also violating the prevailing values. These two opposing aspects of trickster’s nature offer an interesting subject for the research. The questions considered worth focusing on in discussing the subject are: How can trickster character be described? What values are represented by trickster character? Is there any shift in the description and represented values in different media and over time? The study presented in this article was aimed at investigating the transformation of how the trickster is characterized and values represented by trickster Br’er Rabbit in Uncle Remus’ folktale version of “The Wonderful Tar Baby (1881 and The Laughing Place” (1903 written by Joel Chandler Harries and the same trickster character in the same stories featured in Disney’s “Song of the South” (1946. By comparing and contrasting both narratives in different media and eras, it is uncovered that there are some changes on the depiction and nature as well as values represented by Br’er Rabbit, the trickster character. The study presented in this article was aimed at investigating the transformation of values represented by trickster Br’er Rabbit in Uncle Remus’ folktale version of “Tar Baby and The Laughing Place” (1879 written by Joel Chandler Harries and the same trickster character in the same stories featured in Disney’s “Song of the South.” The research questions of this study are answered by applying Barths’ theory and method in studying headlines news. This model of research enables the researcher to understand and interprete values represented by the trickster character in different times and media.

  4. WITTICISM IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY ACCORDING TO “TEZKIRE”S 16. ASIR ŞU’ARÂ TEZKİRELERİNDE NÜKTE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Süleyman SOLMAZ

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available For understanding old Turkish Literature, it must be searched with all its instruments. One of the lots of questions is about laughing. What for was old people laughing and how was this situation reflecting in old Turkish literature. We want to find the answer of this question in old Turkish literature, especially in “Tezkire”s. Old Turkish classic writers is used “hezl”, “mesel”, “kıssa”, “mutâyebe”, “mülâtafa”, “ta‘riz”, “nekre” instead of joke, fun, witty and etc… In this work we want to analyze these terms in “Tezkire”s. Eski edebiyatımızın tam anlamıyla ortaya çıkabilmesi için bütün konularının birer birer ele alınıp incelenmesi gerekir. Eski edebiyatın enstrümanları nelerdir? Bu konulardan biri mizahtır, yergidir; yerine göre nüktedir. Eski insanlarımız yüzyıllar önce nelere gülüyorlar, ne ile eğleniyorlardı? Bunları edebiyata nasıl yansıtıyorlardı? Bu çalışmanın omurgasını teşkil eden bu soruların cevabını tezkirelerde bulmaya çalıştık.Gülmek, en tabii ihtiyaçlarımızdan biridir. Bunu adlandırmak da önemli bir iştir. Bu vesile ile şaka, eğlence, latife, nükte, fıkra gibi kavramların eski kültürümüzdeki karşılıkları olan hezl, mesel, kıssa, mutâyebe, mülâtafa, ta‘riz, nekre gibi kelimeleri atalarımız nasıl kullanmış bunu ortaya çıkarmaya çalıştık.

  5. Through a glass, darkly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rittenberry, Ronnie

    2005-10-01

    The technology available in today's auto-darkening welding helmets was the stuff of science fiction to welders 30 years ago. A single lens capable of darkening automatically to a variable, preset shade level the instant an arc is struck would have sounded about as realistic as a "Star Trek"-style "transporter" or a cell phone that can take pictures. "It would have been complete and total science fiction," said Kevin Coughlin, president of Hoodlum Welding Gear, Minneapolis. "The technology really didn't exist, so it would be like me telling you your car will be flying in 20 years--you'd look at me and laugh. Even 25 years ago, if someone had told me [the lens] would go from clear to dark when you spark, I'd have said, 'Yeah, right, sure it does.' "

  6. Sylvestre Catin (1969 – 2016)

    CERN Multimedia

    2016-01-01

    Our dear colleague and friend, Sylvestre, has gone suddenly from our lives leaving us in great sadness and disbelief.    His kindness has touched us all in different ways. Sylvestre was always there for us, sorting out our informatics issues in his usual calm, friendly and professional manner.  His laugh and smile will always be with us and he will remain in our hearts. His colleagues and friends We deeply regret to announce the death of Sylvestre Catin on 2 April 2016. Sylvestre Catin, who was born on 12 August 1969, worked in the BE department and had been at CERN since 13 March 2000. The Director-General has sent a message of condolence to his family on behalf of the CERN personnel. Social Affairs
 Human Resources department

  7. How Good are Fairy Tales for Adults?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nives Ličen

    1998-12-01

    Full Text Available Children and adults can learn together in family. Their living together is a valuable experience. Family life can be made agreeable and instructive not only as a result of extensive knowledge, displaying mostly a rational dimension, but also due to emotional inteligence, attitudes and values. Fairy tales can be an incentive for personal development of both children and adults. To adults they offer an opportunity to get to know themselves better, to understand better their thoughts, values, environment. On the other hand, they help them formulate messages they would like to pass on their children. Fairy tales are one of the possible contents for the time family members spend togehter. Moreover, they are a source of entertainment, laughing and they create an excellent atmosphere for good family relationships.

  8. [Effect of Acupuncture Therapy on Body Compositions in Patients with Obesity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hui-Min; Wu, Xue-Liang; Jiang, Chao; Shi, Rong-Xing

    2017-04-25

    To observe the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture intervention in weight reduction by modulating body compositions in obesity patients. A total of 71 obesity patients during weight-loss procedure were allocated to acupuncture+nutrition-consultation group ( n =40) and simple nutrition-consultation group ( n =31). The patients of the acupuncture +nutrition-consultation group were treated by acupuncture stimulation of Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Tianshu (ST 25), Wailing (ST 26), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), etc. for 30 min, once every other day, 3 times per week, 12 times altogether, and also given with weekly nutrition consultation (including subjective query, objective measurement, analysis, program for nutrition support) at the same time. The patients of the simple nutrition-consultation group were treated by only weekly nutrition consultation for 4 weeks. Before and after the treatment, the patients' body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass, percentage of body fat, muscle mass, protein quality, water quality and bone mass were measured by using a composition analyzer. After 4 weeks' treatment, the body mass, BMI, fat mass and fat percentage in both acupuncture+nutrition-consultation and simple nutrition-consultation groups were significantly decreased ( P 0.05). The therapeutic effect of acupuncture+nutrition-consultation group was markedly superior to that of the simple nutrition-consultation group in increasing the improved degrees of body weight, BMI, fat mass and fat percentage ( P Acupuncture plus nutrition consultation is effective in reducing body mass, fat mass and percentage of body fat in obesity patients.

  9. Laughing through this pain: medical clowning during examination of sexually abused children: an innovative approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tener, Dafna; Lev-Wiesel, Rachel; Franco, Nessia Lang; Ofir, Shoshi

    2010-03-01

    This study examined the role of medical clowns during medical examinations of children who were sexually abused. Three case studies are described, illustrating diverse interactions among the victimized child, the medical clown, and the medical forensical examiner during medical forensic examinations held at the Tene Center for Sexually Abused Children, Poria-Pade Medical Center, Israel. The results indicated that medical clowns play a unique role both in lowering anxiety and fear among children before and during the unpleasant forensic examination as well as in mitigating potential retraumatization of the sexual abuse event resulting from the medical examination. The medical clown was found to assist in creating a pleasant and calm atmosphere, thus improving the child's cooperation during the examination.

  10. 'Talk, talk, cry, laugh': learning, healing and building an Aboriginal workforce to address family violence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauw, Marlene L; Spangaro, Jo; Herring, Sigrid; McNamara, Lorna D

    2013-02-01

    Sexual abuse and family violence are widespread and under-reported phenomena for which Aboriginal victims face even greater barriers to asking for and receiving assistance than do others in the community. There is a need for strategies to address abuse without disempowering and alienating Aboriginal people. A program developed by the New South Wales Health Education Centre Against Violence is addressing this issue at the same time as contributing towards a strengthened Aboriginal health workforce. The training program which is a 1-year qualification course has grown from a 52% rate of graduation in its first 6 years to 92%. Three practices in the classroom have contributed to this success. These are: (i) recognition of the emotional impact of the training and its links to participants own histories; (ii) providing space to address participants negative prior educational experiences; and (iii) further developing content on the recent sociopolitical history of Aboriginal people. These practices have strengthened this successful course, which is building a skilled workforce to provide accessible, culturally sensitive services for Aboriginal people experiencing abuse.

  11. No laughing matter: intranasal oxytocin administration changes functional brain connectivity during exposure to infant laughter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riem, Madelon M E; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; Tops, Mattie; Boksem, Maarten A S; Rombouts, Serge A R B; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J

    2012-04-01

    Infant laughter is a rewarding experience. It activates neural reward circuits and promotes parental proximity and care, thus facilitating parent-infant attachment. The neuropeptide oxytocin might enhance the incentive salience of infant laughter by modulating neural circuits related to the perception of infant cues. In a randomized controlled trial with functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on functional brain connectivity in response to infant laughter. Blood oxygenation level-dependent responses to infant laughter were measured in 22 nulliparous women who were administered oxytocin and 20 nulliparous women who were administered a placebo. Elevated oxytocin levels reduced activation in the amygdala during infant laughter and enhanced functional connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate, the hippocampus, the precuneus, the supramarginal gyri, and the middle temporal gyrus. Increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and regions involved in emotion regulation may reduce negative emotional arousal while enhancing the incentive salience of the infant laughter.

  12. The importance of laughing in your face: influences of visual laughter on auditory laughter perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Timothy R; Abedipour, Lily

    2010-01-01

    Hearing the sound of laughter is important for social communication, but processes contributing to the audibility of laughter remain to be determined. Production of laughter resembles production of speech in that both involve visible facial movements accompanying socially significant auditory signals. However, while it is known that speech is more audible when the facial movements producing the speech sound can be seen, similar visual enhancement of the audibility of laughter remains unknown. To address this issue, spontaneously occurring laughter was edited to produce stimuli comprising visual laughter, auditory laughter, visual and auditory laughter combined, and no laughter at all (either visual or auditory), all presented in four levels of background noise. Visual laughter and no-laughter stimuli produced very few reports of auditory laughter. However, visual laughter consistently made auditory laughter more audible, compared to the same auditory signal presented without visual laughter, resembling findings reported previously for speech.

  13. Ecological niche of Neanderthals from Spy Cave revealed by nitrogen isotopes of individual amino acids in collagen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, Yuichi I; Chikaraishi, Yoshito; Drucker, Dorothée G; Ohkouchi, Naohiko; Semal, Patrick; Wißing, Christoph; Bocherens, Hervé

    2016-04-01

    This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditional view is that Neanderthals obtained most of their dietary protein from terrestrial animals, especially from large herbivores that roamed the open landscapes. Evidence based on the conventional carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk collagen has supported this view, although recent findings based on plant remains in the tooth calculus, microwear analyses, and small game and marine animal remains from archaeological sites have raised some questions regarding this assumption. However, the lack of a protein source other than meat in the Neanderthal diet may be due to methodological difficulties in defining the isotopic composition of plants. Based on the nitrogen isotopic composition of glutamic acid and phenylalanine in collagen for Neanderthals from Spy Cave (Belgium), we show that i) there was an inter-individual dietary heterogeneity even within one archaeological site that has not been evident in bulk collagen isotopic compositions, ii) they occupied an ecological niche different from those of hyenas, and iii) they could rely on plants for up to ∼20% of their protein source. These results are consistent with the evidence found of plant consumption by the Spy Neanderthals, suggesting a broader subsistence strategy than previously considered. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Megalictis, the Bone-Crushing Giant Mustelid (Carnivora, Mustelidae, Oligobuninae) from the Early Miocene of North America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenciano, Alberto; Baskin, Jon A.; Abella, Juan; Pérez-Ramos, Alejandro; Álvarez-Sierra, M. Ángeles; Morales, Jorge; Hartstone-Rose, Adam

    2016-01-01

    We describe cranial and mandibular remains of three undescribed individuals of the giant mustelid Megalictis ferox Matthew, 1907 from the latest Arikareean (Ar4), Early Miocene mammal fauna of Nebraska, and Wyoming (USA) housed at the American Museum of Natural History (New York, USA). Our phylogenetic hypothesis indicates that Ar4 specimens assigned to M. ferox constitute a monophyletic group. We assign three additional species previously referred to Paroligobunis to Megalictis: M. simplicidens, M. frazieri, and “M.” petersoni. The node containing these four species of Megalictis and Oligobunis forms the Oligobuninae. We test the hypothesis that Oligobuninae (Megalictis and Oligobunis) is a stem mustelid taxon. Our results indicate that the Oligobuninae form the sister clade to the crown extant mustelids. Based on the cranium, M. ferox is a jaguar-size mustelid and the largest terrestrial mustelid known to have existed. This new material also sheds light on a new ecomorphological interpretation of M. ferox as a bone-crushing durophage (similar to hyenas), rather than a cat-like hypercarnivore, as had been previously described. The relative large size of M. ferox, together with a stout rostrum and mandible made it one of the more powerful predators of the Early Miocene of the Great Plains of North America. PMID:27054570

  15. Cross-species transmission of canine distemper virus—an update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Beineke

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Canine distemper virus (CDV is a pantropic morbillivirus with a worldwide distribution, which causes fatal disease in dogs. Affected animals develop dyspnea, diarrhea, neurological signs and profound immunosuppression. Systemic CDV infection, resembling distemper in domestic dogs, can be found also in wild canids (e.g. wolves, foxes, procyonids (e.g. raccoons, kinkajous, ailurids (e.g. red pandas, ursids (e.g. black bears, giant pandas, mustelids (e.g. ferrets, minks, viverrids (e.g. civets, genets, hyaenids (e.g. spotted hyenas, and large felids (e.g. lions, tigers. Furthermore, besides infection with the closely related phocine distemper virus, seals can become infected by CDV. In some CDV outbreaks including the mass mortalities among Baikal and Caspian seals and large felids in the Serengeti Park, terrestrial carnivores including dogs and wolves have been suspected as vectors for the infectious agent. In addition, lethal infections have been described in non-carnivore species such as peccaries and non-human primates demonstrating the remarkable ability of the pathogen to cross species barriers. Mutations affecting the CDV H protein required for virus attachment to host-cell receptors are associated with virulence and disease emergence in novel host species. The broad and expanding host range of CDV and its maintenance within wildlife reservoir hosts considerably hampers disease eradication.

  16. Phylogenetic reconstruction of South American felids defined by protein electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slattery, J P; Johnson, W E; Goldman, D; O'Brien, S J

    1994-09-01

    Phylogenetic associations among six closely related South American felid species were defined by changes in protein-encoding gene loci. We analyzed proteins isolated from skin fibroblasts using two-dimensional electrophoresis and allozymes extracted from blood cells. Genotypes were determined for multiple individuals of ocelot, margay, tigrina, Geoffroy's cat, kodkod, and pampas cat at 548 loci resolved by two-dimensional electrophoresis and 44 allozyme loci. Phenograms were constructed using the methods of Fitch-Margoliash and neighbor-joining on a matrix of Nei's unbiased genetic distances for all pairs of species. Results of a relative-rate test indicate changes in two-dimensional electrophoresis data are constant among all South American felids with respect to a hyena outgroup. Allelic frequencies were transformed to discrete character states for maximum parsimony analysis. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicates a major split occurred approximately 5-6 million years ago, leading to three groups within the ocelot lineage. The earliest divergence led to Leopardus tigrina, followed by a split between an ancestor of an unresolved trichotomy of three species (Oncifelis guigna, O. geoffroyi, and Lynchailuris colocolo) and a recent common ancestor of Leopardus pardalis and L. wiedii. The results suggest that modern South American felids are monophyletic and evolved rapidly after the formation of the Panama land bridge between North and South America.

  17. Megalictis, the Bone-Crushing Giant Mustelid (Carnivora, Mustelidae, Oligobuninae from the Early Miocene of North America.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Valenciano

    Full Text Available We describe cranial and mandibular remains of three undescribed individuals of the giant mustelid Megalictis ferox Matthew, 1907 from the latest Arikareean (Ar4, Early Miocene mammal fauna of Nebraska, and Wyoming (USA housed at the American Museum of Natural History (New York, USA. Our phylogenetic hypothesis indicates that Ar4 specimens assigned to M. ferox constitute a monophyletic group. We assign three additional species previously referred to Paroligobunis to Megalictis: M. simplicidens, M. frazieri, and "M." petersoni. The node containing these four species of Megalictis and Oligobunis forms the Oligobuninae. We test the hypothesis that Oligobuninae (Megalictis and Oligobunis is a stem mustelid taxon. Our results indicate that the Oligobuninae form the sister clade to the crown extant mustelids. Based on the cranium, M. ferox is a jaguar-size mustelid and the largest terrestrial mustelid known to have existed. This new material also sheds light on a new ecomorphological interpretation of M. ferox as a bone-crushing durophage (similar to hyenas, rather than a cat-like hypercarnivore, as had been previously described. The relative large size of M. ferox, together with a stout rostrum and mandible made it one of the more powerful predators of the Early Miocene of the Great Plains of North America.

  18. Cross-species transmission of canine distemper virus-an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beineke, Andreas; Baumgärtner, Wolfgang; Wohlsein, Peter

    2015-12-01

    Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a pantropic morbillivirus with a worldwide distribution, which causes fatal disease in dogs. Affected animals develop dyspnea, diarrhea, neurological signs and profound immunosuppression. Systemic CDV infection, resembling distemper in domestic dogs, can be found also in wild canids (e.g. wolves, foxes), procyonids (e.g. raccoons, kinkajous), ailurids (e.g. red pandas), ursids (e.g. black bears, giant pandas), mustelids (e.g. ferrets, minks), viverrids (e.g. civets, genets), hyaenids (e.g. spotted hyenas), and large felids (e.g. lions, tigers). Furthermore, besides infection with the closely related phocine distemper virus, seals can become infected by CDV. In some CDV outbreaks including the mass mortalities among Baikal and Caspian seals and large felids in the Serengeti Park, terrestrial carnivores including dogs and wolves have been suspected as vectors for the infectious agent. In addition, lethal infections have been described in non-carnivore species such as peccaries and non-human primates demonstrating the remarkable ability of the pathogen to cross species barriers. Mutations affecting the CDV H protein required for virus attachment to host-cell receptors are associated with virulence and disease emergence in novel host species. The broad and expanding host range of CDV and its maintenance within wildlife reservoir hosts considerably hampers disease eradication.

  19. Sibling rivalry: training effects, emergence of dominance and incomplete control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benhaiem, Sarah; Hofer, Heribert; Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie; Brunner, Edgar; East, Marion L

    2012-09-22

    Within-brood or -litter dominance provides fitness-related benefits if dominant siblings selfishly skew access to food provided by parents in their favour. Models of facultative siblicide assume that dominants exert complete control over their subordinate sibling's access to food and that control is maintained, irrespective of the subordinate's hunger level. By contrast, a recent functional hypothesis suggests that subordinates should contest access to food when the cost of not doing so is high. Here, we show that within spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) twin litters, dominants most effectively skew access to maternal milk in their favour when their aggression prompts a highly submissive response. When hungry, subordinates were less submissive in response to aggression, thereby decreasing lost suckling time and increasing suckling time lost by dominants. In a species where adult females socially dominate adult males, juvenile females were more often dominant than males in mixed-sex litters, and subordinate sisters used more effective counter-tactics against dominant brothers than subordinate brothers against dominant sisters. Our results provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence in a mammal that dominant offspring in twin litters do not exert complete control over their sibling's access to resources (milk), and that sibling dominance relationships are influenced by sibling sex and training effects.

  20. Urofacial syndrome: A subset of neurogenic bladder dysfunction syndromes?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K N Stamatiou

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The urofacial syndrome is probably a subset of neurogenic bladder dysfunction syndromes characterized by detrusor-sphincter discoordination along with a characteristic inversion of facial expression with laughing. This characteristic facial expression can facilitate early detection of this disorder, which leads to poor bladder emptying with high residual urine, hydro-nephrosis with vesico-ureteral reflux and potentially renal failure if left untreated. The etiology of the urofacial syndrome is unknown. In our case, a 12-year-old boy of Middle-Eastern origin presented to the Outpatient Department of our hospital with left pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis and bladder dilatation. Voiding cystourethrography performed 15 days later revealed left vesicoureteral reflux. Cystoscopy revealed bladder trabeculation however an anatomic urethral obstruction was not noticed. Both, neurological examination and radiography of the lumbosacral spine were normal. Urodynamic evaluation revealed the typical findings of detrusor-sphincter discoordination.

  1. Odiseo a través de la parodia. Desmitificación e ironía de una Ítaca nostálgica en Prometeo de Pérez de Ayala y ¿Por qué corres, Ulises? de Gala. – Odysseus through parody. Demythologization and irony of a nostalgic Ithaca in Prometeo by Pérez de Ayala and ¿Por qué corres, Ulises? by Gala

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    López López, Carmen María

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to propose a critical and comparative study beginning from the epic model variations on the Spanish Literature from the twentieth century: Prometeo by Ramón Pérez de Ayala and ¿Por qué corres, Ulises? by Antonio Gala. To this purpose, a historic perspective will be designed, according to some Homeric episodes inside of the Odisea: the stay of the hero with Nausicaa in the phaeacians’ land, with the nymph Calypso in Ogygia, with the magician Circe in the Eea’s island, in the Lotofagi’s land, the Nekuia and the re-encounter with Penelope. To conclude, this article pretends to analyze the sense of the laugh from the tradition, to deal with the reinterpretation of the myth as a parody and an irony regarding the Homeric narration.

  2. Behavioural effects of phenylalanine-free amino acid tablet supplementation in intellectually disabled adults with untreated phenylketonuria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kalkanoğlu, H Serap; Ahring, Kirsten K; Sertkaya, Durdu

    2005-01-01

    AIM: To evaluate the effects of phenylalanine (Phe)-free essential amino acid (AA) tablets enriched in tyrosine and tryptophan on the performance of intellectually disabled adult patients with untreated phenylketonuria (PKU). METHODS: Phe-free AA tablets and placebo tablets were administered to 19....... The statistical significance of the results was tested by means of the Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: The most significant changes were an improved concentration and the development of a meaningful smile, which were observed in 44% and 43% of the patients on AA tablet treatment, respectively......, but not patients on placebo. Other important but less significant changes included increased awareness of external stimuli (63%) and less self-injury (43%), and 40% were smiling and laughing occasionally. The mean overall rating increased from an initial value of 6.3 to 10.1 in patients when on AA tablet treatment...

  3. Development of maternal and child health services in the minority communities of Israel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Adams

    1981-09-01

    Full Text Available TO get to the maternal and child health station in Mahamadia, a Moslem Arab village, you alight from the bus at the foot of Mount Tabor, slide down a hill, and find yourself in a courtyard with children and sheep. Bahija, the practical nurse, greets you and laughs as she tells of the Jewish paediatrician who, because of religious tenets forbidding touching a strange woman, refused to take her helping hand and proceeded to fall all the way. From the entrance shed you are led to two rooms with light coming from the open doors. The rooms are clean with stone floors that are easily washed and with the standard blue and white furniture seen in every Ministry of Health or Kupat Holim (General Sick Fund of the Federation of Labor station in Israel.

  4. Senior radio listeners

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blaakilde, Anne Leonora

    Radiobroadcasting and the hardware materialization of radio have during the 20th century changed significantly, which means that senior radio listeners have travelled along with this evolution from large, impressive radio furnitures to DAB and small, wireless, mobile devices, and from grave...... and solemn radio voices to lightharted, laughing and chatting speakers. Senior radio listerners have experienced the development and refinements of technique, content and genres. It is now expected of all media users that they are capable of crossing media, combining, juggling and jumping between various...... media platforms, not the least when listening to radio. The elder generation is no exception from this. Recently, for instance, the Danish public broadcast DR has carried out an exodus of programmes targeted for the senior segment. These programmes are removed from regular FM and sent to DAB receivers...

  5. Evaluation of a Picture-Based Test for the Assessment of Gelotophobia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willibald Ruch

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This study examines whether coding open answers in a picture-based test, as to the extent they reflect the fear of being laughed at (i.e., gelotophobia, demonstrates sufficient validity to construct a semi-projective test for the assessment of gelotophobia. Previous findings indicate that cartoon stimuli depicting laughter situations (i.e., in the pilot version of the Picture-Geloph; Ruch et al., 2009 on average elicit fear-typical responses in gelotophobes stronger than in non-gelotophobes. The present study aims to (a develop a standardized scoring procedure based on a coding scheme, and (b examine the properties of the pilot version of the Picture-Geloph in order to select the most acceptable items for a standard form of the test. For Study 1, a sample of N = 126 adults, with scores evenly distributed across the gelotophobia spectrum, completed the pilot version of the Picture-Geloph by noting down what they assumed the protagonist in each of 20 cartoons would say or think. Furthermore, participants answered the GELOPH<15> (Ruch and Proyer, 2008, the established questionnaire for the subjective assessment of the fear of being laughed at. Agreement between two independent raters indicated that the developed coding scheme allows for objective and reliable scoring of the Picture-Geloph (mean of intraclass correlations = 0.66. Nine items met the criteria employed to identify the psychometrically most reliable and valid items. These items were unidimensional and internally consistent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.78. The total score of this selection (i.e., the Picture-Geloph<9> discriminated significantly between non-fearful, slightly, markedly, and extremely fearful individuals; furthermore, it correlated sufficiently high (r = 0.66; rc = 0.79 when corrected for reliability of both measures with the GELOPH<15>. Cronbach’s alpha (0.73 was largely comparable whereas the estimate of convergent validity was found to be lower in one (r = 0.50; rc = 0

  6. Pathological laughter in a patient with trigeminal neurinoma Riso patológico em uma paciente com neurinoma de trigêmeo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André G. Machado

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available We present a 47-year-old woman with a long history of anxiety and a more recent history of shock-like facial pain and episodes of laughter without any motivation. She could not explain the laughing bursts and did not have a sense of mirth preceding it. On neurological examination she presented a VI nerve palsy and trigeminal hypoesthesia (V2 and V3 on the right side. Magnetic resonance imaging exhibited a large cystic lesion on the right middle fossa causing significant compression on the brain stem. A frontoorbitozygomatic and pretemporal combined approach was performed. During intra and extradural exploration a large tumor was found on the trigeminal nerve. The whole lesion was resected, revealing to be a neurinoma on pathological exhamination. She maintained a VI nerve palsy but had complete remission of the unmotivated laughing episodes during the one year follow up.Relatamos o caso de uma paciente de 47 anos com história de longa data de ansiedade que apresentou início de dor facial em choques do lado direito e episódios de riso sem motivação. Ela não podia explicar os episódios de riso e não percebia uma sensação de graça que os precedia. Ao exame neurológico apresentava paresia do VI nervo e hipoestesia no trajeto dos ramos oftálmico e maxilar do trigêmeo. A ressonância magnética de encéfalo apresentava uma lesão cística na fossa média direita causando significativo efeito de massa sobre o tronco encefálico. Um acesso combinado fronto-orbito-zigomático e pré-temporal foi realizado e a exploração intra e extra-dural revelou um grande tumor no nervo trigêmeo. Toda a lesão foi ressecada, revelando ser um neurinoma no exame patológico. A paciente manteve a paresia de VI nervo mas apresentou remissão completa dos episódios de riso imotivado durante o seguimento de um ano.

  7. LRIG2 mutations cause urofacial syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuart, Helen M; Roberts, Neil A; Burgu, Berk; Daly, Sarah B; Urquhart, Jill E; Bhaskar, Sanjeev; Dickerson, Jonathan E; Mermerkaya, Murat; Silay, Mesrur Selcuk; Lewis, Malcolm A; Olondriz, M Beatriz Orive; Gener, Blanca; Beetz, Christian; Varga, Rita E; Gülpınar, Omer; Süer, Evren; Soygür, Tarkan; Ozçakar, Zeynep B; Yalçınkaya, Fatoş; Kavaz, Aslı; Bulum, Burcu; Gücük, Adnan; Yue, Wyatt W; Erdogan, Firat; Berry, Andrew; Hanley, Neil A; McKenzie, Edward A; Hilton, Emma N; Woolf, Adrian S; Newman, William G

    2013-02-07

    Urofacial syndrome (UFS) (or Ochoa syndrome) is an autosomal-recessive disease characterized by congenital urinary bladder dysfunction, associated with a significant risk of kidney failure, and an abnormal facial expression upon smiling, laughing, and crying. We report that a subset of UFS-affected individuals have biallelic mutations in LRIG2, encoding leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 2, a protein implicated in neural cell signaling and tumorigenesis. Importantly, we have demonstrated that rare variants in LRIG2 might be relevant to nonsyndromic bladder disease. We have previously shown that UFS is also caused by mutations in HPSE2, encoding heparanase-2. LRIG2 and heparanase-2 were immunodetected in nerve fascicles growing between muscle bundles within the human fetal bladder, directly implicating both molecules in neural development in the lower urinary tract. Copyright © 2013 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Lead concentrations in the bones of city and country doves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siegfried, W.R.; Frost, P.G.H.; Redelinghuys, E.P.; van der Merwe, R.P.

    The lead content of bones of laughing doves Streptopelia senegalensis was assayed by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A significant difference in the mean lead content was found between two groups of wild doves. The one group was taken in the city of Cape Town, and the other group 50 km away in rural farmland near Stellenbosch. The bones of the urban doves contained on average seven times more lead per unit weight of tissue than those of their rural con-specifics. Concentrations of lead in the bones of rural and urban doves are approximately 70% and 80% below those recorded for corresponding pigeon Columba livia populations in Pennsylvania, USA. These differences between urban and rural populations are believed to reflect the relatively greater degree of lead in the atmosphere of the urban environment, presumably as a result of motor car exhaust emissions. 2 references, 1 table.

  9. Les États-Unis vus par le parti communiste italien en exil en France, entre Fronts Populaires et débuts de la Seconde Guerre mondiale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Éric Vial

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The importance of the PCI in the Italian antifasciste migration in France was reinforced at the end of the 1930s by the success of a mass organization, the Unione popolare italiana, which claims 40000, or even 60000 members, and its daily newspaper, unique in emigration, La Voce degli Italiani. His view of the United States is very different from the Cold War-inspired impression. If the filmmaker criticizes Hollywood’s hegemony and capitalist organization, then he laughed at the praise of a serious, socially determined and optimistic cinema, featuring Gary Cooper on the front page, or Walt Disney. And outside the cinema the tone is much more positive with news made to create a proximity, a parallel with the Soviet Union in the field of modern science and technology. Frequent are praises to American democracy, its values, rogue policy in general, wishing a true American front.

  10. Swiss pioneers enjoy success - in spite of all prophesies of doom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niederhaeusern, A.

    2005-01-01

    This article takes a look at two Swiss companies, both founded in 1991, that were initially laughed at but are now two market leaders in their business segments. They demonstrate that renewable forms of energy are an economic factor that is to be taken seriously. The first company discussed is Sputnik Engineering who build and sell inverters for photovoltaic installations. The success of this Swiss company, especially in Germany, is discussed and the importance of reliable inverter technology for the high availability rates needed by solar installations is discussed. The second company looked at is the Kompogas AG, who manufacture and operate digester systems for green wastes from kitchens and gardens. These fermenters produce biogas which can be fed into the gas mains or used as a fuel for vehicles or combined heat and power units. Market chances at home and abroad are discussed

  11. Mirroring Facial Expressions and Emotions in Dyadic Conversations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Navarretta, Costanza

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents an investigation of mirroring facial expressions and the emotions which they convey in dyadic naturally occurring first encounters. Mirroring facial expressions are a common phenomenon in face-to-face interactions, and they are due to the mirror neuron system which has been...... and overlapping facial expressions are very frequent. In this study, we want to determine whether the overlapping facial expressions are mirrored or are otherwise correlated in the encounters, and to what extent mirroring facial expressions convey the same emotion. The results of our study show that the majority...... of smiles and laughs, and one fifth of the occurrences of raised eyebrows are mirrored in the data. Moreover some facial traits in co-occurring expressions co-occur more often than it would be expected by chance. Finally, amusement, and to a lesser extent friendliness, are often emotions shared by both...

  12. Abnormal laughter-like vocalisations replacing speech in primary progressive aphasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohrer, Jonathan D.; Warren, Jason D.; Rossor, Martin N.

    2009-01-01

    We describe ten patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) (pathologically confirmed in three cases) who developed abnormal laughter-like vocalisations in the context of progressive speech output impairment leading to mutism. Failure of speech output was accompanied by increasing frequency of the abnormal vocalisations until ultimately they constituted the patient's only extended utterance. The laughter-like vocalisations did not show contextual sensitivity but occurred as an automatic vocal output that replaced speech. Acoustic analysis of the vocalisations in two patients revealed abnormal motor features including variable note duration and inter-note interval, loss of temporal symmetry of laugh notes and loss of the normal decrescendo. Abnormal laughter-like vocalisations may be a hallmark of a subgroup in the PPA spectrum with impaired control and production of nonverbal vocal behaviour due to disruption of fronto-temporal networks mediating vocalisation. PMID:19435636

  13. Increased discriminability of authenticity from multimodal laughter is driven by auditory information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavan, Nadine; McGettigan, Carolyn

    2017-10-01

    We present an investigation of the perception of authenticity in audiovisual laughter, in which we contrast spontaneous and volitional samples and examine the contributions of unimodal affective information to multimodal percepts. In a pilot study, we demonstrate that listeners perceive spontaneous laughs as more authentic than volitional ones, both in unimodal (audio-only, visual-only) and multimodal contexts (audiovisual). In the main experiment, we show that the discriminability of volitional and spontaneous laughter is enhanced for multimodal laughter. Analyses of relationships between affective ratings and the perception of authenticity show that, while both unimodal percepts significantly predict evaluations of audiovisual laughter, it is auditory affective cues that have the greater influence on multimodal percepts. We discuss differences and potential mismatches in emotion signalling through voices and faces, in the context of spontaneous and volitional behaviour, and highlight issues that should be addressed in future studies of dynamic multimodal emotion processing.

  14. Menertawakan Fobia Komunis di Era Reproduksi Digital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Triyono Lukmantoro

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. In May-June 2016 issue of the rise of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI and the latent danger of communism appeared again. Excessive fear of PKI and communism continues propagated. That is what is referred to as a communist phobia. But, the issue is considered sensitive that it gave birth to criticism. The phenomenon is the presence of a number of memes comics whose contents laugh hammer and sickle symbol and three communist iconic figures, namely D.N. Aidit, Tan Malaka, and Mao Zedong. Meme comics containing parody to show incongruities that can only happen to the era of digital reproduction. The idea of meme comics can be traced to the thought Walter Benjamin about the works of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. In that era, aura was declining. The crisis and the disappearance of aura increasingly occurs to the time of digital reproduction.

  15. Club de tiro en Noain España

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guibert Tabar, Javier

    1977-03-01

    Full Text Available The site at Noain Airport (Navarre, has been a conditioning factor of the height of the building, as it cannot exceed the plane of 14.3% which, starting from the level O, and 150 m from the runway axis, limits transition space. The general facilities, cloakrooms, toilets, armoury, etc., are on the ground floor. The bars and restaurants, as well as the covered terrace and the living rooms occupy the rest of the building. These quarters overlook the shooting grounds. The structure is of reinforced concrete with 5 m modules and bracketed cantilevers. The roof is made with sandwich plates and it has rugged anchorage. The walls are of half-pole double hollow brick, chamber and partition wail, coated with Maplexine.Está situado junto al aeropuerto de Noain (Navarra, lo que ha condicionado la altura del edificio, ya que no se puede sobrepasar el plano de 14,3% que, partiendo de la cota O, a 150 m del eje de la pista, delimita el espacio de transición. En la planta baja se distribuyen las instalaciones generales, vestuarios, aseos, armería, etc. Los bares y restaurantes, así como la terraza cubierta y los salones de estar, ocupan el resto del edificio. Estas dependencias tienen vistas a la cancha de tiro. Su estructura es a base de hormigón armado, con módulos de 5 m y ménsulas acarteladas. La cubierta está construida con placas sandwich y lleva anclajes resistentes. Los cerramientos son de ladrillo hueco doble de media asta, cámara y tabique, revestidos con Maplexine.

  16. Effect of plagiochin E, an antifungal macrocyclic bis(bibenzyl), on cell wall chitin synthesis in Candida albicans

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xiu-zhen WU; Ai-xia CHENG; Ling-mei SUN; Hong-xiang LOU

    2008-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the effect of plagiochin E (PLE), an antifungal macrocyclic bis(bibenzyl) isolated from liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L, on cell wall chitin synthesis in Candida albicans. Methods: The effect of PLE on chitin synthesis in Candida albicans was investigated at the cellular and molecular lev-els. First, the ultrastructural changes were observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Second, the effects of PLE on chitin synthetase (Chs) activi-ties in vitro were assayed using 6-O-dansyl-N-acetylglucosamine as a fluorescent substrate, and its effect on chitin synthesis in situ was assayed by spheroplast regeneration. Finally, real-time RT-PCR was performed to assay its effect on the expression of Chs genes (CHS). Results: Observation under TEM showed that the structure of the cell wall in Candida albicans was seriously damaged, which suggested that the antifungal activity of PLE was associated with its effect on the cell wail. Enzymatic assays and spheroplast regeneration showed that PLE inhibited chitin synthesis in vitro and in situ. The results of the PCR showed that PLE significantly downregulated the expression of CHS1, and upregulated the expression of CHS2 and CHS3. Because different Chs is regulated at different stages of transcription and post-translation, the downregulation of CHS1 would decrease the level of Chs 1 and inhibit its activity, and the inhibitory effects of PLE on Chs2 and Chs3 would be at the post-translational level or by the inhibi-tion on the enzyme-active center. Conclusion: These results indicate that the antifungal activity of PLE would be attributed to its inhibitory effect on cell wall chitin synthesis in Candida albicans.

  17. [Regulation of terpene metabolism]. Annual progress report, March 15, 1989--March 14, 1990

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Croteau, R.

    1989-11-09

    Terpenoid oils, resins, and waxes from plants are important renewable resources. The objective of this project is to understand the regulation of terpenoid metabolism using the monoterpenes (C{sub 10}) as a model. The pathways of monoterpene biosynthesis and catabolism have been established, and the relevant enzymes characterized. Developmental studies relating enzyme levels to terpene accumulation within the oil gland sites of synthesis, and work with bioregulators, indicate that monoterpene production is controlled by terpene cyclases, the enzymes catalyzing the first step of the monoterpene pathway. As the leaf oil glands mature, cyclase levels decline and monoterpene biosynthesis ceases. Yield then decreases as the monoterpenes undergo catabolism by a process involving conversion to a glycoside and transport from the leaf glands to the root. At this site, the terpenoid is oxidatively degraded to acetate that is recycled into other lipid metabolites. During the transition from terpene biosynthesis to catabolism, the oil glands undergo dramatic ultrastructural modification. Degradation of the producing cells results in mixing of previously compartmentized monoterpenes with the catabolic enzymes, ultimately leading to yield decline. This regulatory model is being applied to the formation of other terpenoid classes (C{sub 15} C{sub 20}, C{sub 30}, C{sub 40}) within the oil glands. Preliminary investigations on the formation of sesquiterpenes (C{sub 15}) suggest that the corresponding cyclases may play a lesser role in determining yield of these products, but that compartmentation effects are important. From these studies, a comprehensive scheme for the regulation of terpene metabolism is being constructed. Results from this project wail have important consequences for the yield and composition of terpenoid natural products that can be made available for industrial exploitation.

  18. [Regulation of terpene metabolism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Croteau, R.

    1989-11-09

    Terpenoid oils, resins, and waxes from plants are important renewable resources. The objective of this project is to understand the regulation of terpenoid metabolism using the monoterpenes (C[sub 10]) as a model. The pathways of monoterpene biosynthesis and catabolism have been established, and the relevant enzymes characterized. Developmental studies relating enzyme levels to terpene accumulation within the oil gland sites of synthesis, and work with bioregulators, indicate that monoterpene production is controlled by terpene cyclases, the enzymes catalyzing the first step of the monoterpene pathway. As the leaf oil glands mature, cyclase levels decline and monoterpene biosynthesis ceases. Yield then decreases as the monoterpenes undergo catabolism by a process involving conversion to a glycoside and transport from the leaf glands to the root. At this site, the terpenoid is oxidatively degraded to acetate that is recycled into other lipid metabolites. During the transition from terpene biosynthesis to catabolism, the oil glands undergo dramatic ultrastructural modification. Degradation of the producing cells results in mixing of previously compartmentized monoterpenes with the catabolic enzymes, ultimately leading to yield decline. This regulatory model is being applied to the formation of other terpenoid classes (C[sub 15] C[sub 20], C[sub 30], C[sub 40]) within the oil glands. Preliminary investigations on the formation of sesquiterpenes (C[sub 15]) suggest that the corresponding cyclases may play a lesser role in determining yield of these products, but that compartmentation effects are important. From these studies, a comprehensive scheme for the regulation of terpene metabolism is being constructed. Results from this project wail have important consequences for the yield and composition of terpenoid natural products that can be made available for industrial exploitation.

  19. New actualistic data on the ecology and energetics of hominin scavenging opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pobiner, Briana L

    2015-03-01

    For decades, the 'hunting-scavenging debate' has been an important research focus in Plio-Pleistocene hominin behavioral ecology. Here I present new data on potential scavenging opportunities from fresh carnivore kills on a conservancy in central Kenya. This ecosystem is dominated by felids (mainly lions) and has a different carnivore guild than in many earlier studies of scavenging opportunities that took place in areas such as Ngorongoro and Serengeti in Tanzania and Maasai Mara in Kenya, where lions face high levels of inter-specific competition from bone-crunching hyenas. I found that while scavenging opportunities vary among carcasses, most carcasses retained some scavengeable resources. Excluding within-bone resources, even the scavengeable meat on 'defleshed' larger sized prey carcasses is usually substantial enough to meet the total daily caloric requirements of at least one adult male Homo erectus individual. I argue, as others have before me, that scavenging opportunities in a particular ecosystem will vary in part due to carnivore taxon, density and guild composition; prey size, biomass and community structure; and habitat (e.g., vegetation, physiography). We should expect variability in scavenging opportunities in different locales and should focus our research efforts on identifying which variables condition these differences in order to make our findings applicable to the diversity of ecological settings characterizing the past. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Polio roundup. Grappling with the "problem" areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-03-01

    As the war against poliomyelitis continues, eradication efforts must now succeed in some countries which have been subjected to natural disasters and in others which are enduring manmade disasters. Subnational immunization days (SNIDs) were most recently conducted in northern Somalia in two 5-day rounds last November and December amid widespread popular and political support. While villages in the arid, drought-plagued country are often inaccessible, flooding from heavy rains was the only real problem encountered by the vaccination campaign. More than 90% of the estimated 375,000 children under age 5 years in the target area were vaccinated and given vitamin A. Careful advance preparations contributed to the campaign's success. A 7-day campaign in mid-February got oral polio vaccine to more than 330,000 children in southern Sudan. Maintaining the vaccine cold chain was the major operational challenge in this setting. To that end, all available means were used, including placing vaccines into running streams to keep them cool. The program in Sudan was coordinated by the UN's Operation Lifeline Sudan. Heat, armed conflict, lack of infrastructure, the need to reach more than 80% of the population by air, infectious diseases, drought, and hungry packs of hyenas were some of the obstacles to overcome. A second round of vaccination is planned for southern Sudan in mid March.

  1. "PhD Comics" author Jorge Cham on the power of procrastination

    CERN Multimedia

    Stefania Pandolfi

    2015-01-01

    From Tuesday, 22 to Friday, 25 September, Jorge Cham visited CERN. The PHD Movie 2 was screened in the Main Auditorium  and the cartoonist also took part in one of the Researchers' Night events.    Jorge Cham in the CERN Control Centre. On the first day, the author of the comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD Comics) visited the CERN Control Centre, the Synchrocyclotron, the CMS Service Cavern and the ATLAS control room. On Thursday, he had a busy afternoon, starting with signing copies of his books and then giving a talk entitled “The Power of Procrastination” in a packed Main Auditorium. He made the audience laugh by narrating his experience as a graduate student in robotics at Stanford University, recounting how he started drawing PhD Comics and how it rapidly became popular in universities all over the world. He then analysed the frustrations and anxieties commonly experienced by any graduate student, causing...

  2. Efficacy of Āyurvedic treatment using Pañcakarma combined with balance exercises for disability and balance in progressive supranuclear palsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jindal, Nitin; Shamkuwar, Manoj K.; Kaur, Jaskirat; Berry, Sadhan

    2012-01-01

    A 55-year-old female presented at Department of Pañcakarma with diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). For assessing disability, progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale (PSPRS) was used and balance was assessed by using Tetrax Interactive Balance System (IBS) posturography. Āyurvedic treatment was given along with Pañcakarma and balance exercises for 3 months. As part of Āyurvedic treatment, first Virecana karma was done with classical method and then Mātrā basti, Śirobasti, and other palliative treatment was given for 3 months. Amanatidine was not continued during Virecana karma but started thereafter. On comparison with pre-intervention scores, there was a significant improvement in the patient post-treatment. The features which mainly showed improvement were: Eye movements, spontaneous episodes of laughing, dysphagia, dysarthria, double vision, and neck rigidity. Balance showed significant improvement and there was a remarkable decrease in the postural sway. This case study may present new possibilities for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases by Āyurveda. PMID:23929996

  3. Respiratory-aspirated 35-mm hairpin successfully retrieved with a Teflon® snare system under fluoroscopic guidance via a split endotracheal tube: a useful technique in cases of failed extraction by bronchoscopy and avoiding the need for a thoracotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, S S; Pease, R A; Ashwin, C J; Gill, S S; Tait, N P

    2012-09-01

    Respiratory foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common global health problem requiring prompt recognition and early treatment to prevent potentially fatal complications. The majority of FBAs are due to organic objects and treatment is usually via either endoscopic or surgical extraction. FBA of a straight hairpin has been described as a unique entity in the literature, occurring most commonly in females, particularly during adolescence. In the process of inserting hairpins, the pins will typically be between the teeth with the head tilted backwards, while tying their hair with both hands. This position increases the risk of aspiration, particularly if there is any sudden coughing or laughing. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a 35-mm straight metallic hairpin foreign body that has been successfully retrieved by a radiological snare system under fluoroscopic guidance. This was achieved with the use of a split endotracheal tube, and therefore avoided the need for a thoracotomy in an adolescent female patient.

  4. Higgs discovered at Open Days

    CERN Multimedia

    2008-01-01

    Like his eponymous particle, Peter Higgs can be elusive. However, for the momentous occasion of the Open Days there was a chance, if you were lucky, to catch a glimpse of him. Peter Higgs marvels at the enormity of the ATLAS experiment. Taking a closer look at CMS.Visiting CERN for the first time in more than 20 years, Peter Higgs has become something of a celebrity in the world of particle physics. During his visit he showed genuine amazement at the sight of the LHC and its experiments. On seeing CMS he said, "It’s very impressive, very dramatic. I’d seen pictures of course, but they can’t compare." Surrounded for most of his stay by an entourage of physicists, the notoriously modest scientist laughs at the almost mythical quality his boson has taken on. For him though, it is just one of many aspects of physics that the CMS and ATLAS experiments can shine a light on. Besides finding ...

  5. Individual Differences in Gelotophobia Predict Responses to Joy and Contempt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Hofmann

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In a paradigm facilitating smile misattribution, facial responses and ratings to contempt and joy were investigated in individuals with or without gelotophobia (fear of being laughed at. Participants from two independent samples (N1 = 83, N2 = 50 rated the intensity of eight emotions in 16 photos depicting joy, contempt, and different smiles. Facial responses were coded by the Facial Action Coding System in the second study. Compared with non-fearful individuals, gelotophobes rated joy smiles as less joyful and more contemptuous. Moreover, gelotophobes showed less facial joy and more contempt markers. The contempt ratings were comparable between the two groups. Looking at the photos of smiles lifted the positive mood of non-gelotophobes, whereas gelotophobes did not experience an increase. We hypothesize that the interpretation bias of “joyful faces hiding evil minds” (i.e., being also contemptuous and exhibiting less joy facially may complicate social interactions for gelotophobes and serve as a maintaining factor of gelotophobia.

  6. Ready to improvise?

    CERN Multimedia

    2008-01-01

    Quite unusually for a CERN colloquium, on 8 and 9 August the CERN Auditorium will host a presentation on comedy and communication and a workshop by Charna Halpern, the founder of "iO theaters" in Chicago and Los Angeles. Members of Geneva’s Impro Federation (FIG) in full swing!Charna Halpern has been teaching performers how to work together for more than 20 years. She founded the world-famous iO theaters (formerly Improv Olympic) in Chicago and Los Angeles in 1981. Today, the theatres are the meccas of training in the art of improvisation, and they act as a "recruiting" stop for television shows supplying New York and Hollywood with writers and performers. Specializing in creating a "group mind" with hilarious end results, Charna Halpern will be sharing her secrets and skills with the CERN audience and she will make her public laugh as they learn. The following day, Saturday, she will give a workshop on how to prepare an improv gro...

  7. Laughter in the Old Testament: A hotchpotch of humour, mockery and rejoicing?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hennie A. J. Kruger

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Aspects of humour appearing in society, religion, literature and speech have been discussed.The article investigated in particular the current tendency to interpret certain passages inthe Bible as evidence of humorous traits. In these cases humour is taken as an interpretative key. A prerequisite to provide a hermeneutical basis for reading the Old Testament in terms of humour has been discussed. A few texts that present Yahweh as laughing have been considered. Lag in die Ou Testament: ’n Mengelmoes van humor, bespotting en vreugde? Aspekte van humor wat in die gemeenskap, godsdiens, literatuur en omgangstaal voorkom, word bespreek. Die artikel gee veral aandag aan die huidige neiging om sekere tekste in die Bybel as voorbeelde wat humoristiese trekke vertoon, te verstaan. In sulke gevalle word die humorbegrip as ’n interpretasiesleutel hanteer. Die voorvereiste vir ’n hermeneutiese basis om die humorbegrip in die Ou Testament te verstaan, word bespreek. Enkele tekste waarin verwys word na die Here wat lag, word ook ondersoek.

  8. AHP 20: Ballad of The Huang River and Other Stories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Shi

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available This book contains three novellas originally written in Chinese by the Qinghai author Jing Shi. The novellas provide a finely textured portrayal of Qinghai rural life in the twentieth century. An introduction and transcribed interview provide context to the stories and their author. From the introduction by Keith Dede: "The wide appeal of Jing Shi's fiction is certainly something he welcomes. As he sees it, literature, at one level, should be entertaining. Stories are a way for people to derive pleasure, enjoy a laugh, and while away some time. But stories are also about communication, about communicating ideas concerning the ironies of life and the trajectory of the human condition. Jing Shi thinks deeply about the people of rural Qinghai, their culture, their predicaments, their hopes, and their tragedies, and his stories communicate his thoughts about these things, but also his deep affection for the people and culture that raised him."

  9. CHANGED, EVERYTHING CHANGED IN MY LIFE: ELDERLY EXPERIENCES IN COEXISTENCE GROUPS AT IJUÍ/RS COMMUNITY.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseila Sonego

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available This work had the objectivity to know the reasons that make elderly regular visitors of groups andtheir life changes. A study with qualitative, explorative and descriptive nature. A piece of information occurred by aparticipating observant and a structural interview made with mixed recording questions: what were the reasons thatmade you participate with this group? Did you make any change in your life since you ‘ve started to frequent it?About eight elderly were interviewed in these coexistence groups here in Ijuí/RS. Analysis, classified thoseinformation’s in two categories. The reasons pointed were personal interaction, the act of share joy, love, sadnessand knowledge. Needless to say, rescue vanity, pleasure, satisfaction, and joy of being with other people. Thegroup is considered a social space; in witch they realize activities like the act of speaking, laughing, dancing andstrengthening. When participating in these groups, they have physical and mental changes. They even have afamiliar support and encourage continuing at these groups.

  10. Persistent pseudobulbar affect secondary to acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhendong Li

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Pseudobulbar affect (PBA is a common complication of central nervous system diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological diseases, but it remains under-recognized and under-treated in the clinic. PBA caused by acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM has rarely been reported. Here, we report a 30-year-old Chinese woman who has experienced PBA from ADEM for 7 years. The patient's principal manifestations were extreme emotions or tears when she saw, heard, or spoke about sad news or other sad things; the durations of these unmanageable emotions were often less than 30 sec, and they occurred at frequencies that ranged from one to several times a day. Occasionally, she laughed uncontrollably while people were talking despite a lack of funny or sad stimuli in the conversation or the surrounding environment. Thus, her social functioning was impaired. This case indicates that the long-term PBA can occur secondarily to ADEM, and this possibility should be considered clinically to ensure timely identification and treatment.

  11. Mockers and mocked in Spanish medieval exemplary literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graciela Cándano Fierro

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This article presents a brief account of comical motifs that appear in some medieval exempla collections, for instance the Disciplina clericalis and Conde Lucanor, with and approximation to a hybrid work, as Libro de Buen amor, by the Arcipreste de Hita. Tge purpose of these writings was to teach and moralize audiences and this is a notable from the very introduction on. However, authors or compilers never include in their preliminaries that the purpose of their writings is to amuse, make their readers laugh, reinterpret or decontextualize the world. The main objective of this investigation is to direct the analysis of exemplary works toward revealing their amusing or even comical side. Central to this study is a conceptual structure of the laughter phenomenon that has come forward from theoretical works by well-known authors such as Aristotle. Bergson, Ducrot and others. The subject matter is to emphasize the universality of the comical vein in the aforesaid writings, which has lasted up to the present.

  12. Recurrent laughter-induced syncope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaitatzis, Athanasios; Petzold, Axel

    2012-07-01

    Syncope is a common presenting complaint in Neurology clinics or Emergency departments, but its causes are sometimes difficult to diagnose. Apart from vasovagal attacks, other benign, neurally mediated syncopes include "situational" syncopes, which occur after urination, coughing, swallowing, or defecation. A healthy 42-year-old male patient presented to the neurology clinic with a long history of faints triggered by spontaneous laughter, especially after funny jokes. Physical and neurological examination, and electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging were unremarkable. There was no evidence to suggest cardiogenic causes, epilepsy, or cataplexy and a diagnosis of laughing syncope was made. Laughter-induced syncope is usually a single event in the majority of cases, but may present as recurrent attacks as in our case. Some cases occur in association with underlying neurological conditions. Prognosis is good in the case of neurally mediated attacks. Laughter may not be recognized by physicians as a cause of syncope, which may lead to unnecessary investigations or misdiagnosis, and affect patients' quality of life.

  13. Laughter is not always funny: breath-holding spells in familial dysautonomia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maayan, Channa; Katz, Eliot; Begin, Michal; Yuvchev, Ivelin; Kharasch, Virginia S

    2015-02-01

    Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a genetic disease characterized by primary autonomic dysfunction including parasympathetic hypersensitivity. Breath-holding spells (BHS) are believed to be caused by autonomic dysregulation mediated via the vagus nerve and increased in patients with a family history of BHS. Details and understanding of its pathophysiology are lacking. In this retrospective study of patients with FD, the incidence of BHS was higher at 53.3%, compared with previous studies in normal children. Laughter as a precipitating factor for BHS has not been previously reported in FD and occurred in 10% of patients in this study. Lower lung volumes, chronic lung disease, chronic CO2 retention, and inadequate autonomic compensation occur in those with FD leading to a higher incidence and severity of BHS when crying or laughing. Thus, FD may be a good model for understanding manifestations of the autonomic nervous system dysfunction and contribute to our knowledge of BHS mechanisms. © The Author(s) 2014.

  14. [Laughter: gender differences].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mora-Ripoll, R; Ubal-López, R

    2011-01-01

    Laughter is associated to many physiological and psychological benefits. Although women laugh more than men do, the daily frequency of laughter does not seem to differ. Laughter in all its forms and manifestations is an indicator of family vitality and healthy couples. Laughter is very attractive at the interpersonal level, especially for women. Men use humor much more and laughter when it comes to discussing sensitive health issues. In women, laughter would be more associated with greater social support in relationships and as a tool to cope with stress. Inviting laughter in the doctor's office may be very useful when directing certain messages on therapeutic management. Taking into account possible gender differences in the use of humor and laughter may help to improve the relationship with the patient and optimize the clinical application of laughter in health care and education setting. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  15. Short alleles, bigger smiles? The effect of 5-HTTLPR on positive emotional expressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haase, Claudia M; Beermann, Ursula; Saslow, Laura R; Shiota, Michelle N; Saturn, Sarina R; Lwi, Sandy J; Casey, James J; Nguyen, Nguyen K; Whalen, Patrick K; Keltner, Dacher; Levenson, Robert W

    2015-08-01

    The present research examined the effect of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene on objectively coded positive emotional expressions (i.e., laughing and smiling behavior objectively coded using the Facial Action Coding System). Three studies with independent samples of participants were conducted. Study 1 examined young adults watching still cartoons. Study 2 examined young, middle-aged, and older adults watching a thematically ambiguous yet subtly amusing film clip. Study 3 examined middle-aged and older spouses discussing an area of marital conflict (that typically produces both positive and negative emotion). Aggregating data across studies, results showed that the short allele of 5-HTTLPR predicted heightened positive emotional expressions. Results remained stable when controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and depressive symptoms. These findings are consistent with the notion that the short allele of 5-HTTLPR functions as an emotion amplifier, which may confer heightened susceptibility to environmental conditions. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Higgs force cosmic symmetry shattered : the story of the greatest scientific discovery for 50 years

    CERN Document Server

    Mee, Nicholas

    2012-01-01

    Higgs Force by Nicholas Mee is the definitive account of the science leading up to the discovery of the Higgs particle and the researchers involved in this quest. This discovery, by what is arguably the world's biggest and most expensive experiment - the Large Hadron Collider - represents the most important scientific breakthrough for 50 years. Higgs Force is a popular science book that is written in an accessible and engaging style with clear explanations for the general reader. The book is filled with stories about the eccentric characters that litter the history of science. These include a chemist who was addicted to the pleasures of laughing gas; the inventor of the kaleidoscope, whose business sense didn't match his scientific acumen; the weird looming apparition of the Brocken spectre - a ghostly giant who offered vital inspiration to a leading researcher; a physicist who compared his power to transmute the elements to the fabled alchemist Hermes Trismegistus and an astronomer who was captivated by the ...

  17. Heinrich Wahl, a central figure in direct CP violation research at CERN, retires

    CERN Multimedia

    2003-01-01

    All the necessary ingredients were there - laughs, scientific debate and a pinch of emotion - to make the «Festkolloquium», held in honour of Heinrich Wahl, an unqualified success. One by one, his colleagues, friends and former students took their turn on the rostrum in CERN's main auditorium to reminisce over the career, scientific contributions and leadership of this highly-respected physicist. For, believe it or not, after 34 years at the forefront of the Laboratory's charge-parity violation experiments, Heinrich Wahl, is finally retiring from CERN. Heinrich Wahl during the Colloquium for his retirement.Heinrich Wahl came to CERN from his native Germany as a Fellow in 1969 and rapidly made a name for himself in the first CP violation experiments on neutral kaons, a field that would subsequently become his main area of interest. He then became involved in the CDHS (CERN Dortmund Heidelberg Saclay) experiment to study high-energy neutrino interactions, which began in 1976 under the leadership of Jack Stein...

  18. THE DEPICTION OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN AMERICAN MOVIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rudy Rudy

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This study focuses on the depiction of homosexuality in American films. It is intended to identify the images of gays depicted in American films as well as the characteristics of American gay movies. It incorporates library research by applying an analytical descriptive approach in analyzing the data. The symbol and reflective theory is used to analyze 18 American movies and 14 gay films from other countries in the early 2000s. It shows that gay films can attract audiences by describing gays as the objects for laughs; gays revealing their sexual identities; sexual scenes of gays; masculine gay men; and violence in gay life. They appear in genres like drama, comedy, romance, detective, western, and horror/mystery with two images of gay people shown in American gay movies; they are the portrait of gays as a minority and the pessimism. However, it also shows that some American gay films picture good gay life, happy gay couples, gay marriage, etc.

  19. Mathematics for the liberal arts

    CERN Document Server

    Brown, Jason I

    2014-01-01

    The Math in Your Life Health, Safety, and Mathematics Found in Translation The Essentials of Conversion Making Sense of Your World with Statistics Summarizing Data with a Few Good Numbers Estimating Unknowns Leading You Down the Garden Path with Statistics Visualizing with Mathematics Seeing Data A Graph Is Worth a Thousand Words Money and Risk Money - Now or Later Risk Taking and Probability The Life in Your Math! Deciding to Make the Best Decisions Making the Right Choices for You Game Theory - Coming Out on Top Making Joint Decisions Art Imitating Math The Math that Makes the Art Believing What You See (or Not) The Mathematics of Sound (and the Sound of Mathematics) The Mathematics of Listening The Mathematics of Composing Solving Musical Mysteries with MSI (Math Scene Investigations) Late Night Mathematics - Humor and Philosophy Laughing with Mathematics The Limits of Mathematics Bibliography Index Review questions appear at the end of each chapter.

  20. [Evaluate the Efficacy of Electroacupuncture Therapy on Abdominal Fat in Obese Women by Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Hong; Chen, Xiao; Hu, Dong-Gang; Chen, Yu-Ting; Feng, Li-Cheng; Chen, Zhen-Yan; Li, Fang

    2016-10-25

    To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy on abdominal fat in obese women by using magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Thirty abdominal obesity women patients were randomly divided into control group ( n =15) and EA group ( n =15). The obesity patients of the control group did not receive any treatment for weight reduction, and those of the EA group were treated by EA stimulation of bilateral Neiting (ST 44), Fenglong (ST 40), Zusanli (ST 36), Huaroumen (ST 24), Tianshu (ST 25), Wailing (ST 26), Shuidao (ST 28), Fujie (SP 14), Daheng (SP 13), etc. for 25 min, once every other day, 3 times per week for 3 months. The patient's body weight, height, waist circumference (WC) were mea-sured with different devices, and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and the subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the inferior edges of L 4 , L 5 and S 3 and the superior edge of the pubic symphysis and the total abdominal fat volume between the L 4 and S 3 levels were detected using MRI systems before and after the treatment. The effects of the EA group were significantly superior to those of the control group in lowering difference values (between pre- and post-treatment) of BMI, WC and subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the levels of the inferior edges of L 4 , L 5 , S 3 and the superior edge of the pubic symphysis(all P abdominal fat volume between L 4 and S 3 (all P abdominal fat volume between L 4 and S 3 ( P abdominal fat volume between L 4 and S 3 in the control group ( P >0.05). EA intervention can effectively reduce abdominal fat in obese women based on the evaluation of MRI.

  1. [Effect of Acupuncture Therapy on Visceral Fat Thickness in Simple Central Obesity Patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cui-yan; Yang, Li

    2015-12-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture therapy in decreasing visceral fat thickness(VFT) in patients with simple central obesity. Sixty patients with simple central obesity (syndrome of stomach and intestinal excessive heat) were randomly divided into control and acupuncture groups. Patients of the control group were treated with diet control and physical exercise procedure (basic treatment) for 6 months, and those of the acupuncture group treated with basic treatment combined with acupuncture stimulation of main acupoints Shuifen (CV 9), Yinjiao (CV 7), and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Huaroumen (ST 24) and bilateral Wailing (ST 26), etc., in combination with electroacupuncture (EA, 50- 100 Hz, 1- 5 mA) of bilateral ST 25, CV 9 and CV 7 for 30 min, once every other day for 3 months. The VFT (1 cm above the umbilicus) was detected by using an ultrasonic diagnosis instrument, and the body mass index (BMI, body weight/height(2)), and waist circumfe-rence (WC) were measured before treatment, 3 and 6 months after the treatment, respectively. Following 3 and 6 months' treatment, the VFT, BMI and WC of both groups were significantly decreased (Pacupuncture group were significantly superior to those of the control group in lowering VFT [(51.5 ± 6.5) mm vs (48.3 ± 4.7) mm)] and WC [(88.2 ± 3.6)cm vs (85.9 ± 4.3)cm] 6 months' after the treatment (Pacupuncture groups in BMI fowllowing 6 months' treatment [(31.0 ± 4.3) vs (30.1 ± 3.2), P>0.05]. Acupuncture intervention combined with diet control and physical exercise can effectively decrease VFT and WC in simple central obesity patients. VFT is a sensitive and better parameter for evaluating the effect of obesity treatment.

  2. Laughing and crying: mixed emotions, compassion, and the effectiveness of a YouTube PSA about skin cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myrick, Jessica Gall; Oliver, Mary Beth

    2015-01-01

    Emotionally evocative public service announcements are one way that public health advocates hope to persuade people to take action against skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States. This article describes an experiment (N = 193) to test the ways mixed emotional appeals influence communication and health outcomes. The data indicate that mixed emotional appeals foster feelings of compassion, which in turn motivate individual and social behaviors. The findings also provide insight into how audience reactions of fear impact postmessage behaviors. Implications for future research and health message design are discussed.

  3. Parody as re-use and parody as laughing: three exemplary cases of forgery in the musical theatre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabetta Fava

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In the musical field 'parody' means first of all the borrowing of themes or whole compositions in the polyphonic practice (Missa parodia during the 15th-18th centuries: these re-use is absolutely serious and the new work can be understood without recognizing the parodied object. The paper focusses on the other meaning of the word: the parody as ironic citation or deformation of a preexistent style, thematic or harmonic idea, which come into being in the second half of the 18th century. This second use presupposes that the listener recognizes the parodic reference and knows the parodied object; it frequently occurres in the musical theatre, particularly in the comic opera: three interesting examples are in Verdi's Falstaff (parody of liturgy, Cornelius' Barbier von Bagdad(parody of belcanto and Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream (parody on the parody. Analysing these scores on the one hand, basing on Genette's fundamental essay Palimpsestes on the other hand, we try to show the mechanism of the musical parody and to classificate some different typologies.

  4. Is Laughing at the Expense of Victims and Offenders a Red Flag? Humor and Secondary Traumatic Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craun, Sarah W; Bourke, Michael L

    2015-01-01

    Those who work with human trauma often use humor to handle job stressors. Research has demonstrated that lighthearted humor is related to lower secondary traumatic stress scores, while gallows humor has the inverse relationship. This work explores how three types of humor relate to secondary traumatic stress: (a) humor at the expense of victims, (b) humor at the expense of offenders, and (c) humor containing sexual innuendo. Internet crimes against children taskforce personnel completed questionnaires about secondary traumatic stress and coping techniques. Humor at the expense of victims was rarely used, but when it was, it was indicative of higher secondary traumatic stress. There were no relationships between secondary traumatic stress and the use of humor at the expense of offenders or humor containing sexual innuendo.

  5. Is trivialisation of alcohol consumption a laughing matter? Alcohol incidence in a metropolitan daily newspaper's comic strips.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donovan, Robert J; Fielder, Lynda; Donovan, Patrick; Handley, Claire

    2009-05-01

    A number of studies have looked at the incidence and nature of depictions of alcohol in various media, primarily in movies, television and magazines. However, there have been few studies of depictions of alcohol in comic strips in newspapers. This study analysed the content of the five comic strips in the 258 weekday editions of a metropolitan newspaper over a period of 1 year. Where alcohol was depicted, this was classified as either integral or incidental to the theme or story of that day's strip. As an indication of the nature of the depiction and in the absence of specific codes for the depiction of alcohol in comic strips, depictions were assessed against the Australian Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC). Of the 1 290 individual comic strips, 4% (n = 54) depicted alcohol. Depictions were equal in number incidental and integral to the 'story'. Over half of the strips depicting alcohol were deemed to breach the ABAC, with the most common breach related to trivialisation of alcohol consumption. One strip accounted for over 60% of all depictions with the majority breaching the ABAC. These results suggest that newspaper publishers should consider a code for depictions of alcohol (and other unhealthy or risky products/behaviours) in comics. At the very least, comics that trivialise the abuse of alcohol should be excluded under such a code.

  6. Jovens portadores de deficiência: sexualidade e estigma Disabled adolescents: sexuality and stigma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Helena Rotta Soares

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available O presente artigo pretende ampliar a discussão sobre deficiência e sexualidade valorizando as expectativas, crenças, desejos e experiências de jovens com deficiência física. Refere-se a um recorte parcial dos dados da pesquisa de doutorado "Vocês riem porque eu sou diferente, eu rio porque vocês são todos iguais: as dimensões da qualidade de vida em jovens portadores de espinha bífida", que objetivou discutir a qualidade da vida de jovens portadores de espinha bífida em duas culturas: brasileira e norte-americana. A percepção, interesse e problematização dos participantes em relação à sua sexualidade e seus desdobramentos na sua família, serviço de saúde e círculo de amizades motivaram um maior aprofundamento da temática e apontaram para a necessidade de abordar o conceito sexualidade de maneira englobante. Os discursos dos jovens priorizam quatro aspectos relacionados à vivência da sexualidade: (1 sexualidade e cuidado; (2 sexualidade, imagem corporal e as características desacreditáveis; (3 a sexualidade do portador de deficiência física através do olhar da violência, e finalmente; (4 a sexualidade e interrogação das informações médicas.This paper is designed to extend discussions of disability and sexuality, highlighting the expectations, beliefs, desires and experiences of young people with physical disability and presenting the partial findings of the doctoral research project entitled "You laugh because I am different, I laugh because you are all the same: dimensions of the quality of life in adolescents with spina bifida", which discusses the quality of life in two cultures: Brazilian and American. The perception and interest of the participants, and their need to discuss problems related to their sexuality and its implications for their families, friends and healthcare services spurred investigations of this topic in greater depth, indicating the need to address concepts of sexuality on broader bases

  7. Coprological prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in carnivores and small mammals at Dhaka zoo, Bangladesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.M.R.U. Raja

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available A study on the coprological prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites using 94 faecal samples from different carnivores (n=32 and small mammals (n=15 was undertaken from January to May 2012 at Dhaka Zoo. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 78.72%, with a prevalence of 51.06% for helminths and 27.66% for protozoa. The identified parasites included—Toxascaris leonina (9.57%, Balantidium coli (25.53% Spirometra sp. (10.64%, Toxocara cati (12.76%, Hook worm (4.26%, unidentified strongyles (3.19%, Trichuris sp. (7.45%, Coccidia sp. (2.12%, Capillaria sp. (1.06%, Trichostrongylus sp. (1.06%, and Physaloptera sp. (1.06%. Mixed infection was observed in Indian Lion (Toxascaris leonina and Spirometra sp., Royal Bengal Tiger (Balantidium coli and Toxocara cati, Spotted Hyena (Balantidium coli and hook worm, Leopard (Balantidium coli and Spirometra/I> sp., Rhesus Macaque (Trichuris sp. and Coccidia sp., Pig-tailed Macaque (Balantidium coli and Trichuris sp., Hamadryas Baboon (Balantidium coli and Trichuris sp., Golden Mangabey (Trichuris sp., Balantidium coli and unidentified strongyles, Large Indian Civet (Balantidium coli and unidentified strongyles, Torior Dog (Balantidium coli and Physaloptera, Rabbit (Balantidium coli and Hook worm, Hanuman Langur (Balantidium coli and Capillaria sp.. Due to the high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites, the present study suggests to apply control measures against these parasites in order to safeguard the health of housed wild animals, especially in case of threatened species.

  8. Seroprevalence and genomic divergence of circulating strains of feline immunodeficiency virus among Felidae and Hyaenidae species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troyer, Jennifer L; Pecon-Slattery, Jill; Roelke, Melody E; Johnson, Warren; VandeWoude, Sue; Vazquez-Salat, Nuria; Brown, Meredith; Frank, Laurence; Woodroffe, Rosie; Winterbach, Christiaan; Winterbach, Hanlie; Hemson, Graham; Bush, Mitch; Alexander, Kathleen A; Revilla, Eloy; O'Brien, Stephen J

    2005-07-01

    Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infects numerous wild and domestic feline species and is closely related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Species-specific strains of FIV have been described for domestic cat (Felis catus), puma (Puma concolor), lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), and Pallas' cat (Otocolobus manul). Here, we employ a three-antigen Western blot screening (domestic cat, puma, and lion FIV antigens) and PCR analysis to survey worldwide prevalence, distribution, and genomic differentiation of FIV based on 3,055 specimens from 35 Felidae and 3 Hyaenidae species. Although FIV infects a wide variety of host species, it is confirmed to be endemic in free-ranging populations of nine Felidae and one Hyaenidae species. These include the large African carnivores (lion, leopard, cheetah, and spotted hyena), where FIV is widely distributed in multiple populations; most of the South American felids (puma, jaguar, ocelot, margay, Geoffroy's cat, and tigrina), which maintain a lower FIV-positive level throughout their range; and two Asian species, the Pallas' cat, which has a species-specific strain of FIV, and the leopard cat, which has a domestic cat FIV strain in one population. Phylogenetic analysis of FIV proviral sequence demonstrates that most species for which FIV is endemic harbor monophyletic, genetically distinct species-specific FIV strains, suggesting that FIV transfer between cat species has occurred in the past but is quite infrequent today.

  9. Seroprevalence and Genomic Divergence of Circulating Strains of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus among Felidae and Hyaenidae Species†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troyer, Jennifer L.; Pecon-Slattery, Jill; Roelke, Melody E.; Johnson, Warren; VandeWoude, Sue; Vazquez-Salat, Nuria; Brown, Meredith; Frank, Laurence; Woodroffe, Rosie; Winterbach, Christiaan; Winterbach, Hanlie; Hemson, Graham; Bush, Mitch; Alexander, Kathleen A.; Revilla, Eloy; O'Brien, Stephen J.

    2005-01-01

    Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infects numerous wild and domestic feline species and is closely related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Species-specific strains of FIV have been described for domestic cat (Felis catus), puma (Puma concolor), lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), and Pallas' cat (Otocolobus manul). Here, we employ a three-antigen Western blot screening (domestic cat, puma, and lion FIV antigens) and PCR analysis to survey worldwide prevalence, distribution, and genomic differentiation of FIV based on 3,055 specimens from 35 Felidae and 3 Hyaenidae species. Although FIV infects a wide variety of host species, it is confirmed to be endemic in free-ranging populations of nine Felidae and one Hyaenidae species. These include the large African carnivores (lion, leopard, cheetah, and spotted hyena), where FIV is widely distributed in multiple populations; most of the South American felids (puma, jaguar, ocelot, margay, Geoffroy's cat, and tigrina), which maintain a lower FIV-positive level throughout their range; and two Asian species, the Pallas' cat, which has a species-specific strain of FIV, and the leopard cat, which has a domestic cat FIV strain in one population. Phylogenetic analysis of FIV proviral sequence demonstrates that most species for which FIV is endemic harbor monophyletic, genetically distinct species-specific FIV strains, suggesting that FIV transfer between cat species has occurred in the past but is quite infrequent today. PMID:15956574

  10. How to make a start on green house gas reduction and laugh all the way to the bank

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, G.; Javan, A.

    2000-01-01

    Green house gas emission reduction is mostly directed to CO 2 , a byproduct of combustion of fossil fuels. While Australia is in a disadvantageous position relative to many countries because of heavy reliance on coal, compared to say natural gas, wind nuclear or hydro source, Australian technology is helping the worlds fossil fuel fired power stations and many industrial boilers minimise total CO 2 emissions by increasing efficiency of combustion, by excess air administration. CSIRO developed the world's leading Zirconia sensor technology for flue gas oxygen measurement. An Australian company commercialised this technology and now dominates the Australian power station market with the technology because it is for the first time reliable enough for closed-loop automatic air trimming control especially on gas fired plant. This paper will explain the relationships between fossil fuel stoichiometry, excess air and CO 2 emissions and zirconia sensor flue gas oxygen measurement and control. By carefully controlling excess air reductions in CO 2 emissions of 3-5% are readily achievable along with reductions in fuel costs of the same order. Side benefits can include reduction in NOx and increased safety of the operation. This is expected to be a low cost and increasingly popular measure for industrial enterprises to attack the greenhouse problem with an easy win-win result, as compared to many other greenhouse emission reduction strategies available

  11. How I Corrupted America's Youth: Getting Angry Letters Is No Laughing Matter--And the Same Goes for Censorship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutman, Dan

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the author shares his reactions to angry letters to his books, particularly the one titled "Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet." Nearly all the complaints the author receives inform him that it's his responsibility as an author to promote positive messages and moral lessons in his books. However, the author contends that his books…

  12. I thought that I heard you laughing: Contextual facial expressions modulate the perception of authentic laughter and crying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavan, Nadine; Lima, César F; Harvey, Hannah; Scott, Sophie K; McGettigan, Carolyn

    2015-01-01

    It is well established that categorising the emotional content of facial expressions may differ depending on contextual information. Whether this malleability is observed in the auditory domain and in genuine emotion expressions is poorly explored. We examined the perception of authentic laughter and crying in the context of happy, neutral and sad facial expressions. Participants rated the vocalisations on separate unipolar scales of happiness and sadness and on arousal. Although they were instructed to focus exclusively on the vocalisations, consistent context effects were found: For both laughter and crying, emotion judgements were shifted towards the information expressed by the face. These modulations were independent of response latencies and were larger for more emotionally ambiguous vocalisations. No effects of context were found for arousal ratings. These findings suggest that the automatic encoding of contextual information during emotion perception generalises across modalities, to purely non-verbal vocalisations, and is not confined to acted expressions.

  13. Using Science to Take a Stand: Action-Oriented Learning in an Afterschool Science Club

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagenah, Sara

    This dissertation study investigates what happens when students participate in an afterschool science club designed around action-oriented science instruction, a set of curriculum design principles based on social justice pedagogy. Comprised of three manuscripts written for journal publication, the dissertation includes 1) Negotiating community-based action-oriented science teaching and learning: Articulating curriculum design principles, 2) Middle school girls' socio-scientific participation pathways in an afterschool science club, and 3) Laughing and learning together: Productive science learning spaces for middle school girls. By investigating how action-oriented science design principles get negotiated, female identity development in and with science, and the role of everyday social interactions as students do productive science, this research fills gaps in the understanding of how social justice pedagogy gets enacted and negotiated among multiple stakeholders including students, teachers, and community members along what identity development looks like across social and scientific activity. This study will be of interest to educators thinking about how to enact social justice pedagogy in science learning spaces and those interested in identity development in science.

  14. Emotions over time: synchronicity and development of subjective, physiological, and facial affective reactions to music.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grewe, Oliver; Nagel, Frederik; Kopiez, Reinhard; Altenmüller, Eckart

    2007-11-01

    Most people are able to identify basic emotions expressed in music and experience affective reactions to music. But does music generally induce emotion? Does it elicit subjective feelings, physiological arousal, and motor reactions reliably in different individuals? In this interdisciplinary study, measurement of skin conductance, facial muscle activity, and self-monitoring were synchronized with musical stimuli. A group of 38 participants listened to classical, rock, and pop music and reported their feelings in a two-dimensional emotion space during listening. The first entrance of a solo voice or choir and the beginning of new sections were found to elicit interindividual changes in subjective feelings and physiological arousal. Quincy Jones' "Bossa Nova" motivated movement and laughing in more than half of the participants. Bodily reactions such as "goose bumps" and "shivers" could be stimulated by the "Tuba Mirum" from Mozart's Requiem in 7 of 38 participants. In addition, the authors repeated the experiment seven times with one participant to examine intraindividual stability of effects. This exploratory combination of approaches throws a new light on the astonishing complexity of affective music listening.

  15. Pierre Charrue (1961 - 2016)

    CERN Multimedia

    2016-01-01

    Our friend and colleague Pierre is no longer with us. In corridors, around meeting tables, at coffee places, we gather and talk about him, about how great it was to have met him, and what a special person he was.   And what to write about him? “He was always there for us”; “He was dynamic!”; “He was enthusiastic, he always kept a positive attitude!”. How empty this sounds when you knew Pierre. “He wrote great software!”; “Look at his project, building 774, isn't it amazing?”; “We had lots of good laughs together!”. All of this is true, but none of it really does him justice. Pierre was a special person who had the capacity to make you feel good whenever he was around. In meetings, his levelheadedness and clear, honest comments were much appreciated by us all. He had the gift of giving real meaning to situations, always with a smile and...

  16. Cinema and the communication of bad news

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Isabel GÓMEZ CORDOBA

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Breaking Bad News requires medical professionals possess a range of skills to ensure that the patient has the information required for decision?making, this process occurs without further damage and even has a therapeutic effect, and another, that the doctor is not exposed to legal risk or stress associated with the inability to cope with the feelings of the patient, their families or themselves. This article discusses the aspects of communication of bad news in the field of doctor?patient relationship will be presented. The SPIKES model and discussion of movie segments related to the subject was employed as a thread, such as Doctor, 50/50, The Barbarian Invasions, Wings of Life, Stepmom, Letters to God, Wit, The butterfly blue, The power of friendship, Life without me, Make me laugh, Knockin ‘on Heaven’s Door, My Life, A crazy Loose in Brooklyn, As suicide and not die in the attempt, A lesson of life, and The sacrifice of a mother, as a pedagogical strategy in medical training.

  17. Laughter catches attention!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro, Ana P; Barros, Carla; Dias, Marcelo; Kotz, Sonja A

    2017-12-01

    In social interactions, emotionally salient and sudden changes in vocal expressions attract attention. However, only a few studies examined how emotion and attention interact in voice processing. We investigated neutral, happy (laughs) and angry (growls) vocalizations in a modified oddball task. Participants silently counted the targets in each block and rated the valence and arousal of the vocalizations. A combined event-related potential and time-frequency analysis focused on the P3 and pre-stimulus alpha power to capture attention effects in response to unexpected events. Whereas an early differentiation between emotionally salient and neutral vocalizations was reflected in the P3a response, the P3b was selectively enhanced for happy voices. The P3b modulation was predicted by pre-stimulus frontal alpha desynchronization, and by the perceived pleasantness of the targets. These findings indicate that vocal emotions may be differently processed based on task relevance and valence. Increased anticipation and attention to positive vocal cues (laughter) may reflect their high social relevance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Laughter perception in social anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritter, Jan; Brück, Carolin; Jacob, Heike; Wildgruber, Dirk; Kreifelts, Benjamin

    2015-01-01

    Laughter is a powerful signal of social acceptance or rejection while the fear of being embarrassed and humiliated is central in social anxiety (SA). This type of anxiety is associated with cognitive biases indicating increased sensitivity to social threat as well as with deficits in emotion regulation. Both are thought to be implicated in the maintenance of social anxiety. Using laughter as a novel stimulus, we investigated cognitive biases and their modulation through emotion regulation and cue ambiguity in individuals with varying degrees of SA (N = 60). A combination of a negative laughter interpretation bias and an attention bias away from joyful/social inclusive laughter in SA was observed. Both biases were not attributable to effects of general anxiety and were closely correlated with the concept of gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at. Thus, our study demonstrates altered laughter perception in SA. Furthermore, it highlights the usefulness of laughter as a highly prevalent social signal for future research on the interrelations of interpretation and attention biases in SA and their modulation through emotion regulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Quantitative Laughter Detection, Measurement, and Classification-A Critical Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosentino, Sarah; Sessa, Salvatore; Takanishi, Atsuo

    2016-01-01

    The study of human nonverbal social behaviors has taken a more quantitative and computational approach in recent years due to the development of smart interfaces and virtual agents or robots able to interact socially. One of the most interesting nonverbal social behaviors, producing a characteristic vocal signal, is laughing. Laughter is produced in several different situations: in response to external physical, cognitive, or emotional stimuli; to negotiate social interactions; and also, pathologically, as a consequence of neural damage. For this reason, laughter has attracted researchers from many disciplines. A consequence of this multidisciplinarity is the absence of a holistic vision of this complex behavior: the methods of analysis and classification of laughter, as well as the terminology used, are heterogeneous; the findings sometimes contradictory and poorly documented. This survey aims at collecting and presenting objective measurement methods and results from a variety of different studies in different fields, to contribute to build a unified model and taxonomy of laughter. This could be successfully used for advances in several fields, from artificial intelligence and human-robot interaction to medicine and psychiatry.

  20. Le rire de la Chartreuse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilda Tomas

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available To listen to Stendhal's laughter... The frequency of a verb denoting laughter and the analysis of what is constant and changeable in its use enable the reader to get into the spirit of the novel. The laughter radiates with the power of its sharpness, its attack and its passion to unmask; it gives the characters an ethical and egotistical dimension for it functions as a verbal germ of the conflict between an individual and the society and at the same time as the basic way to escape its real threats. Functioning as a beneficial upheaval, the sign of a political and social emancipation and discourse distancing itself, the laughter shows narcissistic predisposition of Stendhal’s character and his/her ontological loneliness. To listen to Stendhal's laughter - and to laugh with him - is to take part in the mediation characterized by irony, nobleness and clarity of vision, the mediation that the writer undertakes in difficult relations between the man and the world, the history, other people and himself.

  1. Multimodal Code-pairing and Switching of Visual-verbal Texts in Selected Nigerian Stand-up Comedy Performances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mufutau Temitayo Lamidi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This study examines multimodal pairing and switching of codes as features of visual-verbal texts and how they are used as strategies for evoking humour in Nigerian stand-up comedy performances, an area that has not attracted much scholarly attention. Data were obtained through purposive random sampling and analysed through content analysis. Six DVDs (Vols. 3, 7, 8 & 28 of Nite of a Thousand Laughs; Vols. 27 & 28 of AY LIVE Happiness Edition and 6 video clips (downloaded from the Internet all totalling 8 hours and 20 minutes of play were selected for the study. Incongruity, Layered Meaning and Visual Semiotics serve as theoretical framework. The study identifies different multimodal strategies such as code-pairing and integration in different forms of oral codes, gestures, costume, and symbols; intertextuality; incongruous translations/ deliberate misinterpretations; and mimicry, quotes and paralanguage used to elicit laughter. It suggests that these features are also useful in other speech-making events, and concludes that the integration of codes and modes of communication serves as an effective strategy in evoking humour and laughter in stand-up comedy

  2. The dilemmas of victim positioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorte Marie Søndergaard

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This article centres on some of the dilemmas contained within victim positioning. Such dilemmas are often overlooked by the authorities involved with people subjected to relational aggression. 2 For example, when teachers rule out cases of bullying because the victim has 'participated in' or 'laughed at' some of the bullies' initiatives, or when a rape victim's status as a victim is questioned because, in the lead up to the assault, she was supposedly friendly to the rapist. In these cases, it could be useful to explore the reason for the bullying victim's apparent collusion or to better understand the premises for the rape victim's positioning options in relation to the perpetrator. In other words, it could be fruitful to explore the dynamics and dilemmas of the victim position. In this article, I aim to reflect on the motivational conditions of the victim phenomenon. These reflections are based on an analysis of qualitative data produced through interviews with school children as well as on relevant secondary literature.

  3. Gilles Trachez (1969-2012)

    CERN Multimedia

    2012-01-01

    We are deeply saddened to announce the death of our friend and colleague Gilles Trachez. A senior technician in electro-mechanics, and at CERN since 1992, Gilles was a unique example of vibrant energy, with a broad smile and a hearty laugh even when facing utmost difficulties.   Gilles put vigour, flexibility and creativity at the service of the development of the superconducting magnets for the LHC, and in practice all main LHC magnets contain a part of his work. He followed critical contracts for the supply of magnet shells and laminations, and we have fond memories of the visits to a supplier in the Basque region of Spain, ending, after long working days, in happy evenings spent in the local ‘sidreria’. Similarly, we recall long nights spent designing and assembling a polymerization oven to provide an urgent solution for the insulation of the LHC dipole cold bores. Gilles always had a smile on his face, and never hesitated to help a colleague. In the same spirit, he ...

  4. La construction rythmique de l’incontournable touristique. L’exemple de la tour Eiffel The rhythmical construction of a tourist must-see. The example of the Eiffel Tower

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maie Gérardot

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available D’abord moquée et brocardée, la tour Eiffel s’est rapidement imposée dans l’imaginaire collectif parisien, français et même mondial comme un lieu touristique incontournable. Comment un lieu construit pour l’exposition universelle de 1889 est-il devenu un haut-lieu du tourisme, symbole de Paris, mais également de la France ? Nous faisons l’hypothèse que ce changement de statut de la tour est lié à l’importance croissante du rythme du tourisme dans le lieu.At first laughed at and looked down upon, the Eiffel Tower quickly established itself in the collective Parisian, French and even world imagination as an inescapable tourist attraction. How did a place built for the World Fair of 1889 become a landmark of tourism, the symbol of Paris and of France? We put forward the hypothesis that this change in the Tower’s status is linked to the growing importance of pace in the venue’s tourist activity.

  5. ”Så griner vi heldigvis lidt af det”. Ægtepars erfaringer med demens i et hverdagslivs sociologisk perspektiv

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania Dræbel

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available “Fortunately, we laugh a bit about it”. Couples experiences with dementia in an everyday life sociological perspective The article examines changes in the relation between spouses in married couples, where one partner has a dementia diagnosis. Seven qualitative interviews with couples are analyzed with Alfred Schutz sociology of everyday life as a theoretical framework. The analysis asks the question how spouses reinvent routines in an everyday life characterized by a growing unpredictability, and thereby creates new meaningfulness and roles. The analysis illustrates how partners orient themselves in a changed social world, and thereby manage to live an everyday life with dementia. Three modes of relation to each other and to the illness are found, which could partly be understood in connection to the seriousness of the illness: first the couple manage challenges in a marital alliance, later an agreement with new roles and tasks for the partners is established, and towards the final stages of dementia marriage is described as an asymmetrical care relationship.

  6. Relations between emotions, display rules, social motives, and facial behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaalberg, Ruud; Manstead, Antony; Fischer, Agneta

    2004-02-01

    We report research on the relations between emotions, display rules, social motives, and facial behaviour. In Study 1 we used a questionnaire methodology to examine how respondents would react to a funny or a not funny joke told to them by a close friend or a stranger. We assessed display rules and motivations for smiling and/or laughing. Display rules and social motives (partly) mediated the relationship between the experimental manipulations and self-reported facial behaviour. Study 2 was a laboratory experiment in which funny or not funny jokes were told to participants by a male or female stranger. Consistent with hypotheses, hearing a funny joke evoked a stronger motivation to share positive affect by showing longer Duchenne smiling. Contrary to hypotheses, a not funny joke did not elicit greater prosocial motivation by showing longer "polite" smiling, although such a smiling pattern did occur. Rated funniness of the joke and the motivation to share positive affect mediated the relationship between the joke manipulation and facial behaviour. Path analysis was used to explore this mediating process in greater detail.

  7. The Monolingual Lusoga Dictionary Faced with Demands from a New User Category

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minah Nabirye

    2011-10-01

    resources to do so, one can reuse and expand on the data found in an existing higher-level dictionary.

    OBUFUNZE: Eiwanika ly'Olusoga lizuuseeku omukozesa ataali muluubilile. Mu lupapula muno mulagibwamu engeli Eiwanika ly’Olusoga elyawandiikilwa omukozesa atuuseeku mu kyomusanvu bwe lizuuseeku omukozesa okuva mu kibiina kyolubelyebelye okutuuka mu kyokusatu. Kino kiidhie lwa kuba ensomesa y’olulimi Olusoga eli kuteebwa mu nkola aye ng’ebyetaagisa okutuukiliza omulimu guno bikaali kutuukilizibwa. Okwekeenenia kw’ebiwandiiko ebiliwo ku oba mu Lusoga ebisobola okwemelezaawo ensomesa mu lulimi Olusoga kuzwile nti Eiwanika ni lyonka elilina ebyetaagibwa okusimba omusingi gw’ebyendhegelesa mu lulimi Olusoga ebisobola okutuukana n’ebyetaago by’omukozesa aluubililwa mu kiseela kino. Waile ng’amakobo g’Eiwanika gaaliba gatuukana n’ebyetaago by’omukozesa ono, engeli ye gaategekebwa mu Iwanika teyanguyila mukozesa ono muyaaka kugeeyunila bukalamu. Okwinhonhola kw’amakobo g’Eiwanika kwasinga kukolebwa mu musomo amakobo gano mwegaasibuka. Kale kyaba nti amakobo agandi gazila bulungi businziilo mu Iwanika busobola kwetengelela kuyamba omukozesa aluubililwa. Ebyava mu kugezesa ensomesa y’ebyennnimi enzaalilanwa mu Uganda okwakolebwa ekitongole kya National Curriculum Development Centre byazuula nti omusomi ti ni yenka ayenda okutendekebwa aye n’omusomesa agya akusomesa yeena ayenda obuyambi. Engeli ebiwandiiko by’abaana abato bwe by’ekengelwa einho ate ng’omukozesa omuluubilile ow’Eiwanika yali muntu mukulu, eisila lili ku musomesa w’abasomi abo. Okutendeka omusomesa ono mu bimwetaagibwamu ng’asomesa Olusoga, akatabo akandi akalaga engeli y’okusomesaamu amakobo g’Eiwanika kaidha kuwandiikibwa okumulaga engeli y’ayinza okukozesa ebili mu nnhandhula ni mu nfaanana y’olulimi mu Iwanika okutegeka amasomo g’Olusoga ag’endhawulo. Waile nga kyali gwaine nti ebitabo ebita eisila ku nsomesa y’Olusoga mu pulaimale n

  8. Low leopard populations in protected areas of Maputaland: a consequence of poaching, habitat condition, abundance of prey, and a top predator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramesh, Tharmalingam; Kalle, Riddhika; Rosenlund, Havard; Downs, Colleen T

    2017-03-01

    Identifying the primary causes affecting population densities and distribution of flagship species are necessary in developing sustainable management strategies for large carnivore conservation. We modeled drivers of spatial density of the common leopard ( Panthera pardus ) using a spatially explicit capture-recapture-Bayesian approach to understand their population dynamics in the Maputaland Conservation Unit, South Africa. We camera-trapped leopards in four protected areas (PAs) of varying sizes and disturbance levels covering 198 camera stations. Ours is the first study to explore the effects of poaching level, abundance of prey species (small, medium, and large), competitors (lion Panthera leo and spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta ), and habitat on the spatial distribution of common leopard density. Twenty-six male and 41 female leopards were individually identified and estimated leopard density ranged from 1.6 ± 0.62/100 km 2 (smallest PA-Ndumo) to 8.4 ± 1.03/100 km 2 (largest PA-western shores). Although dry forest thickets and plantation habitats largely represented the western shores, the plantation areas had extremely low leopard density compared to native forest. We found that leopard density increased in areas when low poaching levels/no poaching was recorded in dry forest thickets and with high abundance of medium-sized prey, but decreased with increasing abundance of lion. Because local leopard populations are vulnerable to extinction, particularly in smaller PAs, the long-term sustainability of leopard populations depend on developing appropriate management strategies that consider a combination of multiple factors to maintain their optimal habitats.

  9. Relaxin concentrations in serum and urine of endangered and crazy mixed-up species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinetz, B; Lasano, S; de Haas van Dorsser, F; Glickman, S; Bergfelt, D; Santymire, R; Songsassen, N; Swanson, W

    2009-04-01

    The human population explosion has pushed many mammalian wildlife species to the brink of extinction. Conservationists are increasingly turning to captive breeding as a means of preserving the gene pool. We previously reported that serum immunoactive relaxin provided a reliable means of distinguishing between true and pseudopregnancy in domestic dogs, and this method has since been found to be a reliable indicator of true pregnancy in endangered Asian and African elephants and Sumatran rhinoceroses. Our canine relaxin radioimmunoassay (RIA) has now been adapted and validated to measure relaxin in the serum and urine of felids, including domestic and wild species. Moreover, a commercially available canine serum relaxin kit (Witness) Relaxin Kit; Synbiotics, San Diego, CA), has been adapted for reliable detection of relaxin in urine of some felid species. Our porcine relaxin RIA has also been utilized to investigate the role of relaxin in reproductive processes of the spotted hyena, a species in which the female fetuses are severely masculinized in utero. Indeed, this species might well now be extinct were it not for the timely secretion of relaxin to enable copulation and birth of young through the clitoris. Additional studies have suggested relaxin may be a useful marker of pregnancy in the northern fur seal and the maned wolf (the former species has been designated as "depleted" and the latter as "near threatened"). Given appropriate immunoassay reagents, relaxin determination in body fluids thus provides a powerful tool for conservationists and biologists investigating reproduction in a wide variety of endangered and exotic species.

  10. Spatial and temporal distribution of rabies in northern Tanzania in the period of 1993-2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swai, E S; Moshy, W E; Kaaya, J E; Mtui, P F

    2010-01-01

    A retrospective study was carried out to investigate the occurrence and distribution patterns of rabies cases in northern Tanzania. Data on laboratory confirmed brain samples and associated case reports submitted to the Arusha Veterinary Investigation Centre, for a period of ten years (1993-2002) was retrieved and reviewed. A total of 98 suspected rabies brain specimens from different animal species and geographical areas were submitted and processed during the period under review. Rabies was confirmed using Fluorescent Antibody Technique test. Of the 98 brain specimens processed, 65 (66.3%) were confirmed to be rabies cases. Canine rabies accounted for 73.8% of the cases and was diagnosed in dogs (43), jackals (4) and hyenas (1). Rabies in wildlife accounted for 5 out of 48 canine confirmed cases. Most of the cases were from Arusha Municipality (20) followed by Arumeru (19), Ngorongoro (9) and Moshi (8) districts. Rabies positive cases in other animal species were in the following order of frequencies: bovine (9 out of 11); feline (5 out of 10); equine (1 out of 2); caprine (2 out of 2). One porcine brain specimen was rabies negative. The high proportion of rabies positive cases confirmed suggests the level of their endemicity in the northern regions of Tanzania. Moreover, the findings highlights the need for sustained surveillance and institution of control measures among dog population and awareness creation particularly among general public and children whom are at high risk of contracting rabies because of their close contact with dogs.

  11. If I Didn't Laugh I'd Cry: An Essay on Happiness, Productivity, and the Death of Humanities Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srigley, Ron

    2012-01-01

    Productivity has become the raison d'etre of Western capitalist societies, supported by its fundamental principles, quantity and impact. Both of these principles have taken hold in universities, and both place "useful" applications of knowledge above exploration of the human condition, above doubting, questioning, and wondering. The…

  12. Evaluation of international case studies within 'Live.Learn.Laugh.': a unique global public-private partnership to promote oral health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dugdill, Lindsey; Pine, Cynthia M

    2011-08-01

    The partnership between the Féderation Dentaire International (FDI), and Unilever Oral Care, aims to raise awareness of oral health globally; to enable FDI member associations to promote oral health; and to increase the visibility of the FDI and authority of Unilever oral care brands worldwide. Country Projects between National Dental Associations (NDAs), the member associations of FDI, and Unilever Oral Care local companies have been established as a key strand of the partnership. This paper reports on the evaluation of an in-depth sample of Country Projects (n=5) to determine their potential to impact on oral health. Five country sites were selected as being indicative of different programme delivery types. Each site received a two-day visit during Spring-Summer 2009, which enabled the evaluators to audit what was delivered in practice compared with the original written project briefs and to undertake interviews of study site staff. 39 projects in 36 countries have been initiated. In those examined by site visits, clear evidence was found of capacity building to deliver oral health. In some countries, widespread population reach had been prioritised. Effectiveness of partnership working varied depending on the strength of the relationship between the NDA and local Unilever Oral Care representatives and alignment with national marketing strategy. The quality of internal evaluation varied considerably. Over a million people had been reached directly by Country Projects and this public-private partnership has made a successful start. To move towards improving oral health rather than only awareness raising; future Country Projects would benefit from being limited to certain evidence-based intervention designs, and using an agreed core indicator set in order to allow cross-country comparison of intervention outcomes. © 2011 FDI World Dental Federation.

  13. Enhancement of suggestibility and imaginative ability with nitrous oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whalley, M G; Brooks, G B

    2009-05-01

    Imaginative suggestibility, a trait closely related to hypnotic suggestibility, is modifiable under some circumstances. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is commonly used for sedation in dentistry and is reported to be more effective when combined with appropriate suggestions. The aim of this study was to determine whether nitrous oxide inhalation alters imaginative suggestibility and imagery vividness. Thirty participants were tested twice in a within-subjects design, once during inhalation of 25% nitrous oxide and once during inhalation of air plus oxygen. Before the study, participants' expectancies regarding the effects of nitrous oxide were assessed. Participants were blinded to drug administration. During each session, participants were verbally administered detailed measures of imagination and suggestibility: the Sheehan-Betts Quality of Mental Imagery scale and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form C, minus the hypnotic induction. Imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability (imagery vividness) were both elevated in the nitrous oxide condition. This effect was unrelated to participants' expectations regarding the effects of the drug. Nitrous oxide increased imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed with respect to the effects of N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists and to other pharmacological effects upon suggestibility and imagination.

  14. La leadership politica in Italia alla luce della tradizione comica nazionale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Pia Pozzato

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Political leadership in Italy in the light of the national comical traditionThis essay deals with humour and satire in politics. The issue of humour is contextualized within a wider cultural phenomenon called ‘show civilisation’ or ‘schermopolis’, i.e. the pervasiveness of screens in our everyday life. In doing so I will consider the role of new media and social networks in fostering the use of humour in political discourse. Next I will try to find a new framework for forms of popularity in politics by adapting to the current conjuncture the definitions given by Eric Landowsky at the end of the 1980s. Nowadays the politician-vedette is indeed the most popular form within the show civilisation phenomenon mentioned above. I will demonstrate that some Italian versions of this figure seem inspired by a rich Italian Comedy tradition. Finally, I will propose a number of hypotheses about the ways in which leaders obtain electoral consensus, for example through physical attractiveness, sympathy, and their ability to amuse people. In this perspective, a leader who is good for a laugh seems automatically a good leader.

  15. How Not To Be A Buzzkill: Creative Techniques In Using Humor To Combat Doomsday Narratives (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitney, L.

    2013-12-01

    Climate change may seem like no laughing matter- new studies continually paint a bleak future for the members of the planet. We use descriptions such as 'dire', 'urgent', and 'colossal' hoping audiences will grasp the magnitude of the challenges that befall our society. But all too often it feels as if the message falls on deaf ears. With apocalyptic narratives, people shut out the message, feel too overwhelmed to know what to do, or are just too busy immersed in their Netflix account to notice. How can one worry about climate change when they may not even know how they are paying rent next month? Why should they pay attention to doomsday narratives when they could just watch funny cat videos all day? This session will look at the various ways science writers and educators are using humor to combat the depressing. With a particular focus on social media tools, this talk will examine the various methods used to energize audiences instead of deflating them and whether the approach has any value in getting the public to absorb the message. Is humor really an effective communication tool, or are we just kidding ourselves?

  16. Molecular phylogeny of some avian species using Cytochrome b gene sequence analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awad, A; Khalil, S. R; Abd-Elhakim, Y. M

    2015-01-01

    Veritable identification and differentiation of avian species is a vital step in conservative, taxonomic, forensic, legal and other ornithological interventions. Therefore, this study involved the application of molecular approach to identify some avian species i.e. Chicken (Gallus gallus), Muskovy duck (Cairina moschata), Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), Laughing dove (Streptopelia senegalensis), and Rock pigeon (Columba livia). Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples and partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (358 bp) was amplified and sequenced using universal primers. Sequences alignment and phylogenetic analyses were performed by CLC main workbench program. The obtained five sequences were deposited in GenBank and compared with those previously registered in GenBank. The similarity percentage was 88.60% between Gallus gallus and Coturnix japonica and 80.46% between Gallus gallus and Columba livia. The percentage of identity between the studied species and GenBank species ranged from 77.20% (Columba oenas and Anas platyrhynchos) to 100% (Gallus gallus and Gallus sonneratii, Coturnix coturnix and Coturnix japonica, Meleagris gallopavo and Columba livia). Amplification of the partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene proved to be practical for identification of an avian species unambiguously. PMID:27175180

  17. Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in birds from South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukášová, Radka; Kobédová, Kateřina; Halajian, Ali; Bártová, Eva; Murat, Jean-Benjamin; Rampedi, Kgethedi Michael; Luus-Powell, Wilmien J

    2018-02-01

    There are not any records on the detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in tissues of wild birds in the African continent. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of DNA from these protozoan parasites in brain tissue samples collected in years 2014-2015 from 110 wild and domestic birds of 15 orders. Birds came mainly from the province of Limpopo (n=103); the other seven birds came from other five provinces of South Africa. Parasite DNAs were detected by PCR in animal brains. While all samples were negative for N. caninum, T. gondii DNA was detected in three (2.7%) birds: a Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata), a Laughing Dove (S. senegalensis) and a Southern-Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus leucomelas), all from Limpopo province. Positive samples were selected for genotyping by a 15 microsatellite markers method in a single multiplex PCR assay. Only the sample from the Red-eyed Dove was successfully genotyped and characterized as type II. This is the first detection of T. gondii in tissue of native African wild birds and the first study focusing on N. caninum in birds from South Africa. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. TEDxBrussels broadcast live at CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    Claudia Marcelloni, TEDxCERN organiser

    2012-01-01

    In order to give you a taste of a TEDx event, the team of TEDxCERN will show the live webcast of TEDxBrussels at the CERN main restaurant on November 12th from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from 2 p.m to 7 p.m.  Come and discover the event, in preparation for TEDxCERN, which will take place in May next year.     This year the theme for TEDxBrussels is Bits, Atoms, Neurons, Genes (BANG BANG). The digital world and the real world are interconnected like never before. You can send off online for a personal genome readout and control physical objects with your mind. Computer thinking is driving medicine, music and play. With brain-computer interfaces now used in nuclear power stations and bio hackers doing lab biology in their garages, BANG BANG is a concept whose time has come. BANG BANG means the evolving mesh of ideas and practices, a rich mix of citizens, scientists and culture. Among the speakers are Steve Wozniak, Mitch Altman, Neelie Kroes, Xavier Damman, Zoe Laughli...

  19. Pseudobulbar paralysis in the Renaissance: Cosimo I de' Medici case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arba, F; Inzitari, D; Lippi, D

    2014-07-01

    Cosimo I de' Medici (1519-1574) was the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was one of the most important members of the Medici family. He was an excellent conqueror and a good politician. Moreover, he was able to attract and encourage artists, scientists and architects to promote Florence as the cultural capital of the Italian Renaissance. Historical chronicles report that he suffered from a stroke when he was 49 years old. Together with the acute manifestation of stroke, he displayed peculiar symptoms. He had gait disturbances and sphincter dysfunctions. His language became poor and hard to understand. His mood was very fluctuating and in the last years of his life he was a short-tempered man. In addition, he had a characteristic symptom, so-called pathological laughing and crying. The course of his disease was slow and stuttering. Taken together, these data seem to be one of the first reports of pseudobulbar paralysis. The disease of Cosimo I was probably due to a chronic cerebral vasculopathy, known as small vessels disease. We discuss this hypothesis regarding an ancient clinical case, with the support of current studies.

  20. Gender, Humour and Transgression in Canadian Women’s Theatre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meisner Natalie

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Are humour and laughter gender-specific? The simple answer, like most everything that is ideological, is “yes”. Many feminists in recent years have grappled with the question of humour and how it is often the site of much contestation when it comes to women using it as a tool of transgression. This paper probes the seemingly timeless antipathy between humour and representations of femininity through recourse to performance and theories of the body. This article holds the term “woman” up to scrutiny while simultaneously examining the persistence of both critical and philosophical recalcitrance and the way humour continues to function in both gendered and violent ways. How does gender “do” or “undo” humour? Laughter is no simple matter for women, due to the legacy of profoundly polarized and hyper-sexualized historical ambivalence between femininity and laughter. Acknowledging the problematic nature of the category “woman”, and after clearing some terminological distinctions (comedy, humour, irony, satire, and parody, this article investigates humour’s complicated and volatile relationship to gender and the way the laughing body of women on stage presents a fascinating double helix of sexual aggression and power

  1. Use of Compounded Dextromethorphan-Quinidine Suspension for Pseudobulbar Affect in Hospice Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahler, Robert G; Reiman, Alfred T; Schrader, Joshua V

    2017-03-01

    Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) consists of unprovoked and uncontrollable episodes of laughing and/or crying. In end-of-life situations, PBA symptoms can be especially distressing to family and friends during an already heightened emotional time. Although a commercial product combining dextromethorphan and quinidine (DMQ) is FDA approved for use in PBA, many hospice patients are unable to swallow any solids or semisolids. An alternative formulation for these patients is needed. We present here two cases in which we used a compounded DMQ suspension successfully to treat PBA symptoms in the weeks before the patients' death. A retrospective chart review was completed on the two cases where the DMQ suspension was used. A description of the DMQ suspension formula is described. Both patients were under the care of a hospice program; one in home care and one in a skilled nursing facility. Episodes of PBA symptoms were summarized in a narrative of the patients' symptom relief. Both patients tolerated the administration of the DMQ suspension and there were noted improvements in PBA symptoms. DMQ suspension is an effective alternative for PBA symptoms in patients who cannot swallow oral solid medication.

  2. ADVERTISING AND LANGUAGE MANIPULATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina-Maria PRELIPCEANU

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Research has revealed that much of what happens in our minds as a result of language use is still hidden from our conscious awareness. Advertisers know this phenomenon better. They use the manipulation of language to suggest something about their products without directly claiming it to be true. Although the advertisers use colours, symbols, and imagery in advertisements, “the most direct way to study ads is through an analysis of the language employed” as all the other aspects are meant to reinforce the language message. Ads are designed to have an effect on consumers while being laughed at, belittle and all but ignored. Some modern advertisements appear to be almost dissuading consumers from the product – but this is just a modern technique. This paper is going to analyze a series of language techniques used by advertisers to arrest our attention, to arouse our interest, to stimulate desire for a product and ultimately to motivate us to buy it. Once we become familiar with the language strategies used in advertising messages we will be more able to make our own buying decisions.

  3. Laughter, Humor and Pain Perception in Children: A Pilot Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margaret Stuber

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Although there are many clinical programs designed to bring humor into pediatric hospitals, there has been very little research with children or adolescents concerning the specific utility of humor for children undergoing stressful or painful procedures. Rx Laughter™, a non-profit organization interested in the use of humor for healing, collaborated with UCLA to collect preliminary data on a sample of 18 children aged 7–16 years. Participants watched humorous video-tapes before, during and after a standardized pain task that involved placing a hand in cold water. Pain appraisal (ratings of pain severity and pain tolerance (submersion time were recorded and examined in relation to humor indicators (number of laughs/smiles during each video and child ratings of how funny the video was. Whereas humor indicators were not significantly associated with pain appraisal or tolerance, the group demonstrated significantly greater pain tolerance while viewing funny videos than when viewing the videos immediately before or after the cold-water task. The results suggest that humorous distraction is useful to help children and adolescents tolerate painful procedures. Further study is indicated to explore the specific mechanism of this benefit.

  4. Nonverbal accommodation in health care communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Agostino, Thomas A; Bylund, Carma L

    2014-01-01

    This exploratory study examined patterns of nonverbal accommodation within health care interactions and investigated the impact of communication skills training and gender concordance on nonverbal accommodation behavior. The Nonverbal Accommodation Analysis System (NAAS) was used to code the nonverbal behavior of physicians and patients within 45 oncology consultations. Cases were then placed in one of seven categories based on patterns of accommodation observed across the interaction. Results indicated that across all NAAS behavior categories, physician-patient interactions were most frequently categorized as joint convergence, followed closely by asymmetrical-patient convergence. Among paraverbal behaviors, talk time, interruption, and pausing were most frequently characterized by joint convergence. Among nonverbal behaviors, eye contact, laughing, and gesturing were most frequently categorized as asymmetrical-physician convergence. Differences were predominantly nonsignificant in terms of accommodation behavior between pre- and post-communication skills training interactions. Only gesturing proved significant, with post-communication skills training interactions more likely to be categorized as joint convergence or asymmetrical-physician convergence. No differences in accommodation were noted between gender-concordant and nonconcordant interactions. The importance of accommodation behavior in health care communication is considered from a patient-centered care perspective.

  5. Acoustic correlates of inflectional morphology in the speech of children with specific language impairment and their typically developing peers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, Amanda J; Goffman, Lisa

    2007-07-01

    The development of the use of the third-person singular -s in open syllable verbs in children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their typically developing peers was examined. Verbs that included overt productions of the third-person singular -s morpheme (e.g. Bobby plays ball everyday; Bear laughs when mommy buys popcorn) were contrasted with clearly bare stem contexts (e.g. Mommy, buy popcorn; I saw Bobby play ball) on both global and local measures of acoustic duration. A durational signature for verbs inflected with -s was identified separately from factors related to sentence length. These duration measures were also used to identify acoustic changes related to the omission of the -s morpheme. The omitted productions from the children with SLI were significantly longer than their correct third-person singular and bare stem productions. This result was unexpected given that the omitted productions have fewer phonemes than correctly inflected productions. Typically developing children did not show the same pattern, instead producing omitted productions that patterned most closely with bare stem forms. These results are discussed in relation to current theoretical approaches to SLI, with an emphasis on performance and speech-motor accounts.

  6. LLL2: an international global level questionnaire on toothbrushing and use of fluoride toothpaste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llodra, Juan Carlos; Phantumvanit, Prathip; Bourgeois, Denis M; Horn, Virginie

    2014-10-01

    To determine the evolution of toothbrushing frequency and use of fluoridetoothpaste in the FDI-Unilever partnership Live.Learn.Laugh. phase 2 programme using a self-reported questionnaire. The study was conducted in 23 countries. The key focus of this partnership was to educate people about the benefits of twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and to support people in adopting this important oral health behaviour. The partnership offers a choice of four project options to the local partnership team of the National Dental Association and local Unilever-operating companies. A self-report questionnaire was used in all participating subjects in local projects to evaluate the brushing frequency, the brushing timing and the use of fluoride toothpaste. After implementation of the project interventions, a clear improvement in the reported frequency of brushing twice a day, regardless of the type of project, was observed. Subjects also increased day and night brushing and the use of fluoride toothpaste. The strategy of using mothers to increase healthy behaviours in oral health achieved the greatest increase in twice-daily toothbrushing, followed by the intervention in schools. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

  7. Am I the Only One This Supervisor is Laughing at? Effects of Aggressive Humor on Employee Strain and Addictive Behaviors

    OpenAIRE

    Huo, Y; Lam, W; Chen, Z

    2012-01-01

    Prior literature on humor primarily documents its positive effects on employees’ attitudes and behaviors, though increasing research on aggressive humor suggests some conflicting viewpoints. This article proposes a model based on social comparison and attribution theories to examine the influence of supervisors’ aggressive humor on employees’ strain and addictive behaviors. The tests of the research model entailed a two-wave study with 243 frontline employees from four manufacturing companies...

  8. Laugh yourself into a healthier person: a cross cultural analysis of the effects of varying levels of laughter on health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Hunaid; Hasan, Tasneem Fatema

    2009-07-28

    This cross-cultural study explored along with various personality factors the relationship between laughter and disease prevalence. Previous studies have only determined the effect of laughter on various health dimensions, whereas, this study quantified the level of laughter that was beneficial or detrimental to health. There were a total of 730 participants between the ages of eighteen and thirty-nine years. 366 participants were from Aurangabad, India (AUR), and 364 participants were from Mississauga, Canada (MISS). The participants were provided a survey assessing demographics, laughter, lifestyle, subjective well-being, life satisfaction, emotional well-being and health dimensions. In AUR, a beneficial effect of laughter was mediated through moderate levels (level two) of laughter, whereas both low (level one) and high (level three) levels had no effect. Similarly, in MISS, the beneficial effect was mediated through level two, but a negative effect was also seen at level three. This could be attributable to a higher prevalence of bronchial asthma in western countries. Laughter was associated with emotional well-being in MISS and life satisfaction in AUR, providing cross cultural models to describe the interactions between laughter and disease. This study validated the correlation between emotional well-being and life satisfaction, with a stronger correlation seen in MISS, suggesting that individualists rely more on their emotional well-being to judge their life satisfaction. In conclusion, there is a benefit to clinicians to incorporate laughter history into their general medical history taking. Future research should consider developing mechanisms to explain the effects of level two, determine specific systemic effects and obtain more samples to generalize the cross cultural differences.

  9. [Recovery of intersubjectivity and empathy in schizophrenics: through a characteristic type of friendship "frolicking"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Yoshiko

    2003-01-01

    The author has noticed a characteristic form of close, frolicsome friendship between recovering adolescent schizophrenic patients. It occurs in groups of young patients in a psychiatric clinic and in a day-care institution. Through this type of friendship, their intersubjectivity, ability for empathy and human relations develop, essential changes for the amelioration of schizophrenia. It is characterized by 1 A mutual relationship on equal terms with another schizophrenic patient of the same sex and generation; particularly close friendship between two patients, or sometimes several patients who form a group, spending much time together. 2 Playful, childish behavior, jokes and jests; Patients laugh and make others laugh, playing together. 3 Touching the friends' bodies and coordinated playing such as dancing and singing together. 4 Chatting and having common interests, along with sharing various experiences. 5 Enjoyment with so much energy that sometimes, as in a gang, social norms are contravened. 6 Being a transient phenomenon that ends naturally after a certain period. Through such friendship, the adolescents show mental growth compared with their premorbid state. They come to sympathize with others' feelings and willingly cooperate. Their social relationships and spheres of activity expand, and spontaneity and self-esteem become improved. They come to assert themselves adequately, tolerate stress, and conform to social norms. Moreover, they advance to developing a purpose. e.g. work. To be able to have empathy through friendship with those of the same sex and generation is a basic developmental theme generally seen in childhood and pre-adolescence. Such friendship between the patients studied represents benign regression in such a developmental period. This type of friendship is characterized by a frolicsome and playful atmosphere. Frolicking by means of jokes, jests and body-touching, and play with coordinated acts lead to the sharing of emotions and

  10. Schrodinger's scat: a critical review of the currently available tiger (Panthera Tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus) specific primers in India, and a novel leopard specific primer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maroju, Pranay Amruth; Yadav, Sonu; Kolipakam, Vishnupriya; Singh, Shweta; Qureshi, Qamar; Jhala, Yadvendradev

    2016-02-09

    Non-invasive sampling has opened avenues for the genetic study of elusive species, which has contributed significantly to their conservation. Where field based identity of non-invasive sample is ambiguous (e.g. carnivore scats), it is essential to establish identity of the species through molecular approaches. A cost effective procedure to ascertain species identity is to use species specific primers (SSP) for PCR amplification and subsequent resolution through agarose gel electrophoresis. However, SSPs if ill designed can often cross amplify non-target sympatric species. Herein we report the problem of cross amplification with currently published SSPs, which have been used in several recent scientific articles on tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus) in India. Since these papers form pioneering research on which future work will be based, an early rectification is required so as to not propagate this error further. We conclusively show cross amplification of three of the four SSPs, in sympatric non-target species like tiger SSP amplifying leopard and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and leopard SSP amplifying tiger, lion (Panthera leo persica) and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), with the same product size. We develop and test a non-cross-amplifying leopard specific primer pair within the mitochondrial cytochrome b region. We also standardize a duplex PCR method to screen tiger and leopard samples simultaneously in one PCR reaction to reduce cost and time. These findings suggest the importance of an often overlooked preliminary protocol of conclusive identification of species from non-invasive samples. The cross amplification of published primers in conspecifics suggests the need to revisit inferences drawn by earlier work.

  11. Influence of aesthetic appreciation of wildlife species on attitudes towards their conservation in Kenyan agropastoralist communities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joana Roque de Pinho

    Full Text Available The influence of human aesthetic appreciation of animal species on public attitudes towards their conservation and related decision-making has been studied in industrialized countries but remains underexplored in developing countries. Working in three agropastoralist communities around Amboseli National Park, southern Kenya, we investigated the relative strength of human aesthetic appreciation on local attitudes towards the conservation of wildlife species. Using semi-structured interviewing and free listing (n = 191 as part of a mixed methods approach, we first characterized local aesthetic judgments of wildlife species. With a Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM approach, we then determined the influence of perceiving four species as beautiful on local support for their protection ("rescuing them", and of perceiving four other species as ugly on support for their removal from the area, while controlling for informant personal and household socioeconomic attributes. Perceiving giraffe, gazelles and eland as beautiful is the strongest variable explaining support for rescuing them. Ugliness is the strongest variable influencing support for the removal of buffalo, hyena, and elephant (but not lion. Both our qualitative and quantitative results suggest that perceptions of ugly species could become more positive through direct exposure to those species. We propose that protected areas in developing countries facilitate visitation by local residents to increase their familiarity with species they rarely see or most frequently see in conflict with human interests. Since valuing a species for its beauty requires seeing it, protected areas in developing countries should connect the people who live around them with the animals they protect. Our results also show that aesthetic appreciation of biodiversity is not restricted to the industrialized world.

  12. Influence of aesthetic appreciation of wildlife species on attitudes towards their conservation in Kenyan agropastoralist communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Pinho, Joana Roque; Grilo, Clara; Boone, Randall B; Galvin, Kathleen A; Snodgrass, Jeffrey G

    2014-01-01

    The influence of human aesthetic appreciation of animal species on public attitudes towards their conservation and related decision-making has been studied in industrialized countries but remains underexplored in developing countries. Working in three agropastoralist communities around Amboseli National Park, southern Kenya, we investigated the relative strength of human aesthetic appreciation on local attitudes towards the conservation of wildlife species. Using semi-structured interviewing and free listing (n = 191) as part of a mixed methods approach, we first characterized local aesthetic judgments of wildlife species. With a Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) approach, we then determined the influence of perceiving four species as beautiful on local support for their protection ("rescuing them"), and of perceiving four other species as ugly on support for their removal from the area, while controlling for informant personal and household socioeconomic attributes. Perceiving giraffe, gazelles and eland as beautiful is the strongest variable explaining support for rescuing them. Ugliness is the strongest variable influencing support for the removal of buffalo, hyena, and elephant (but not lion). Both our qualitative and quantitative results suggest that perceptions of ugly species could become more positive through direct exposure to those species. We propose that protected areas in developing countries facilitate visitation by local residents to increase their familiarity with species they rarely see or most frequently see in conflict with human interests. Since valuing a species for its beauty requires seeing it, protected areas in developing countries should connect the people who live around them with the animals they protect. Our results also show that aesthetic appreciation of biodiversity is not restricted to the industrialized world.

  13. Dislocation of temporo-mandibular joint - an uncommon circumstance of occurrence: vaginal delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Bouazzaoui, Abderrahim; Labib, Smael; Derkaoui, Ali; Adnane Berdai, Mohammed; Bendadi, Azzeddine; Harandou, Mustapha

    2010-06-25

    Dislocation of temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) is an infrequent disease but still spectacular. This disease consists of a permanent, to some extent complete disruption of the temporo-mandibular joint. These dislocations often occur in a context of yawning, and less frequently after a burst of laughing or relatively mild facial trauma (slap, punch on the chin). We report a case of TMJ occurring in an uncommon circumstance: vaginal delivery. A woman aged 24-years with no special past medical history; primipara was admitted in the Department of Maternity of the University Hospital Hassan II of Fez for an imminent delivery of a twin pregnancy. Ten minutes after admission, the patient delivered vaginally with episiotomy. She gave birth to twins weighing 2800 g and 2400 g. During labour, and due to efforts of crying, the patient developed a sudden and immediate loss of function of the temporo-mandibular joint, with difficulty of speaking, the mouth permanently opened and with the chin lowered and thrown forward. The examination found an empty glenoid fossa of the temporo-mandibular joint in both sides. The diagnosis of dislocation of the TMJ was established. A CT scan of facial bones was done, objectifying a bilateral dislocation of TMJ. The reduction of this dislocation was performed in the operating room under sedation.

  14. Could patients' coughing have communicative significance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Julia V

    2008-01-01

    Medical discourse positions patients with coughs and colds negatively, so consulting health services with 'minor' respiratory illness is therefore more accountable than for other medical problems. Patients face dilemmas since they must persuade doctors of the doctorability of their illness without being seen as hypochondriacal, and they risk losing face if doctors decide that there is nothing much wrong. It is known that the placement of non-lexical features of talk such as laughing or crying can have interactional meaning. Using a data set of video-recorded doctor-patient cough and cold consultations, this study explores whether patients' coughing could have communicative significance. The study is a qualitative analysis of 33 consultations drawing on a constructionist, sociolinguistic analytic approach. Coughing is co-ordinated with talk rather than occurring randomly. Coughing helps patients to demonstrate the doctorability of their symptoms and to legitimize their claims for medical attention. Coughing is also associated with resistance to 'no problem' diagnoses, resulting in changes in the trajectory of talk (for example, soliciting more explanation from doctors and/or re-negotiation of doctors' investigation or treatment plans). Coughing is undoubtedly a manifestation of respiratory illness, but also has communicative significance in consultations for coughs and colds.

  15. REM sleep behavior disorder and other sleep disturbances in Disney animated films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iranzo, Alex; Schenck, Carlos H; Fonte, Jorge

    2007-08-01

    During a viewing of Disney's animated film Cinderella (1950), one author (AI) noticed a dog having nightmares with dream-enactment that strongly resembled RBD. This prompted a study in which all Disney classic full-length animated films and shorts were analyzed for other examples of RBD. Three additional dogs were found with presumed RBD in the classic films Lady and the Tramp (1955) and The Fox and the Hound (1981), and in the short Pluto's Judgment Day (1935). These dogs were elderly males who would pant, whine, snuffle, howl, laugh, paddle, kick, and propel themselves while dreaming that they were chasing someone or running away. In Lady and the Tramp the dog was also losing both his sense of smell and his memory, two associated features of human RBD. These four films were released before RBD was first formally described in humans and dogs. In addition, systematic viewing of the Disney films identified a broad range of sleep disorders, including nightmares, sleepwalking, sleep related seizures, disruptive snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep disorder. These sleep disorders were inserted as comic elements. The inclusion of a broad range of accurately depicted sleep disorders in these films indicates that the Disney screenwriters were astute observers of sleep and its disorders.

  16. Your Face(book) and MySpace: Let's Hook Up

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gay, P. L.; Foster, T.

    2008-06-01

    In the public social network venues of MySpace and Facebook, individuals of all ages and nationalities look for like-minded online denizens with whom they can build relationships. Through social networking sites, it is possible for EPO programs to bring together diverse individuals to laugh, learn, and socialize around pet projects and favorite topics. Astronomy is popular among these people, with over 5000 members of the MySpace community listing ``astronomy'' as an interest. By building interesting MySpace and Facebook profiles for your programs, you can plug into the intellectual and social hunger of these individuals. In this workshop, we will discuss the tricks for creating an interesting profile, how to hide such weirdnesses as age and zodiacal sign, and the proper netiquette for nurturing large friends lists and building large communities. Specific emphasis will be given to using Facebook to build one-on-one relationships with program volunteers and students, and how to use MySpace as a way to distribute program announcements to large populations. We will also address the issues of contacting minors, and coping with stalkers and crazies. Come learn how to reach people who already want to learn and love the cosmos, and are just waiting to hear what you have to share.

  17. Want change? Call your representative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischhoff, Ilya R.

    2011-07-01

    During my tenure as an AGU Congressional Science Fellow, which began in September 2010 and continues until November 2011, my time has been shared between working with the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resource Committee Democratic staff and in the office of Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass., ranking Democrat on the committee). I appreciate getting to work with staff, fellows, and interns who inspire me, make me laugh, and know their issues cold. Much of my work on the committee is related to fish, wildlife, oceans, lands, and water issues and is directly related to my background in ecology and evolutionary biology (I studied zebra ecology and behavior in Kenya). My assignments have included asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about why it has not changed the allowed usage of certain pesticides that the National Marine Fisheries Service has found to jeopardize the recovery of endangered Pacific salmon; helping to identify research needs and management options to combat the swiftly spreading and catastrophic white nose syndrome in North American bats; and inquiring as to whether a captive-ape welfare bill, if passed without amendment, could thwart development of a vaccine to stop the Ebola virus from continuing to cause mass mortality in endangered wild apes.

  18. Impact of dental trauma on oral health-related quality of life among 12 years Lucknow school children: A cross-sectional survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjukta Bagchi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Dental trauma has become an important attribute of dental public health inducing feelings of embarrassment to smile, laugh, and show teeth affecting social relationships. Available literature regarding the impact of dental trauma on the quality of life of children in Lucknow is scarce. Aims: To assess the impact of traumatic dental injuries (TDI on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL among 12-year-old school going children of Lucknow. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 12-year-old Lucknow school children. A total of 492 school children were selected through multistage cluster random sampling. The participants completed the child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ 11-14 - impact short form: 16 followed by an assessment of TDI. Unpaired t-test was used to determine the association of TDI with CPQ 11-14 because it involved two separate groups; one with dental trauma and other without dental trauma. Results: The prevalence of TDI was 10.8%. Maxillary central incisors (8.73% were the frequently traumatized teeth. Enamel fracture (7.11% was the most common type of TDI. OHRQoL had statistically significant association with TDI. Conclusions: TDI has a negative impact on OHRQoL of children affecting their personal relationships and school performance.

  19. Experimental transmission of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus by west African wild ground-feeding birds to Hyalomma marginatum rufipes ticks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeller, H G; Cornet, J P; Camicas, J L

    1994-06-01

    Hyalomma (H.) marginatum rufipes ticks commonly infest birds and are potential vectors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus in west Africa. An experimental model for investigating the role of birds in the CCHF virus transmission cycle was developed. Following CCHF virus inoculation, antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in one red-beaked hornbill and one glossy starling, but not in two laughing doves and six domestic chickens. None of the birds showed a detectable viremia. Hyalomma marginatum rufipes larvae were placed on three red-beaked hornbills and one glossy starling. These birds were then inoculated with CCHF virus (10(1.5) 50% mouse intracerebral lethal doses). Virus transmission to larvae or nymphs was obtained and seroconversions in birds were recorded. Virus was also detected in 90% of the individually tested nymphs, as well as in adults. The virus was then successfully transmitted by adult ticks to rabbits and the engorged females were allowed to oviposit. Progeny larvae were placed on another group of birds and one of three birds showed seroconversion. The cycle of transmission of virus between ticks and aviremic ground-feeding birds represent a potential reservoir and amplification mechanism of CCHF virus in west Africa.

  20. 'Ma mère l’oye' and the misfortunes of the musical canon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurizio Giani

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This essay introduces and discusses a series of viewpoints on the Western musical canon, selected from the most representative of those that can be found on the web. The focus is almost exclusively on Italian websites, from Wikipedia entries to various forums. I have deliberately given more room to statements of modest cultural and intellectual value, for their documentary value as evidence of widespread opinions, and real attitudes, that give us a vivid picture of how serious the situation is. One of the worrying aspects in this survey of mostly negative judgments is the fact that, among these boorish critics of the Musical Canon, there are also esteemed musicologists, who seem to enthusiastically support the primitivism of so many immature critics of “classical stuff”, mimicking their jargon and hostility towards highbrow culture. Their purpose in doing so may be to ingratiate themselves with their dialogue partners, but it is unclear whether, after successfully applying this ‘entryist’ tactic, they intend to carry out targeted educational actions (a sort of modern take on Horace’s castigare ridendo mores, or correcting customs by laughing at them – or whether, as seems more likely, they just want to climb on the bandwagon.

  1. Stepping backwards with disability humor? The case of NY Gov. David Paterson’s representation on ‘Saturday Night Live’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beth Haller

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In the modern era, discerning TV viewers know the shows that trade in cheap laughs by making fun of people with disabilities are not tapping into much creativity. So it was a surprise in 2008 when the highly regarded comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL stooped to that level by ridiculing the blind governor of New York, David Paterson, in a series of sketches lasting two years. This article analyzes the way humor narratives about a high-profile blind politician on television, like those depicted in the SNL skits, may have influenced larger cultural themes about blindness. Because the East Coast news media reported on the SNL skits every time an episode aired, this project undertook a textual analysis of all aspects of the controversy including the content of the SNL skits, the repeated responses from Gov. Paterson and the blindness community, and the news media framing of the SNL-Paterson skit story. This analysis examines the intertextuality of the event, revealing that the blindness community had a very different reading of the SNL skits, due to concerns about continuing media narratives that devalue and stereotype them.   Keywords: blindness, disability humor, TV comedy shows, skit comedy, politicians

  2. [Dialogy of Laughter: a new concept introducing joy for health promotion based on dialogue, laughter, joy and the art of the clown].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matraca, Marcus Vinicius Campos; Wimmer, Gert; Araújo-Jorge, Tania Cremonini de

    2011-10-01

    The Dialogy of Laughter - a concept based upon the praxis of general health education performed with joy - is presented and discussed. Health is seen as a resource for life rather than a goal in life and promotion of health is a positive reaction leading to a broader, integrated and complex perception linking the environment, education, people, quality and style of life. Laughter can then be incorporated as a tool in health promotion as defended here. Considerations on dialogue, laughter, joy and the clown giving rise to the Dialogy of Laughter concept are presented. Dialogue, namely an exchange between two or more persons for the comprehension and transfer of ideas, is a methodology for joint thinking to produce new ideas and to share meaning, which is the essence of communication. Laughter is a universal phenomenon linked to aspects of culture, philosophy, history and health. It is dialogic, since through humor the comedy and the wit contained in each laugh, which is a communication code inherent to human nature, are revealed. Joy as a strategy for health promotion is highlighted and the art of the clown, using this art as an educational tool that can be integrated as a social technology, are adopted.

  3. An acoustic analysis of laughter produced by congenitally deaf and normally hearing college students1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makagon, Maja M.; Funayama, E. Sumie; Owren, Michael J.

    2008-01-01

    Relatively few empirical data are available concerning the role of auditory experience in nonverbal human vocal behavior, such as laughter production. This study compared the acoustic properties of laughter in 19 congenitally, bilaterally, and profoundly deaf college students and in 23 normally hearing control participants. Analyses focused on degree of voicing, mouth position, air-flow direction, temporal features, relative amplitude, fundamental frequency, and formant frequencies. Results showed that laughter produced by the deaf participants was fundamentally similar to that produced by the normally hearing individuals, which in turn was consistent with previously reported findings. Finding comparable acoustic properties in the sounds produced by deaf and hearing vocalizers confirms the presumption that laughter is importantly grounded in human biology, and that auditory experience with this vocalization is not necessary for it to emerge in species-typical form. Some differences were found between the laughter of deaf and hearing groups; the most important being that the deaf participants produced lower-amplitude and longer-duration laughs. These discrepancies are likely due to a combination of the physiological and social factors that routinely affect profoundly deaf individuals, including low overall rates of vocal fold use and pressure from the hearing world to suppress spontaneous vocalizations. PMID:18646991

  4. Analysis and synthesis of laughter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundaram, Shiva; Narayanan, Shrikanth

    2004-10-01

    There is much enthusiasm in the text-to-speech community for synthesis of emotional and natural speech. One idea being proposed is to include emotion dependent paralinguistic cues during synthesis to convey emotions effectively. This requires modeling and synthesis techniques of various cues for different emotions. Motivated by this, a technique to synthesize human laughter is proposed. Laughter is a complex mechanism of expression and has high variability in terms of types and usage in human-human communication. People have their own characteristic way of laughing. Laughter can be seen as a controlled/uncontrolled physiological process of a person resulting from an initial excitation in context. A parametric model based on damped simple harmonic motion to effectively capture these diversities and also maintain the individuals characteristics is developed here. Limited laughter/speech data from actual humans and synthesis ease are the constraints imposed on the accuracy of the model. Analysis techniques are also developed to determine the parameters of the model for a given individual or laughter type. Finally, the effectiveness of the model to capture the individual characteristics and naturalness compared to real human laughter has been analyzed. Through this the factors involved in individual human laughter and their importance can be better understood.

  5. When Is Humiliation More Intense? The Role of Audience Laughter and Threats to the Self

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agneta H. Fischer

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In personal accounts, humiliation is often reported as a very intense, painful, negative emotion. We report two scenario studies in which we explored two factors that may contribute to the intense character of humiliation: (1 unwanted, negative public exposure, and (2 a threat to central aspects of one's identity. Study 1 (N = 115 assessed emotional reactions to a public insult when an audience responded with either laughter or not and when someone from the audience offered support after the insult or no support was offered. Results showed that the intensity of humiliation increased when people laughed after the insult. However, support offered after the insult had no effect on reported humiliation. Study 2 (N = 99 focused on threats to different self-related values and showed stronger reports of humiliation when central self-related values were threatened than when less central self-related values were threatened. Study 2 also replicated the audience-effect from Study 1, but only when central self-related values were threatened and not when less central self-related values were threatened. Limitations of these studies (e.g., the use of scenarios and potential avenues for future research, such as the (long-term consequences of humiliation and humiliation in the context of social media, are discussed.

  6. Behavior and neuropsychiatric manifestations in Angelman syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karine Pelc

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Karine Pelc1, Guy Cheron2, Bernard Dan1,21Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, Brussels, Belgium; 2Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, Brussels, BelgiumAbstract: Angelman syndrome has been suggested as a disease model of neurogenetic developmental condition with a specific behavioral phenotype. It is due to lack of expression of the UBE3A gene, an imprinted gene located on chromosome 15q. Here we review the main features of this phenotype, characterized by happy demeanor with prominent smiling, poorly specific laughing and general exuberance, associated with hypermotor behavior, stereotypies, and reduced behavioral adaptive skills despite proactive social contact. All these phenotypic characteristics are currently difficult to quantify and have been subject to some differences in interpretation. For example, prevalence of autistic disorder is still debated. Many of these features may occur in other syndromic or nonsyndromic forms of severe intellectual disability, but their combination, with particularly prominent laughter and smiling may be specific of Angelman syndrome. Management of problematic behaviors is primarily based on behavioral approaches, though psychoactive medication (eg, neuroleptics or antidepressants may be required.Keywords: Angelman syndrome, UBE3A, chromosome 15, behavioral phenotypes, autism, neurogenetics

  7. Laughter as an approach to vocal evolution: The bipedal theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Provine, Robert R

    2017-02-01

    Laughter is a simple, stereotyped, innate, human play vocalization that is ideal for the study of vocal evolution. The basic approach of describing the act of laughter and when we do it has revealed a variety of phenomena of social, linguistic, and neurological significance. Findings include the acoustic structure of laughter, the minimal voluntary control of laughter, the punctuation effect (which describes the placement of laughter in conversation and indicates the dominance of speech over laughter), and the role of laughter in human matching and mating. Especially notable is the use of laughter to discover why humans can speak and other apes cannot. Quadrupeds, including our primate ancestors, have a 1:1 relation between breathing and stride because their thorax must absorb forelimb impacts during running. The direct link between breathing and locomotion limits vocalizations to short, simple utterances, such as the characteristic panting chimpanzee laugh (one sound per inward or outward breath). The evolution of bipedal locomotion freed the respiration system of its support function during running, permitting greater breath control and the selection for human-type laughter (a parsed exhalation), and subsequently the virtuosic, sustained, expiratory vocalization of speech. This is the basis of the bipedal theory of speech evolution.

  8. On the radiolysis of desoxyribonucleic acid in presence of serum albumin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geiger, A.M.

    1984-01-01

    The experiments were carried out on the simple model of DNA-bovine serum albumin. The two substances were solved in 10 -2 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 7 in the ratio 1 : 10, which is about the natural ratio of nucleic acid to protein in the cell. The preparations were irradiated with various doses up to 1760 Gy, in the presence of air, nitrogen, or laughing gas. The irradiated samples were then separated over the gel sepharose CL-2B using 2 x 10 -2 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 7 with and without sodium dodecyl sulphate. Photometric measurement of the fractions was done using a wavelength of 260 nm. The protein content was determined with two different colorimetric techniques, after calibrating experiments defining the linear range. In order to determine the effect of the protein on the radiosensitivity of the DNA, samples without bovine serum albumin were irradiated in the three gaseous environments with 440 Gy. Incubation of the irradiated samples with SDS, and separation in the presence of SDS, revealed information on the covalent bonds forming between DNA and bovine serum albumin, whereas gel filtration without SDS yielded information also on non-covalent bonds. (orig./EF) [de

  9. Factors Associated with Maintaining the Mental Health of Employees after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: Findings from Companies Located in the Evacuation Area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orui, Masatsugu; Suzuki, Yuriko; Goto, Aya; Yasumura, Seiji

    2017-12-31

    After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima on 11 March 2011, some businesses were permitted to continue operating even though they were located in the evacuation area designated by the Japanese government. The aim of this study was to examine differences in the mental health status, workplace, living environment, and lifestyle of employees in the evacuation and non-evacuation areas. We also investigated factors related to their mental health status. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from the questionnaire responses of 647 employees at three medium-sized manufacturing companies in the evacuation and non-evacuation areas. Through a cross-tabulation analysis, employees who worked at companies in the evacuation areas showed an increase in the duration of overtime work, work burden, and commute time, and had experienced separation from family members due to the radiation disaster and perceived radiation risks. The results of a multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, even in a harsh workplace and living environment, being younger, participating regularly in physical activity, having a social network (Lubben Social Network Scale-6 ≤ 12), laughing frequently, and feeling satisfied with one's workplace and domestic life were significantly associated with maintaining a healthy mental health status after the disaster. These findings are applicable for workers' health management measures after disasters.

  10. O tecido quebradiço das ilusões: Nietzsche sobre a origem da arte e da linguagem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirko Wischke

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo trata de duas questões suscitadas em "Tentativa de uma autocrítica": como conceber um pessimista sorridente e alegre que esquece com uma risada todo "conforto metafísico" e como reconciliar sua posição ontológica - não há ser, mas devir - com sua concepção da tarefa da arte. O autor aborda a concepção nietzscheana da aparência (Schein como uma estrutura epistemológica que coloca a ontologia e a filosofia da arte de Nietzsche no contexto de uma concepção de linguagem, levando-o a requerer dos filósofos que eles criem novos valoresThis article addresses two questions concerning Nietzsche's "Attempt at Self-Criticism": how are we to conceive of a joyful pessimist, who forgets with a laugh all "metaphysical comfort-taking"? And how are we to reconcile his ontological position - according to which there is no being, but only becoming - with his conception of the task of art? The author regards Nietzsche's conception of appearance (Schein as an epistemological framework that places ontology and philosophy of art in the context of a conception of language leading Nietzsche to demand of philosophers that they create new values

  11. Ecology and Demography of Free-Roaming Domestic Dogs in Rural Villages near Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czupryna, Anna M; Brown, Joel S; Bigambo, Machunde A; Whelan, Christopher J; Mehta, Supriya D; Santymire, Rachel M; Lankester, Felix J; Faust, Lisa J

    2016-01-01

    Free-roaming dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are of public health and conservation concern because of their potential to transmit diseases, such as rabies, to both people and wildlife. Understanding domestic dog population dynamics and how they could potentially be impacted by interventions, such as rabies vaccination, is vital for such disease control efforts. For four years, we measured demographic data on 2,649 free-roaming domestic dogs in four rural villages in Tanzania: two villages with and two without a rabies vaccination campaign. We examined the effects of body condition, sex, age and village on survivorship and reproduction. Furthermore, we compared sources of mortality among villages. We found that adult dogs (>12mos) had higher survival than puppies in all villages. We observed a male-biased sex ratio across all age classes. Overall survival in one non-vaccination village was lower than in the other three villages, all of which had similar survival probabilities. In all villages, dogs in poor body condition had lower survival than dogs in ideal body condition. Sickness and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) predation were the two main causes of dog death. Within vaccination villages, vaccinated dogs had higher survivorship than unvaccinated dogs. Dog population growth, however, was similar in all the villages suggesting village characteristics and ownership practices likely have a greater impact on overall dog population dynamics than vaccination. Free-roaming domestic dogs in rural communities exist in the context of their human owners as well as the surrounding wildlife. Our results did not reveal a clear effect of vaccination programs on domestic dog population dynamics. An investigation of the role of dogs and their care within these communities could provide additional insight for planning and implementing rabies control measures such as mass dog vaccination.

  12. Evolution of a major drug metabolizing enzyme defect in the domestic cat and other felidae: phylogenetic timing and the role of hypercarnivory.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Binu Shrestha

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The domestic cat (Felis catus shows remarkable sensitivity to the adverse effects of phenolic drugs, including acetaminophen and aspirin, as well as structurally-related toxicants found in the diet and environment. This idiosyncrasy results from pseudogenization of the gene encoding UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT 1A6, the major species-conserved phenol detoxification enzyme. Here, we established the phylogenetic timing of disruptive UGT1A6 mutations and explored the hypothesis that gene inactivation in cats was enabled by minimal exposure to plant-derived toxicants. Fixation of the UGT1A6 pseudogene was estimated to have occurred between 35 and 11 million years ago with all extant Felidae having dysfunctional UGT1A6. Out of 22 additional taxa sampled, representative of most Carnivora families, only brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea and northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris showed inactivating UGT1A6 mutations. A comprehensive literature review of the natural diet of the sampled taxa indicated that all species with defective UGT1A6 were hypercarnivores (>70% dietary animal matter. Furthermore those species with UGT1A6 defects showed evidence for reduced amino acid constraint (increased dN/dS ratios approaching the neutral selection value of 1.0 as compared with species with intact UGT1A6. In contrast, there was no evidence for reduced amino acid constraint for these same species within UGT1A1, the gene encoding the enzyme responsible for detoxification of endogenously generated bilirubin. Our results provide the first evidence suggesting that diet may have played a permissive role in the devolution of a mammalian drug metabolizing enzyme. Further work is needed to establish whether these preliminary findings can be generalized to all Carnivora.

  13. An Exploration of the Views of Teachers Concerning the Effects of Texting on Children’s Literacy Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Wray

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Texting, or text messaging, refers to the use of mobile phones to type and send brief, electronic messages over a telephone network. Because such messages are limited to 160 characters and are typed on a small phone keypad, texters tend to employ a great many abbreviations in conveying their messages. This has led to widespread spelling adaptations, for example, “BRB” (be right back, “LOL” (laughing out loud, and “CUL8ER” (see you later. The research in this paper aimed to examine the views and opinions held by teachers about the impact of texting on children’s literacy development. Twenty-seven primary teachers were interviewed in depth and a number of key themes emerged. These teachers did express some negative view about the impact of texting, and of technology use generally, upon their students’ literacy, although many also mentioned some positive effects. A majority did feel concerned about the effects of textisms, but these feelings were tempered by a range of other factors. None of them blamed the use of textisms exclusively for declining levels of student literacy, suggesting also that the impact of student “street slang” was a significant influence as was the fact that many of their students spoke English as an additional language. These outcomes suggest that the media portrayal of this issue has been over-simplistic at best.

  14. Amplification of local changes along the timescale processing hierarchy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeshurun, Yaara; Nguyen, Mai; Hasson, Uri

    2017-08-29

    Small changes in word choice can lead to dramatically different interpretations of narratives. How does the brain accumulate and integrate such local changes to construct unique neural representations for different stories? In this study, we created two distinct narratives by changing only a few words in each sentence (e.g., "he" to "she" or "sobbing" to "laughing") while preserving the grammatical structure across stories. We then measured changes in neural responses between the two stories. We found that differences in neural responses between the two stories gradually increased along the hierarchy of processing timescales. For areas with short integration windows, such as early auditory cortex, the differences in neural responses between the two stories were relatively small. In contrast, in areas with the longest integration windows at the top of the hierarchy, such as the precuneus, temporal parietal junction, and medial frontal cortices, there were large differences in neural responses between stories. Furthermore, this gradual increase in neural differences between the stories was highly correlated with an area's ability to integrate information over time. Amplification of neural differences did not occur when changes in words did not alter the interpretation of the story (e.g., sobbing to "crying"). Our results demonstrate how subtle differences in words are gradually accumulated and amplified along the cortical hierarchy as the brain constructs a narrative over time.

  15. Why nurses chose to remain in the workforce: Portraits of resilience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cope, Vicki; Jones, Bronwyn; Hendricks, Joyce

    2016-01-01

    This study explored why nurses chose to remain in the Western Australian workforce and to develop insights into the role of resilience of nurses and to identify the key characteristics of resilience displayed by these nurses. Nursing is a stressful profession. Prolific quantitative research which measures job stress and resilience has been implemented; however, there is a dearth of qualitative studies which hear the personal narratives as to why nurses remain and thrive in a stressful workplace. Vignettes of nursing resilience reveal underlying themes of resilience where personal stories and events are presented as narrative. Portraiture recognises the inherent value of the nurses' stories giving attention to the nature of their resilience. Interpretation illuminates the portraits or verbal canvasses of the told experience, reflecting success and positivity despite disarray in healthcare settings. Eight themes were identified. The portraits highlight a sometimes imperceptible theme of resilience within nursing. Nurses are resilient; they rely on the social support of colleagues, family and friends to continue to bear their mantle of responsibility. They take pride in their work and accomplishments and give to others altruistically. They laugh, they love nursing and they keep the needs of their patients, clients, residents or students foremost. This paper describes the hallmarks of resilience demonstrated by nurses. Resilience and its relationship to coping in times of adversity are captured within the portraits presented.

  16. STRATEGI PRAGMATIK BAHASA HUMOR DALAM ACARA “MARIO TEGUH GOLDEN WAYS” DI METRO TV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enie Hendrajati

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Speech humor in MTGW program is assumed as a "good practice" of pragmatic strategy to entertain, inspire and motivate audience. The focus and objective of this study is to get a description of the pragmatic strategy of harmonizing word choice, sentence, and humorous language in MTGW program. How pragmatic strategies have implications for the use of words, sentences, and language styles so that the audience feel entertained and laughed. This research uses desciptive qualitative approach. Data in the form of humorous languages is collected by listening and recording. The method of analysis is padan and agih. The word data, sentence, and style of the humorous language are linked and compared to other words, sentences, and language styles in terms of humorous sense between sentences produced and comparator sentences. As a result, the pragmatic strategy MT uses in the MTGW program on Metro TV is to harmonize between lingual units of words, sentences, and language styles with humor and courtesy. MT uses a locusive and illocusive strategy with humorous tones and politeness in choosing, organizing and producing every word, sentence, and style of humor. Through the choice of words, sentences, and language style, the MT uses pragmatic strategies in conveying his message as a motivator and the perlocutionary effect is that the audience becomes interested or entertained.

  17. The Effects of Audiovisual Inputs on Solving the Cocktail Party Problem in the Human Brain: An fMRI Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuanqing; Wang, Fangyi; Chen, Yongbin; Cichocki, Andrzej; Sejnowski, Terrence

    2017-09-25

    At cocktail parties, our brains often simultaneously receive visual and auditory information. Although the cocktail party problem has been widely investigated under auditory-only settings, the effects of audiovisual inputs have not. This study explored the effects of audiovisual inputs in a simulated cocktail party. In our fMRI experiment, each congruent audiovisual stimulus was a synthesis of 2 facial movie clips, each of which could be classified into 1 of 2 emotion categories (crying and laughing). Visual-only (faces) and auditory-only stimuli (voices) were created by extracting the visual and auditory contents from the synthesized audiovisual stimuli. Subjects were instructed to selectively attend to 1 of the 2 objects contained in each stimulus and to judge its emotion category in the visual-only, auditory-only, and audiovisual conditions. The neural representations of the emotion features were assessed by calculating decoding accuracy and brain pattern-related reproducibility index based on the fMRI data. We compared the audiovisual condition with the visual-only and auditory-only conditions and found that audiovisual inputs enhanced the neural representations of emotion features of the attended objects instead of the unattended objects. This enhancement might partially explain the benefits of audiovisual inputs for the brain to solve the cocktail party problem. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Social Behaviors Increase in Children with Autism in the Presence of Animals Compared to Toys

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Haire, Marguerite E.; McKenzie, Samantha J.; Beck, Alan M.; Slaughter, Virginia

    2013-01-01

    Background Previous research has demonstrated the capacity of animal presence to stimulate social interaction among humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with an adult and their typically-developing peers in the presence of animals (two guinea pigs) compared to toys. Methods Ninety-nine children from 15 classrooms in 4 schools met the inclusion criteria and participated in groups of three (1 child with ASD and 2 typically-developing peers). Each group was video-recorded during three 10-minute, free-play sessions with toys and three 10-minute, free-play sessions with two guinea pigs. Two blinded observers coded the behavior of children with ASD and their peers. To account for the nested study design, data were analyzed using hierarchical generalized linear modeling. Results Participants with ASD demonstrated more social approach behaviors (including talking, looking at faces, and making tactile contact) and received more social approaches from their peers in the presence of animals compared to toys. They also displayed more prosocial behaviors and positive affect (i.e., smiling and laughing) as well as less self-focused behaviors and negative affect (i.e., frowning, crying, and whining) in the presence of animals compared to toys. Conclusions These results suggest that the presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors among children with ASD. PMID:23468902

  19. Is evaluation of humorous stimuli associated with frontal cortex morphology? A pilot study using facial micro-movement analysis and MRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juckel, Georg; Mergl, Roland; Brüne, Martin; Villeneuve, Isabelle; Frodl, Thomas; Schmitt, Gisela; Zetzsche, Thomas; Born, Christine; Hahn, Klaus; Reiser, Maximilian; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Bär, Karl-Jürgen; Hegerl, Ulrich; Meisenzahl, Eva Maria

    2011-05-01

    Humour involves the ability to detect incongruous ideas violating social rules and norms. Accordingly, humour requires a complex array of cognitive skills for which intact frontal lobe functioning is critical. Here, we sought to examine the association of facial expression during an emotion inducing experiment with frontal cortex morphology in healthy subjects. Thirty-one healthy male subjects (mean age: 30.8±8.9 years; all right-handers) watching a humorous movie ("Mr. Bean") were investigated. Markers fixed at certain points of the face emitting high-frequency ultrasonic signals allowed direct measurement of facial movements with high spatial-temporal resolution. Magnetic resonance images of the frontal cortex were obtained with a 1.5-T Magnetom using a coronar T2- and protondensity-weighted Dual-Echo-Sequence and a 3D-magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE) sequence. Volumetric analysis was performed using BRAINS. Frontal cortex volume was partly associated with slower speed of "laughing" movements of the eyes ("genuine" or Duchenne smile). Specifically, grey matter volume was associated with longer emotional reaction time ipsilaterally, even when controlled for age and daily alcohol intake. These results lend support to the hypothesis that superior cognitive evaluation of humorous stimuli - mediated by larger prefrontal grey and white matter volume - leads to a measurable reduction of speed of emotional expressivity in normal adults. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

  20. Social behaviors increase in children with autism in the presence of animals compared to toys.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marguerite E O'Haire

    Full Text Available Previous research has demonstrated the capacity of animal presence to stimulate social interaction among humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD with an adult and their typically-developing peers in the presence of animals (two guinea pigs compared to toys.Ninety-nine children from 15 classrooms in 4 schools met the inclusion criteria and participated in groups of three (1 child with ASD and 2 typically-developing peers. Each group was video-recorded during three 10-minute, free-play sessions with toys and three 10-minute, free-play sessions with two guinea pigs. Two blinded observers coded the behavior of children with ASD and their peers. To account for the nested study design, data were analyzed using hierarchical generalized linear modeling.Participants with ASD demonstrated more social approach behaviors (including talking, looking at faces, and making tactile contact and received more social approaches from their peers in the presence of animals compared to toys. They also displayed more prosocial behaviors and positive affect (i.e., smiling and laughing as well as less self-focused behaviors and negative affect (i.e., frowning, crying, and whining in the presence of animals compared to toys.These results suggest that the presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors among children with ASD.

  1. Social behaviors increase in children with autism in the presence of animals compared to toys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Haire, Marguerite E; McKenzie, Samantha J; Beck, Alan M; Slaughter, Virginia

    2013-01-01

    Previous research has demonstrated the capacity of animal presence to stimulate social interaction among humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with an adult and their typically-developing peers in the presence of animals (two guinea pigs) compared to toys. Ninety-nine children from 15 classrooms in 4 schools met the inclusion criteria and participated in groups of three (1 child with ASD and 2 typically-developing peers). Each group was video-recorded during three 10-minute, free-play sessions with toys and three 10-minute, free-play sessions with two guinea pigs. Two blinded observers coded the behavior of children with ASD and their peers. To account for the nested study design, data were analyzed using hierarchical generalized linear modeling. Participants with ASD demonstrated more social approach behaviors (including talking, looking at faces, and making tactile contact) and received more social approaches from their peers in the presence of animals compared to toys. They also displayed more prosocial behaviors and positive affect (i.e., smiling and laughing) as well as less self-focused behaviors and negative affect (i.e., frowning, crying, and whining) in the presence of animals compared to toys. These results suggest that the presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors among children with ASD.

  2. Humor, laughter, learning, and health! A brief review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, Brandon M; Lujan, Heidi L; Thipparthi, Raghavendar R; DiCarlo, Stephen E

    2017-09-01

    Human emotions, such as anxiety, depression, fear, joy, and laughter, profoundly affect psychological and physiological processes. These emotions form a set of basic, evolved functions that are shared by all humans. Laughter is part of a universal language of basic emotions that all humans recognize. Health care providers and educators may utilize the power of laughter to improve health and enhance teaching and learning. This is an important consideration because teaching is not just about content: it is also about forming relationships and strengthening human connections. In this context, when used effectively, humor is documented to build relationships and enhance performance. Specifically, humor improves student performance by attracting and sustaining attention, reducing anxiety, enhancing participation, and increasing motivation. Moreover, humor stimulates multiple physiological systems that decrease levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine, and increase the activation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system. To achieve these benefits, it is important to use humor that is relevant to the course content and not disparaging toward others. Self-effacing humor illustrates to students that the teacher is comfortable making mistakes and sharing these experiences with the classroom. In this brief review, we discuss the history and relationship between humor, laughing, learning, and health with an emphasis on the powerful, universal language of laughter. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  3. The Medicinal Usage and Restriction of Ginseng in Britain and America, 1660-1900*

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heasim SUL

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This article demonstrates the medicinal usage of ginseng in the West from 1660 to 1914. Asian[Korea] ginseng was first introduced into England in the early 17th century, and North American ginseng was found in the early 18th century. Starting from the late 17th century doctors prescribed ginseng to cure many different kinds of ailments and disease such as: fatigue general lethargy, fever, torpidity, trembling in the joints, nervous disorder, laughing and crying hysteria, scurvy, spermatic vessel infection, jaundice, leprosy, dry gripes and constipation, strangury, yellow fever, dysentery, infertility and addictions of alcohol, opium and tobacco, etc. In the mid-18th century Materia Medica began to specify medicinal properties of ginseng and the patent medicines containing ginseng were widely circulated. However, starting in the late 18th century the medicinal properties of ginseng began to be disparaged and major pharmacopoeias removed ginseng from their contents. The reform of the pharmacopoeia, influenced by Linnaeus in botany and Lavoisier in chemistry, introduced nomenclature that emphasized identifying ingredients and active constituents. Western medicine at this period, however, failed to identify and to extract the active constituents of ginseng. Apart from the technical underdevelopment of the period, the medical discourses reveal that the so-called chemical experiment of ginseng were conducted with unqualified materials and without proper differentiation of various species of ginseng.

  4. « Such sweet thunder (4.1.117 : Le trouble dans A Midsummer Night’s Dream » « Such sweet thunder (4.1.117 : Perturbation in A Midsummer Night’s Dream »

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    François Laroque

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available « Turbulentia prima, tranquillitas ultima ». By that phrase the grammarian Donatus (IVth century A.D. explains that comedy moves from initial perturbation to final reconciliation. This does seem to correspond to the structure of A Midsummer Night’s Dream where, at the outset, love is crossed, the rivers have « overborne their continents »and the seasons have altered. The green world has been put upside down and the former paradise is now a hell for the lovers. Helena thinks she has become a laughing-stock for the other three while her sense of identity is deeply disturbed. The mechanicals’ repeated blunders and malapropisms add to the overall confusion where one feels that the organs of perception have been completely mixed up. But the initial perturbation and trouble -whether it be the muddy waters of the overflowing rivers or the frantic apprehensions and imaginings of the lovers’ ‘seething brains’— slowly works itself clear through some kind of purifying process. At the end, natural rules are reinstated and the seasonal rhythms have been set right and the three weddings are now likely to prove fruitful and prosperous. Thus this comedy of errors finally exorcizes its tragic elements for the sake of some sort of fairy tale ending…

  5. The influence of bilingualism on the preference for the mouth region of dynamic faces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayneto, Alba; Sebastian-Galles, Nuria

    2017-01-01

    Bilingual infants show an extended period of looking at the mouth of talking faces, which provides them with additional articulatory cues that can be used to boost the challenging situation of learning two languages (Pons, Bosch & Lewkowicz, 2015). However, the eye region also provides fundamental cues for emotion perception and recognition, as well as communication. Here, we explored whether the adaptations resulting from learning two languages are specific to linguistic content or if they also influence the focus of attention when looking at dynamic faces. We recorded the eye gaze of bilingual and monolingual infants (8- and 12-month-olds) while watching videos of infants and adults portraying different emotional states (neutral, crying, and laughing). When looking at infant faces, bilinguals looked longer at the mouth region as compared to monolinguals regardless of age. However, when presented with adult faces, 8-month-old bilingual infants looked longer at the mouth region and less at the eye region compared to 8-month-old monolingual infants, but no effect of language exposure was found at 12 months of age. These findings suggest that the bias to the mouth region in bilingual infants at 8 months of age can be generalized to other audiovisual dynamic faces that do not contain linguistic information. We discuss the potential implications of such bias in early social and communicative development. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. French in your face! the only book to match 1,001 smiles, frowns, laughs, and gestures to get your point across in French

    CERN Document Server

    Nisset, Luc

    2007-01-01

    Using the stories that our faces, appearance, and gestures tell, French in Your Face helps you learn and remember essential French vocabulary and everyday expressions relating to personality, attitudes, moods, and emotions. This hugely entertaining book is packed with illustrations that will tickle your funny bone and fine-tune your ability to communicate, face-to-face, in French.

  7. HAHA--nothing to laugh about. Measuring the immunogenicity (human anti-human antibody response) induced by humanized monoclonal antibodies applying ELISA and SPR technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nechansky, Andreas

    2010-01-05

    Immunogenicity induced by passively applied proteins is a serious issue because it is directly related to the patient's safety. The out-come of an immune reaction to a therapeutic protein can range from transient appearance of antibodies without any clinical significance to severe life threatening conditions. Within this article, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) methodology to measure immunogenicity are compared and the pros and cons are discussed.

  8. Effect of Cimetidine and Gastric Acidity on the Gastric Mucosal Retention of 99mTc-Pertechnetate in Rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sung Hoon; Kim, Jong Woo; Baik, Yong Whee

    1989-01-01

    99m Tc-Pertechnetate (TcO 4 - ) is concentrated by the stomach after intravenous injection, allowing the detection of ectopic gastric mucosa. It has been used to develop a noninvasive test of gastric secretion. However the cellular site of concentration is still controversial, that is whether mucin-secreting epithelial cell or acid-secreting parietal cell. This study is planned to investigate the effects of cimetidine and gastric acidity on the retention of TcO 4 - in the gastric wall of the rat. Also we further attempted to clarify the uptake and secreting cell of TcO 4 - in the gastric mucosa. One hundred rats were divided into two groups, preliminary (40 rats) and main examination group (60 rats). Preliminary examination group was composed of fasting group (20 rats) for the detection of the time for reaching stable TcO 4 - retention ratio in gastric wall and post-prandial group (20 rats) for the detection of the time for reaching the maximal gastric acidity. Main examination group was composed of fasting group (30 rats), which was subdivided into control group (10 rats), cimetidine group (10 rats), Mylanta group (10 rats) and post-prandial group (30 rats), which was subdivided into 90 min group (10 rats), 90 min cimetidine group (10 rats), and 120 min group (10 rats). Retention ratio (%) of TcO 4 - in the gastric wall and the pH of the gastric contents were measured in the extracted stomach of the six groups. Gastric wail retention ratio of TcO 4 - was calculated by the gastric wall radioactivity (cpm) divided by total gastric radioactivity (cpm) at 30 mins after intravenous injection of 0.4 mCi of TcO 4 - . The results were as follows: 1) The time required for reaching stable TcO 4 - retention ratio and the lowest gastric pH were 30 min and 90 min, respectively. 2) In the fasting group, the gastric wall retention ratio of TcO 4 - was significantly increased in the cimetidine group, compared with the control group (P 4 - retention ratio and gastric pH were well

  9. Rationale for the implementation of hydrogen mitigation techniques on French PWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duco, J.; Durin, M.; Lecomte, C.

    1997-01-01

    The actual benefit, in terms of improved safety, of implementing specific counter-measures to deal with the issue of hydrogen in the containment of a given type of PWR, under severe accident conditions, should be assessed in as realistic a way as feasible before a decision is finalized. Existing methodologies, based on current codes and data bases, are expected to provide a first-degree assessment, with specific input data and models intended to compensate for physical uncertainties. The IPSN has launched a comprehensive research and assessment program on such key hydrogen behavior uncertainties. A state-of-the-art realistic assessment of hydrogen production has been recently prepared by the Institute. Regarding hydrogen evolution and distribution in the containment, priority is placed on subcompartments, where high hydrogen concentrations could result in detonation, either directly or through a deflagration-to-detonation transition. In a first step, efforts are being directed towards setting criteria which delimit the non-transition realm for representative air steam-hydrogen mixtures at high temperature. IPSN participation in the RUT experiments is expected to provide relevant data. As to a better assessment of the hydrogen distribution between sub-compartments, as well as to the pressure-time history onto the walls in the event of either a deflagration or a detonation, the new 3-D, meshed TONUS code is currently being developed at CEA for IPSN, partially based on models already existing in the TRIO-EF/VF, CASTEM 2000 and PLEXUS codes. Some highly important thermalhydraulic models, like those for wail condensation and aspersion, will be validated by various analytical experiments and by specific tests under representative severe accident conditions in the projected IPSN TOSQAN facility at Saclay. The TONUS code should also provide guidance for an optimized positioning of hydrogen measuring devices and/or of hydrogen depleting devices like recombiners, should the

  10. Emotional voices in context: a neurobiological model of multimodal affective information processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brück, Carolin; Kreifelts, Benjamin; Wildgruber, Dirk

    2011-12-01

    Just as eyes are often considered a gateway to the soul, the human voice offers a window through which we gain access to our fellow human beings' minds - their attitudes, intentions and feelings. Whether in talking or singing, crying or laughing, sighing or screaming, the sheer sound of a voice communicates a wealth of information that, in turn, may serve the observant listener as valuable guidepost in social interaction. But how do human beings extract information from the tone of a voice? In an attempt to answer this question, the present article reviews empirical evidence detailing the cerebral processes that underlie our ability to decode emotional information from vocal signals. The review will focus primarily on two prominent classes of vocal emotion cues: laughter and speech prosody (i.e. the tone of voice while speaking). Following a brief introduction, behavioral as well as neuroimaging data will be summarized that allows to outline cerebral mechanisms associated with the decoding of emotional voice cues, as well as the influence of various context variables (e.g. co-occurring facial and verbal emotional signals, attention focus, person-specific parameters such as gender and personality) on the respective processes. Building on the presented evidence, a cerebral network model will be introduced that proposes a differential contribution of various cortical and subcortical brain structures to the processing of emotional voice signals both in isolation and in context of accompanying (facial and verbal) emotional cues. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. A visit to the village of Saye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-01-01

    This brief article describes the changes in the village of Saye, Burkina Faso which were recognizable after 20 years absence. Rainfall was plentiful and it was the best season for agriculture in 20 years; the sorghum swayed in the breezes ready for harvest. There are 28 women and village elders who still recognized their visitor, Ramata. The changes in family planning attitudes and sexuality were evident in the way men and women freely joke and laugh about sexual issues in a good humored but not superficial way. The respected El Hadj (meaning that he had visited Mecca) Sawadogo, president of the local Naam group, was the one who cracked jokes which brought laughter to the audience. The taboos are still there, but everyone agrees that family planning is a good idea because it reduces suffering and the people do not still have enough food to eat. Birth spacing is generally accepted, but there is resistance to stopping births. There is growing tolerance toward premarital pregnancies, and polygamy among younger women, which leads to fractious polygamous wives. 20 years ago it was a radical act to show a film on sex education, where pen and ink outlines gave shape to a naked teenaged boy and girl next to each other on the screen. The audience response was a roar of disbelief and the author feared that the local prefet would put him in jail for disturbing public order and violating a taboo.

  12. Emotional voices in context: A neurobiological model of multimodal affective information processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brück, Carolin; Kreifelts, Benjamin; Wildgruber, Dirk

    2011-12-01

    Just as eyes are often considered a gateway to the soul, the human voice offers a window through which we gain access to our fellow human beings' minds - their attitudes, intentions and feelings. Whether in talking or singing, crying or laughing, sighing or screaming, the sheer sound of a voice communicates a wealth of information that, in turn, may serve the observant listener as valuable guidepost in social interaction. But how do human beings extract information from the tone of a voice? In an attempt to answer this question, the present article reviews empirical evidence detailing the cerebral processes that underlie our ability to decode emotional information from vocal signals. The review will focus primarily on two prominent classes of vocal emotion cues: laughter and speech prosody (i.e. the tone of voice while speaking). Following a brief introduction, behavioral as well as neuroimaging data will be summarized that allows to outline cerebral mechanisms associated with the decoding of emotional voice cues, as well as the influence of various context variables (e.g. co-occurring facial and verbal emotional signals, attention focus, person-specific parameters such as gender and personality) on the respective processes. Building on the presented evidence, a cerebral network model will be introduced that proposes a differential contribution of various cortical and subcortical brain structures to the processing of emotional voice signals both in isolation and in context of accompanying (facial and verbal) emotional cues.

  13. The common face: Różewicz, Rembrandt and old age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Rosales Rodriguez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This article proposes an interpretation of Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Laughing (Wallraf- -Richartz Museum, Cologne as it appears in Tadeusz Różewicz’s poem Mirror. The 17th-century Dutch artist was known as a painter who portrayed the human body as it really is, i.e. with all its imperfections and changes that are brought about by the passage of time. He has also been regarded as a master who expressed the disappearance and decay of form (Simmel and the anticipation of death (Malraux by using an unconventional technique. Różewicz “appropriated” Rembrandt’s face to speak of the inevitability of getting old and dying, the limits of Logos and poetry as well as the powerlessness of a poet whose fatal destiny is to describe and testify to suffering. Rembrandt’s figure appears in a flash of light, but at the same time seems to melt into thick paint, to disappear, like the poet’s words on the surface of silence, thus suggestively representing the moment of the subject’s transformation and crossing the border between life and death, the artist’s withdrawal from the world and last breath as well as the limits of literature, i.e. the loss of discourse. In this poetic epiphany, Rembrandt is – let us refer to Harold Bloom’s famous concept of apophrades – the great dead returning in Różewicz’s work.

  14. Crossmodal integration enhances neural representation of task-relevant features in audiovisual face perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuanqing; Long, Jinyi; Huang, Biao; Yu, Tianyou; Wu, Wei; Liu, Yongjian; Liang, Changhong; Sun, Pei

    2015-02-01

    Previous studies have shown that audiovisual integration improves identification performance and enhances neural activity in heteromodal brain areas, for example, the posterior superior temporal sulcus/middle temporal gyrus (pSTS/MTG). Furthermore, it has also been demonstrated that attention plays an important role in crossmodal integration. In this study, we considered crossmodal integration in audiovisual facial perception and explored its effect on the neural representation of features. The audiovisual stimuli in the experiment consisted of facial movie clips that could be classified into 2 gender categories (male vs. female) or 2 emotion categories (crying vs. laughing). The visual/auditory-only stimuli were created from these movie clips by removing the auditory/visual contents. The subjects needed to make a judgment about the gender/emotion category for each movie clip in the audiovisual, visual-only, or auditory-only stimulus condition as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals were recorded. The neural representation of the gender/emotion feature was assessed using the decoding accuracy and the brain pattern-related reproducibility indices, obtained by a multivariate pattern analysis method from the fMRI data. In comparison to the visual-only and auditory-only stimulus conditions, we found that audiovisual integration enhanced the neural representation of task-relevant features and that feature-selective attention might play a role of modulation in the audiovisual integration. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Nuclear Checker Board Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lach, Theodore

    2017-01-01

    The Checkerboard model of the Nucleus has been in the public domain for over 20 years. Over those years it has been described by nuclear and particle physicists as; cute, ``the Bohr model of the nucleus'' and ``reminiscent of the Eightfold Way''. It has also been ridiculed as numerology, laughed at, and even worse. In 2000 the theory was taken to the next level by attempting to explain why the mass of the ``up'' and ``dn'' quarks were significantly heavier than the SM ``u'' and ``d'' quarks. This resulted in a paper published on arXiv.nucl-th/0008026 in 2000, predicting 5 generations of quarks, each quark and negative lepton particle related to each other by a simple geometric mean. The CBM predicts that the radii of the elementary particles are proportional to the cube root of their masses. This was realized Pythagorean musical intervals (octave, perfect 5th, perfect 4th plus two others). Therefore each generation can be explained by a simple right triangle and the height of the hypotenuse. Notice that the height of a right triangle breaks the hypotenuse into two line segments. The geometric mean of those two segments equals the length of the height of this characteristic triangle. Therefore the CBM theory now predicts that all the elementary particles mass are proportion to the cube of their radii. Therefore the mass density of all elementary particles (and perhaps black holes too) are a constant of nature.

  16. Towards a social functional account of laughter: Acoustic features convey reward, affiliation, and dominance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Adrienne; Martin, Jared; Niedenthal, Paula

    2017-01-01

    Recent work has identified the physical features of smiles that accomplish three tasks fundamental to human social living: rewarding behavior, establishing and managing affiliative bonds, and negotiating social status. The current work extends the social functional account to laughter. Participants (N = 762) rated the degree to which reward, affiliation, or dominance (between-subjects) was conveyed by 400 laughter samples acquired from a commercial sound effects website. Inclusion of a fourth rating dimension, spontaneity, allowed us to situate the current approach in the context of existing laughter research, which emphasizes the distinction between spontaneous and volitional laughter. We used 11 acoustic properties extracted from the laugh samples to predict participants' ratings. Actor sex moderated, and sometimes even reversed, the relation between acoustics and participants' judgments. Spontaneous laughter appears to serve the reward function in the current framework, as similar acoustic properties guided perceiver judgments of spontaneity and reward: reduced voicing and increased pitch, increased duration for female actors, and increased pitch slope, center of gravity, first formant, and noisiness for male actors. Affiliation ratings diverged from reward in their sex-dependent relationship to intensity and, for females, reduced pitch range and raised second formant. Dominance displayed the most distinct pattern of acoustic predictors, including increased pitch range, reduced second formant in females, and decreased pitch variability in males. We relate the current findings to existing findings on laughter and human and non-human vocalizations, concluding laughter can signal much more that felt or faked amusement.

  17. Laughter education and the psycho-physical effects: introduction of smile-sun method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takayanagi, Kazue

    2007-12-01

    With the aim of reducing cases of bully and suicide, 34 core laughter producers and 179 laughter producers were educated using Smile-Sun Messages in Aomori Prefecture. The purpose of this paper is to explore the key to spontaneous laughter for further application to healthcare settings. Andragogy is the backbone idea. The author modified as seven tools such as sharing the objective, learning by heart, concentration, focusing on points, repetition, humor and evaluation. The contents of Smile-Sun Messages are as follows: 1. I love myself, 2. I love to make you happy, 3. I sympathize, 4. "Let's think of it this way", 5. Talk in P-N-P, 6. "I" message with eye-contact and love and 7. Thanks for all. There is no curriculum on how to laugh. Participants gained self confidence by having their good points praised by others. Their depression decreased. Spontaneous laughter arose from participants. They all improved physically in terms of appearance, posture and attitude. There are some reports of better fingering in piano playing in 2 ladies, pain relief in a patient with cancer and improved walking without using a stick for 2 ladies with rheumatoid arthritis and a limp due to an unknown cause. Spontaneous laughter can be drawn when self-confidence is recognized. With Smile-Sun Messages in hospitals and healing environments, spontaneous laughter can be drawn from patients which will decrease their depression and help them recover rapidly from their illness.

  18. Introducing the Oxford Vocal (OxVoc Sounds Database: A validated set of non-acted affective sounds from human infants, adults and domestic animals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine eParsons

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Sound moves us. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our responses to genuine emotional vocalisations, be they heartfelt distress cries or raucous laughter. Here, we present perceptual ratings and a description of a freely available, large database of natural affective vocal sounds from human infants, adults and domestic animals, the Oxford Vocal (OxVoc Sounds database. This database consists of 173 non-verbal sounds expressing a range of happy, sad and neutral emotional states. Ratings are presented for the sounds on a range of dimensions from a number of independent participant samples. Perceptions related to valence, including distress, vocaliser mood, and listener mood are presented in Study 1. Perceptions of the arousal of the sound, listener motivation to respond and valence (positive, negative are presented in Study 2. Perceptions of the emotional content of the stimuli in both Study 1 and Study 2 were consistent with the predefined categories (e.g., laugh stimuli perceived as positive. While the adult vocalisations received more extreme valence ratings, rated motivation to respond to the sounds was highest for the infant sounds. The major advantages of this database are the inclusion of vocalisations from naturalistic situations, which represent genuine expressions of emotion, and the inclusion of vocalisations from animals and infants, providing comparison stimuli for use in cross-species and developmental studies. The associated website provides a detailed description of the physical properties of the each sound stimulus along with cross-category descriptions.

  19. Mirth and laughter elicited by electrical stimulation of the human anterior cingulate cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caruana, Fausto; Avanzini, Pietro; Gozzo, Francesca; Francione, Stefano; Cardinale, Francesco; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

    2015-10-01

    Laughter is a complex motor behavior that, typically, expresses mirth. Despite its fundamental role in social life, knowledge about the neural basis of laughter is very limited and mostly based on a few electrical stimulation (ES) studies carried out in epileptic patients. In these studies laughter was elicited from temporal areas where it was accompanied by mirth and from frontal areas plus an anterior cingulate case where laughter without mirth was observed. On the basis of these findings, it has been proposed a dichotomy between temporal lobe areas processing the emotional content of laughter and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and motor areas responsible of laughter production. The present study is aimed to understand the role of ACC in laughter. We report the effects of stimulation of 10 rostral, pregenual ACC (pACC) patients in which the ES elicited laughter. In half of the patients ES elicited a clear burst of laughter with mirth, while in the other half mirth was not evident. This large dataset allow us to offer a more reliable picture of the functional contribute of this region in laughter, and to precisely localize it in the cingulate cortex. We conclude that the pACC is involved in both the motor and the affective components of emotions, and challenge the validity of a sharp dichotomy between motor and emotional centers for laughing. Finally, we suggest a possible anatomical network for the production of positive emotional expressions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. [Laughter and depression: hypothesis of pathogenic and therapeutic correlation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonzi, Laura; Matteucci, Gabriella; Bersani, Giuseppe

    2010-01-01

    Laughter is a very common behaviour in everyday life, nevertheless scientific literature is lacking in studies which examine closely its nature. The study aims are: to summarise the present knowledge about laughter and its relation with depression and to make hypotheses on its possible therapeutic function. In the first part of the review the main data existing about encephalic structures involved in laughter genesis, which show participation of cortical and subcortical regions, are reported and the effects of laughter on the organism physiologic equilibrium, particularly on the neuroendocrine and immune systems, are described. In the second part, scientific evidence about the influence of depression on the ability to laugh are referred, which suggests that reduction of laughter frequency is a symptom of the disease and that its increase may be used as a marker of clinical improvement. Finally, the main assumptions supporting the hypothesis of the therapeutic action of laughter on depression are examined: first of all, it has been demonstrated that laughter is able to improve mood directly and to moderate negative consequences of stressful events on psychological well-being; in addition, it is possible that the stimulation of particular cerebral regions, involved in depression pathogenesis, and the normalisation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical system dysfunctions, both mediated by laughter, can counteract efficiently depressive symptoms; finally, the favourable effects of laughter on social relationships and physical health may have a role in influencing the ability of depressed patients to face the disease.

  1. Paul Slabolepszy’s angst-ridden Elvis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. van Deventer

    2000-04-01

    Full Text Available Paul Slabolepszy is a popular South African playwright whose plays are enjoyed by diverse multi-cultural audiences in South Africa and all over the world. Slabolepszy’s special appeal lies in his ability to reflect in his plays an authentic South African landscape with its stormy political background, diverse cultures and inhabitants, and to evoke empathy for all of his characters within this South African milieu through a variety of comic techniques. The play, The Return of Elvis du Pisanie, first performed 10 years after Slabolepszy's breakthrough play, Saturday Night at the Palace (1985, is apolitical and focuses on the plight of a white South African male. This popular play’s appeal is universal for Slabolepszy throughout evokes empathy by comically reviving with superb conviction the nostalgia of the Elvis-era, which most people are able to understand and even identify with. Through humour which is comic, sensitive and insightful, he is able to evoke empathy for his angst-ridden main character, the typical “bloke-next-door". His combination of a surreal dimension with comic humour and pathos is able to make us laugh and even wipe away a tear in this way he also intensifies our feelings of empathy for his believable and identifiable protagonist, as he takes us on a nostalgic journey through the fifties to the present, with the legendary Elvis Presley functioning as the binding force.

  2. Potential markers of aggressive behavior: the fear of other persons' laughter and its overlaps with mental disorders.

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    Elisabeth M Weiss

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Anecdotal evidence suggested that some outbreaks of aggression and violence may be related to a fear of being laughed at and ridiculed. The present study examined the potential association of the fear of other persons' laughter (gelotophobia with emotion-related deficits predisposing for aggression, anger and aggression proneness, and its overlaps with relevant mental disorders. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Gelotophobic individuals were compared to a non-phobic control group with respect to emotion regulation skills and strategies, alexithymia, anger proneness, and aggressive behavior. Social phobia was diagnosed using the Structural Clinical Interview (SCID-I for DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Additionally, the SCID-II modules for Cluster A Personality Disorders, which includes schizoid, paranoid, and schizotypal personality disorder were administered to all participants. The findings show that gelotophobia is associated with deficits in the typical handling of an individual's own affective states, greater anger proneness and more aggressive behavior according to self-report as compared to non-phobic individuals. 80% of the subjects in the gelotophobia group had an additional diagnosis of social phobia and/or Cluster A personality disorder. The additional diagnoses did not predict additional variance of anger or aggressive behavior as compared to gelotophobia alone. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Features related to aggression and violence that are inherent in mental disorders such as social phobia and Cluster A personality disorders may be particularly evident in the symptom of fear of other persons' laughter.

  3. Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Incontinence in Children with Pompe Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajay, Divya; McNamara, Erin R; Austin, Stephanie; Wiener, John S; Kishnani, Priya

    2016-01-01

    Pompe disease (PD) is a disorder of lysosomal glycogen storage. The introduction of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has shifted the focus of care from survival to quality of life. The presence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and incontinence has not been previously described in children with PD. Children with PD followed in the Duke Lysosomal Storage Disease Clinic completed a validated bladder control symptom score (BCSS) and additional questions regarding urinary tract infections (UTIs), giggle, and stress incontinence. Descriptive statistics were used to discriminate urinary symptoms between gender, age, and different types of PD. Sixteen of 23 children (aged 4-14 years) seen in our clinic participated. Seven were girls; ten had classic infantile PD, two atypical infantile PD, and four childhood presentation late-onset PD (LOPD). When stratified by PD subtype, median BCSS was worst for the classic PD subtype followed by atypical PD and LOPD. Daytime urinary incontinence accompanied by constipation was noted in six. Eight reported urinary incontinence with laughing: giggle incontinence in six and stress incontinence in two. Four girls reported a history of UTI. Longitudinal follow-up in 11 patients showed stable BCSS in six, improvement in three, and worsening in two. Worsening corresponded with changes in bowel function and improvement with increase in ERT dose or treatment of constipation. LUTS and incontinence are common in children with PD with greater symptoms noted with infantile-type PD. Improved bowel function and increase in ERT dose may lead to improvements in BCSS.

  4. A catalog of Louisiana's nesting seabird colonies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontenot, William R.; Cardiff, Steve W.; DeMay, Richard A.; Dittmann, Donna L.; Hartley, Stephen B.; Jeske, Clinton W.; Lorenz, Nicole; Michot, Thomas C.; Purrington, Robert Dan; Seymour, Michael; Vermillion, William G.

    2012-01-01

    Summarizing his colonial nesting waterbird survey experiences along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in a paper presented to the Colonial Waterbird Group of the Waterbird Society (Portnoy 1978), bird biologist John W. Portnoy stated, “This huge concentration of nesting waterbirds, restricted almost entirely to the wetlands and estuaries of southern Louisiana, is unmatched in all of North America; for example, a 1975 inventory of wading birds along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida [Custer and Osborn, in press], tallied 250,000 breeding [waterbirds] of 14 species, in contrast with the 650,000 birds of 15 species just from Sabine Pass to Mobile Bay.” The “650,000 birds” to which Portnoy referred, were tallied by him in a 1976 survey of coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama (see below, under “Major Surveys” section). According to the National Atlas of Coastal Waterbird Colonies in the Contiguous United States: 1976-82 (Spendelow and Patton 1988), the percentages of the total U.S. populations of Laughing Gull (11%), Forster's Tern (52%), Royal Tern (16%), Sandwich Tern (77%), and Black Skimmer (44%) which annually nest in Louisiana are significant – perhaps crucially so in the cases of Forster's Tern, Sandwich Tern, and Black Skimmer. Nearly three decades after Spendelow and Patton's determinations above, coastal Louisiana still stands out as the major center of colonial wading bird and seabird nesting in all of the United States. Within those three intervening decades, however, the

  5. Does oral health matter in people's daily life? Oral health-related quality of life in adults 35-47 years of age in Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahl, K E; Wang, N J; Ohrn, K

    2012-02-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effect of oral health on aspects of daily life measured by the Dental Impact Profile (DIP) in 35- to 47-year-old individuals in Norway, and to study associations between reported effects and demographic variables, subjectively assessed oral health, general health, oral health behaviour and clinical oral health. A stratified randomized sample of 249 individuals received a questionnaire regarding demographic questions, dental visits, oral hygiene behaviour, self-rated oral health and general health and satisfaction with oral health. The DIP measured the effects of oral health on daily life. Teeth present and caries experience were registered by clinical examination. Bi- and multivariate analyses and factor analysis were used. Items most frequently reported to be positively or negatively influenced by oral health were chewing and biting, eating, smiling and laughing, feeling comfortable and appearance. Only 1% reported no effects of oral health. Individuals with fewer than two decayed teeth, individuals who rated their oral health as good or practised good oral health habits reported more positive effects than others on oral quality of life (P ≤ 0.05). When the variables were included in multivariate analysis, none was statistically significant. The subscales of the DIP were somewhat different from the originally suggested subscales. This study showed that most adults reported oral health to be important for masticatory functions and confirmed that oral health also had impacts on other aspects of life. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  6. Psychiatric comorbidities in a young man with subacute myelopathy induced by abusive nitrous oxide consumption: a case report

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    Mancke F

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Falk Mancke,1,2,* Gintare Kaklauskaite,1,* Jennifer Kollmer,3 Markus Weiler1 1Department of Neurology, 2Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, 3Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N2O, a long-standing anesthetic, is known for its recreational use, and its consumption is on the rise. Several case studies have reported neurological and psychiatric complications of N2O use. To date, however, there has not been a study using standardized diagnostic procedures to assess psychiatric comorbidities in a patient consuming N2O. Here, we report about a 35-year-old male with magnetic resonance imaging confirmed subacute myelopathy induced by N2O consumption, who suffered from comorbid cannabinoid and nicotine dependence as well as abuse of amphetamines, cocaine, lysergic acid diethylamide, and ketamine. Additionally, there was evidence of a preceding transient psychotic and depressive episode induced by synthetic cannabinoid abuse. In summary, this case raises awareness of an important mechanism of neural toxicity, with which physicians working in the field of ­substance-related disorders should be familiar. In fact, excluding N2O toxicity in patients with recognized substance-related disorders and new neurological deficits is compulsory, as untreated for months the damage to the nervous system is at risk of becoming irreversible. Keywords: addictive disorders, laughing gas, subacute combined degeneration, substance use disorder, vitamin B12 deficiency

  7. Bush animal attacks: management of complex injuries in a resource-limited setting

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    Mitchell Katrina B

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Though animal-related injuries and fatalities have been documented throughout the world, the variety of attacks by wild animals native to rural East Africa are less commonly described. Given the proximity of our northwestern Tanzania hospital to Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and the Serengeti National Park, and presentation of several patients attacked by bush animals and suffering a variety of complex injuries, we sought to report the pattern of attacks and surgical management in a resource-limited setting. Materials and methods Four patients who were admitted to the northwestern Tanzania tertiary referral hospital, Bugando Medical Centre (BMC, in 2010-2011 suffered attacks by different bush animals: hyena, elephant, crocodile, and vervet monkey. These patients were triaged as trauma patients in the Casualty Ward, then admitted for inpatient monitoring and treatment. Their outcomes were followed to discharge. Results The age and gender of the patients attacked was variable, though all but the pediatric patient were participating in food gathering or guarding activities in rural locations at the time of the attacks. All patients required surgical management of their injuries, which included debridement and closure of wounds, chest tube insertion, amputation, and external fixation of an extremity fracture. All patients survived and were discharged home. Discussion Though human injuries secondary to encounters with undomesticated animals such as cows, moose, and camel are reported, they often are indirect traumas resulting from road traffic collisions. Snake attacks are well documented and common. However, this series of unique bush animal attacks describes the initial and surgical management of human injuries in the resource-limited setting of the developing world. Conclusion Animal attacks are common throughout the world, but their pattern may vary in Africa throughout jungle and bush environmental settings. It is

  8. "I've tried the switch but he laughs through the tears:" the use and conceptualization of corporal punishment during the Machine Age, 1924-1939.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Phillip W; Chandler, Jennifer L; Larossa, Ralph

    2004-12-01

    To examine attitudes, conflicts, images, circumstances, and time-period effects associated with corporal punishment and other forms of adult-to-child violence during the early 20th century in the United States. A sample of 147 letters, referencing corporal punishment and dating from 1924 to 1939, were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The letters were addressed to Angelo Patri (1876-1965), a popular child-rearing expert during the interwar years (also known as the Machine Age), and written primarily by middle class parents with everyday worries about child rearing and proper discipline. People who sought advice emphasized the practical significance of corporal punishment over and above the idea that it violated children's rights to be protected against harm. One in four letters cited conflicts with significant others about corporal punishment. Generally, children were perceived as frail, defiant, or feral. Rarely, were they seen as devilish or, conversely, innocent. Children's disobedience and disrespect were cited more than other misbehaviors as reasons for corporal punishment. Age and gender of the focal child varied by time period when letters from the 1920s and 1930s were compared. A full understanding of parent-to-child violence cannot be achieved without a firm grasp of its genealogy. The growing popularity of child psychology during the Machine Age had a measurable impact on how children were viewed. A utilitarian frame of interpretation was an important part of the everyday "work" associated with child rearing during this time, foreshadowing the tendency today to emphasize efficacy more than rights when evaluating the legitimacy of corporal punishment.

  9. Azionalità e costruzioni idiomatiche

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    A. Bellavia

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available ENIn this piece of research we provide a Cognitive Grammar (Langacker, 1987, i.a account of aspectual interpretation in idiomatic constructions denoting intense actions. The general goal of this paper is to show how that the overall conceptual structure can, in some cases, override the linguistic structure entailing consequences for the explanation of grammatical phenomena. In more detail, we deal with two idiomatic patterns in English and Italian, respectively: V one’s BODY PART prt idioms (to laugh one’s head off and Denominal Verbs of Removal (DVRs; von Heusinger, Schwarze, 2006 idioms (sganasciarsi. In both cases, a caused removal of a body part, typically coreferential with the subject, is encoded in the linguistic structure (source domain to express an action which is performed in an intense fashion (target domain. The data, analyzed through the standard tests for telicity, are claimed to involve detelicization processes, namely shifts from the aspectual class of accomplishment to the class of activities in VPs which allow for both a literal and an idiomatic reading. In the present contribution, we advance an embodied network of cognitive operations such as conceptual metaphor (Lakoff, Johnson, 1980, 1999 and conceptual blending (Fauconnier, Turner, 2002, as a possible explanation for the mismatch in the interpretation of aspect. Although the two languages are characterized by different patterns in the lexicalization of motion events, they show  conceptual consistency in the two-level integration model that we propose as a semantic representation of the idiomatic constructions to capture the dynamic interaction between source and target domains and, accordingly, motivate the shifts.Keywords: idioms; lexical aspect; cognitive grammar; metaphor and blending; English and ItalianIT Nel presente contributo, si intende offrire un’analisi dell’intepretazione aspettuale in contesto idiomatico dalla prospettiva della Grammatica Cognitiva

  10. Coping strategies related to total stress score among post graduate medical students and residents

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    R. Irawati Ismail

    2013-05-01

    several dominant coping strategies related to total stress score levels.Methods:A cross-sectional purposive sampling method study among postgraduate medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia was done April-July 2011. We used a coping strategies questionnaire and the WHO SRQ-20. Linear regression was used to identify dominant coping strategies related to stress levels.Results:This study had 272 subjects, aged 23-47 years. Four items decreased the total stress score (accepting the reality of the fact, talking to someone who could do something, seeking God’s help, and laughing about the situation. However, three factors increased the total stress score (taking one step at a time has to be done, talking to someone to find out more about the situation, and admitting can’t deal solving the situation. One point of accepting the reality of the situation reduced 0.493 points the total stress score [regression coefficient (β= -0.493; P=0.002]. While one point seeking God’s help reduced 0.307 points the total stress score (β= -0.307; P=0.056. However, one point of doing one step at a time increased 0.54 point the total stress score (β=0.540; P=0.005.Conclusions: Accepting the reality of the situation, talking to someone who could do something, seeking God’s help, and laughing about the situation decreased the stress level. However, taking one step at a time, talking to someone to find out more about the situation and admitting can’t deal solving the situation, increased the total stress score.Key words:stress level, coping strategies, age, seeking God’s help

  11. Why the potent greenhouse gas laughing gas is formed in agriculture and forestry; Varfoer den starka vaexthusgasen lustgas bildas vid odling i jord- och skogsbruk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-12-15

    Natural activities such as agriculture and forestry, influence the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is a survey of why nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) is produced in soil and how much is leaving the soil in different plantations. Mostly small amounts but sometimes high emissions of nitrous oxide occur, which is produced by soil fungi and bacteria converting nitrogen compounds. Denitrification is the process most often producing the greatest amounts of nitrous oxide but nitrification having a need for oxygen can be decisive since this process produces the nitrate needed in denitrification. Nitrous oxide is formed at occasions with oxygen shortage which can arise inside soil clods with high biological activity consuming the oxygen, or if the oxygen diffusion into the soil is slow since it is soaking wet or the soil pores have been compacted by for example tractor driving. Some techniques for measuring nitrous oxide leaving the soil to the air are described. To escape the tough work of measuring simple estimation methods are desired, and there are a few developed, but no one is reliable. The atmospheric nitrous oxide increase can be connected to the increased fixation of the air dinitrogen gas (N{sub 2}) into reactive nitrogen which is possible to use for living cells. Most nitrogen is fixed biologically in leguminous plants or in the manufacturing of fertilisers. Reactive nitrogen is decisive for plant photosynthesis function, but in most natural ecosystems available nitrogen is scarce so photosynthesis and plant production often increase when nitrogen is added. An increased production of bioenergy crops will increase the demand of more reactive nitrogen in addition to the nitrogen used in existing food production. Most of the soil nitrogen is tied to dead and living organic material and will not be available until the organic material is decomposed and the nitrogen is liberated. The plant community and competition between organisms of the available nitrogen can determine the nitrous oxide emission. This is one explanation why forest soils often present lower emissions than agricultural land. Another explanation of the lower emission from forests is that in Sweden and the rest of the world the most fertile soils are cultivated, while remaining forests in stony and less fertile areas suffer from nitrogen deficits. As long as the forest is growing, absorbing the nitrogen, the risk for nitrous oxide emission is low, but after clear cutting the risk increases. But there are forests where the nitrous oxide emission is high most of the time, such as fertile soils like drained fens with, typically, birch, raspberry and nettles. Biomass for energy use is sometimes specified as carbon dioxide neutral, since equal amounts of carbon dioxide is taken up by the photosynthesis as is released in the combustion or decomposition. But harvesting and manufacturing needs energy, often fossil, which adds carbon dioxide. Moreover, the cropping results in emission of nitrous oxide, which is a strong greenhouse gas with a long lifetime in the atmosphere. In the debate it has been claimed that, for climate reasons, the emission of nitrous oxide makes the exchange of oil for bioenergy meaningless. It can be concluded that biofuels almost always have a 'cost' of nitrous oxide and there is no climate neutral biofuel, but there are better and worse. In agriculture and forestry alike, the nitrous oxide production is influenced by management both in the short and the long run. As an example, addition of large amounts of nitrogen-fertilisers or manure increases the N{sub 2}O-emission when the available nitrogen exceeds the crop uptake capacity. But there are cropping systems as well where a low nitrous oxide emission has been measured in spite of an expected high emission. To get a minimum of nitrous oxide there is need for a tight connection between nitrogen liberation and plant uptake where minimal amounts are left to nitrification and denitrification. A naked soil, fallow, causes more nitrous oxide than having a crop on the land, and the more fertile the soil the higher the risk for the production of nitrous oxide. It is a challenge for both science and agricultural industry to develop agricultural methods that effectively catch the nitrogen in soil organic matter while enabling plants to yield a good harvest and yet minimize nitrous oxide production. Relating nitrous oxide to production of biomass this implies that forest products too, carry a 'cost' of nitrous oxide in spite of a low soil emission since the growth is smaller than in agriculture. Every change in agriculture and forestry production performed can have effects on the size of nitrous oxide emission, at the spot or in the surroundings or even in other countries. System analyses are needed to study the effects obtained. The EU commission has stated sustainability criterions that must be met if the biofuel is to be included in the class of renewable energy.

  12. [Sir Humphry Davy, the discoverer of anesthetic action of nitrous oxide--Davy and poets of British Romanticism and inhalation of laughing gas by his friends].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, T

    1998-01-01

    In "Dove Cottage", the old house of the poet laureate William Wordsworth (1770-1850) in Grasmere, England, there is a portrait of Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829). In 1804, Wordsworth invited his young friend to his home. Davy's works in the field of chemistry are well known. Interestingly enough, once he wished he could be a poet. His future seemed to be prosperous and delightful. He was highly evaluated by Robert Southey, poet laureate. But he has chosen the way of chemist. The author found some facts from literatures and received some information by courtesy of the Wordsworth Trust, Centre for British Romanticism. Davy's life and his works were introduced chronologically.

  13. Dimensionality and scale properties of the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the DiaDDzoB study

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    Pop Victor JM

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Depression is a common complication in type 2 diabetes (DM2, affecting 10-30% of patients. Since depression is underrecognized and undertreated, it is important that reliable and validated depression screening tools are available for use in patients with DM2. The Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS is a widely used method for screening depression. However, there is still debate about the dimensionality of the test. Furthermore, the EDS was originally developed to screen for depression in postpartum women. Empirical evidence that the EDS has comparable measurement properties in both males and females suffering from diabetes is lacking however. Methods In a large sample (N = 1,656 of diabetes patients, we examined: (1 dimensionality; (2 gender-related item bias; and (3 the screening properties of the EDS using factor analysis and item response theory. Results We found evidence that the ten EDS items constitute a scale that is essentially one dimensional and has adequate measurement properties. Three items showed differential item functioning (DIF, two of them showed substantial DIF. However, at the scale level, DIF had no practical impact. Anhedonia (the inability to be able to laugh or enjoy and sleeping problems were the most informative indicators for being able to differentiate between the diagnostic groups of mild and severe depression. Conclusions The EDS constitutes a sound scale for measuring an attribute of general depression. Persons can be reliably measured using the sum score. Screening rules for mild and severe depression are applicable to both males and females.

  14. Uluru Inverted

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    David Brooks

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Uluru is an Australian ‘icon’, an impressively huge red boulder located centrally in the arid continent and tapping deeply into the indigenous past. Often seen as the paramount sacred site of the Aboriginal Dreaming, it is a focal point for many Dreaming ‘tracks’ of the people of the Western Desert ‘bloc’ who are its ‘traditional owners’. Endless busloads of tourists are taken on walks around the base by Aboriginal guides and exhorted not to show disrespect by climbing to the peak. In a country as divided about indigenous issues as Australia, this is a site that, for once, unambiguously presents a positive and unified face, a space where ‘things Aboriginal’ are held up and admired for their richness and sublimity. A space where a serious attitude is appropriate. While the occasional young tourist plays pranks foolishly flouting this, who would imagine that some Aboriginal people from the same cultural group as the owners are willing to have a good laugh at themselves over the whole Uluru phenomenon? Yet so it is. Men whom I have known for nearly thirty years suddenly told me about a commercial film they said they had once watched together, involving a whitefella who constructed an elaborate and clever joke puncturing the seriousness that envelops Aboriginal Uluru, and about how it had them in stitches. This paper relates my search for the film, and explores the many factors that led to the surprising inversion that my friends’ telling of the story expresses.

  15. EDITORIAL: You can not be Sirius!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobson Honorary Editor, Ken

    1996-07-01

    Footnote. Is this how you, dear reader, present physics to your students? Or should you spend more time watching comedians on TV? Maybe INSET funds could be provided for courses run by experts in the field. Or do you start a topic with the definitions? Or do your students start an investigation by writing down the only possible prediction, based on carefully taught prior knowledge as required by the national education system, so that the outcome is only a surprise as a result of Cooperian ham-fistedness? Certainly it is rare for scientific papers to deviate from the conclusion-first-argument-later mode, and examination questions tend to be even more traditional. Most still have the structure definition, experiment to prove...or measure..., well-rehearsed computation. But examinations aren't supposed to be funny. Now here's a thought. Suppose we got them all into the examination hall and told a joke, whose punch line only made sense if they knew the physics? Only those who laughed would be credited with the mark. Cheaters would of course be detected by occasionally inserting jokes that were only funny if the physics was wrong. There is doubtless a ready supply of constructivist theorists of learning who could supply the material. The whole thing could be done using television, with the funniest available physicist as presenter. The vast sums of money now expended on GCSE could be saved and used to buy textbooks or even pay teachers more. ...untiedEx Latin dis - nodare (via old French), 'nodare' meaning 'to tie a knot'.

  16. Winning at Pocker and Games of Chance Winning at Pocker and Games of Chance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita Flanders Rebelo

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available It's the modern consumer mind - compete to eat, save to the grave, throw to the wind to win! Never the game that's im portant - it's the beer , the fag. . . and if you're broke it's just the "odds" to turn you on. "Socrates didn't play dice games. He drank a lot. And when he was drunk he would go watch the game and give advice. It was because of bad advice that he was eventually sentenced to death. . . Back then it was more fun. Nobody knew anything about odds. It was just put down your money, you toss the dice, you laugh, you take another drink." - to Cassidy,it's knowing the odds that's put everybody on pot. Rack Cassidy's Winning at Poker and Games of Chance lampoons the illogic logic of modern "instructed" man. It is a disturbingly funny caricature of a nonsensical consumer's mind trying to ratio nalize the game of life, and what comes out is "hash" - not meat and potatoes. The book is high philosophical slapstick comedy ila Charlie Chaplin on paper in today's scene. To Cassidy, consumer thinking has made intellectual nitwits of us. We're always ex plaining in detail about what we don't have the slightest real understanding of, but we go on and on like automats spitting out words and words which in the long run make no sense to our__ selves and much less to the other poor broken down human calculat ing machines - especially when we try to give logic to our il/logical vices and fears.

  17. La poésie de Danielle Collobert et Sophie Podolski. Entre lucidité et folie, les ultimes soubresauts de la modernité avant son suicide

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    Martine Renouprez

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The end of the twentieth century has been marked y the failure of a critical reasoning usher d in by Enlightenment. The condemning of all ideologies has given way to widespread and generalized cynicism within a society imbued with deception. We shall first of all analyze what has caused this twilight of Modernity to later on evidence that the progressive depersonalization and un-reality, inscribed with poetry of Danielle Collobert, are the reflection of a schizoid society. As a buffer against this cynical power, Sophie Podolski adopts the insolent laugh of the fool appropriated from a Kunica tradition initiated by Diogenes and which extends to Thyl Ulenspiegel. La fin du XXe siècle accuse un échec de la raison critique issue de l’esprit des Lumières : la dénonciation des idéologies a fait place à un cynisme diffus et généralisé au sein d’une société marquée par l’imposture. Nous analysons d’abord ce qui a conduit au crépuscule de la Modernité pour démontrer ensuite que la déréalisation et la dépersonnalisation progressive, inscrites dans la poésie de Danielle Collobert, sont le reflet de la schize sociétale. Face au pouvoir cynique, Sophie Podolski adopte, quant à elle, le rire frondeur du « fou » de la tradition kunique, de Diogène à Thyl Ulenspiegel.

  18. The Combination of Inconsistent Feelings in Satire or Humor on Persian Language (A Case study: Parviz e Shapoor s Caricalamatures

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    Fatemeh Taslim Jahromi

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Grotesque is a concept and style in art and literature in which artist or belletrist tries to induce two inconsistent senses of fear (anxiety or repulsion or laugh (satire or humor to second person simultaneously. Grotesque, today, describes and manifests distressed and alienation world. It means observing familiar world of strange perspective that shows off it fearful and ridiculous. The most prominent features that make a Grotesque work are as fallow: disharmony, extravagance and exaggeration, abnormality and comic and terrifying. But one of the most important art and literature branches that Grotesque enters in it, is satire and humor that one of its kind is Caricalamatur.   Caricalamatur is a kind of short, simple and satire prose that paid attention to around to phenomenon and world by different attitude with aim of foregrounding and based on some people opinion, also, it is defined as a caricature that is expressed by worlds.   Grotesque in Caricalamaturs has special appearance particularly in Caricalamatur of Parviz e Shapoor, the pioneer of this style.Grotesque in Caricalamaturs is more the result of two technics of abnormality (paradox, and extravagance and exaggeration and present to it strange and comic and terrifying picture quality.   The most important of Grotesque technics in Caricalamaturs are disorder, levels integration, exaggeration, movement, metamorphosis and uses of antithetical and twin.This research has performed by descriptive- analytical method to recognize and investigate Grotesque concepts, how it occurs and its contents in Caricalamatur by evidence representation.

  19. The Implementation of Group Investigation to Improve the Students’ Speaking Skill

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iswardati Iswardati

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to find out how group investigation improves the student’s speaking skill of the second grade students of SMA 2 Samarinda, how group investigation improves the student’s participation in speaking of second grade students of SMA 2 Samarinda, and what the obstacles are in the implementation of Group Investigation. The classroom action research was employed in this study and was done in two cycles. Each cycle consisted of four stages: (1 planning, (2 action, (3 observation, and (4 reflection. Each cycle took three meetings. The instruments used to collect the data were observation, checklist, field-note, and speaking test. After the implementation of Group Investigation through two cycles, the researcher concluded: First, Group Investigation improves the students’ speaking ability by (a increasing the students’ pronunciation, grammatical, vocabulary, and fluency, (b by reducing the students’ reluctance to speak, worry of making mistakes, and afraid of being laughed at by other students. Second, Group Investigation improves the students’ participation in speaking (a the students learnt how to investigate a certain problem and to solve the problem using English, (b how to share, (c how to discuss, (d how to give their ideas, (e how to accept other opinions, and (f how to present their ideas. Third, the obstacles in the implementation of Group Investigation are: (a The students were noisy, (b Some students spent too short in the presentation, (c Some students had difficulties in expressing their arguments and suggestion related to the topics, and (d Few students dominated the group investigation.

  20. Renal trematode infection due to Paratanaisia bragai in zoo housed Columbiformes and a red bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unwin, Steve; Chantrey, Julian; Chatterton, James; Aldhoun, Jitka A; Littlewood, D Timothy J

    2013-12-01

    Trematode infections affect a diverse range of avian species and the organs that are parasitised are also very varied. The family Eucotylidae contains seven genera of renal flukes that parasitise various birds. In birds, mild to severe lesions have been reported for species of the genus Paratanaisia, which was originally described from columbiform and galliform specimens collected in South America and has been identified in a number of wild avian species. This paper investigates eight cases of renal trematode infection at Chester Zoo in the UK due to Paratanaisia bragai in five previously unreported species: red bird-of-paradise, Socorro dove, Mindanao bleeding heart dove, laughing dove and emerald dove. Pathological changes, which varied between species, are discussed. A known intermediate snail host Allopeas clavulinum was present in the enclosures but there was no direct evidence of trematode infection. The size of the snails, possible low prevalence and the difficulty of visualising sporocysts contributed to this. Thus the development and application of further molecular diagnostic markers that can be applied to snail tissues is warranted. Parasite identification was confirmed utilizing DNA amplification from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues using PCR and trematode specific primers. Sequencing full ssrDNA and D1-D3 lsrDNA confirmed the identity in all cases as P. bragai. However, the short 310 bp fragment used provides insufficient variation or sequence length for wider application. The epidemiology, pathology and consequences for the management of these endangered species are discussed. Preliminary work on developing an effective ante mortem diagnostic PCR test kit is also highlighted.