Cognitive influences on the affective representation of touch and the sight of touch in the human brain

We show that the affective experience of touch and the sight of touch can be modulated by cognition, and investigate in an fMRI study where top-down cognitive modulations of bottom-up somatosensory and visual processing of touch and its affective value occur in the human brain. The cognitive modulation was produced by word labels, 'Rich moisturizing cream' or 'Basic cream', while cream was being applied to the forearm, or was seen being applied to a forearm. The subjective pleasantness and richness were modulated by the word labels, as were the fMRI activations to touch in parietal cortex area 7, the insula and ventral striatum. The cognitive labels influenced the activations to the sight of touch and also the correlations with pleasantness in the pregenual cingulate/orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum. Further evidence of how the orbitofrontal cortex is involved in affective aspects of touch was that touch to the forearm [which has C fiber Touch (CT) afferents sensitive to light touch] compared with touch to the glabrous skin of the hand (which does not) revealed activation in the mid-orbitofrontal cortex. This is of interest as previous studies have suggested that the CT system is important in affiliative caress-like touch between individuals.

Enhanced affective brain representations of chocolate in cravers vs. non-cravers

To examine the neural circuitry involved in food craving, in making food particularly appetitive and thus in driving wanting and eating, we used fMRI to measure the response to the flavour of chocolate, the sight of chocolate and their combination in cravers vs. non-cravers. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analyses showed that the sight of chocolate produced more activation in chocolate cravers than non-cravers in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum. For cravers vs. non-cravers, a combination of a picture of chocolate with chocolate in the mouth produced a greater effect than the sum of the components (i.e. supralinearity) in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and pregenual cingulate cortex. Furthermore, the pleasantness ratings of the chocolate and chocolate-related stimuli had higher positive correlations with the fMRI blood oxygenation level-dependent signals in the pregenual cingulate cortex and medial orbitofrontal cortex in the cravers than in the non-cravers. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that there are differences between cravers and non-cravers in their responses to the sensory components of a craved food in the orbitofrontal cortex, ventral striatum and pregenual cingulate cortex, and that in some of these regions the differences are related to the subjective pleasantness of the craved foods. Understanding individual differences in brain responses to very pleasant foods helps in the understanding of the mechanisms that drive the liking for specific foods and thus intake of those foods.

Evaluating perceptual separation in a pilot system for affective composition

Research evaluating perceptual responses to music has identified many structural features as correlates that might be incorporated in computer music systems for affectively charged algorithmic composition and/or expressive music performance. In order to investigate the possible integration of isolated musical features to such a system, a discrete feature known to correlate some with emotional responses – rhythmic density – was selected from a literature review and incorporated into a prototype system. This system produces variation in rhythm density via a transformative process. A stimulus set created using this system was then subjected to a perceptual evaluation. Pairwise comparisons were used to scale differences between 48 stimuli. Listener responses were analysed with Multidimensional scaling (MDS). The 2-Dimensional solution was then rotated to place the stimuli with the largest range of variation across the horizontal plane. Stimuli with variation in rhythmic density were placed further from the source material than stimuli that were generated by random permutation. This, combined with the striking similarity between the MDS scaling and that of the 2-dimensional emotional model used by some affective algorithmic composition systems, suggests that isolated musical feature manipulation can now be used to parametrically control affectively charged automated composition in a larger system.

Affective trajectories: locating diegetic velocity in the cinema experience

Films that feature high-speed diegetic motion, and present those high speeds through fast mobile framing and fast cutting, are frequently charged with generating a sensory overload which empties out meaning or any sense of spatial orientation. Inherent in this discourse is a privileging of optical-spatial intelligibility that suppresses consideration of the ways cinema can represent diegetic velocity, and the spectator’s sensory experience of the same. This paper will instead highlight the centrality of the evocation of a trajectory for movement for the spectator’s experience of diegetic speed, an evocation that does not depend on optical-spatial legibility for its affective force.

The facial affective scale as a predictor for pain unpleasantness when children undergo immunizations.

Needle fear is a common problem in children undergoing immunization. To ensure that the individual child's needs are met during a painful procedure it would be beneficial to be able to predict whether there is a need for extra support. The self-reporting instrument facial affective scale (FAS) could have potential for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the FAS can predict pain unpleasantness in girls undergoing immunization. Girls, aged 11-12 years, reported their expected pain unpleasantness on the FAS at least two weeks before and then experienced pain unpleasantness immediately before each vaccination. The experienced pain unpleasantness during the vaccination was also reported immediately after each immunization. The level of anxiety was similarly assessed during each vaccination and supplemented with stress measures in relation to the procedure in order to assess and evaluate concurrent validity. The results show that the FAS is valid to predict pain unpleasantness in 11-12-year-old girls who undergo immunizations and that it has the potential to be a feasible instrument to identify children who are in need of extra support to cope with immunization. In conclusion, the FAS measurement can facilitate caring interventions.

The Facial Affective Scale (FAS) as a predictor for pain unpleasantness when children undergo immunizations

Needle fear is a common problem in children undergoing immunization. To ensure that the individual child’s needs are met during a painful procedure it would be beneficial to be able to predict whether there is a need for extra support. The self-reporting instrument facial affective scale (FAS) could have potential for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the FAS can predict pain unpleasantness in girls undergoing immunization. Girls, aged 11-12 years, reported their expected pain unpleasantness on the FAS at least two weeks before and then experienced pain unpleasantness immediately before each vaccination. The experienced pain unpleasantness during the vaccination was also reported immediately after each immunization. The level of anxiety was similarly assessed during each vaccination and supplemented with stress measures in relation to the procedure in order to assess and evaluate concurrent validity. The results show that the FAS is valid to predict pain unpleasantness in 11-12-year-old girls who undergo immunizations and that it has the potential to be a feasible instrument to identify children who are in need of extra support to cope with immunization. In conclusion, the FAS measurement can facilitate caring interventions.

Effect of Controlled Atmospheres with Low Oxygen Levels on Extended Storage of Guava Fruit (Psidium guajava L. 'Pedro Sato')

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Response of minimally processed carambola to chemical treatments and low-oxygen atmospheres

Fresh-cut carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) has limited marketability due to cut-surface browning. The effect of chemical treatments (ascorbic acid, citric acid and Ca-EDTA), controlled atmosphere (0.4-20.3% O-2) and the association of these processes was investigated. Post-cutting dip and low-oxygen atmospheres did not prevent discoloration or improve sensory and physicochemical parameters. However, ascorbic acid (0.5% and 1%) dips reduced polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity during storage at 4.5 degrees C, with 1% ascorbic acid inducing the lowest activity. Although cut-surface browning of 'Maha' slices was not relevant, carambola slices treated with 1% ascorbic acid in association with 0.4% oxygen did not present significant browning or loss of visual quality for up to 12 days, 3 days longer than low oxygen alone (0.4% O-2), thus, their quality can be significantly improved by combining both treatments. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Affective disorders, hospital admissions, and seasonal variation of mania in a subtropical area, southern hemisphere

Hospital admissions (n = 15,450) to a state psychiatric hospital in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, over a 10-year period (1982-1991) were reviewed. 157 (1%) patients received a probable diagnosis of affective disorder according to DSM-III-R criteria. Among them, 46% had been diagnosed by the staff psychiatrists, and their diagnoses were sustained by the researchers, whereas 54% were diagnosed only by one of the researchers (F.K.C.). These last patients had previously received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia or unspecified psychosis (ICD-9). Most of the patients with affective disorders were bipolar: 72 and 8%, respectively, presented manic and depressive episodes. Thus, only 20% received a diagnosis of major depression. A seasonal pattern in hospital admission was observed only for mania in women, their episodes occurring more often (p < 0.02) in spring and summer. No significant seasonal pattern in hospital admission for depression was found.

Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome in Machado Joseph Disease: Core Clinical Features

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Electrical properties of lanthanum doped Bi4Ti3O12 thin films annealed in different atmospheres

Pure-and lanthanun doped Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using a polymeric precursor solution. Annealing in static air and oxygen atmosphere was performed at 700 degrees C for 2 h. The obtained films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor were measured in the frequency region from 1 kHz to 1 MHz. Electrical characterization of the films pointed to ferroelectricity via hysteresis loop. Films annealed in static air possess a dielectric constant higher than films annealed in oxygen atmosphere due to differences in the grain size, crystallinity and structural defects. A regularly shaped hystereses loop is observed after annealing in static air. The obtained results suggest that the annealing in oxygen atmosphere can increase the trapped charge and the relaxation phenomenon. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of solid 2-methoxycinnamylidenepyruvate of some bivalent metal ions in CO2 and N2 atmospheres

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

STUDIES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PATHOGENICITY OF PARACOCCIDIOIDES-BRASILIENSIS IN MICE AND ITS GROWTH-RATE UNDER DIFFERENT OXYGEN ATMOSPHERES

We performed comparative studies of the pathogenicity of six strains of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Bt-9, Bt-4, Pb-9, Pb-18, Bt-7 and B-1183) for young adult male ddY mice and growth rate of each strain under different oxygen atmospheres (aerobic, micro-aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres) at 37-degrees-C. 10(6) units of yeast cells were intravenously injected into each mouse. The pathogenicity of each isolate was determined by a scoring system based on organ culture and histopathological findings. The growth rates under different oxygen atmospheres were determined by a scoring system in which 300 fungal units per strain were counted. The strain Bt-9 showed the greatest pathogenicity, followed by Bt-4. Pb-9 and Pb-18 had on intermediate rank of pathogenicity. Bt-7 and B-1183 were the least pathogenic of the strains tested. Except for strain Bt-7 all strains showed an excellent growth under an aerobic atmosphere. Bt-4 and Bt-9 also showed excellent growth under a micro-aerobic atmosphere, followed by Pb-9, whereas the growth of Pb-18, Bt-7 and B-1183 was limited. There was a correlation between the growth rate under a micro-aerobic atmosphere and the pathogenicity of a strain. The growth rate of P. brasiliensis under a micro-aerobic atmosphere strongly correlated to its pathogenicity.