Resting-state functional connectivity in gelotophobes: A neuroscientific perspective on the fear of laughter.

Gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at, is characterized by heightened sensitivity to ridicule and a tendency to perceive laughter in social situations as mocking. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) acquires brain functional connectivity while the individual remains at rest, without engaging in specific tasks. Recent studies have investigated task-based fMRI and white matter in gelotophobes; however, the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in this group remains unclear.

The differential processing of verbal jokes by neural substrates in indigenous and Han Chinese populations: An fMRI study.

Limited research has been conducted on humor among the Taiwanese indigenous (IND) population. This study attempted to identify the differential neural correlates of humor comprehension and appreciation between IND and Han Chinese (HAN) populations. Each participant was presented with jokes and non-jokes.

Calix[4]arene-based Supramolecular Gels for Mercury Ion Removal in Water.

A calix[4]arene-based gelator 1, with lower-rim mono triazolylpyridine group, capable of spontaneous self-assembly into microspheres in different ethanol/H O mixtures, is synthesized. The concentration-dependent H NMR spectra and X-ray single-crystal structure of 1 provided evidence for self-assembly of gelator 1 via cooperative interactions of intermolecular noncovalent forces. Furthermore, metallogels by self-assembly of 1 was found to exhibit remarkable selectivity toward Hg ions.

Verification of the Four-Stage Model of Humor Processing: Evidence from an fMRI Study by Three-Element Verbal Jokes.

The four-stage model comprises the expectation, incongruity, resolution, and elaboration stages of humor processing. In previous studies, most researchers used two-element jokes (setup and punch line) as stimuli, based on experimental methods, to explore the humor process. By contrast, the present study used a humor corpus with the novelty of three-element verbal jokes to perform direct separation from the material and clarify the humor processes.

Cultural Differences in How People Deal with Ridicule and Laughter: Differential Item Functioning between the Taiwanese Chinese and Canadian English Versions of the PhoPhiKat-45.

The PhoPhiKat-45 measures three dispositions toward ridicule and laughter, including gelotophobia (i.e., the fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (i.

Amygdala-frontoparietal effective connectivity in creativity and humor processing.

Although both creativity and humor elicit experiences of surprise followed by appreciation, it remains unknown whether shared or distinct patterns of effective connectivity are involved in their processing. The present fMRI study used dynamic causal modeling and parametrical empirical Bayes analysis to examine the effective connectivity between the amygdala and frontoparietal network during two-stage creativity and humor processing. We examined processing during the setup and punch line stages for creativity and humor, including typical forms (alternate uses for creativity and incongruity-resolution humor), atypical forms (aesthetic uses for creativity and nonsense humor), and baseline forms.

Effective connectivity of the amygdala during the consumption of erotic, sexual humor, and monetary rewards with a DCM-PEB approach.

While a large body of research exists on the processing of monetary rewards, less is known about sexual reward processing. This study aimed to identify effective connectivity for the consumption of sexual (erotic and sexual humor) and non-sexual (monetary) rewards, using dynamic causal modeling and parametric empirical Bayes with subjective hedonic ratings included. Our results support the importance of the amygdala for sexual humor amusement, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) for monetary rewards, and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) for erotic pleasure.

Money or funny: Effective connectivity during service recovery with a DCM-PEB approach.

While monetary compensation is considered the most effective service recovery strategy, relief theory claims that humor may also be useful in service recovery situations. This study investigated the effects of humor in service recovery using dynamic causal modeling and parametric empirical Bayes analysis to identify effective connectivity (EC) patterns in the dopaminergic reward system across four conditions representing different service recovery strategies: monetary compensation and humor (MH), monetary compensation and an apology (MA), non-monetary compensation using humor (H), and non-monetary compensation using an apology (CON, the control condition). The findings support the importance of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the monetary compensation (MH and MA) conditions and the amygdala in the non-monetary compensation (H and CON) conditions.

A highly selective chromogenic and fluorogenic chemodosimeter for dual detection of Cu based on a redox-active calix[4]arene with isoxazolylchloroanthracene.

Calix[4]arene 1, with two lower-rim isoxazolylchloroanthracene groups, is shown to be not only a chromogenic but also a fluorogenic chemodosimeter for the selective sensing of Cu. The binding properties of ligand 1 and control compounds 2 and 3 toward metal ions in CHCN/CHCl (v/v, 1 : 1) were investigated by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that only ligand 1 was highly selective for Cu ions.

Differential neural substrates for responding to monetary, sexual humor, and erotic rewards.

Sexual humor involves neural mechanisms related to both humor and sexual arousal. However, evidence on the role of the amygdala in processing sexual humor is lacking. Unlike erotic stimuli that directly involve a biological drive, sexual humor gains its value through learned associations.

Appreciation of different styles of humor: An fMRI study.

Humor styles are important in facilitating social relationships. Following humor styles theory, this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study is the first to use "one-liner" humor to investigate the neural correlates involved in appreciating humor styles that differ in terms of target (self or other) and motivation (benign or detrimental). Interestingly, we observed greater activation in response to humor that facilitates relationships with others (self-defeating and affiliative humor) than to humor that enhances the self (self-enhancing and aggressive humor).

Dissociation between the processing of humorous and monetary rewards in the 'motivation' and 'hedonic' brains.

Humor elicits feelings of amusement and can be thought of as a social reward. We identified distinct mesolimbic reward system (MRS) processing patterns for monetary and humorous rewards. During both the reward anticipation and outcome phases, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were active in response to monetary cues and monetary gains, while the amygdala and midbrain showed a differential response to humorous rewards, apparently driven by the hedonic enjoyment and appreciation of humor consumption.

White-Matter Structural Connectivity in Relation to Humor Styles: An Exploratory Study.

To investigate the potential relationship between white matter (WM) microstructure and humor styles, diffusion tensor images of brain WM and humor style tendencies were obtained from thirty healthy adults. Using connectivity efficiency measures from graph theoretical analysis and controlling for the influence of gender, age, educational level, and the big five personality traits, we preliminarily examined the prediction of humor styles from brain network efficiency. The results showed that the local efficiency within particular brain networks positively predicted a self-enhancing humor style and negatively predicted an aggressive humor style.

Neural Correlates of Hostile Jokes: Cognitive and Motivational Processes in Humor Appreciation.

Hostile jokes (HJs) provide aggressive catharsis and a feeling of superiority. Behavioral research has found that HJs are perceived as funnier than non-hostile jokes (NJs). The purpose of the present study was to identify the neural correlates of the interaction between type and humor by comparing HJs, NJs, and their corresponding hostile sentences (HSs) and non-hostile sentences (NSs).

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

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.

Neural Correlates of Deficits in Humor Appreciation in Gelotophobics.

Gelotophobics have social deficits in the form of relative humorlessness and heightened sensitivity to aggressive humor; however, little is known about the neural reward mechanisms for this group. The present study attempted to identify the neural substrates of responses to hostile and non-hostile jokes in gelotophobics and non-gelotophobics. Gelotophobics showed greater activation than did non-gelotophobics in the dorsal corticostriatal system, which comprises the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum, suggesting a higher degree of voluntary top-down cognitive control of emotion.

One-Pot Three-Component Synthesis of 2-Imino-1,3-Thiazolines on Soluble Ionic Liquid Support.

An efficient one-pot, three-component synthesis of 2-imino-1,3-thiazolidines and 2-imino-1,3-thiazolines using ionic liquid-tethered 2-aminobenzimidazoles was reported. The protocol includes reaction of ionic liquid attached 2-aminobenzimidazoles with isothiocyanates to afford isothioureas, followed by its base induced inter and intramolecular nucleophilic displacement reactions with 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) which results in thiazolidine ring formation. In the next to the last step, the ionic liquid support was removed by methanolysis to deliver 2-imino-1,3-thiazolidines, which were sequentially oxidized with manganese(III) triacetate to yield 2-imino-1,3-thiazolines.

Neural Correlates of Sex/Gender Differences in Humor Processing for Different Joke Types.

Humor operates through a variety of techniques, which first generate surprise and then amusement and laughter once the unexpected incongruity is resolved. As different types of jokes use different techniques, the corresponding humor processes also differ. The present study builds on the framework of the 'tri-component theory of humor,' which details the mechanisms involved in cognition (comprehension), affect (appreciation), and laughter (expression).

Temporo-parietal and fronto-parietal lobe contributions to theory of mind and executive control: an fMRI study of verbal jokes.

'Getting a joke' always requires resolving an apparent incongruity, but the particular cognitive operations called upon vary depending on the nature of the joke itself. Previous research has identified the primary neural correlates of the cognitive and affective processes called upon to respond to humor generally, but little work has been done on the substrates underlying the distinct cognitive operations required to comprehend particular joke types. This study explored the neural correlates of the cognitive processes required to successfully comprehend three joke types: bridging-inference jokes (BJs), exaggeration jokes (EJs), and ambiguity jokes (AJs).

The Prevalence and Genotype of Human Papillomavirus from Patients with Genital Warts in Eastern Guangdong Province.

Background: Low-risk human papillomavirus (LR-HPV) infection is the main cause of genital warts. LR- HPV genotypes 6 and 11 are associated with genital warts, but there have only been a few published studies about the genotype-specific prevalence of HPV in genital warts in China. The objective of our study was to assess the prevalence of HPV genotypes for clinical cases involving both men and women and to evaluate the potential benefit of a quadrivalent (genotypes 6, 11, 16, and 18) HPV vaccine in eastern Guangdong province of China.

Associated and dissociated neural substrates of aesthetic judgment and aesthetic emotion during the appreciation of everyday designed products.

The aesthetics of designed products have become part of our life in modern society. This study explores the neural mechanisms of how aesthetic judgment and aesthetic emotion interplay during the appreciation of designed products that are commonly seen in daily life. Participants were 30 college students, and the stimuli were 90 pictures of everyday designed products.

Emotional structure of jokes: a corpus-based investigation.

Although considerable attention has been paid to the cognitive structure of humor, its emotional structure tends to be overlooked. Humor is often associated with the single emotion of mirth or amusement, while other aspects of its rich emotional structure are ignored. The purpose of the present study was to explore this structure by analyzing the content of a Taiwanese corpus of 204 'negative' jokes to identify the basic emotion was induced and the emotional shift pattern of the joke.

Processing Chinese hand-radicals activates the medial frontal gyrus: A functional MRI investigation.

Embodied semantics theory asserts that the meaning of action-related words is neurally represented through networks that overlap with or are identical to networks involved in sory-motor processing. While some studies supporting this theory have focused on Chinese characters, less attention has been paid to their semantic radicals. Indeed, there is still disagreement about whether these radicals are processed independently.