Affective States Research Articles

The role of dynamic shape cues in the recognition of emotion from naturalistic body motion.

Human observers can often judge emotional or affective states from bodily motion, even in the absence of facial information, but the mechanisms underlying this inference are not completely understood. Important clues come from the literature on "biological motion" using point-light displays (PLDs), which convey human action, and possibly emotion, apparently on the basis of body movements alone. However, most studies have used simplified and often exaggerated displays chosen to convey emotions as clearly as possible. In the current study we aim to study emotion interpretation using more naturalistic stimuli, which we draw from narrative films, security footage, and other sources not created for experimental purposes. We use modern algorithmic methods to extract joint positions, from which we create three display types intended to probe the nature of the cues observers use to interpret emotions: PLDs; stick figures, which convey "skeletal" information more overtly; and a control condition in which joint positions are connected in an anatomically incorrect manner. The videos depicted a range of emotions, including fear, joy, nurturing, anger, sadness, and determination. Subjects were able to estimate the depicted emotion with a high degree of reliability and accuracy, most effectively from stick figures, somewhat less so for PLDs, and least for the control condition. These results confirm that people can interpret emotion from naturalistic body movements alone, and suggest that the mechanisms underlying this interpretation rely heavily on skeletal representations of dynamic shape.

The Use of Technology and Novel Developments in Positive Welfare Assessment for Housed Dairy Cows

Abstract The experience of dairy cows in housed conditions is an important topic both internally and externally for the dairy industry. The term positive welfare is becoming more commonly used but is a complex subject. The environment an animal inhabits will have a direct impact on health, well-being and production. Living space, the baseline metric for space provision, is highly variable across dairy farms. Current positive welfare initiatives include the use of environmental enrichment, novel stimuli and choice. A method to objectively measure welfare is urgently required to aid the evaluation of a cow’s environment. It can be extremely challenging for vets and farmers to monitor behaviours associated with positive affective states continuously and objectively. The main research areas of focus for exploration of how to improve welfare for housed dairy cows are described in detail. These are assessment (split between the ‘-omics’ and computer vision) and infrastructure provision (living space and environmental enrichment in housing). This key research area has the potential to significantly improve cow health, production and welfare through optimisation of their living conditions. The utilisation of novel technological advancements in artificial intelligence alongside similar step changes in gene expression assessment, provides the potential to revolutionise management practices for livestock. Information © The Authors 2025

Being heard versus being adopted: the consequential effect of two types of managerial responses to voice on voice and silence

PurposeManagerial responses to employee voice have garnered significant scholarly attention. However, existing research has primarily focused on the factors leading to such responses while giving limited attention to their outcomes. In this study, we integrated two distinct managerial reactions, voice endorsement and supervisory responsiveness. We framed these reactions as employee voice experiences and adopted a model of proactive motivation to explore how these experiences influence subsequent employee voice and silence behaviors through two alternative pathways: role breadth self-efficacy (i.e. the “can do” motivation) and positive affect (i.e. the “energized to do” affective state).Design/methodology/approachResearchers conducted a two-wave field survey involving 215 subordinates and their 42 direct supervisors. A multi-level path analysis was used to examine the hypothesized research model.FindingsThe results indicate that employee experiences of voice endorsement affect role breadth self-efficacy. Role breadth self-efficacy, in turn, influences both voice and silence behaviors. In contrast, employee experiences of voice responsiveness influence voice and silence behaviors only through positive affect.Originality/valueThis study extends the scope of existing literature on employee voice/silence by introducing subordinates’ voice experiences based on managerial reactions as an additional predictor of their subsequent behaviors. Moreover, by incorporating a model of proactive motivation and employing its “can do” and “energized to do” motivations as two intervening mechanisms, this study underscores the distinction between having one’s voice heard and truly adopted.

Patterns in affect and personality states across the menstrual cycle.

Affective, behavioral, and cognitive (i.e., personality) states fluctuate across situations and context, yet the biological mechanisms regulating them remain unclear. Here, we report two large, longitudinal studies that investigate patterns of change in personality states and affect as a function of the menstrual cycle, ovarian hormones, and hormonal contraceptive use. Study 1 (N = 757) is an online diary study with a worldwide sample, whereas Study 2 (N = 257) is a laboratory study including repeated hormone assays. Both studies came to somewhat diverging conclusions. In Study 1, we found that dynamics of daily affect and personality were very similar among naturally cycling women and hormonal contraceptive users, with two exceptions: Hormonal contraceptive users showed greater variability in negative affect than naturally cycling women, and, naturally cycling women showed a descriptive, but nonsignificant decrease in positive affect in the premenstrual phase. Results of Study 2 indicated robust premenstrual increases in neuroticism and negative affect but decreases in extraversion and positive affect. High extraversion and low neuroticism were positively related to conception risk and the estradiol-to-progesterone ratio, suggesting potentially adaptive effects consistent with a fertility-induced shift in motivational priorities. We discuss how differences in methods likely account for differences in results between both studies and suggest methodological and theoretical guidelines for future research. Taken together, our results suggest that hormonal variation across the menstrual cycle-and discrete menstrual cycle events, such as premenstruation-represent potential biological sources of personality state variation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Xenon gas as a potential treatment for opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and related disorders.

Xenon gas is considered to be a safe anesthetic and imaging agent. Research on its other potentially beneficial effects suggests that xenon may have broad efficacy for treating health disorders. A number of reviews on xenon applications have been published, but none have focused on substance use disorders. Accordingly, we review xenon effects and targets relevant to the treatment of substance use disorders, with a focus on opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. We report that xenon inhaled at subsedative concentrations inhibits conditioned memory reconsolidation and opioid withdrawal symptoms. We review work by others reporting on the antidepressant, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties of xenon, which could diminish negative affective states and pain. We discuss research supporting the possibility that xenon could prevent analgesic- or stress-induced opioid tolerance and, by so doing could reduce the risk of developing opioid use disorder. The rapid kinetics, favorable safety and side effect profiles, and multitargeting capability of xenon suggest that it could be used as an ambulatory on-demand treatment to rapidly attenuate maladaptive memory, physical and affective withdrawal symptoms, and pain drivers of substance use disorders when they occur. Xenon may also have human immunodeficiency virus and oncology applications because its effects relevant to substance use disorders could be exploited to target human immunodeficiency virus reservoirs, human immunodeficiency virus protein-induced abnormalities, and cancers. Although xenon is expensive, low concentrations exert beneficial effects, and gas separation, recovery, and recycling advancements will lower xenon costs, increasing the economic feasibility of its therapeutic use. More research is needed to better understand the remarkable repertoire of effects of xenon and its potential therapeutic applications.

The competitive esports physiological, affective, and video dataset

Esports refers to competitive video gaming where individuals compete against each other in organized tournaments for prize money. Here, we present the Competitive Esports Physiological, Affective, and Video (CEPAV) dataset, in which 300 male Counter Strike: Global Offensive gamers participated in a study aimed at optimizing affect during esports tournament1. The CEPAV dataset includes (1) physiological data, capturing the player’s cardiovascular responses from before, during, and after over 3000 CS: GO matches; (2) self-reported affective data, detailing the affective states experienced before gameplay; and (3) video data, providing a visual record of 552 in-laboratory gaming sessions. We also collected (affect-related) individual differences measures (e.g., well-being, ill-being) across six weeks in three waves. The self-reported affective data also includes gamers’ natural language descriptions of gaming affective situations. The CEPAV dataset provides a comprehensive resource for researchers and analysts seeking to understand the complex interplay of physiological, affective, and behavioral factors in esports and other performance contexts.

Clinical trials for implantable neural prostheses: understanding the ethical and technical requirements.

Neuroprosthetics research has entered a stage in which animal models and proof-of-concept studies are translated into clinical applications, often combining implants with artificial intelligence techniques. This new phase raises the question of how clinical trials should be designed to scientifically and ethically address the unique features of neural prostheses. Neural prostheses are complex cyberbiological devices able to acquire and process data; hence, their assessment is not reducible to only third-party safety and efficacy evaluations as in pharmacological research. In addition, assessment of neural prostheses requires a causal understanding of their mechanisms, and scrutiny of their information security and legal liability standards. Some neural prostheses affect not only human behaviour, but also psychological faculties such as consciousness, cognition, and affective states. In this Viewpoint, we argue that the technological novelty of neural prostheses could generate challenges for technology assessment, clinical validation, and research ethics oversight. To this end, we identify a set of methodological and research ethics challenges specific to this medical technology innovation. We provide insights into relevant ethical guidelines and assess whether oversight mechanisms are well equipped to ensure adequate clinical and ethical use. Finally, we outline patient-centred research ethics requirements for clinical trials involving implantable neural prostheses.

How vertical and shared constructive leadership impact teachers’ daily work engagement and affective states: a micro-longitudinal study

ABSTRACT Leadership in schools has been associated with a range of positive affective outcomes for teachers, as well as positive attitudes toward their work. However, most studies have used retrospective, one-time surveys. This study aims to clarify how leadership influences teachers’ daily work-related attitudes and affective states. Using a micro-longitudinal design, it assesses constructive leadership behaviors of principals (‘vertical constructive leadership’) and colleagues (‘shared constructive leadership’) examining their associations with teachers’ daily work engagement and pleasant affective states. Additionally, this study analyzes whether the quality of teachers’ daily work interactions mediates the effects of leadership on outcomes. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was used to analyze data from a baseline leadership survey and repeated assessments over a 10-day period (2 measures per day, n = 1313), stemming from 72 teachers in 15 public schools in Switzerland. Teachers reported experiencing both vertical and shared constructive leadership. However, only vertical constructive leadership was positively associated with interaction quality, pleasant affective states, and state work engagement. The effect of vertical constructive leadership on pleasant affective states was mediated by interaction quality. Principals seeking to enhance teachers’ capacity for productive professional activities should increase constructive leadership behaviors as a fertile ground for positive social interactions among staff.

Tyrosine supplementation is ineffective in facilitating soccer players' physical and cognitive performance during high-intensity intermittent exercise in hot conditions.

Tyrosine has been proposed to potentially provide ergogenic benefits to cognitive and physical performance in physiologically demanding environments. However research into its effectiveness on cognitive and physical performance during exercise in the heat has revealed mixed findings. This study examined the effects of a commonly employed dosage of tyrosine supplementation on soccer players' physical and decision-making performance, cognitive appraisal, and affective states, during prolonged high-intensity intermittent exercise in hot conditions. Eight trained male soccer players completed a 92-minute high-intensity intermittent cycling sprint protocol whilst responding to soccer-specific decision-making tasks at various time points in 32°C (50%rh), in two counterbalanced conditions; tyrosine (150mg.kg-1) and placebo. No differences were found for peak power output (p = .486; 715 ± 98W vs 724 ± 98W, respectively), decision-making (p = .627; 86.9 ± 10.7% vs 88.6 ± 7.0%, respectively), cognitive appraisal (p = .693, 0.90 ± 0.42 vs 0.88 ± 0.39, respectively) nor affective states (p = .918; 1.15 ± 1.55 vs 1.14 ± 1.70, respectively) between tyrosine and placebo conditions. Also, no condition by time interaction effects were noted for these outcomes. In sum, tyrosine supplementation was ineffective for facilitating prolonged intermittent sprint (self-paced) activity, soccer-specific decision-making, and in alleviating perceptual strain, for soccer players' exercising in the heat. However, future research may wish to consider alternative approaches for tyrosine supplementation (e.g., timing, dosage) or induce heightened physiological strain to extend on these findings.

Kisspeptin participates in the positive reward state induced by paced mating and modulates sexual receptivity and paced mating behavior in female rats

Kisspeptin (Kp), a potent regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis, was recently shown to be involved in partner preference and sexual receptivity in females. Interestingly, Kp and its receptor (Kiss1r) are expressed in brain regions involved in the reward and motivation of reinforcing behaviors. Therefore, in the present study, we designed 3 experiments to determine the participation of Kp in female sexual behavior and the positive affective (PA) reward state induced by paced mating (PM). In all experiments, we used sexually naïve ovariectomized Wistar female rats primed with estradiol benzoate (EB, 2.5 μg/rat) 48 h before behavioral tests. In experiment 1 (n = 9), we tested the effect of Kp on PM. We demonstrated that Kp-10 (14 nmol) induced similar levels of receptivity to treatment with EB + progesterone and facilitated PM by reducing the return latency after intromissions. In experiment 2 (n = 8), we evaluated the effect of p234 penetratin, a Kiss1r antagonist, on PM. The administration of p234 in doses of 7.5 nmol and 15 nmol reduced the mean lordosis intensity and increased mount and intromission return latencies. Finally, in Experiment 3, we tested the capacity of Kp to induce a PA state or the antagonist to block the reward state induced by PM. Kp-10 (7 and 14 nmol) induced a clear conditioned place preference. This reward state and that produced by PM were blocked by p234 (15 nmol). Our findings underscore the critical role of Kp in modulating female sexual behavior and the PA state associated with PM, highlighting its potential to enhance sexual motivation.

Graduate student literature review: Integrating concepts of animal welfare and health-related quality of life for pre-weaned dairy calves.

Dairy calf welfare assessment tools focusing on the pre-weaning period have been proposed in recent research. Despite the existence of these tools, assessing the welfare and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of dairy calves remains challenging. These difficulties may stem from the complexity of assessing all dimensions of calf welfare and the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the indicators used in assessment tools. This review aims to discuss welfare and HRQoL concepts and integrate them into a framework to facilitate the understanding of dairy calf welfare and HRQoL. The review also identifies on-farm dairy calf welfare indicators and explores how their validity, reliability, and feasibility have been evaluated. HRQoL, as a component of the quality of life concept, is used to determine how an animal feels during illness using behavioral expressions of affective states. In this review, we adapted a human HRQoL framework for dairy calves, illustrating the interconnection of 3 domains of animal welfare (behavior, mental state and health) in assessing calves' HRQoL. It is worth noting that a limited number of HRQoL assessment tools have been developed for dairy calves, and there is no standard way to assess the welfare of pre-weaned dairy calves. Some studies focus on specific aspects of animal welfare, while others address this concept more broadly. While behavioral indicators have been explored in dairy science, they often remain disconnected from the concept of HRQoL. After reviewing various welfare assessment tools focusing on pre-weaned dairy calves, 44 welfare indicators were selected. Considering the selected welfare indicators, we observed that their validity, reliability, and feasibility have not been extensively explored. This review contributes to understanding welfare and HRQoL concepts for pre-weaned dairy calves and highlights opportunities to enhance the assessment of welfare and HRQoL for these animals.

When to pair: Effects of different pairing ages on dairy calf health, behavior and performance.

Pair housing presents an alternative to individual or larger group housing systems, though the effects of different pairing ages on calf welfare are not well understood. In this study, we examined the impact of pairing age on the performance, health, and behavior of dairy calves. A total of 140 Holstein female calves (n = 70 pairs) were used, paired at 3 ages: Early (6-7 d; 48 calves), Intermediate (29-30 d; 48 calves), and Late pairing (49-50 d; 44 calves). Calves were housed individually before pairing and weaned at 78 ± 2 d of age. Weight measurements were recorded at birth, 30, 50, 60 d, and at weaning. Calves' behavior was assessed 5 times per week through scan sampling after milk feedings from d 6-7 until weaning, and a food neophobia test was conducted at 50-51 d. Health assessments were performed 3 times per week by a veterinarian using Wisconsin clinical scores to diagnose diarrhea and BRD, with pulmonary ultrasonography at 55 d. The results suggest no association between pairing age and the prevalence of diarrhea or bovine respiratory disease (BRD), although our statistical power was limited. The number of calves with lung consolidation scores above 2 was also unaffected by pairing age. Early paired calves exhibited more exploration and play behaviors, and less idleness, stereotypies, and non-nutritive oral behaviors than Late paired calves. No differences were observed in cross-suckling likelihood across pairing ages. Early paired calves also showed a shorter latency to touch a novel feed in the food neophobia test, higher calf starter intake during the first 15 d, and greater ADG up to 50 d. Although overall ADG did not differ among pairing ages, Early paired calves were more homogeneous in weaning weight compared with Late paired calves. In conclusion, early pairing supports calves' initial development, promoting early feeding behavior and growth, enhancing behaviors associated with positive affective states, and without adverse effects on health or undesirable behaviors.

Negative Affect and Impulsivity in Adolescents with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: The Moderating and Mediating Roles of Perceived Social Support.

Negative affective states and impulsivity have been found to be closely associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), but how negative affect contributes to impulsivity in NSSI adolescents and the role of perceived social support remain unclear. In Study 1, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was administered on 225 NSSI adolescents and 225healthy volunteers to determine the characteristics of impulsivity in the patients. In Study 2, 102 of the patients were randomly selected to further complete the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to clarify the relationships between negative affect, perceived social support, and impulsivity in these patients. In Study 1, NSSI adolescents scored higher than volunteers on almost all factors of BIS-11 except for Cognitive Instability. In Study 2, Support from significant others mediated the association between SAS and BIS-11 Self-control. Moreover, Support from significant others and family moderated the prediction of SAS score on their BIS-11 Cognitive Complexity. Compared to healthy adolescents, NSSI individuals were more impulsive, while perceived support from family and significant others prevented the anxious NSSI adolescents from lower cognitive complexity. Therefore, more social support should be available to NSSI adolescents with high anxiety to reduce their risk of self-harm due to high impulsivity.

BIDIRECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND AFFECT: AN ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT STUDY

Abstract Despite extensive evidence demonstrating the beneficial effects of physical activity on health outcomes, many older adults remain physically inactive. A growing body of research examines affective states as both determinants and consequences of physical activity. However, the nuanced and dynamic relationships between physical activity and affect among older adults remain understudied. We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to investigate the bidirectional relationships between physical activity and affect in daily life among older adults in Hong Kong. 168 older adults aged 65 to 84 received seven EMA prompts per day for fifteen consecutive days and completed a total number of 17,345 momentary assessments of affective states, mobility, and activities. We used multilevel models to test the bidirectional associations between physical activity and positive affect, negative affect, and energetic arousal, nested within individuals. Preliminary results reveal concurrent associations between physical activity and positive affect (b=0.042, SE=0.008, p<.001) and energetic arousal (b=0.107, SE=0.027, p<.001). When older adults engaged in physical activity before the prompt, they reported a higher level of positive affect (b=0.038, SE=0.008, p<.001). However, physical activity did not significantly improve energetic arousal levels later (b=0.046, SE=0.027, p=0.089). Additionally, individuals were more likely to engage in physical activity after they reported a higher level of positive affect (OR=1.321, 95% CI=1.234-1.413, p<.001) and feeling energetic (OR=1.078, 95% CI=1.044-1.112, p<.001). No associations between physical activity and negative affect were identified. The implications of these findings for developing context-specific interventions to promote physical activity among older adults will be discussed.

Measuring on-farm welfare in rabbits: a review with emphasis on animal-based indicators

Based on current definitions, animal welfare has to be linked to a life worth living, as perceived by animals, thanks to positive experiences rather than to the mere absence of negative ones. The measure of on-farm welfare of livestock is crucial to improve farming systems, identify critical points and compare different farming systems in view of welfare labelling protocols. To this end, species-specific protocols are necessary, which should use different types of indicators, i.e. resources-based indicators, management-based indicators and, especially, animal-based indicators. These indicators should work under different farming systems and for different animal categories and can be used to assess welfare in the short term or during the productive life of the animal. Last but not least, indicators should be able to measure the affective state of animals in terms of positive emotions. In this scenario, rabbits are quite unique, as little information is available about i) their behavioural needs under farming conditions; ii) the degree of suffering associated with the behavioural restrictions that can occur under farming conditions; iii) the indicators to be used in the very different housing and management conditions in which rabbits can be farmed; and iv) the relationships between emotions and affective states of animals as well as the effect on resiliency of rabbits under different conditions. In this context, the present review is aimed at summarising the state of the art and designing a road map for assessing on-farm rabbit welfare based on the most recent knowledge and approaches with special emphasis on candidate animalbased indicators for measuring both negative and positive affective states of rabbits. The identification of positive welfare indicators is a big challenge, given the biological and behavioural characteristics of rabbits. Accordingly, a comprehensive and robust assessment of rabbit welfare on farms cannot do without structure- and management-based indicators, which should be included in validated and standardised protocols using a multi-indicator approach.

Dynamics of affect modulation in neurodevelopmental disorders (DynAMoND) – study design of a prospective cohort study

BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuro-developmental disorder that often persists into adulthood. Moreover, it is frequently accompanied by bipolar disorder (BD) as well as borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is unclear whether these disorders share underlying pathomechanisms, given that all three are characterized by alterations in affective states, either long or short-term. BD is characterized by infrequent but intense mood shifts, while ADHD and BPD involve more dynamic emotional fluctuations. It is yet to be determined whether these disorders represent distinct phenomena or different points on a spectrum of affective dysregulation.MethodsThis study seeks to distinguish the emotional dysregulation of BPD, ADHD, and BD by using digital phenotyping, a measurement burst electronic-diary method with different sampling rates, and accelerometry to measure participants’ activity. Our study will include 480 participants aged 14 to 50 (120 each from BPD, ADHD, BD, and healthy control groups) from five European sites. Participants’ smartphones will provide continuous data on their digital phenotypes, i.e., by indicators of physical activity and communication, for one year, along with daily evening ratings of mood and sleep. Moreover, five intensive measurement periods of five days each, called measurement bursts, will occur throughout the year, with electronic diaries asking participants to report on mood, self-esteem, impulsivity, life events, social interactions, and dysfunctional behaviors ten times a day. Moreover, participants will wear activity sensors during the five measurement bursts. Statistical analysis aims to identify whether affective dysregulation aspects share or differ across disorders. Specifically, data analysis aims to investigate the differences in parameters of affect fluctuation such as attractor strength and variability between disorders and to test the association of genetic risk factors for psychiatric disorders and resilience factors with critical parameters of affect modulation.DiscussionThe results of this study offer the potential to link patients’ external exposures with their affective state, reduce misdiagnosis, and determine the best timing for therapeutic interventions. Potential limitations of the study include insufficient recruitment of patients and drop-outs due to various protocol violations.Trial registrationStudy code: DRKS00028917, registered 27.07.2022, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00028917.

Are ADHD trajectories shaped by the social environment? A longitudinal study of maternal influences on the preschool origins of delay aversion.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly attributed to neuro-cognitive deficits of genetic and/or prenatal/perinatal environmental origins. Sonuga-Barke proposed an alternative formulation, suggesting that ADHD behaviors are functional expressions of delay aversion-a strong motivational disposition to avoid or escape negative affective states evoked by delay. It is hypothesized that the strength of this disposition, though neuro-biologically rooted, is exacerbated by early negative social interactions during waiting-related encounters. This paper reports findings from an initial proof-of-concept study that specifically tests this hypothesis in a nonclinical sample. Preschoolers (n = 112; mean age = 46.2 months) and their parents from London, UK, and Hong Kong participated in a longitudinal study. The Parent-Child Delay Frustration Task (PC-DeFT) and two nonwaiting control tasks were administered at baseline. Children's performance, behavioral and emotional responses, and parents' reactions were observed. Teachers rated children's ADHD behaviors and delay aversion at baseline and follow-up (12-18 months later). At baseline, children's maladaptive performance and parental negative reactions during the PC-DeFT were correlated with each other and with teacher ratings of ADHD and delay aversion. Negative parental reactions during the PC-DeFT at baseline predicted an increase in teacher-rated ADHD behaviors at follow-up, but similar associations were not observed for baseline parental responses in the nonwaiting tasks. The increase in child ADHD symptoms associated with negative parental reactions at baseline was statistically mediated by delay aversion. These longitudinal effects were consistent across the UK and HK samples. The findings provide the first evidence that parent's negative reactions to preschooler's attempts to manage delay are associated with increases in ADHD behaviors overtime, and linked to delay aversion increases. They underscore the potential significance of the early social environment as a contributor to developmental trajectory of ADHD behaviors. Future studies with clinical samples over an extended time-frame using a range of different aversive environments (i.e. difficult tasks to complete) are indicated.

Emotional inertia is independently associated with cognitive emotion regulation strategies and sleep quality*

ABSTRACT Emotional inertia (i.e. the tendency for emotions to persist over time) is robustly associated with lower wellbeing. Yet, we know little about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Good quality sleep and frequent use of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies reduce the persistence of negative affect (NA) over time. However, whether sleep and adaptive CER strategy use work in concert to reduce NA inertia is unclear. In the current study, participants (N = 245) watched a series of film clips and rated how each clip made them feel on negative and positive affective states. Emotion ratings were collected again after a short rest period to determine the persistence of clip-induced affect. Standardised questionnaires were used to index participants’ sleep quality and tendency to engage in adaptive CER strategies. Autoregressive models demonstrated that better sleep quality was associated with lower NA inertia (d = 0.25). This association also held when controlling for mean and variability of NA. Interestingly, the association between adaptive CER strategy use and NA inertia was observed irrespective of whether sleep quality was good, average, or poor (d = 0.13). These findings suggest that sleep and adaptive CER strategies hold independent rather than interdependent roles in maintaining emotional wellbeing.

Effects of a Multimodal Pain Control Protocol Using 2% Lidocaine Intradermal and Meloxicam Intramuscular on Mitigating Behavioral Castration Pain in Piglets Using a Needleless System

ABSTRACT Mitigating piglet castration pain is critical to minimize negative experiences and contribute to a positive affective state. A multimodal pain control protocol (needleless 2% lidocaine intradermal/0.4 mg/kg meloxicam intramuscular) was evaluated. Males were administered one of four treatments: (1) needleless lidocaine/meloxicam intramuscular (LM), (2) needleless lidocaine/saline intramuscular (LS), (3) needleless saline/meloxicam intramuscular (SM), and (4) needleless saline/saline intramuscular (SS). Females were sham castrated (SH). Piglets were recorded 24h pre-castration (M1) and 15min (M2), 3h (M3), and 24h post-castration (M4). The Unesp-Botucatu Composite Acute Pain Scale (UPAPS) was used to assess pain behavior. From a treatment standpoint, scores did not differ at M1 (P = 1.00) or M4 (P ≥ 0.36). However, at M2, LS piglets had (P < 0.01) higher scores (3.4) than LM piglets (1.6) and SH piglets had (P ≤ 0.01) the lowest scores (0.02). From a timepoint standpoint, piglets in the LS, LM, SM, and SS groups had (P ≤ 0.05) higher scores at M2 compared with their baseline scores at M1. These results indicate that needleless lidocaine and intramuscular meloxicam offered no analgesic benefit.

Striatal-hippocampal functional connectivity contributes to real-life positive anticipatory experiences and subjective well-being.

Positive anticipatory experiences are key to daily well-being. However, the brain's functional architecture underlying real-world positive anticipatory experiences and well-being remains unexplored. In the present study, we combined an ecological momentary assessment and resting-state functional neuroimaging to identify the neural predictors of real-world positive anticipatory experiences and explore their relationships with subjective well-being (SWB). With a model-based approach, we quantified participants' accuracy in predicting positive events and the degree to which participants' affective states were influenced by the positive anticipation. We found that individuals with higher accuracy in predicting upcoming positive events showed greater SWB, and this relationship was mediated by greater positive anticipatory feelings. Importantly, functional connectivity of the dorsal and ventral striatal-hippocampal networks significantly predicted the accuracy and positive anticipatory feelings, respectively. These functional networks were further predictive of SWB. Our findings provide novel and ecologically valid evidence that the interplay between neural systems for reward-processing and memory plays an important role in real-life positive anticipatory experiences and everyday SWB.