THE worst has passed for Ensham coal mine as the floodwaters in the Nogoa River downstream of Emerald begin receding.
Floodwaters at the mine peaked on Wednesday night— marking a major turning point – and Ensham is now clearly focused on recommencing normal operations.
Returning employees are already operating the two draglines, continuously removing overburden to uncover coal ready for mining, crushing and screening from parts of the 30 kilometre long mine which are not flood-affected.
The largest dragline, a Bucyrus 8750-63, is expected to recommence work in the coming week.
Ensham General Manager Operations Peter Westerhuis said the Nogoa River levels are gradually falling and Ensham is preparing to drain water from two flooded pits and recover the stranded Marion 8050 dragline which was trapped in rising floodwaters last weekend.
While the challenge in front of them is enormous, Westerhuis says Ensham is committed to getting operations back on track and miners back to work as quickly as possible.
Already 20% of the Ensham workforce is working to prepare for the resumption of operations, with the remainder on standby on full pay.
“We already have two of our draglines operating and a third will uncovering coal within a week.
“Coal shipments will start again soon — although initially this will take a little longer to re-establish and will be at subdued levels,” Westerhuis said.
Key priorities are draining the two flooded pits and retrieving the flooded 3000 tonne Marion dragline which was trapped by floodwaters.
Planning is also underway to restore road access to the mine and internal ramps and haul roads to allow coal trucks to deliver coal to the Ensham railhead from the four unaffected pits.
A decision will be made on future deployment of contractors to assist in flood recovery and infrastructure repairs in the coming week or so as situation becomes clearer.
“We have some clever people here,” Westerhuis said.
“They are already devising an alternative access road from the North.
“They are discussing plans with Government to drain the river water out of the two flooded pits by constructing channels and by bringing in flood pumps similar to those used after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.”
At the same time Ensham has been in close contact with its coal customers to inform them of progress on a daily basis so that force majeure can be lifted at the earliest opportunity and individual energy supply contracts restored.
Westerhuis said Ensham was renowned around the world for the high quality of its thermal coal, so it was vital that the trapped river water was removed from the flooded pits which supply these customers as soon as humanly possible.
“As well, Ensham is a major employer and large contributor to the regional economy and generates significant royalties for the state of Queensland,” Westerhuis said.


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The personal injury attorneys in Franklin Center, PA, sponsor this article to offer readers a detailed excerpt about the neighborhood.
Franklin Center is a neighborhood in Franklin Township, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood is bordered by McLane, Platea, Cranesville, and Pageville. The largely rural area belongs to ZIP code 16417.
The quaint neighborhood of Franklin Center belongs to the larger population within zip code 16417, which has a total population of 8,329 with 49.10% male residents and 50.90% female residents.
The total number of households within the zip code is 3,354. The area is considered Lower Middle-Class and has an unemployment rate of 9.9%. The median household income is $47,534, and the racial demographics are as follows:
Within the zip code, the average real estate asking price is $149,378, and the average real estate sale price is $113,056.
For working parents in the area, Franklin Center residents have the option to send their kids to nearby child care centers including,
Elk Valley Head Start
Playway Loving Child Care Center
If you ever find yourself in Franklin Center, PA, try visiting some of the local's favorite places. One of the neighborhood staples is the Franklin Center Methodist Church.
The church is located at 7471 Old State Rd, Edinboro, PA 16412, and is one of the town's oldest churches. Known for its friendly regulars and welcoming community, Franklin Center Methodist Church is a great place to get to know the community.
If you're looking for a more casual environment to become acquainted with the neighborhood, be sure to stop by Erie Hunt & Saddle Club. The hunting and saddle club was founded in 1962 has been a neighborhood staple for many years. With more than 50 acres of riding ground, the club has become the premier non-profit location for shows and events.
Every year the club hosts events from May through October where community members join together to view shows. If you want to be more hands-on, the facility also offers private lessons.
If you're looking for a suburban neighborhood with a charming community, then Franklin Center might be the place for you.
Enjoyed this article? See the related:
Have you or a loved one sustained personal damages in an accident? You may be entitled to financial compensation. Allow the Franklin Center, PA, personal injury attorneys to help you get the justice you deserve. Contact our legal team today for a free consultation.
495 Thomas Jones Way #304
Exton, PA 19341

domain: geography


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His Excellency President Dr. Rashad al-Alim, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, sent today, Friday, a cable of best wishes to His Excellency President Sergio Mattarella of the Italian Republic on his country's National Day.
The official spokesman for the Palestinian Presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, warned of the dangerous escalation of the Israeli occupation authorities, in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the attack on citizens in its squares and in the alleys and lanes of the Old City of Al-Quds.
Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Monday after US leaders reached a tentative agreement on the government's debt ceiling, which could prevent a catastrophic default in the world's largest economy and oil consumer.
FC Barcelona won the Spanish Football League title, after defeating its neighbor Espanyol by four goals to two, to settle the struggle for the La Liga title, four rounds before the end of the competition.
IDPs management official, UNHCR official discuss IDPs conditions
ADEN – SABA
The head of the Executive Unit for the Management of IDPs Camps, Najeeb Al-Saadi, discussed with the director of the UNHCR office in Aden, Joel Andersen, the conditions of the internally displaced Yemenis and ways to continue humanitarian aid for the IDPs in the country.
Al-Saadi stressed that the relief aid activity in Yemen faces great challenges, most important of which is the continued coup and war by the Houthi militia who forced the people to displacement out of their areas of control.
He said the scarcity of financial resources make addressing the displacement issue more difficult.
The meeting discussed the involvement of the government side in planning, identifying the needs and supporting the host communities by 15 to 20 % of the interventions and the need for increasing the percentage of support programs and projects.

domain: news


Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu recently submitted a parliamentary inquiry directed at Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik, questioning reports a building had been rented out despite ongoing trials led by Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
The inquiry focused on the fate of Sanasaryan Han, which the Armenian Patriarchate claims ownership of, but asked a broader question about foundation properties in general. Tanrıkulu noted the report in the Official Gazette announcing the tender allowed for the rental of the building for the next two decades and included the cost of renovations at around 11 million Turkish Liras.
The inquiry asked Çelik how he felt about the tender, and whether or not he had given any instructions regarding the building. Reports have surfaced over the months that claimed a hotel was to be built instead of the han, Doğan news agency reported.
Tanrıkulu also questioned whether or not the minister would take any initiatives to “return the building to the Armenian Patriarchate” and if there was any significance to the date of the tender announcement, which came “ahead of the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events.”
The han, after being donated to Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate in 1881, was confiscated by the then government in 1935. Located in Istanbul’s Eminönü district, Sansaryan Han was refashioned into the Istanbul Police Headquarters in 1944 and eventually gained notoriety as a bastion of ill treatment by the police, as many people, including a number of prominent poets and writers, had been tortured there.
The Directorate General of Foundations, on the other hand, claims that the building did not fall under the jurisdiction of a law on the return of properties to community foundations that took effect in 2011 as it had been owned by a person.
The tender for renting the historical building, organized by the Directorate General of Foundations on July 18, was won by Özgeylani Construction Company, despite the ongoing trial over the ownership of the building.
The inquiry also asked the minister about the ongoing struggles of several foundations over property ownership, and whether or not the ministry was leading any proceedings on related matters.


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The War Of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield (Quotes)
▪ Remember, the part of us that we imagine needs healing is not the part we create from; that part is far deeper and stronger. The part we create from can’t be touched by anything our parents did, or society did. That part is unsullied, uncorrupted; soundproof, waterproof, and bulletproof. In fact, the more troubles we’ve got, the better and richer that part becomes.
▪ The payoff of playing-the-game-for-money is not the money (which you may never see anyway, even after you turn pro). The payoff is that playing the game for money produces the proper professional attitude. It inculcates the lunch-pail mentality, the hard-core, hard-head, hard-hat state of mind that shows up for work despite rain or snow or dark of night and slugs it out day after day.
▪ [W]hen we sit down day after day and keep grinding, something mysterious starts to happen. A process is set into motion by which, inevitably and infallibly, heaven comes to our aid. Unseen forces enlist in our cause; serendipity reinforces our purpose.
▪ He supports the housewife in resuming her career in social work, urges the businessman to return to the violin, assists the Vietnam vet to write his novel. Miraculously, cancers go into remission. People recover. Is it possible, Tom Laughlin asks, that the disease itself evolved as a consequence of actions taken (or not taken) in our lives? Could our unlived lives have exacted their vengeance upon us in the form of cancer? And if they did, can we cure ourselves, now, by living these lives out?
▪ That’s why an artist must be a warrior and, like all warriors, artists over time acquire modesty and humility. They may, some of them, conduct themselves flamboyantly in public. But alone with the work they are chaste and humble. They know they are not the source of the creations they bring into being. They only facilitate. They carry. They are the willing and skilled instruments of the gods and goddesses they serve.
Do it or don’t do it. It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet. You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God. Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.

domain: artistic


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We are all still responsible for managing our feelings. We are all still responsible for our happiness. We are all even still responsible for our finances, though the circumstances are out of our control. Most of all, we are all responsible for each other because we’re accountable to each other. Those of us who don’t understand this will put ourselves through unnecessarily harder times.
In her book, “Women Who Run With The Wolves”, Clarissa Pinkola Estes talks about the instinctive nature of women.
“The cure for the naive woman and the instinct-injured woman is the same: Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear, and then act on what you know to be true…by retrieving these powers from the shadows of our psyches, we shall not be victims of internal or external circumstances.”
3. The Covid-19 pandemic still isn’t the time to romanticize suffering.
Your life isn’t a complete failure. Things weren’t better with the love you lost. Enduring damage to your self-worth is not better than where you are now. Having your growth and freedom stifled is not better than where you are now. Being shown minimal effort is not better than where you are now.
I know it feels like anything is better than where you are. You beat yourself up for holding on to memories. You can go through a terrible break-up and still care about your partner.
Maybe it’s time to process your emotions by asking, “What do the things I love about (insert person’s name here) say about me and what I want?” Alternatively, “What do the things I hate about (insert person’s name here) say about me and what I don’t want?”
Be honest here. It’s a slow road to healing when you hide your truth.
You can appreciate the space you are in while still remembering the people and experiences that brought you here. You don’t have to choose.
One day, you’ll find that your gaze looks more ahead and a lot less backward.
Feel the ache of letting go of the person, things or life, you loved or still love.
Feel the frustration for the person that is a constant annoying part of your life.
Feel the warmth you had with the person who left or that you left.
Those memories aren’t going to hurt you, they may singe, they may rip your flesh to the bones, but they aren’t going to really hurt you.
This still isn’t the time to accept people’s toxic behavior, but maybe it will be just enough to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to see, hear, and feel the people who have been invisible to us.

domain: psychology


It never should have happened.
The death of a northwest Iowa teen was completely avoidable.
Students, family and those with broken hearts from around the area gathered Thursday morning to attended the funeral of a Kenneth James Weishuhn whose life ended tragically over the weekend in the garage of his home.
It was a tragedy which was completely avoidable.
All it would have taken is a little less hate.
Kenneth, was reportedly a popular 14-year-old, living in Primghar with his family, and attending South O'Brien High School. According to statements from those close to the situation, he was well-liked until ... until, he informed those around him that he was gay.
Then, apparently his life changed. The same young man who had grown up and shared all the things that friends in small towns do became a pariah to many. Why? Because he was different.
And while it may be considered brave to make such a personal announcement to those whom you considered friends, he wasn't emotionally mature enough to deal with the torment he would face over the matter.
In the end, the weeks of bullying at school, taunting on Facebook and threats proved too much for him to endure any longer. Imagine waking up every day knowing you're going to face a new barrage of hate.
Kenneth's story is sad, but it's one experienced on a daily basis by many people, young and old. Fat, skinny, small, big, gay, straight, race, smart, challenged, physically or mentally handicapped, too attractive, unattractive. The targets of bullies know no boundaries. If you're different, you're a target.
Every teen and pre-teen in northwest Iowa should have been at that funeral. Not because they knew the young man, but so they could grasp the horrific outcome associated with bullying - whether mental or physical.
Words can hurt. And enough words, apparently, can kill.
There are only a few ways these things turn out. One, is the route Kenneth took. It was more than he could handle any longer so he chose to escape the pain.
The second way, is for the victim to internalize it and live a miserable existence by stuffing it inside. A third way is to fight back, in which case they find themselves kicked out of school or in trouble with the law for defending themselves.
And the final way is what we've witnessed repeatedly in recent years where kids show up at school armed with intent.
All of these outcomes are bad.
The solution to this problem is very simple. Curb the bullying. Easier said than done I know.
But this example, the life cut short of Kenneth Weishuhn, should serve as a constant reminder to the consequences of bullying.
Schools are trying to do their part by instituting rules to deal with it under their roofs, but it is not the role of the school to monitor the Internet or child behavior outside of the classroom.
That responsibility falls on the peers and parents.
It's time for young people to take a stand against bullies. Rather than watching it go on, or sitting back and giggling under your breath, stand up and call it out for what it is. If increasing numbers stand up, the bullies will find the numbers turned against - and as many will learn, most bullies are cowards when the odds are against them.
Primarily though, accountability comes from home. Often times - though not always - little bullies are the result of bigger bullies. Hatred, racism and ignorance are traditionally born in the home. Kids aren't born with that kind of garbage in their soul, some authority figure almost always plants it.
If it sounds like I'm angry, it's because I am.
Hatred born of ignorance, spread through harmful and brutal language, resulted in the loss of a human life. For those of you who claim bullying isn't a really big issue, try telling that to the grieving family and friends of Kenneth Weishuhn.


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Spring is an exciting time of year, flowers start to boom, the weather changes and people fall in love.
Brilliant Earth has noticed a huge surge in interest in gorgeous rose gold rings. At once modern and vintage in feel, rose gold rings are rising in popularity because of their distinctive color and beautiful glow.
A lustrous alloy of gold and copper, rose gold has its roots with the earliest jewelry artisans and has become even more sought-after in recent years. Brilliant Earth has an expansive collection of 14 karat rose gold settings in a range of gorgeous styles.
Choose an engagement ring with vintage appeal and a romantic connotation, check out some featured styles below:
This dainty ring features sheer sparkle that extends halfway around the ring. The center gem appears to float above the delicate band.
This sparkling halo setting features beautiful scalloped pavé diamonds that encircle the center gem and adorn the band. A diamond–encrusted gallery makes this ring truly spectacular.
This delicate and exquisite diamond engagement ring features a sparkling row of petite pavé diamonds (0.10 total carat weight).
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Anthony Bowles is one of the youngest sought out journalists in the media world. He has had the privilege of interviewing today’s most well-known celebrities as well as being in the entertainment and fashion world.

domain: design


text:
Pathogens and Global Health
ISSN (printed): 2047-7724. ISSN (electronic): 2047-7732.
Pathogens and Global Health is a journal of infectious disease and public health that focuses on the translation of molecular, immunological, genomics and epidemiological knowledge into control measures for global health threat. The journal publishes original innovative research papers, reviews articles and interviews policy makers and opinion leaders on health subjects of international relevance. It provides a forum for scientific, ethical and political discussion of new innovative solutions for controlling and eradicating infectious diseases, with particular emphasis on those diseases affecting the poorest regions of the world.
- Further information
- Category Links

domain: literature


Resident doctors in Lagos are set to resume work immediately as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called off their countrywide strike which began Monday.
The striking doctors protested over non-implementation of residency funding, COVID-19 allowance, hazard allowance as well as the outstanding salary shortfall of 2014, 2015 and 2016.
According to the Publicity Secretary of the association, Dr. Stanley Egbogu, suspension was decided following the meeting between NARD and the Federal government on Wednesday where the latter agreed to begin payment of June COVID-19 inducement and medical residency allowance.
Also, NARD President, Dr. Aliyu Sokonda, stated: “Following our meeting yesterday with the government, we had a National Executive Council meeting and resolved to suspend our strike to give government time to address our demands. So the strike is suspended for two weeks.”Follow us on social media


Getting your car fixed can be stressful, time-consuming and expensive. Either you have to spend tons of money to have a mechanic make the repairs, or you devote all of your time and energy to doing it yourself. Both methods have their annoyances, but you can have a better experience with auto repair when you read this article.
Be sure that you have an A.S.E. certified mechanic before they are allowed to work on your vehicle. This kind of certification tells you that whoever will be working on your car has a couple years of experience and has passed a test. You will then know that you are dealing with a trained professional.
Consider keeping a high quality battery charger in your car. Dead batteries happen a lot, and you can provide assistance to others if you keep a charger on hand. Familiarize yourself with how the charger hooks up to your battery.
Don’t take an emergency car kit for granted. Be sure the kit has tools for charging the battery, adding gas to the tank, and changing tires. Also, flashlights, batteries and blankets are all crucial items as well.
Ask all the questions you have at the shop. These questions should be geared around the problems that you faced and what actions you can take so that they will not happen again. Learning how to prevent certain issues will help you save a lot of money.
Test your car out after a repair has been done by a mechanic. Make sure it is operating correctly before full payment is made. Many people don’t do this, and the car ends up with the same issues that were supposed to be repaired.
Auto repair is never pleasant, but it doesn’t have to be a huge hassle either. These tips can really help when you need a better auto repair experience. Your vehicle and you will both benefit from this.
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When one of them reveals that he has terminal cancer, four childhood friends agree to do something that they have talked about for years; ever since they were young, they’ve always spoken about making a crop circle in the shape of a massive cock. Of course it’s a childish, stupid notion, but somehow it seems fitting.
Little do they know what they are letting themselves in for… a descent into ultraviolence, insanity, and mind-bending horror.
“Insane, hilarious, depraved and a real page turner.” Simon McHardy, author of MOTHER MAGGOT and AUSSIE SICKOS
For fans of such classics as James Herbert’s THE FOG or Shaun Hutson’s SLUGS, a retro -style horror novel…
Her neighbours regularly steal Mr Farmer, her favourite gnome, from the old widow’s garden to take away on holiday with them. It’s a harmless joke. Mr Farmer has travelled all over the world, but he always comes back with plenty of photographs of his adventures to delight the lonely old widow. But this time, he has brought back something else as well…
Sex-dolls, clothes mannequins, ventriloquist dummies, action figures, stone statues… suddenly, all over the world, anything that has been given a human face comes to life. Comes to life… and starts killing.
Why is this happening? What do they want? Is this how the world ends? Only the garden gnome knows…
From the author of the notorious “banned” book THE LUSTY…
Ten years ago, Mr Bartleby, the nice lollipop man who helped children cross the road on their way to school, killed himself .And now he’s back to murder the kids who goaded him into suicide. A very British slasher with a jet-black heart, THE LOLLIPOP MAN is a blood-soaked voyage into the depths of depravity.
“I loved it! It’s gross, enthralling, depraved, funny and downright ferocious.” Owen Morgan, THE ABOMINABLE BOOK CLUB
Nobody remembers the Opposite Day massacre at the Big Top amusement park…Nobody EVER remembers the massacre because nobody ever SURVIVES it..
Harper thinks she is having a bad day. Having lost a great job, her home, and her girlfriend, she now works at the Big Top amusement park, entertaining guests… if “entertaining” means being sexually assaulted by the drugged up perverts who invade the park at twilight.
But Harper doesn’t know what a bad day is, not yet… because Harper doesn’t know that today is the anniversary of the worst massacre in human history… today is Opposite Day, when fun becomes terror, laughter becomes screaming, and the whole world is turned upside down in an orgy of skull-fucking, stomach-bursting, genital-grinding ultra-violence.
When is the world going to wake up to the genius of Tom Bradley? …one of the most criminally underrated authors on the planet.
Andrew Gallix, 3:am Magazine
When Philip K. Dick found himself suddenly transported to New Testament Syria, he must have run into his namesake, Philip the Deacon. VITAL FLUID reverses the time flow, and brings the first Philip to the twenty-first century, along with his transmigrationally entangled nemesis, Simon Magus.VITAL FLUID is inspired by the uncanny performances and fascinating life of John-Ivan Palmer, the top stage hypnotist in America today. He calls this book “a masterpiece.”
“Imagine, as part of his act, a stand-up comedian sets fire to himself and the club in which he’s performing to a sold-out crowd. Then imagine the crowd—instead of running for their lives—laughing wildly and applauding furiously as they all go up in flames. A Clockwork Aubergine is something like the literary equivalent of that.” Douglas Hackle, author of CLOWN TEAR JUNKIES and THE HOTTEST GAY MAN EVER KILLED IN A SHARK ATTACK
An absurdist anti-novel. A story for the ages, a secret-menu, a shibboleth, obscene haiku fingerprinted in greasepaint and monkey brains, a gonzo mash-up of genres ranging from Wild Western Wuxia to Soviet-Splattersteampunk-Realism, where foes become friends, friends become hovercraft, and someone keeps drunk dialling to satisfy their curiosity about snowmen. What is the Birthday Monster? Should we be buried wearing sunglasses, just to mess with future archaeologists? Is it a whale or a cheerleader? All of these questions and two more will be answered in, A CLOCKWORK AUBERGINE.
A third adventure for the dream-child… ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND and its sequel THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS are two classics of children’s literature following the nonsensical travels of the eponymous heroine, filled with scenes and characters that have become iconic and loved for generations. EXEUNT ALICE is a third tale for Lewis Carroll’s dream-child, imagining that at the end of his life he left an unpublished and final part of an “Alice” trilogy, a short and unedited first draft, presented here with footnotes and an analysis that, in keeping with the conceit, treat the story as a genuine “lost” manuscript.
A meta-fiction, a meditation, and an affectionate homage.
Imagine JAME & THE GIANT PEACH, only instead of a giant peach it’s a genetic abomination, an unholy hulk of agonized flesh that Should Not Be… …and instead of a small boy sharing a jolly adventure with a group of anthropomorphic insects, there is a mindless killing machine on a nightmare voyage through an ecological Hell with a group of horrifying freaks! Torture in the name of science! A plastic island inhabited by mutant Sea Monkeys! Pollution kaiju! It’s another retelling of a beloved children’s classic sure to have the original author spinning in his grave!
There are many Heavens, one for every taste, and they are all paradise.
But there is one problem with eternal bliss.
Eternal bliss is B-O-R-I-N-G.
Mankind craves violence, action, competition, and the glory of being able to stomp on other’s dreams with a cry of, “Suck my eight-foot, rainbow spunking cock!”
To stop the afterlife tearing itself apart in riots born of boredom, a sport was invented. A sport that would satisfy mankind’s desire for ultraviolence and the need to hate each other’s guts for stupid reasons.
A simple story about a serial killer’s rise to super stardom.

domain: library


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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.
The laugh of an infant is a uniquely rewarding experience for parents. It provokes feelings of love and happiness and promotes infant survival by eliciting parental proximity and care (Bowlby, 1969/1982; Groh and Roisman, 2009; Mendes et al, 2009). Laughter is suggested to be the outcome of a long evolutionary history (van Hooff, 1972), and its production as well as perception might be hardwired in human beings (Owren and Bachorowski, 2003). Although infant smiling is one of the basic attachment behaviors that create closer proximity to a protective caregiver (Bowlby, 1969/1982; Sroufe and Waters, 1976) infant laughter is most easily released by tickling and other forms of rough-and-tumble play (Sroufe and Waters, 1976). The infant's laughter in its turn may activate neural reward centers in the parental brain (Kringelbach, 2005; Kringelbach et al, 2008; Strathearn et al, 2009) and reinforce parental playful interactions. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that facilitates the onset of maternal behavior and mother–infant attachment (Carter, 1998; Galbally et al, 2011; Insel, 2010) and is involved in the perception of infant vocalizations (Riem et al, 2011a, 2011b). Oxytocin might enhance the incentive salience of infant laughter by modulating neural circuits related to the perception of infant cues and thus motivating sensitive responsiveness to infant laughter. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled study to examine the effects of intranasally administered oxytocin on functional brain connectivity in response to infant laughter.
Oxytocin administration studies have shown that it stimulates a range of social behaviors (for a meta-analysis, see Van IJzendoorn and Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2011) including empathy (Bartz et al, 2010a), mind-reading (Domes et al, 2007), trust (Kosfeld et al, 2005), in-group altruism (De Dreu et al, 2010), and paternal stimulating play (Naber et al, 2010). Feldman et al (2007) showed that maternal oxytocin levels across pregnancy are predictive of higher quality of postpartum maternal behavior. Oxytocin has anxiolytic and stress-reducing effects in breastfeeding mothers (Heinrichs et al, 2001; McCarthy et al, 1996) and this might increase mothers’ sensitivity to infant signals including infant crying but also infant smiling and laughing. Taylor also suggested that oxytocin modulates stress responses and is implicated in the seeking of affiliative contact in response to stress (Taylor and Samson, 2005; Taylor, 2006). Although infant crying is very different from infant laughter, oxytocin seems to enhance sensitivity to both infant signals. For example, Strathearn et al (2009) found that mothers with a strong increase in peripheral oxytocin release while interacting with their infants show more activation in neural reward systems such as the OFC and the ventral striatum during the perception of their smiling infant than mothers with lower oxytocin levels (Strathearn et al, 2009). This finding might indicate that oxytocin increases the ‘incentive salience’ of infant laughter (Berridge, 2007).
One important target of oxytocin is the amygdala (Meyer-Lindenberg et al, 2011), a neural structure that is part of the neural network involved in emotional processing. In a previous study we found that oxytocin reduced amygdala responses to infant crying whereas it increased activation of the insula and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (Riem et al, 2011a), brain regions important for empathy, emotion understanding and maternal bonding (Bartels and Zeki, 2004; Shamay-Tsoory, 2011). The amygdala is also referred to as a neural hub because of its high degree of connectivity, which is critical for the flow and integration of information between regions (Pessoa, 2008). It is strongly connected with other brain regions involved in emotional processing such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the supra- and subgenual parts of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the brainstem, and the thalamus (Bos et al, 2011; Pessoa, 2008).
Several studies have shown that by modulating amygdala activity hormones can shift neural output towards other brain regions within this network. For example, Kirsch et al (2005) showed that oxytocin reduces amygdala-brainstem coupling that is important for fear and arousal. Van Wingen et al (2010) showed that OFC-amygdala coupling was reduced after testosterone administration. The OFC is involved in reward and hedonic processing and it exhibits a specific neural response to infant stimuli (Kringelbach, 2005; Kringelbach et al, 2008; Noriuchi et al, 2008). Furthermore, previous studies have shown that the posterior OFC and ACC are involved in the perception of infant crying (Laurent and Ablow, 2011; Swain et al, 2008). Although most studies focused on infant crying only, Seifritz et al (2003) showed that the ACC was deactivated during both infant laughter and crying, indicating its important role in parent–infant interaction. Both structures are important for emotional regulation, in particular for the reduction of anxiety, by their inhibitory influence on the amygdala (Banks et al, 2007; Hahn et al, 2011; Meyer-Lindenberg et al, 2011; Stein et al, 2007; Swain et al, 2008). Thus, oxytocin might stimulate mother–infant bonding by modulating connectivity between the amygdala, ACC, and OFC and thereby enhancing the regulation of negative emotions and the experience of reward during mother–infant interaction (Bos et al, 2011).
In this study, we examined the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural responses to infant laughter with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Whole brain analysis was performed to explore the neural effects of oxytocin on functional activation during infant laughter. We focus our analyses on functional activation of the insula, IFG, and amygdala as a prior study showed that oxytocin modulated activation in these regions during the perception of infant crying (Riem et al, 2011a). Moreover, previous fMRI studies indicated that the insula and amygdala are involved in the perception of infant and adult laughter (Sander et al, 2003, 2007; Sander and Scheich, 2001, 2005; Seifritz et al, 2003). Furthermore, we examined oxytocin effects on the ventral striatum, the ACC, and the OFC because of the suggested significance of these regions in mother–infant bonding and reward processing (Berridge and Kringelbach, 2008; Kringelbach, 2005; Kringelbach et al, 2008; Seifritz et al, 2003; Strathearn et al, 2009). We expected that oxytocin administration would be related to increased activity in the ventral striatum, ACC, OFC, insula, and IFG, and decreased activity in the amygdala. In addition, with psychophysiological-interaction (PPI) analysis we examined whether oxytocin affects amygdala-connectivity during the perception of infant laughter. In region of interest (ROI) analyses we tested whether oxytocin modulated functional connectivity between the amygdala, OFC, and ACC during infant laughter.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Participants were selected from a larger study investigating caregiving responses and physiological reactivity to infant crying (Out et al, 2010). The original sample consisted of 50 male and 134 female adult twin pairs. Zygosity was determined on the basis of a zygosity questionnaire (Magnus et al, 1983) and additional genetic analysis of six polymorphisms; results indicated that 12 twin pairs (6.5% of the sample) classified as monozygotic (MZ) on the basis of the questionnaire were in fact dizygotic (DZ). A group of 44 right-handed females were recruited, 22 from MZ twin pairs and 22 from DZ twin pairs, without children of their own, in good health, without hearing impairments and MRI contraindications, pregnancy, psychiatric or neurological disorders, and screened for alcohol and drug use. A between subject-design with twin siblings was used in order to avoid time effects (for example, decreased neural responses to infant laughing due to habituation) and to minimize preexisting differences (for example, age, child-rearing experiences, and genetics) between the oxytocin and placebo group. Two MZ siblings were excluded from the analyses because of excessive head movement during fMRI scanning (peak displacement=4 mm). Twin siblings of 10 participants did not participate because of MRI contraindications or other exclusion criteria, resulting in a sample of 30 participants from twin pairs (8 MZ, and 7 DZ) and 12 participants without twin sibling (4 MZ, and 8 DZ). The mean age of the participants was 28.71 years (SD=6.93, range, 22–49). The majority of the participants (71.4%) used oral contraceptives. Permission for this study was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee of the Leiden University Medical Center and all participants gave informed consent.
Participants were invited preferably in the luteal phase of their (self-reported) menstrual cycle. During the luteal phase, plasma oxytocin levels are lower (Salonia et al, 2005) and more responsive to stimulation such as by nipple stimulation (Leake et al, 1984). Therefore, effects of oxytocin nasal administration might be more pronounced during the luteal phase. Approximately 40 min before the start of the fMRI data acquisition subjects took nasal spray containing oxytocin or placebo. Time between oxytocin/placebo administration and data acquisition was similar to previous fMRI studies (Marsh et al, 2010; Riem et al, 2011a; Rimmele et al, 2009). Participants were instructed to comfortably position themselves on the scanner bed. Cushions were placed between the head coil and the participant in order to prevent head movement. Participants were instructed to attend to the sounds they would hear. Before drug administration and after fMRI scanning participants completed a mood questionnaire in order to track mood changes following drug administration. Participants rated on seven-point Likert scales how much anger, sadness, pleasantness, empathy, happiness, warmth, and calmness they felt. In addition, after fMRI scanning participants rated how healthy the infant laughter sounded, and how much warmth and affection they felt while listening to the laughing sounds. Furthermore, participants rated whether they felt irritated while listening to the control stimuli on five-point Likert scale (one=not irritated, five=irritated).
Participants listened to intensity-matched infant crying and infant laughter sounds with a duration of 6 s (samples 261 and 110 of the International Affective Digitized Sounds system, Bradley and Lang, 1999). These infant sounds have been used in a previous fMRI study (Seifritz et al, 2003). Neutral auditory control stimuli were created identical to the original auditory stimuli in terms of duration, intensity, spectral content, and amplitude envelope, but lacking recognizable qualities. The infant sounds and control sounds were presented in eight cycles, each cycle consisting of four sounds (cry, cry-control, laughter, laughter-control). The order of presentation of sounds within each cycle was random; the intertrial-interval was 6 s. In this study we focus only on neural responses to infant laughter. Elsewhere we report on the functional activation during the perception of (a different set of) infant crying sounds (Riem et al, 2011a).
Oxytocin vs Placebo
One sibling from each twin pair was randomly assigned to the oxytocin condition and the other sibling to the placebo condition, resulting in a group of 22 participants who were administered oxytocin and a group of 20 participants who were administered a placebo. Participants without a twin sibling were also randomly assigned to the oxytocin and placebo condition. Because no twin pair was assigned to either the experimental or the placebo condition, data concerning the effects of the experimental administration of oxytocin were statistically independent. The use of twins randomized across conditions enhanced comparability of the groups in areas other than the experimental manipulation. Approximately 40 min before the start of the fMRI data acquisition subjects took six puffs of nasal spray containing 4 IU/puff of oxytocin (24 IU total) or six puffs of a placebo-spray (NaCl solution) under supervision of the experimenter. Drug administration was double-blind. Menstrual phase and use of oral contraceptives were balanced across the placebo and oxytocin group: 11 participants in the oxytocin and 11 participants in the placebo group were in the luteal phase, whereas 8 participants in the oxytocin group and 9 participants in the placebo group were in the follicular phase. In all, 14 participants in the oxytocin group and 16 participants in the placebo group used oral contraceptives, whereas 8 participants in the oxytocin group and 4 participants in the placebo group did not use oral contraceptives.
Scanning was performed with a standard whole-head coil on a 3-T Philips Achieva MRI system (Philips Medical Systems, Best, the Netherlands) in the Leiden University Medical Center. First, a T1-weighted anatomical scan was acquired (flip angle=8°, 140 slices, voxelsize 0.875 × 0.875 × 1.2 mm). In addition, a high-resolution EPI scan was obtained (for registration purposes) (TR=2.2 s; TE=30 ms, flip angle=80°, 84 slices, voxelsize 1.96 × 1.96 × 2.00 mm). For fMRI, a total of 185 T2*-weighted whole-brain EPIs were acquired (TR=2.2 s; TE=30 ms, flip angle=80°, 38 transverse slices, voxelsize 2.75 × 2.75 × 2.75 mm (+10% interslice gap)). Participants listened to the sounds through MRI compatible headphones. In accordance with Leiden University Medical Center policy, all anatomical scans were examined by a radiologist from the Radiology department. No anomalous findings were reported.
FMRI Data Analysis
Data analysis was carried out using FSL version 5.98 (FMRIB's Software Library, www.FMRIb.ox.ac.uk/fsl, (Smith et al, 2004)). The following pre-statistics processing was applied: motion correction (Jenkinson et al, 2002), non-brain removal (Smith, 2002), spatial smoothing using a Gaussian kernel of full-width-at-half-maximum 8.0 mm, and high-pass temporal filtering (highpass filter cutoff=100.0 s). Functional scans were registered to the high-resolution EPI-images, which were registered to the T1-weighted images, which were registered to standard space (Jenkinson et al, 2002; Jenkinson and Smith, 2001).
In native space, functional activation was examined using general linear model analysis. Each sound (cry, cry-control, laughter, laughter-control) was modeled separately as a square-wave function. Each predictor was then convolved with a double gamma hemodynamic response function and its temporal derivative was added to the model, giving eight regressors. We assessed the contrast laugh>laugh-control in order to identify regions involved in the perception of infant laughing.
Second, we examined psychophysiological interactions (PPI), that is, condition-dependent changes in the covariation of the response between a seed region and other brain regions (Friston et al, 1997). We used the left and right amygdala as seed regions because we were primarily interested in the modulation effects of oxytocin on functional connectivity with the amygdala. We extracted the mean time series for each participant from the left and the right amygdala, defined using the Harvard–Oxford subcortical atlas. These time series were then used as a physiological regressor in the model. We applied two separate models: one to analyze left amygdala connectivity, and one to study right amygdala connectivity. A contrast between laughter and laughter-control (laugh>laugh-control) was created and used as psychological regressor. This regressor was convolved with a double gamma hemodynamic response function and its temporal derivative was added to the model. Furthermore, the cry sound and the cry-control sound were included in the model as two separate regressors, both convolved with a double gamma hemodynamic response function. The temporal derivatives of these two regressors were also added to the model. Finally, the interaction between the psychological regressor and the time series from the left or right amygdala was modeled, giving eight regressors. We assessed the positive and negative contrast of the interaction in order to examine condition-dependent changes in functional connectivity.
All first-level contrast images (laughter>control and PPI) and the corresponding variance images were transformed to standard space and submitted to second-level mixed-effects group whole brain analyses. For functional activation and PPI analysis, group means were tested using one-sample t-tests and we tested for group differences using two-sample t-tests on these contrasts with the oxytocin vs placebo group comparison (oxytocin>placebo and oxytocin<placebo). We included age, menstrual cycle (follicular or luteal phase), and use of oral contraceptives as confound regressors in the model in the analyses of the group means and group differences in the functional activation and PPI analysis. The statistical images were thresholded using clusters determined by Z>2.3 and a cluster corrected significance threshold of p<0.05 (Worsley, 2001).
In addition to the whole brain analyses, ROI analyses were performed in FSL to investigate changes in activation of a priori specified regions. For the perception of infant vocalizations these regions are the amygdala, ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, IFG, and the insula (Bos et al, 2011; Riem et al, 2011a). These were defined using the Harvard–Oxford (sub)cortical atlas (http://www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/data/atlas-descriptions.html#ho). ROI analyses were limited to these search regions, applying the same statistical threshold as for the whole brain analyses, but correcting only for the size of ROI volumes. For PPI, ROIs were the anterior cingulate and the OFC, again defined with the Harvard–Oxford cortical atlas. ROI analyses were only conducted when these regions were not significantly activated in the whole brain analysis. The selection of these ROIs was based on a neural model for the effects of neuropeptides on brain connectivity (Bos et al, 2011). The amygdala is strongly connected to the medial and posterior regions of the orbitofrontal and the rostral and caudal regions of the ACC, and it has been suggested that oxytocin shifts neural output towards these brain regions by modulating amygdala activity (Amaral and Price, 1984; Bos et al, 2011; Carmichael and Price, 1995; Kringelbach and Rolls, 2004). Mean Z-values for significantly activated regions were calculated using Featquery (http://www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/feat5/featquery.html) for visualization purposes in figures.
To examine whether oxytocin affected neural responses to infant laughter we contrasted the oxytocin group with the placebo group (oxytocinlaugh>control>placebolaugh>control and oxytocinlaugh>control<placebolaugh>control). There were no significant group differences in the whole brain analysis. ROI analysis showed that, compared with the placebo group, participants who received oxytocin showed reduced activation in the amygdala when they listened to infant laughter compared with control sounds. There was one significant cluster in the left amygdala and one significant cluster in the right amygdala (cluster 1: size=54, peak Z=2.79, MNI coordinates x, y, z (mm)=−22, −10, −16, cluster 2: size=22, peak Z=2.87, MNI coordinates x, y, z (mm)=24, −4, −24) (Figure 1). There were no significant effects of oxytocin in the other regions of interest.
In the whole brain analysis of functional activation the contrast of infant laughter vs control sound revealed two large clusters of activation in the placebo group with peak voxels in the superior temporal gyri (Cluster 1: size=10 831 voxels, peak Z=6.44, MNI coordinates x, y, z (mm)=56, −14, −4, Cluster 2: size=7295 voxels, peak Z=6.30, MNI coordinates x, y, z (mm)=−58, −12, 0, see Table 1 for an overview of statistics of the local maxima within these clusters). The pattern of activation included the bilateral temporal poles, the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, the bilateral OFC, the bilateral inferior and superior frontal gyrus, the bilateral amygdala, the brainstem, and the right putamen (see top panel Figure 2 for functional activation in the placebo group and lower panel Figure 2 for functional activation in the oxytocin group). ROI analyses indicated that there was no significant activation in the ventral striatum or in the insula during infant laughter compared with control sounds.
In the next step we performed PPI analyses to examine whether oxytocin affected functional connectivity with the amygdala when participants listened to infant laughter compared with control sounds. The whole brain analysis revealed that oxytocin significantly enhanced connectivity between the right amygdala and the left OFC, the bilateral hippocampus, the left precuneus, the right angular gyrus, and the right middle temporal gyrus during infant laughter compared with the control sound (see Table 2 and Figure 3). ROI analyses showed that functional connectivity between the bilateral amygdala and the caudal anterior cingulate was also enhanced by oxytocin during the exposure to infant laughter compared with control sounds (see Figure 3 and Table 2 for an overview of functional connectivity in the oxytocin and placebo group). The average laugh>control connectivity change (or PPI) in the ACC in the oxytocin group was positive, but not significant (peak voxel oxytocin>placebo comparison x, y, z (mm)=−6, 10, 38, Z=2.30), whereas it is significantly increased as compared with the placebo PPI (peak voxel oxytocin>placebo comparison x, y, z (mm)=−6, 10, 38, Z=−2.56). Thus, there was a significant group difference although the PPI was not significant in the oxytocin group. We performed additional analyses examining whether left amygdala connectivity with the ACC was significantly different from right amygdala connectivity with the ACC. There was no significant difference (F (1,40)=0.19, p=0.89) and no significant hemisphere × treatment group (oxytocin vs placebo) interaction (F (1,40)=1.07, p=0.31). In sum, oxytocin decreased amygdala activation relative to the placebo condition during exposure to infant laughter and increased functional coupling between the amygdala and regions implicated in the perception and regulation of emotional cues.
Independent-sample t-tests were used to examine the subjective rating of the laughing and control sounds. Participants who received oxytocin experienced more warm feelings (M=6.14, SD=1.11) when listening to the laughing sounds compared with participants in the placebo group (M=5.25, SD=1.62), t (39)=2.07, p<0.05 (not significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). However, there was no significant group difference in reported affection, t (39)=1.14, p=0.26 and no significant group difference in how healthy the participants rated the laughing sound t (39)=0.49, p=0.63. Participants did not feel much irritation while listening to the control sounds (M=2.05, SD=1.32) and there was no significant group difference between the oxytocin and placebo group t (39)=0.94, p=0.35. To control for nonspecific effects of oxytocin on self-reported mood, we conducted repeated-measures analyses of variance with group (oxytocin and placebo) as between-subject factor and time (time 1: before drug administration, and time 2: after scanning) as within-subject factor. There were no significant time × group interaction effects on any of the mood items: anger F (1,40)=0.07, p=0.80, sadness F (1,40)=0.22, p=0.64, pleasantness F (1,40)=0.15, p=0.90, empathy F (1,40)=0.00, p=0.99, happiness F (1,40)=2.69, p=0.11, warm feeling F (1,40)=0.36, p=0.55, and calmness F (1,40)=0.01, p=0.91.
Our study demonstrates that oxytocin reduces amygdala activation relative to the placebo condition when individuals listen to infant laughter compared with control sounds. Oxytocin has stress-reducing effects in lactating mothers (Heinrichs et al, 2001, 2003), which might enable them to be more sensitive to infant cues. Recent evidence indicates that inhibition of the amygdala, a brain region involved in anxiety and emotional arousal (LeDoux, 2000; Morrison and Salzman, 2010), might be the underlying neural mechanism of these calming oxytocin effects (Gamer et al, 2010; Kirsch et al, 2005; Riem et al, 2011a). In addition, we found that oxytocin increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and neural reward regions, the OFC and the caudal ACC (Berridge and Kringelbach, 2008; Haber and Knutson, 2010; Kringelbach, 2005). Our findings provide empirical support for the neural model on the effects of neuropeptides on brain connectivity proposed by Bos et al (2011). Increased functional connectivity between the OFC, ACC, and amygdala may promote mother–infant attachment by enhancing cognitive control over negative emotionality and at the same time increasing the incentive salience of infant laughter (Berridge, 2007; Berridge and Kringelbach, 2008; Bos et al, 2011).
Infant laughter is easily released during playful interactions with their parents, which are highly rewarding for both parent and infant (Feldman, 2003; Sroufe and Waters, 1976). Previous studies on oxytocin and parenting showed that oxytocin promotes such playful interactions. For example, Feldman et al (2010) showed that fathers with high levels of oxytocin displayed more stimulatory contact during play with their child. In a complementary study, Naber et al (2010) found that intranasally administered oxytocin enhances paternal playful interaction. The current study is the first to examine the neural mechanism underlying the effect of oxytocin on the perception of playful infant vocalizations. Future studies should examine the neural mechanisms underlying the rewarding effects of playful parent–infant interactions in a more real-life situation, for example, by studying neural activation and connectivity during the presentation of video fragments of parent–infant playful interactions.
Furthermore, we found that oxytocin increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and the hippocampus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus during infant laughter compared with control sound. Although in previous studies the hippocampus has not been directly implicated in parental care, it is known to be affected by parenting experiences, possibly by the altered parental hormonal levels after child birth (Leuner et al, 2010). Several studies indicate that amygdala-hippocampus interactions are crucial for emotional memory (Schaefer and Gray, 2007), an important factor in parenting that can be enhanced by oxytocin (Bartz et al, 2010b; Guastella et al, 2008; Rimmele et al, 2009). The middle temporal gyrus and precuneus are part of a network involved in the perception of speech and prosody (Leitman et al, 2010; Price, 2010; Turken and Dronkers, 2011) and in aspects of social cognition such as mentalizing and emotion understanding (Atique et al, 2011; Leitman et al, 2010). Pessoa (2008) suggested that the high degree of connectivity between the amygdala and other regions involved in emotional processing might serve the integration of emotion and cognition, and the evaluation of sensory information. Oxytocin might facilitate evaluation of and responding to emotional stimuli by modulating neural connectivity (Pessoa, 2008; Salzman and Fusi, 2010). This is supported by a study of Gamer et al (2010), who showed that oxytocin increased functional coupling between the amygdala and the superior colliculus as well as gaze changes towards the eyes of an emotional stranger in order to facilitate the classification of the emotion.
In the placebo group, we found an increase in activation in the temporal poles, the OFC, the inferior and superior frontal gyrus, the amygdala, the brainstem, and the putamen in response to infant laughter compared with control sounds. Previous fMRI studies on the perception of infant stimuli also reported activation in these regions. For example, Strathearn et al (2008) presented mothers with images of their own happy infants and found significant activation in the putamen, a subregion of the ventral striatum, which is important for reward processing. In a previous study on infant crying we also found significant activation in the IFG and the temporal poles (Riem et al, 2011a), regions that are involved in theory of mind and empathy (Chakrabarti et al, 2006; Decety and Jackson, 2004). However, in contrast with our previous study, the insula was not significantly activated during exposure to infant laughter and oxytocin did not modulate activation in this region. Previous studies have shown that the insula is involved in feeling empathy for others, in particular when observing others in pain (Lamm et al, 2011). For example, Lang et al (2011) indicated that the insula was significantly more activated when listening to pain expressions compared with positive stimuli such as laughter, which is in line with our respective results for activation during exposure to infant laughter and infant crying.
One limitation of this study is that the use of a between-subjects design implies the risk of preexisting differences between the oxytocin and placebo group that might have influenced the results. However, most of our participants were MZ and DZ twin pairs, perfectly matched on age and global child-rearing experiences and even on genotype in MZ twin pairs. Second, it should be noted that neural responses to infant laughter might be affected by the infant crying sounds that were also presented during the experimental paradigm because the infant laughter-crying contrast might have enhanced the rewarding experience of infant laughter. In addition, the physiological effects induced by intranasally administered oxytocin are not well-understood and might be different from the effects of endogenous oxytocin secretion. Furthermore, functional connectivity using fMRI is a correlation method that does not allow conclusions about the (direction of the) causal relation between the OFC, ACC, and amygdala during exposure to infant laughter. Several studies suggest however that the OFC and ACC regulate negative emotionality by inhibiting the amygdala (Banks et al, 2007; Hahn et al, 2011; Stein et al, 2007; Swain et al, 2008). Furthermore, it should be noted that the regions in which we found significant connectivity changes in the oxytocin-placebo comparison did not all have a significant PPI in the oxytocin group. Finally, our findings can only be generalized to women without children. The perception of infant signals is influenced by parental status (Seifritz et al, 2003), possibly because of the altered oxytocinergic system after child birth, lactation, and parent–infant contact (Feldman et al, 2010). More research is needed to examine oxytocin effects on functional activation and connectivity during infant signals in parents. Intranasal oxytocin effects might be even more pronounced in parents, because of the emotional and biological significance of their own infant's laughing and crying.
Our findings support neural models on functional connectivity between the amygdala, OFC, and ACC proposed by Kringelbach (2005), Bos et al (2011), and Meyer-Lindenberg et al (2011). Kringelbach et al (2008) showed that the medial OFC exhibits a very early and specific pattern of activity to infant cues. Therefore, it has been speculated that the medial OFC might be the neural base for the innate releasing mechanism described by Lorenz (1943) for affection and care of young infants. The OFC might encode rewarding characteristics of infant stimuli such as ‘cuteness’ that predispose parents to perceive infant stimuli as special and that elicit nurturing. The medial and posterior OFC, ACC, and amygdala have strong reciprocal connections that are important for the effect of the encoded reward value on subsequent behavior, for example, caregiving responses (Kringelbach, 2005). Although the medial OFC and ACC have been suggested to be important hedonic hot spots of the brain (Berridge and Kringelbach, 2008; Kringelbach, 2005; Parsons et al, 2010), they are also involved in emotion regulation by their inhibitory influence on the amygdala, especially the supra- and subgenual parts of the ACC (Banks et al, 2007; Hahn et al, 2011; Stein et al, 2007). Bos et al (2011) suggested that oxytocin facilitates social bonding by enhancing cognitive control from prefrontal regions to regulate emotionality, as well as by its effects on the experience of reward during social interaction. Our findings are consistent with this model and suggest that oxytocin promotes parent–infant attachment by reducing negative emotional arousal while increasing the incentive salience of infant cues.
In conclusion, this is the first study to show the effects of oxytocin intranasal administration on functional activation and connectivity to infant laughter. We found that oxytocin decreases amygdala activation to infant laughter and increases functional connectivity between the amygdala and the OFC, ACC, and several other brain regions involved in emotional processing. Our results extend previous findings indicating a central role for oxytocin in parent–infant playful interactions and attachment formation (Feldman, 2003; Feldman et al, 2007; Naber et al, 2010). Increased functional connectivity between the amygdala, ACC, and OFC may stimulate mother–infant bonding by enhancing the regulation of negative emotions and the experience of reward during parent–infant interaction. Thus, oxytocin increases the incentive salience of infant laughter, which might be one of the mechanisms that lead to enhanced sensitive responsiveness to infant cues and playful parent–infant interaction.
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We are grateful to Esther Valk and Dorothée Out for their contribution to data collection. We thank Thijs Schrama for his contribution to the control stimuli. Last but not least, we thank the twins who participated in the study. The authors SARBR, MT, MJBK, and MHvIJ were supported by awards from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) (SARBR: VIDI Grant, MT: Veni Grant, MJBK: VIDI and VICI Grants; MHvIJ: SPINOZA prize).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Cite this article
Riem, M., van IJzendoorn, M., Tops, M. et al. No Laughing Matter: Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Changes Functional Brain Connectivity during Exposure to Infant Laughter. Neuropsychopharmacol 37, 1257–1266 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2011.313
- infant laughter
- functional brain connectivity
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domain: medical


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Online gambling has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment, whether it is in your home or on the go. In addition to being a great way to pass the time, casino games can be a great way to make money. Increasing internet access and web network infrastructure are two of the primary factors contributing to this growth.
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domain: entertainment


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domain: hobby


text:
The Weird Weird West - Rocket DVD - RKT 035 - July 2011
Perhaps sometimes with the best of intentions films end up a little unusual. Perhaps it’s because, particularly in the Western genre, so many films were made, that directors tried to make their film a little different so it stood out from the rest. That is perhaps why we see strips of rawhide as a killers calling card, a gang of masked villains taking the law into their own hands and phantom horses. But one must wonder at the reasoning behind an all midget western and the introduction of two of Horrors most famous characters, Dracula and
Frankenstein, to the wild west. This collection features the work of two of the most zany directors in the history of the western. William “One Shot” Beaudine and Sam Newfield were a special breed of director. Both men had little time for re-takes and both men finished feature films in record time. It’s that type of care and concern for top quality product that makes for classic viewing.
As a bonus we've included 3 weird western cartoons. I’m sure when these cartoons were made back in the thirties and forties that they were considered very amusing but as the years go by they just look stranger and stranger. Sit back put your feet up and enjoy your visit to The Weird Weird West.
1. THE RAWHIDE TERROR (1934)
2. THE MYSTERY OF THE HOODED HORSEMEN (1937)
3. THE MILD WEST (1947)
1. TERROR OF TINY TOWN (1938)
2. WILD HORSE PHANTOM (1944)
3. THE LONE STAR STATE (1948)
1. JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER (1966)
2. BILLY THE KID VS DRACULA (1966)
3. VIVA WILLIE (1934)


text:
How long have you been keeping poultry?
My Dad has been involved in the poultry scene since 1946. I have been involved since 1991.
What got you into poultry?
My Dad was were brought up with poultry.
Did you start to show right away?
Yes, I have always been involved with the exhibition side of the breeds.
Who got you into showing?
It was the social aspect that I enjoyed, getting out and about meeting people who were of a like mind.
How many breeds have you kept over the years?
We have concentrated on two breeds, Leghorns and Anconas.
What is your favourite breed and why?
That has to be the Leghorns. I have inherited my love of Leghorns from my Grandfather and Father.
What are the greatest challenges with this breed?
I see the preparation of a bird as much of a challenge as any other part of the process. The washing and show preparation must be done properly and can be very enjoyable and rewarding, especially if you end up with a prize card.
If you were starting out in poultry is there any advice that you could give someone?
My advice would be to pick two breeds and concentrate on them. Learn as much as possible from others keeping the breed, study the breed standards and take on board any advice you are given.
Finally is there anyone in the Poultry world that you admire?
I have a lot of admiration for the young people today who are starting out in the fancy. Those who are displaying the same dedication I have for this hobby.


text:
Oncamnce by Dj Maphorisa"Oncamnce" is South African song released on 27 January 2018 in the official channel of the record label - "DJMaphorisaVEVO". Discover exclusive information about "Oncamnce". Explore Oncamnce lyrics, translations, and song facts. Earnings and Net Worth accumulated by sponsorships and other sources according to information found in the internet. How many times the South African song appeared in music charts compiled by Popnable? "Oncamnce " is well-known music video that took placements in popular top charts, such as Top 100 South Africa Music Chart , Top 40 South African Songs Chart, and more.
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The song has been submitted on 27/01/2018 and spent 50 weeks on the charts.
The original name of the music video "Oncamnce" is "DJ MAPHORISA, DJ CATZICO - ONCAMNCE FT. KWESTA, STILO MAGOLIDE, ZINGAH".
"Oncamnce" has been published on Youtube at 26/01/2018 06:00:01
"Oncamnce" Lyrics, Composers, Record Label
Download or stream GQOM WAVE -
Follow DJ Maphorisa on social media:
Music video by DJ Maphorisa, DJ Catzico performing ;(C) 2018 Sony Music Entertainment Africa (Pty) Ltd/BLAQ BOY MUSIC CORPORATION (PTY) LTD


GUWAHATI, Aug 1 - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has improved the punctuality of trains during recent months.
�Figures from April to July indicate that the punctuality of trains has improved from 67.21 per cent in April to 69.46 per cent in May to 76.3 per cent in June and finally to 81 per cent in July. The overall punctuality during the four months of this fiscal stands at 72 per cent,� NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Pranav Jyoti Sharma said.
He said that the zone has taken up a number of steps to improve its punctuality.
�Starting and ending terminals of nine pairs of trains have been interchanged between Guwahati and Kamakhya stations. This has been done with the purpose of decongesting the section between the two stations. Besides, 18 pairs of conventional passenger trains have been converted to DEMU trains. DEMU trains can accelerate and decelerate much faster. Besides, they can move in both directions, which saves time required for reversal of locomotive,� said Sharma.
He added that composition of 28 pairs of long-distance trains leaving from Dibrugarh, Guwahati and Kamakhya stations have been standardised.
�Five trains have been speeded up by reducing running time ranging from 15 minutes to 25 minutes. Stoppage timings of 33 passing trains at the Guwahati station have been rationalized. Timings of three trains have been revised and regular late running trains have been identified and being monitored,� said the official.
The Maligaon-headquartered NFR has also launched special punctuality drives.
�NFR, being a terminal railway, suffers from some inherent disadvantages like late arrival of link trains from other zones resulting in rescheduling, trains becoming out of path due to excessive late taking over from other railways and frequent bandhs and agitations. However, with strict monitoring of trains at the highest level, we have been able to improve their punctuality,� said Sharma.


text:
Jubilee Day at Fisk University is a time of most sacred remembrance of October 6, 1871, when a chorus of nine fearful but inspired, young men and women began their first tour in a desperate attempt to raise funds for their school. Under the aegis of George L. White, whose abiding spirit of mission they shared, they traveled as the Jubilee Singers, after the Old Testament’s Year of Jubilee marking the deliverance of the Jews who, like all but two of themselves, had been in bondage. Though hungry and cold, the Singers donated the small purse of less than fifty dollars from their first paid concert to the Chicago Relief Fund to aid the victims of the great Chicago fire. Selfless, courageously fighting the scoffers who regarded them as a minstrel act, the Singers found a friend and patron at Brooklyn in Henry Ward Beecher, whose endorsement was an open sesame to the churches of the East. They electrified an audience of thousands at the Boston Coliseum, where Johann Strauss threw his hat in the air in happy excitement. After that, they found their dream of financial success come true in New England, earning $40,000 and an invitation to sing at the White House for President Grant by winter’s end. A European triumph followed. During the first tour of England in 1973-74, Havel, artist in the Court of Queen Victoria, painted a portrait of the celebrated singers (Men, left to right: Benjamin M. Holmes, Isaac P. Dickerson, Thomas Rutling, Edmund Watkins; women, left to right: Mabel Lewis, Minnie Tate, Ella Sheppard, Jennie Jackson, Maggie Porter, and Georgia Gordon). These eleven singers gave command performances before Queen Victoria and other crowned heads of Europe, introducing to them and to the world the Spiritual, the truly American Folksong, and establishing the tradition of high regard for music and song at Fisk. – all this in the same decade when the struggling Fisk school, named for General Clinton B. Fisk of the Freedman’s Bureau, had bought spellers and Bibles with money from the sale of fetters and handcuffs from an abandoned slave pit. From these concerts Jubilee Hall was built in 1875, a structure sometimes lovingly called “frozen music,” a memorial to the songs that were its building.
With recall of such things past – a history of struggle to the mark indignity, individualism and the ideal of the cultivated man, Fisk honors the Jubilee singers, their mission and their songs, in grateful appreciation for a lasting contribution to the University and to the American cultural heritage.
Author: L.M. Collins, Ph.D.
Get your JUBILEE HERITAGE CONCERT TICKETS NOW. THE CONCERT WILL BE HELD OCTOBER 5, 2019 AT 7:00 PM. WWW.JBENDERENTERTAINMENT.COM

domain: history


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An accurate 3D foot scanner is required to capture the shape and external appearance of a foot.
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PT-3D scan output format is STL and PLY standard digital data. The PLY standard is offered in this device with two versions: high quality and low quality. Providing standard output models is particularly important for compatibility with a variety of 3D design software. This data can be used in all CAD/CAM software and processes and is also compatible with a variety of CNC machines.
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PayaTek 3D foot scanner is capable of accurately studying the anthropometry of the human foot. This information is very useful for the precise design of shoes with general or specific applications. Generally, any data related to the dimensions of the human foot can be measured and reported in the output of this device. For example, the following can be mentioned, but any type of measurement is supported:
First Toe Length – Second Toe Length – Third Toe Length – Fourth Toe Length – Fifth Toe Length – Arch Length – Heel to medial malleolus – Heel to lateral malleolus – Heel Width – Foot Width – Bimalleolar Width – Mid-foot Width – Medial Malleolus Height – Lateral Malleolus Height – Height at 50% foot length – Ball Girth – Instep Girth – Long Heel Girth – Short Heel Girth – Ankle Girth – Waist Girth – Optional linear sizes include length and width in different areas – Foot environment in desired parts – Diagnosis of arch type of foot.
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PayaTek 3D foot scanner captures high-resolution, high-speed 3D foot scans using four laser beams and six powerful cameras. 3ِD foot data is generated in less than 10 seconds and in various directions. In this method, the scanning process is done in the shortest time and with the highest accuracy up to a height of 14 cm.
3D foot scanner enables you to capture data directly from the patient’s foot in a weight-bearing, semi-weight-bearing, or non-weight-bearing position. This allows you to check the changes in the size of the foot and the height of the arch of the foot due to the application of weight in the most accurate manner.
The 3D foot scanner is compatible with all CAD/CAM solutions and is suitable for scanning lasts, foot, hand foam boxes, and insoles. It is possible to directly transfer the 3D model to any CAD software.
The accuracy of PT-3D SCAN for scanning solid objects is 0.1 mm. However, you should always be careful that the foot has a blood pulse. This pulse can cause an error of up to 0.4 mm in the worst case.