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The facial feedback hypothesis states that facial actions modulate subjective experiences of emotion. Using the voluntary facial action technique, in which the participants react with instruction induced smiles and frowns when exposed to positive and negative emotional pictures and then rate the pleasantness of these stimuli, four questions were addressed in the present study. The results in Experiment 1 demonstrated a feedback effect because participants experienced the stimuli as more pleasant during smiling as compared to when frowning. However, this effect was present only during the critical actions of smiling and frowning, with no remaining effects after 5 min or after 1 day. In Experiment 2, feedback effects were found only when the facial action (smile/frown) was incongruent with the presented emotion (positive/negative), demonstrating attenuating but not enhancing modulation. Finally, no difference in the intensity of produced feedback effect was found between smiling and frowning, and no difference in feedback effect was found between positive and negative emotions. In conclusion, facial feedback appears to occur mainly during actual facial actions, and primarily attenuate ongoing emotional states.

Botulinum neurotoxin injection for treating glabellar frown lines is a commonly used method; however, side effects, such as ptosis and samurai eyebrow, have been reported due to a lack of comprehensive anatomical knowledge. The anatomical factors important for the injection of the botulinum neurotoxin into the corrugator supercilii muscle has been reviewed in this study. Current understanding on the localization of the botulinum neurotoxin injection point from newer anatomy examination was evaluated. We observed that for the glabellar-frown-line-related muscles, the injection point could be more accurately demarcated. We propose the injection method and the best possible injection sites for the corrugator supercilii muscle. We propose the optimal injection sites using external anatomical landmarks for the frequently injected muscles of the face to accelerate effective glabellar frown line removal. Moreover, these instructions would support a more accurate procedure without adverse events.

Laughter and smiles co-occur and accomplish similar communicative tasks. Certain smiles and laughter elicit positive affect in the sender and the recipient, serving as social rewards. Other smiles and laughter lack this positivity but retain a message of harmlessness and affiliation that lubricates the interaction. And finally, some smiles and laughter convey disapproval or dominance in a less serious way than more overt displays (e.g., frowns). But work on the social functions of smiles and laughter has progressed independently. We ask whether smiles and laughter are judged as more alike if they are high on the same social functional dimensions. First, online participants’ ( N  = 244) judged the similarity of a set of validated reward, affiliation, and dominance smiles to each other, resulting in a 2-dimensional semantic smile space. Then we inserted laughter clips (rated on the social functional dimensions in prior work) into the semantic smile space using new participants’ ( N  = 1089) responses on a smile-laughter similarity task. The laugh samples grouped in the smile space according to their previously determined social function, suggesting participants’ judgments about smile-laughter similarity were partly guided by the reward, affiliation, and dominance values of the displays. Trial-level analyses indicate reward and affiliation smiles were most likely to be matched to reward and affiliation laughs, respectively, but dominance displays were more complicated. This suggests perceivers judge the meaning of smiles and laughs along reward, affiliation, and dominance dimensions even without verbal prompts. It also deepens our understanding of the functional overlap of smiles and laughter.

Enjoy the bemused looks on the face of the baby brother when the shouting sets in, the frowns from passers-by as they witness the screaming fits, the worried looks of other children who are not quite sure how to respond.

Purpose: To explore straight incision technique in terms of efficacy for intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering by small-incision cataract surgery (SICS) trab versus modified \"frown\" incision with triangular scleral flap technique. Methods: This study was done at a tertiary health center. It included 44 eyes diagnosed with cataract and coexisting primary glaucoma that underwent SICS with trabeculectomy using modified \"frown\" incision with triangular scleral flap technique and straight incision in group A (n = 22) and B (n = 22), respectively. Postoperative evaluation was done at first postoperative day, then at the end of first week, third week, and 6 weeks; at the end of third month and finally at the end of sixth months. Data were entered and analyzed via Microsoft Excel sheet and SPSS software using Mann-Whitney U test for averages and Chi-square test for categorical values. Results: Mean preoperative IOP in groups A and B were 38.6 and 29.1 mm Hg respectively, by applanation tonometry. After 6-month follow-up, mean of difference in IOP (preoperative - postoperative) for group A was 20.8 ± 8.3 mm Hg and that for group B was 17.2 ± 13.5 mm Hg. Conclusion: Capacity of IOP reduction of both techniques was found to be comparable and did not show much difference up to the end of 6 months. Mastering technique of group A (modified \"frown\" incision with triangular scleral flap technique) requires more expertise; the simpler straight incision technique provided in group B may be effectively used by the novice and current era Ophthalmologists to combat glaucoma coexistant with cataract.

The following article reports on a multimodal corpus study of English as if constructions. The results of this study suggest that formulaic and insubordinate as if constructions are prosodically chunked as clauses, with formulaic as if constructions uttered with significantly higher pitch and insubordinate as if constructions with lower pitch when being compared with subordinate uses. In addition, insubordinate as if clauses are occasionally accompanied by frowns. It is argued that, although both constructions convey an ironic interpretation, multimodal markers of irony play only a minor role in explaining the findings. Instead, it is argued that the non-verbal features are construction-specific and can reasonably be explained as cross-modal collostructions. As such, the present article provides a description of the non-verbal features accompanying English as if clauses and provides a theoretical explanation. In doing so, some modest evidence for a multimodal Utterance Construction Grammar is also presented.

Facial expressions contribute to nonverbal communication, social coordination, and interaction. Facial expressions may reflect the emotional state of the expressor, but they may be modulated by the presence of others, for example, by facial mimicry or through social display rules. We examined how deliberate facial expressions of happiness and anger (smiles and frowns), prompted by written commands, are modulated by the congruency with the facial expression of background faces and how this effect depends on the age of the background face (infants vs. adults). Our main interest was whether the quality of the required expression could be influenced by a task-irrelevant background face and its emotional display. Background faces from adults and infants displayed happy, angry, or neutral expressions. To assess the activation pattern of different action units, we used a machine classifier software; the same classifier was used to assess the chronometry of the expression responses. Results indicated slower and less correct performance when an incongruent facial expression was in the background, especially when distractor stimuli showed adult faces. Interestingly, smile responses were more intense in congruent than incongruent conditions. Depending on stimulus age, frown responses were affected in their quality by incongruent (smile) expressions in terms of the additional activation or deactivation of the outer brow raiser (AU2), resulting in a blended expression, somewhat different from the prototypical expression for anger. Together, the present results show qualitative effects on deliberate facial expressions, beyond typical chronometric effects, confirming machine classification of facial expressions as a promising tool for emotion research.

Background: Unsafe abortion is a major preventable public health problem and contributes to high mortality among women. Ghana has ratified international conventions to prevent unwanted pregnancies and provide safe abortion services, legally authorizing midwives to provide induced abortion services in certain circumstances. Objective: The aim of the study was to understand midwives’ readiness to be involved in legal induced abortions, should the law become less restricted in Ghana. Methods: A qualitative study design, with a topic guide for individual in-depth interviews of selected midwives, was adopted. The interviews were tape-recorded and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Participants emphasized their willingness to reduce maternal mortalities, their experiences of maternal deaths, and their passion for the health of pregnant women. Knowledge of Ghana’s abortion law was generally low. Different views were expressed regarding readiness to engage in abortion services. Some expressed it as being sinful and against their religion to assist in abortion care, whilst others felt it was good to save the lives of women. Conclusion: The midwives made it clear that unsafe abortions are common, stigmatizing and contributing to maternal mortality, issues that must be addressed. They made various suggestions to reduce this preventable tragedy.

Background As life expectancy rises, facial rejuvenation has gained significance. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the effects of body and facial acupuncture on reducing frown lines in women aged 30–59 in Mashhad, Iran. Patients/Methods In this double‐arm randomized wait‐list controlled trial, 72 participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group, receiving facial and body acupuncture twice weekly for 6 weeks, or a control group with no treatment. The primary outcome was assessed using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) based on standardized photographs. Secondary outcomes included the Subject Satisfaction Scale (SSS) and Quality of Life (QOL) scores. Measurements were taken at three time points: week 0 (pre‐treatment), week 7 (post‐treatment), and week 12 (follow‐up). Results At week 7, 63% of the intervention group showed reduced frown lines at rest, and 72% during maximum frowning, significantly outperforming the control group. The improvements observed in the intervention group persisted at week 12 with 68.6% at rest and 57.2% at maximum frown. The SSS indicated that 72.2% and 62.9% of the intervention group were satisfied with their frown lines at weeks 7 and 12, respectively. Notable QOL improvements in social functioning were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group at both weeks 7 and 12. No serious adverse effects were reported; minor bleeding occurred in 4.86% of treatment sessions, resulting in bruising in 0.69%. Conclusion This study demonstrates that facial and body acupuncture is an effective and safe method for reducing frown lines. Trial Registration IRCT20230204057316N1 (https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/68408)

To explore the clinical efficacy of small sub-eyebrow incision in severing the corrugator supercilii muscle combined with autologous block fat transplantation for treating severe frown lines. Sixteen patients with severe frown lines admitted to our hospital who refused to receive repeated injections of botulinum toxin were selected for treatment through corrugator dissection combined with fat transplantation. No patients had difficulty raising their eyebrows after surgery. They all had a smooth eyebrow shape, no abnormal movement of the eyebrows, and no tissue depression during relaxation or frowning. At 12 months after surgery, the overall patient satisfaction with the treatment was 100%, indicating satisfactory results. Treating severe frown lines with a small incision of corrugator combined with autologous block fat transplantation is more effective than traditional treatment, maintains stable and long-term satisfaction, and is associated with less postoperative complications; therefore, this technique should be promoted for treating severe frown lines.