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Changes in mitochondrial morphology are associated with nutrient utilization, but the precise causalities and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, using cellular models representing a wide variety of mitochondrial shapes, we show a strong linear correlation between mitochondrial fragmentation and increased fatty acid oxidation (FAO) rates. Forced mitochondrial elongation following MFN2 over-expression or DRP1 depletion diminishes FAO, while forced fragmentation upon knockdown or knockout of MFN2 augments FAO as evident from respirometry and metabolic tracing. Remarkably, the genetic induction of fragmentation phenocopies distinct cell type-specific biological functions of enhanced FAO. These include stimulation of gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes, induction of insulin secretion in islet β-cells exposed to fatty acids, and survival of FAO-dependent lymphoma subtypes. We find that fragmentation increases long-chain but not short-chain FAO, identifying carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) as the downstream effector of mitochondrial morphology in regulation of FAO. Mechanistically, we determined that fragmentation reduces malonyl-CoA inhibition of CPT1, while elongation increases CPT1 sensitivity to malonyl-CoA inhibition. Overall, these findings underscore a physiologic role for fragmentation as a mechanism whereby cellular fuel preference and FAO capacity are determined.

During the first outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many people expressed hatred toward others whom they believed were responsible for the situation. Such increase in negative affect could be resultant of the better-than-average effect (BTAE), which refers to the phenomenon of believing that one is superior to average others. This study investigated the relationship between the BTAE and emotional valence toward others and tested whether the relationship was moderated by allocentric goals (i.e., concerned with the interests of others rather than themselves) and culture. Participants from the U.S. (N = 210) and South Korea (N = 214) were asked about their perceptions on whether they were better than others at preventing the COVID-19 infection, how they felt about others regarding COVID-19, and for whom they were preventing COVID-19. The results indicated that people showing more BTAE in relation to preventing the COVID-19 infection reported more negative emotional valence toward others, but the relationship was moderated by allocentric goals. In particular, the U.S. participants with higher allocentric goals reported less negatively valenced emotions, while the same was not found in Korean participants. The findings suggest the power of allocentric goals in diminishing the BTAE in some cultures, which may possibly explain the negative emotions some people experience when following social distancing rules., Author(s): Min Young Kim [sup.1] , Kyueun Han [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412091.f, 0000 0001 0669 3109, Department of Psychology, Keimyung University, , Daegu, South Korea (2) grid.263136.3, 0000 0004 [...]

The role of emotions in all stages of the moral decision-making process has previously been addressed. Little attention, however, has been paid to how the decision-making process is altered when dissimilar types of emotions are suppressed. In four studies, we investigated the effects of suppressing guilt and suppressing shame on the moral decision-making process. Overall results indicate that suppression of guilt and shame influences each of the three stages of the moral decision-making process-judgment, intention, and behavior-differently. In particular, suppressing guilt influenced the three stages consecutively in the moral decision-making process. In contrast, suppressing shame directly influenced moral behavior without traveling through the stages of moral decision-making consecutively. Our results imply distinctive characteristics of guilt and shame-not only in their generative processes but also in their consequences, as well as in the stages of moral judgment, intention, and behavior-when they are suppressed. This finding has important implications for moral psychology, as it points toward a previously overlooked mechanism linking emotions to the moral decision-making process., Author(s): Kyueun Han [sup.1] , Min Young Kim [sup.2] , Young Woo Sohn [sup.3] , Young-Hoon Kim [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.263136.3, 0000 0004 0533 2389, College of Kyedang General [...]

On a February morning, Ms. Nelson (all names pseudonyms) was preparing her eleventh-grade class for a new unit with the goal of crafting arguments about the people and issues present in the classic novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. As, teacher educators Eileen Shanahan and Min-Young Kim were observing in the classroom, it was not uncommon to hear students' claims like those of Maria: "Their behavior is unacceptable and disturbing." Filled with issues of cultural values, identity, and racism related to the British colonization of a Nigerian village in the 1800s, "Things Fall Apart" provided opportunities (or traps) for students to apply their notions of human rights to their arguments about the characters presented in the text. But though convenient, to fully understand the text and to craft sophisticated arguments about it, students needed to consider the values that undergirded their own arguments, as well as the values of their audience. Students learned that argumentation is not just about making passionate, grand claims to win over, but rather a process of understanding themselves and others and forging connections between them. In this article Shanahan and Kim describe the learning (theirs, Ms. Nelson's, and the students') that occurred, which shaped their understanding of argumentation. Particularly, they propose "introspective argumentation": an approach to argumentation that foregrounds personal values by looking inward within oneself and outward at the perspectives of others to create conversation with texts, others, and the world around us and to construct relationships among these. Shanahan and Kim provide steps and strategies for approaching introspective argumentation in the classroom and evidence of student learning.