Neuromodulation of risk and reward processing during decision making in individuals with general anxiety disorder (GAD).

Individuals with general anxiety disorder (GAD) have an impaired future-oriented processing and altered reward perception, which might involve the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Twenty-nine adults with GAD performed the balloon analogue risk-taking task (BART) and delay discounting task (DDT) during five sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with different stimulation conditions. The stimulation conditions were: anodal dlPFC (F3)/cathodal vmPFC (Fp2), anodal vmPFC (Fp2)/cathodal dlPFC (F3), anodal dlPFC (F3)/cathodal right shoulder, anodal vmPFC (Fp2)/cathodal left shoulder, and sham stimulation.

Beyond discrete-choice options.

While decision theories have evolved over the past five decades, their focus has largely been on choices among a limited number of discrete options, even though many real-world situations have a continuous-option space. Recently, theories have attempted to address decisions with continuous-option spaces, and several computational models have been proposed within the sequential sampling framework to explain how we make a decision in continuous-option space. This article aims to review the main attempts to understand decisions on continuous-option spaces, give an overview of applications of these types of decisions, and present puzzles to be addressed by future developments.

EZ-CDM: Fast, simple, robust, and accurate estimation of circular diffusion model parameters.

The investigation of cognitive processes that form the basis of decision-making in paradigms involving continuous outcomes has gained the interest of modeling researchers who aim to develop a dynamic decision theory that accounts for both speed and accuracy. One of the most important of these continuous models is the circular diffusion model (CDM, Smith. Psychological Review, 123(4), 425.

Neural symphony of risky decision making in children with ADHD: Insights from transcranial alternating current stimulation and cognitive modeling.

Background: The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are key brain regions involved in risky decision making, affected in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aims to examine how entrainment of these areas impacts the process and outcome of risky decision making in children with ADHD.

Methods: Eighteen children with ADHD performed the balloon analogue risk-taking task (BART) during five different sessions of tACS (1.

Are there jumps in evidence accumulation, and what, if anything, do they reflect psychologically? An analysis of Lévy Flights models of decision-making.

According to existing theories of simple decision-making, decisions are initiated by continuously sampling and accumulating perceptual evidence until a threshold value has been reached. Many models, such as the diffusion decision model, assume a noisy accumulation process, described mathematically as a stochastic Wiener process with Gaussian distributed noise. Recently, an alternative account of decision-making has been proposed in the Lévy Flights (LF) model, in which accumulation noise is characterized by a heavy-tailed power-law distribution, controlled by a parameter, [Formula: see text].

Anxiety, concerns and COVID-19: Cross-country perspectives from families and individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the mental health and well-being of children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and of their families worldwide. However, there is insufficient evidence to understand how different factors (e.g.

Transcranial direct current stimulation alters the process of reward processing in children with ADHD: Evidence from cognitive modeling.

Background: The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are the neural underpinnings of reward processing, which is impaired in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the present study, we aimed to explore the impact of the vmPFC and the dlPFC regulation on reward processing.

Methods: Twenty-six children with ADHD performed the balloon analogue risk-taking task (BART) and chocolate delay discounting task (CDDT) during five different sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), separated by a one-week interval: anodal left dlPFC/cathodal right vmPFC, the reversed electrode positioning, anodal left dlPFC stimulation with extracranial return electrode, anodal right vmPFC stimulation with extracranial return electrodes, and sham stimulation.

Natural essential oils as a new therapeutic tool in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most revalent type of cancer in the world and the second most common cause of cancer death (about 1 million per year). Historically, natural compounds and their structural analogues have contributed to the development of new drugs useful in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Essential oils are natural odorous products made up of a complex mixture of low molecular weight compounds with recognized biological and pharmacological properties investigated also for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

A setup for grazing incidence fast atom diffraction.

We describe a UHV setup for grazing incidence fast atom diffraction (GIFAD) experiments. The overall geometry is simply a source of keV atoms facing an imaging detector. Therefore, it is very similar to the geometry of reflection high energy electron diffraction experiments used to monitor growth at surfaces.

Using Interactive Visual Analytics to Optimize Blood Products Inventory at a Blood Bank.

Blood products and their derivatives are perishable commodities that require an efficient inventory management to ensure both a low wastage rate and a high product availability rate. To optimize blood product inventory, Blood Transfusion Services (BTS) need to reduce wastage by avoiding outdates and improving availability of different blood products. We took a blood product lifecycle approach and used advanced visualization techniques to design and develop a highly interactive web-based dashboard to audit retrospective data and consequently, to identify and learn from procedural inefficiencies based on analysis of transactional data.

Nutraceutical Profiling, Bioactive Composition, and Biological Applications of L.

The roots, leaves, and seeds of L., popularly known as Garden cress in different regions, have high economic importance; although, the crop is particularly cultivated for the seeds. In traditional medicine, this plant has been reported to possess various biological activities.

Evaluation the ability of acellular ovine small intestine submucosa to load and release of mineral pitch and its anti-inflammatory effects.

Injury from the severe burn is exacerbated by a persistent inflammatory response. This response is mediated by cytokines and chemokines, which are released from various immune cells, including mast cells. In this study, the ability of the acellular ovine small intestine submucosa (AOSIS) to load and release of Mineral Pitch (MP) was first investigated, and it was found that the preparation of the scaffold by a modified method enables it to load and release water-soluble drugs.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) alters the pattern of information processing in children with ADHD: Evidence from drift diffusion modeling.

Objective: Performance accuracy and reaction time in cognitive tasks are routinely used to evaluate the efficacy of tDCS to affect cognitive task performance. tDCS alters the excitability of targeted brain areas and thereby alters performance of cognitive tasks. The drift diffusion model (DDM) provides some additional measures to explore information processing style, such as (non)decision time, bias for decision, and speed of information processing.

Using Interactive Visual Analytics to Optimize in Real-Time Blood Products Inventory at a Blood Bank.

Blood products and their derivatives are perishable commodities that require an efficient inventory management to ensure both a low wastage rate and a high product availability rate. To optimize blood product inventory, blood transfusion services need to reduce wastage by avoiding outdates and improve availability of different blood products. We used advance visualization techniques to design and develop a highly interactive real-time web-based dashboard to monitor the blood product inventory and the on-going blood unit transactions in near-real-time based on analysis of transactional data.

An Insight on the Role of Altered Function and Expression of Exosomes and MicroRNAs in Female Reproductive Diseases.

Exosomes are small bilayer-lipid membrane vesicles secreted by living cells that are able to transfer regulatory molecules and genetic information from one cell to another. These vesicles are enriched with several nucleic acids including mRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), other non-coding RNAs, as well as proteins and lipids. Alterations in the exosomal content and functions are observed in numerous reproductive diseases in both animals and human cases.

Using 3D-bioprinting scaffold loaded with adipose-derived stem cells to burns wound healing.

Three dimensional (3D) printing has recently expanded in popularity and has become an effective approach for tissue engineering. Advances in tissue engineering have increased the effectiveness of cell-based therapies. Indeed, the ultimate goal of such treatment is the development of conditions similar to fetal wound regeneration.

The useful agent to have an ideal biological scaffold.

Tissue engineering which is applied in regenerative medicine has three basic components: cells, scaffolds and growth factors. This multidisciplinary field can regulate cell behaviors in different conditions using scaffolds and growth factors. Scaffolds perform this regulation with their structural, mechanical, functional and bioinductive properties and growth factors by attaching to and activating their receptors in cells.

Delivery of Apoptosis-inducing Piperine to Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cells Co-polymeric Nanoparticles.

Background/aim: Piperine, a major alkaloid of the fruit of black pepper plants, selectively inhibits the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells but its lipophilicity restricts possible clinical application. This study therefore determined the feasibility of encapsulating piperine in nanoparticles (NPs) to increase its solubility in an aqueous environment.

Materials And Methods: Piperine-loaded biodegradable methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid copolymer-based NPs were produced by single emulsion solvent extraction and thin-film hydration.

Three-component synthesis of chromeno β-lactam hybrids for inflammation and cancer screening.

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of chromeno β-lactam hybrids was achieved by an efficient one-pot three-component reaction. With this procedure, the desired β-lactam products were obtained in good yields and with exclusive cis stereoselection, by combining a variety of benzaldehydes, malononitrile, and either 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione or 4-hydroxycoumarin in the presence of 1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.

Can empathy close the racial divide and gender gap in death penalty support?

Public opinion data indicate that the majority of US respondents support the death penalty. Research has consistently indicated, however, that Blacks and females are significantly less likely to support capital punishment than their White and male counterparts. Past research efforts attempting to account for these differences have, at best, only partially accounted for them: the racial divide and gender gap in death penalty support, while narrowed, remained evident.

Effect of curcumin on glioblastoma cells.

Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound derived from Curcumin longa L. There are growing bodies of evidence revealing the antitumor effect of curcumin in different tumors; although the molecular mechanism behind this inhibition in glioblastoma multiform (GBM) still remains unclear. Here we investigated the antitumor activity of nano micelles curcumin compared with erlotinib in U-373 cells in monolayer cell cultures and spheroids models.

Regulation and modulation of PTEN activity.

PTEN (Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten) is a tumor suppressor that is frequently mutated in most human cancers. PTEN is a lipid and protein phosphatase that antagonizes PI3K/AKT pathway through lipid phosphatase activity at the plasma membrane. More recent studies showed that, in addition to the putative role of PTEN as a PI(3,4,5)P3 3-phosphatase, it is a PI(3,4)P2 3-phosphatase during stimulation of class I PI3K signaling pathway by growth factor.

PepSAVI-MS reveals anticancer and antifungal cycloviolacins in Viola odorata.

Widespread resistance to antimicrobial and cancer therapeutics is evolving in every country worldwide and has a direct impact on global health, agriculture and the economy. The specificity and selectivity of bioactive peptide natural products present a possible stopgap measure to address the ongoing deficit of new therapeutic compounds. PepSAVI-MS (Statistically-guided bioActive Peptides prioritized VIa Mass Spectrometry) is an adaptable method for the analysis of natural product libraries to rapidly identify bioactive peptides.

Reconstruction of a Compound Oromandibular Defect by Means of Chimeric Scapular-Parascapular Free Flap Assisted by Virtual Surgical Planning.

Background: Reconstruction of an oromandibular defect presents a considerable surgical challenge. But since the advent of microvascularized free flap reconstructive surgery, outcomes have improved significantly so that today almost any defect may be reconstructed. Recently, virtual surgical planning has reduced surgical time, the morbidity associated with surgery, and surgical precision.