Risk proneness modulates the impact of impulsivity on brain functional connectivity.

Impulsivity and sensation seeking are considered to be among the most important personality traits involved in risk-taking behavior. This study is focused on whether the association of these personality traits and brain functional connectivity depends on individuals' risk proneness. Risk proneness was assessed with the DOSPERT-30 scale and corroborated with performance in a motorcycle simulator. The associations of impulsivity- and sensation seeking-related traits with the between and within coupling of seven major brain functional networks, estimated from electroencefalograma (EEG) recordings, differ according to whether an individual is risk prone or not. In risk-prone individuals, (lack of) premeditation enhanced the coupling of the ventral attention and limbic networks. At the same time, emotion seeking increased the coupling of the frontoparietal network and the default mode networks (DMNs). Finally, (lack of) perseverance had a positive impact on the coupling of anterior temporal nodes of the limbic network whilst having a negative impact on some frontal nodes of the frontoparietal network and the DMNs. In general, the results suggest that the predisposition to behave riskily modulates the way in which impulsivity traits are linked to brain functionality, seemingly making the brain networks prepare for an immediate, automatic, and maladaptive response.

Impact of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT in the treatment of prostate cancer: Initial experience in Spain.

AIM: To evaluate whether positron-emission tomography/computed tomography with 68Ga-PSMA (68Ga-PSMA PET/CT) influences the therapeutic management of patients with primary or recurrent prostate cancer (PCa). BACKGROUND: Although 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT is one of the best options for staging or restaging patients with PCa, its availability is still very limited in Spain. The present study reports the results of the first group of patients in Spain who underwent 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients (n = 27) with a histological diagnosis of PCa who underwent 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT prior to the definitive treatment decision at the only centre with this technology in Spain during 2017-2018 were included. Two nuclear medicine physicians and a radiologist reviewed the imaging studies. The clinical impact was assessed from a theoretical perspective, based on the treatment that would have been applied if no data from the 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT were available. RESULTS: Most patients (n = 26; 96%) had persistent disease or biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, or combined treatment. One patient underwent 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging to stage high-risk PCa. Overall, 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT was positive in 19 patients (70.4%). In 68.75% of these patients, none of the other imaging tests-MRI, CT, or bone scans-performed prior to the 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT were able to detect the presence of cancerous lesions. Overall, the findings of the 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT led to a modification of the therapeutic approach in 62.96% of the patients in the study. CONCLUSIONS: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT alters the therapeutic approach in a substantial proportion of patients with PCa.

Impact of Carbon Nanomaterials on the Antioxidant System of Tomato Seedlings.

Tomato is one of the most economically important vegetables worldwide and is constantly threatened by various biotic and abiotic stress factors reducing the quality and quantity in the production of this crop. As an alternative to mitigate stress in plants, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been used in agricultural areas. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the antioxidant responses of tomato seedlings to the application via foliar and drench of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene (GP). Different doses (10, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg L-1) and a control were evaluated. The results showed that the fresh and dry root weight increased with the application of CNMs. Regarding the antioxidant responses of tomato seedlings, the application of CNMs increased the content of phenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, glutathione, photosynthetic pigments, activity of the enzyme's ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase as well as the content of proteins. Therefore, the use of carbon-based nanomaterials could be a good alternative to induce tolerance to different stress in tomato crop.

The Application of Selenium and Copper Nanoparticles Modifies the Biochemical Responses of Tomato Plants under Stress by Alternaria solani.

Early blight is a disease that greatly affects Solanaceae, mainly damaging tomato plants, and causing significant economic losses. Although there are methods of biological control, these are very expensive and often their mode of action is slow. Due to this, there is a need to use new techniques that allow a more efficient control of pathogens. Nanotechnology is a new alternative to solve these problems, allowing the creation of new tools for the treatment of diseases in plants, as well as the control of pathogens. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the foliar application of selenium and copper in the form of nanoparticles in a tomato crop infested by Alternaria solani. The severity of Alternaria solani, agronomic variables of the tomato crop, and the changes in the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds were evaluated. The joint application of Se and Cu nanoparticles decreases the severity of this pathogen in tomato plants. Moreover, high doses generated an induction of the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase in the leaves, and the enzyme GPX in the fruit. Regarding non-enzymatic compounds in the leaves, chlorophyll a, b, and totals were increased, whereas vitamin C, glutathione, phenols, and flavonoids were increased in fruits. The application of nanoparticles generated beneficial effects by increasing the enzymatic and non-enzymatic compounds and decreasing the severity of Alternaria solani in tomato plants.

Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials as Plant Biostimulants.

Biostimulants are materials that when applied in small amounts are capable of promoting plant growth. Nanoparticles (NPs) and nanomaterials (NMs) can be considered as biostimulants since, in specific ranges of concentration, generally in small levels, they increase plant growth. Pristine NPs and NMs have a high density of surface charges capable of unspecific interactions with the surface charges of the cell walls and membranes of plant cells. In the same way, functionalized NPs and NMs, and the NPs and NMs with a corona formed after the exposition to natural fluids such as water, soil solution, or the interior of organisms, present a high density of surface charges that interact with specific charged groups in cell surfaces. The magnitude of the interaction will depend on the materials adhered to the corona, but high-density charges located in a small volume cause an intense interaction capable of disturbing the density of surface charges of cell walls and membranes. The electrostatic disturbance can have an impact on the electrical potentials of the outer and inner surfaces, as well as on the transmembrane electrical potential, modifying the activity of the integral proteins of the membranes. The extension of the cellular response can range from biostimulation to cell death and will depend on the concentration, size, and the characteristics of the corona.

Se Nanoparticles Induce Changes in the Growth, Antioxidant Responses, and Fruit Quality of Tomato Developed under NaCl Stress.

Nanotechnology represents an opportunity to improve the use of elements in agriculture. Selenium is an element that is beneficial to plants and essential to the human diet. The size of nanoparticles gives them characteristics that can enhance the benefits that selenium provides to plants. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of selenium nanoparticles on the growth, antioxidant responses, and fruit quality of tomato developed under NaCl stress. Four doses of selenium nanoparticles (1, 5, 10, and 20 mg L-1) under NaCl stress, only NaCl, and a control were evaluated. The results showed that the impact of salinity on the growth of the tomato crop can be reduced with the application of selenium nanoparticles. However, the amount of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic compounds significantly increased in the leaves and fruits of tomato. The results suggest that the application of selenium nanoparticles generated a positive effect against salinity in the tomato crop; moreover, it had a positive impact on the content of beneficial biocompounds for human health in tomato fruits.

From Elemental Sulfur to Hydrogen Sulfide in Agricultural Soils and Plants.

Sulfur is an essential element in determining the productivity and quality of agricultural products. It is also an element associated with tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress in plants. In agricultural practice, sulfur has broad use in the form of sulfate fertilizers and, to a lesser extent, as sulfite biostimulants. When used in the form of bulk elemental sulfur, or micro- or nano-sulfur, applied both to the soil and to the canopy, the element undergoes a series of changes in its oxidation state, produced by various intermediaries that apparently act as biostimulants and promoters of stress tolerance. The final result is sulfate S+6, which is the source of sulfur that all soil organisms assimilate and that plants absorb by their root cells. The changes in the oxidation states of sulfur S0 to S+6 depend on the action of specific groups of edaphic bacteria. In plant cells, S+6 sulfate is reduced to S-2 and incorporated into biological molecules. S-2 is also absorbed by stomata from H2S, COS, and other atmospheric sources. S-2 is the precursor of inorganic polysulfides, organic polysulfanes, and H2S, the action of which has been described in cell signaling and biostimulation in plants. S-2 is also the basis of essential biological molecules in signaling, metabolism, and stress tolerance, such as reactive sulfur species (RSS), SAM, glutathione, and phytochelatins. The present review describes the dynamics of sulfur in soil and plants, considering elemental sulfur as the starting point, and, as a final point, the sulfur accumulated as S-2 in biological structures. The factors that modify the behavior of the different components of the sulfur cycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere system, and how these influences the productivity, quality, and stress tolerance of crops, are described. The internal and external factors that influence the cellular production of S-2 and polysulfides vs. other S species are also described. The impact of elemental sulfur is compared with that of sulfates, in the context of proper soil management. The conclusion is that the use of elemental sulfur is recommended over that of sulfates, since it is beneficial for the soil microbiome, for productivity and nutritional quality of crops, and also allows the increased tolerance of plants to environmental stresses.

Electroencephalographic Evidence of Abnormal Anticipatory Uncertainty Processing in Gambling Disorder Patients.

Putting money at stake produces anticipatory uncertainty, a process that has been linked to key features of gambling. Here we examined how learning and individual differences modulate the stimulus preceding negativity (SPN, an electroencephalographic signature of perceived uncertainty of valued outcomes) in gambling disorder patients (GDPs) and healthy controls (HCs), during a non-gambling contingency learning task. Twenty-four GDPs and 26 HCs performed a causal learning task under conditions of high and medium uncertainty (HU, MU; null and positive cue-outcome contingency, respectively). Participants were asked to predict the outcome trial-by-trial, and to regularly judge the strength of the cue-outcome contingency. A pre-outcome SPN was extracted from simultaneous electroencephalographic recordings for each participant, uncertainty level, and task block. The two groups similarly learnt to predict the occurrence of the outcome in the presence/absence of the cue. In HCs, SPN amplitude decreased as the outcome became predictable in the MU condition, a decrement that was absent in the HU condition, where the outcome remained unpredictable during the task. Most importantly, GDPs' SPN remained high and insensitive to task type and block. In GDPs, the SPN amplitude was linked to gambling preferences. When both groups were considered together, SPN amplitude was also related to impulsivity. GDPs thus showed an abnormal electrophysiological response to outcome uncertainty, not attributable to faulty contingency learning. Differences with controls were larger in frequent players of passive games, and smaller in players of more active games. Potential psychological mechanisms underlying this set of effects are discussed.

Effects of Chitosan-PVA and Cu Nanoparticles on the Growth and Antioxidant Capacity of Tomato under Saline Stress.

Chitosan is a natural polymer, which has been used in agriculture to stimulate crop growth. Furthermore, it has been used for the encapsulation of nanoparticles in order to obtain controlled release. In this work, the effect of chitosan-PVA and Cu nanoparticles (Cu NPs) absorbed on chitosan-PVA on growth, antioxidant capacity, mineral content, and saline stress in tomato plants was evaluated. The results show that treatments with chitosan-PVA increased tomato growth. Furthermore, chitosan-PVA increased the content of chlorophylls a and b, total chlorophylls, carotenoids, and superoxide dismutase. When chitosan-PVA was mixed with Cu NPs, the mechanism of enzymatic defense of tomato plants was activated. The chitosan-PVA and chitosan-PVA + Cu NPs increased the content of vitamin C and lycopene, respectively. The application of chitosan-PVA and Cu NPs might induce mechanisms of tolerance to salinity.

Causal Learning in Gambling Disorder: Beyond the Illusion of Control.

Causal learning is the ability to progressively incorporate raw information about dependencies between events, or between one's behavior and its outcomes, into beliefs of the causal structure of the world. In spite of the fact that some cognitive biases in gambling disorder can be described as alterations of causal learning involving gambling-relevant cues, behaviors, and outcomes, general causal learning mechanisms in gamblers have not been systematically investigated. In the present study, we compared gambling disorder patients against controls in an instrumental causal learning task. Evidence of illusion of control, namely, overestimation of the relationship between one's behavior and an uncorrelated outcome, showed up only in gamblers with strong current symptoms. Interestingly, this effect was part of a more complex pattern, in which gambling disorder patients manifested a poorer ability to discriminate between null and positive contingencies. Additionally, anomalies were related to gambling severity and current gambling disorder symptoms. Gambling-related biases, as measured by a standard psychometric tool, correlated with performance in the causal learning task, but not in the expected direction. Indeed, performance of gamblers with stronger biases tended to resemble the one of controls, which could imply that anomalies of causal learning processes play a role in gambling disorder, but do not seem to underlie gambling-specific biases, at least in a simple, direct way.

Selenium and Sulfur to Produce Allium Functional Crops.

Selenium is an element that must be considered in the nutrition of certain crops since its use allows the obtaining of biofortified crops with a positive impact on human health. The objective of this review is to present the information on the use of Se and S in the cultivation of plants of the genus Allium. The main proposal is to use Allium as specialist plants for biofortification with Se and S, considering the natural ability to accumulate both elements in different phytochemicals, which promotes the functional value of Allium. In spite of this, in the agricultural production of these species, the addition of sulfur is not realized to obtain functional foods and plants more resistant; it is only sought to cover the necessary requirements for growth. On the other hand, selenium does not appear in the agronomic management plans of most of the producers. Including S and Se fertilization as part of agronomic management can substantially improve Allium crop production. Allium species may be suitable to carry out biofortification with Se; this practice can be combined with the intensive use of S to obtain crops with higher production and sensory, nutritional, and functional quality.

Reference values for jitter recorded by concentric needle electrodes in healthy controls: A multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to create reference values for jitter measured with concentric needle electrodes. METHODS: Operators worldwide contributed recordings from orbicularis oculi (OO), frontalis (FR), and extensor digitorum (ED) muscles in healthy controls. Criteria for acceptable signal quality were agreed upon in advance. Fifteen or 20 recordings of acceptable quality from each muscle were required for voluntary and electrical stimulation recordings, respectively. RESULTS: Recordings from 59 to 92 subjects were obtained for each muscle and activation type. Outlier limits for mean consecutive difference and individual jitter data for voluntary activation were: OO, 31 and 45 µs; FR, 28 and 38 µs; ED, 30 and 43 µs; and for electrical stimulation they were: OO, 27 and 36 µs; FR, 21 and 28 µs; ED, 24 and 35 µs. CONCLUSION: Reference jitter values from concentric needle electrode recordings were developed from signals of defined quality while seeking to avoid creating supernormal values.

[Molecular characterization of hepatitis C virus in patients referred to a reference laboratory of public health, University Hospital "Antonio Patricio de Alcalá", Cumani, Venezuela]. / Caracterización molecular del virus de la Hepatitis C en pacientes remitidos al Laboratorio Regional de Salud Pública del Hospital Universitario "Antonio Patricio de Alcalá", Cumaná, Venezuela.

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 170 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study evaluated the presence of antibodies against HCV by two immunoassays. HCV genotypes were analyzed by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome fragments amplified from the 5 'non-coding (5'NC) region and non-structural region 5b (NS5b), using reverse transcription and nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in patients referred from January 2010 to February 2013 to the Reference Laboratory of Public Health, University Hospital "Antonio Patricio de Alcalá". The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 0.57% (17/3005), being the group of patients older than 41 years the most affected (0.9%). A total of 16 samples were found positive for HCV RNA by RT-PCR in the 5'NC region (16/17, 94%). Phylogenetic analysis of the 5'NC region allowed to identify the circulation of genotypes 2 and 1, and one genotype 3 and one 4. By phylogenetic analysis of the NS5b region, diverse subtypes of HCV genotype 2 were identified (2a, 2j and 2s). This finding is in accordance with previous studies that indicate that this genotype is relatively diverse in our country.

Neural mechanisms underlying urgent and evaluative behaviors: An fMRI study on the interaction of automatic and controlled processes.

Dual-process theories have dominated the study of risk perception and risk-taking over the last two decades. However, there is a lack of objective brain-level evidence supporting the two systems of processing in every-day risky behavior. To address this issue, we propose the dissociation between evaluative and urgent behaviors as evidence of dual processing in risky driving situations. Our findings show a dissociation of evaluative and urgent behavior both at the behavioral and neural level. fMRI data showed an increase of activation in areas implicated in motor programming, emotional processing, and visuomotor integration in urgent behavior compared to evaluative behavior. These results support a more automatic processing of risk in urgent tasks, relying mainly on heuristics and experiential appraisal. The urgent task, which is characterized by strong time pressure and the possibility for negative consequences among others factors, creates a suitable context for the experiential-affective system to guide the decision-making process. Moreover, we observed greater frontal activation in the urgent task, suggesting the participation of cognitive control in safe behaviors. The findings of this research are relevant for the study of the neural mechanisms underlying dual process models in risky perception and decision-making, especially because of their proximity to everyday activities.

Enhancing Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Strawberries through Advanced Coating Technologies: A Comprehensive Investigation of Chitosan and Glycine Betaine Nanoparticle Treatments.

The application of natural polymer-based coatings presents a viable approach to prolong the longevity of fruits and tissue damage. This study investigates the impact of treatments involving glycine betaine (GB), chitosan (CTS), and chitosan-coated glycine betaine nanoparticles (CTS-GB NPs) on preserving the quality and reducing decay in strawberry fruits. The fruits were subjected to treatments with GB (1 mM), CTS (0.1%), CTS-GB NPs (0.1%), or distilled water at 20 °C for 5 min, followed by storage at 4 °C for 12 days. The results indicate that CTS and CTS-GB NPs treatments resulted in the highest tissue firmness, total anthocyanin content, and ascorbate peroxidase activity, while exhibiting the lowest decay percentage and weight loss, as well as reduced malondialdehyde levels at the end of storage. GB, CTS, and CTS-GB NPs treatments demonstrated elevated catalase activity and antioxidant capacity, coupled with lower electrolyte leakage and hydrogen peroxide levels. These treatments did not significantly differ from each other but were markedly different from the control. The results substantiate that CTS and CTS-GB NPs treatments effectively preserve strawberry quality and extend storage life by bolstering antioxidant capacity and mitigating free radical damage.

Impact of Argemone mexicana L. on tomato plants infected with Phytophthora infestans.

Background: Fungal diseases can cause significant losses in the tomato crop. Phytophthora infestans causes the late blight disease, which considerably affects tomato production worldwide. Weed-based plant extracts are a promising ecological alternative for disease control. Methods: In this study, we analyzed the plant extract of Argemone mexicana L. using chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). We evaluated its impact on the severity of P. infestans, as well as its effect on the components of the antioxidant defense system in tomato plants. Results: The extract from A. mexicana contains twelve compounds most have antifungal and biostimulant properties. The findings of the study indicate that applying the A. mexicana extract can reduce the severity of P. infestans, increase tomato fruit yield, enhance the levels of photosynthetic pigments, ascorbic acid, phenols, and flavonoids, as well as decrease the biosynthesis of H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide anion in the leaves of plants infected with this pathogen. These results suggest that using the extract from A. mexicana could be a viable solution to control the disease caused by P. infestans in tomato crop.

Docetaxel Provides Oncological Benefits in the Era of New-Generation Androgen Receptor Inhibitors - or Is Three a Crowd?

In recent years, several systemic therapies have been introduced for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) combined with docetaxel (Doc) and/or new-generation androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI). Trials evaluating ADT + ARSI have consistently demonstrated an overall survival (OS) benefit for doublet therapy over ADT alone. Similarly, the STOPCaP meta-analysis showed an OS benefit in favor of ADT + Doc versus ADT alone. ARSI, Doc, and ADT have different antitumor mechanisms, thus potentiating the effect of combination therapy. Two randomized trials showed that the addition of ARSI to ADT + Doc improves OS, especially for synchronous high-volume disease. However, the real question about triplet therapy remains unanswered: whether combining Doc with ARSI improves outcomes compared to ADT + ARSI. As there are no head-to-head comparisons, this narrative review aims to summarize the current evidence regarding triplet therapy versus doublet therapy including ADT+ ARSI.

The human milk microbiota: origin and potential roles in health and disease.

Human milk has been traditionally considered sterile; however, recent studies have shown that it represents a continuous supply of commensal, mutualistic and/or potentially probiotic bacteria to the infant gut. Culture-dependent and -independent techniques have revealed the dominance of staphylococci, streptococci, lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in this biological fluid, and their role on the colonization of the infant gut. These bacteria could protect the infant against infections and contribute to the maturation of the immune system, among other functions. Different studies suggest that some bacteria present in the maternal gut could reach the mammary gland during late pregnancy and lactation through a mechanism involving gut monocytes. Thus, modulation of maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy and lactation could have a direct effect on infant health. On the other hand, mammary dysbiosis may lead to mastitis, a condition that represents the first medical cause for undesired weaning. Selected strains isolated from breast milk can be good candidates for use as probiotics. In this review, their potential uses for the treatment of mastitis and to inhibit mother-to-infant transfer of HIV are discussed.

Impact of the TEI Peer Tutoring Program on Coexistence, Bullying and Cyberbullying in Spanish Schools.

The TEI peer tutoring program (in Spanish, Tutoría entre Iguales, hereinafter TEI ) is Spain's most important coexistence program for the prevention of violence and bullying in secondary schools and one of the first worldwide. So that we may better appreciate the effectiveness and benefits of this program, a comparative study has been developed between four schools that are presently following this preventive strategy (TEI centres) and four other schools that do not carry out the TEI program (non-TEI centres). Controlling the other sociodemographic variables, students' perception of coexistence, bullying and cyberbullying has been evaluated. In total, 1015 secondary school students belonging to eight schools from four autonomous communities in Spain participated. The results reveal that the students of TEI centres have a more favourable perception of educational coexistence and indicate lower rates of bullying and cyberbullying than those studying at non-TEI centres. These results highlight the benefits of the TEI program and the need to continue promoting and expanding these preventing bullying strategies in schools.

Molecular characterization of human adenovirus causing infantile acute gastroenteritis in Venezuela before and after rotavirus vaccine implementation.

Human adenoviruses (HAdV) of species F are commonly involved in pediatric acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The real impact on Venezuelan health is unknown. To investigate the prevalence and molecular diversity of HAdV in Venezuela, 630 fecal samples collected from children with AGE in 3 cities, from 2001 to 2013, were tested by PCR. Species F and types F40/41 were identified by REA. HAdV was detected in 123 cases (19.5%), most from outpatient females under 24 months old. A progressive and substantial increase in the detection rate was observed over time, significantly higher in rotavirus vaccinated than unvaccinated children (28.4% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.00019). Phylogenetic analysis of 28 randomly selected genomes showed high similarity among HAdV-F40/41 and those worldwide. HAdV-F of type 41 prevailed (79.8%) and clustered into 2 intratypic major clades. The significant involvement of HAdV-F41 in AGE suggests the importance of actively monitoring viral agents other than rotavirus, especially after vaccine introduction.