Differentiating associations between tasks and outcomes in the human brain

2022 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.In order to successfully achieve their goals in a noisy and changing environment, organisms must continually learn both Pavlovian (stimulus-outcome or S-O) and instrumental (action-outcome or A-O) associations. A wide range of brain regions are implicated in reinforcement learning and decision-making, including the basal ganglia, medial prefrontal cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). One possible explanation of disparate findings is that activation depends on the nature of the action or response under consideration. To investigate representations of task-reward associations, subjects switched between an emotional judgement task and a spatial judgement task, combined with either a high or low level of reward. A general linear model (GLM) compared activation for different combinations of task and reward. A cluster in the mid-prefrontal cortex was more active for right versus left response, whereas a cluster in the midbrain near the brainstem was more active for left responses. Performance of the spatial task was associated with activation in the ventral occipital cortex and ventral prefrontal cortex. Clusters in the posterior parietal cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex were more active during the emotion task. Receiving a large reward was accompanied by activation in primary somatosensory cortex and auditory cortex, while receiving a low reward appeared to recruit the anterior cingulate cortex. Comparing trials which yielded a reward versus trials with no reward revealed activation in the dorsal prefrontal cortex. A 2-way ANOVA examining independent contributions of response and reward found an effect of response in cuneus and pre-cuneus, an effect of reward in anterior insula and sensorimotor cortex, and an interaction in the post-central gyrus. A 2-way ANOVA of task and reward found a main effect of task in several clusters in the medial occipital cortex, a main effect of reward in somatosensory cortex and anterior insula, and an interaction in the ventral occipital and anterior prefrontal cortex

Surrogate Freedom: Transmitting Democracy to the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc

While currently relocating to a building away from the center of Prague, since 1995, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been headquartered in the former Czechoslovakian parliament building. The former President of Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel, invited the radios to move from Munich to Prague and occupy the parliament building for a symbolic dollar a year rent. This gesture of historical irony is especially appropriate in considering the history of international radio broadcasting: a building representative of Communism was converted into the headquarters for radio stations extolling the benefits of democratic media. This symbolic move signifies one of the paradoxes of the twentieth century: the United States, the major financial contributor to RFE/RL, profited from the broadcasting and ideological infrastructure developed by the Soviet Union, and the medium intended to unify and spread Communist goals was ultimately used against the system and contributed to the downfall of the regime. To examine this phenomenon, this paper will consider the beginnings of two forms of broadcasting: early Soviet and post-WWII programming by Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty

Defying the Odds: Exploring the Ways First-Generation College Students Enact Resilience

This thesis examined the experiences of first-generation college students in the context of higher education. This thesis was framed by the communication theory of resilience to discover how first-generation college students enact five processes of resilience: crafting normalcy, affirming identity anchors, maintaining and using communication networks, employing alternate logics, and foregrounding productive action. First-generation college students face academic preparation, financial, social capital, personal, and college completion adversities that may necessitate engagement in resilience processes. Participants (N = 8) participated in focus groups and interviews where they discussed messages from family, peers, and university faculty and staff involving reactive and proactive resilience processes. Results showed that first-generation college student engage in all five processes of resilience with peers and university faculty and staff and four processes of resilience with family. Implications for theory, limitations, and future directions for research directions for research are discussed

Present, Elsewhere

As days elongate into immeasurable stretches, memory lurks closer to the surface of conscious thought. Vivid dreams overflow into waking hours, blurring the thin line between recollection and fantasy. From the area of my bedroom floor I record these memories, noting as I drift further from the present. Which moments demand my attention? Which challenge my perception of our current reality? Which bring me joy? Present, Elsewhere is as much an exercise in grappling with our new parameters for living as it is a study in memory. In my drawings, as my title suggests, the figures are both present and elsewhere. Their bodies occupy physical space, yet they are equally entwined in the nostalgic hues of daydream and fantasy. Each work recollects a feeling. A soft midnight breeze drifting into a bar after closing. Hands sinking deeper into wet sand as the tide rolls in. A figure longing for the outside world reflected in the glass walls encircling her. Some of these memories are my own, others are imagined fictions, but each focuses in on a different facet of yearning. One memory conjures up a longing to return to a specific past, while another behaves as a crutch, restricting access to the present. In each work I meticulously honor scale and formal interactions, while allowing my hand to run wild in color and light. It is easy to forget that the internal geometries of our world remain largely the same, despite the flurry of change that pervades it. This tension between realistic rendering and nostalgic color manifests within each piece. In one drawing the warm hue of an umbrella pours into the heightened pink of a flushed check. In another a disembodied lamp appears to light a figure from within. The vibrancy of the light connects each piece, uniting individual pockets of memory into a collection of disparate flickering moments

How the presentation of patient information and decision-support advisories influences opioid prescribing behavior: A simulation study

ObjectiveThe United States faces an opioid crisis. Integrating prescription drug monitoring programs into electronic health records offers promise to improve opioid prescribing practices. This study aimed to evaluate 2 different user interface designs for prescription drug monitoring program and electronic health record integration.Materials and MethodsTwenty-four resident physicians participated in a randomized controlled experiment using 4 simulated patient cases. In the conventional condition, prescription opioid histories were presented in tabular format, and computerized clinical decision support (CDS) was provided via interruptive modal dialogs (ie, pop-ups). The alternative condition featured a graphical opioid history, a cue to visit that history, and noninterruptive CDS. Two attending pain specialists judged prescription appropriateness.ResultsParticipants in the alternative condition wrote more appropriate prescriptions. When asked after the experiment, most participants stated that they preferred the alternative design to the conventional design.ConclusionsHow patient information and CDS are presented appears to have a significant influence on opioid prescribing behavior

The functions of herpesvirus-encoded microRNAs

Bioinformatic and direct cloning approaches have led to the identification of over 100 novel miRNAs expressed in DNA viruses, although the function of the majority of these small regulatory RNA molecules is unclear. Recently, a number of reports have now identified potential targets of viral miRNAs, including cellular and viral genes as well as an ortholog of an important immune-regulatory cellular miRNA. In this review, we will cover the identification and characterization of miRNAs expressed in the herpesvirus family and discuss the potential significance of their role in viral infection

PASSPORT consumer eligibility

This report examined the PASSPORT population for nursing home level of care and Medicaid financial eligibility. In addition, factors impacting length of stay in PASSPORT and transfer to nursing home are explored

NASA Applied Sciences' DEVELOP National Program: Training the Next Generation of Remote Sensing Scientists

Since its inception over a decade ago, the DEVELOP National Program has provided students with experience in utilizing and integrating satellite remote sensing data into real world-applications. In 1998, DEVELOP began with three students and has evolved into a nationwide internship program with over 200 students participating each year. DEVELOP is a NASA Applied Sciences training and development program extending NASA Earth science research and technology to society. Part of the NASA Science Mission Directorate s Earth Science Division, the Applied Sciences Program focuses on bridging the gap between NASA technology and the public by conducting projects that innovatively use NASA Earth science resources to research environmental issues. Project outcomes focus on assisting communities to better understand environmental change over time. This is accomplished through research with global, national, and regional partners to identify the widest array of practical uses of NASA data. DEVELOP students conduct research in areas that examine how NASA science can better serve society. Projects focus on practical applications of NASA s Earth science research results. Each project is designed to address at least one of the Applied Sciences focus areas, use NASA s Earth observation sources and meet partners needs. DEVELOP research teams partner with end-users and organizations who use project results for policy analysis and decision support, thereby extending the benefits of NASA science and technology to the public