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Internet gaming disorder (IGD), a worldwide mental health issue, has been widely studied using neuroimaging techniques during the last decade. Although dysfunctions in resting‐state functional connectivity have been reported in IGD, mapping relationships from abnormal connectivity patterns to behavioral measures have not been fully investigated. Connectome‐based predictive modeling (CPM)—a recently developed machine‐learning approach—has been used to examine potential neural mechanisms in addictions and other psychiatric disorders. To identify the resting‐state connections associated with IGD, we modified the CPM approach by replacing its core learning algorithm with a support vector machine. Resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired in 72 individuals with IGD and 41 healthy comparison participants. The modified CPM was conducted with respect to classification and regression. A comparison of whole‐brain and network‐based analyses showed that the default‐mode network (DMN) is the most informative network in predicting IGD both in classification (individual identification accuracy = 78.76%) and regression (correspondence between predicted and actual psychometric scale score: r = 0.44, P < 0.001). To facilitate the characterization of the aberrant resting‐state activity in the DMN, the identified networks have been mapped into a three‐subsystem division of the DMN. Results suggest that individual differences in DMN function at rest could advance our understanding of IGD and variability in disorder etiology and intervention outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tillering is a significant agronomic trait in wheat which shapes plant architecture and yield. Strigolactones (SLs) function in inhibiting axillary bud outgrowth. The roles of SLs in the regulation of bud outgrowth have been described in model plant species, including rice and Arabidopsis. However, the role of SLs genes in wheat remains elusive due to the size and complexity of the wheat genomes. In this study, TaD27 genes in wheat, orthologs of rice D27 encoding an enzyme involved in SLs biosynthesis, were identified. TaD27‐RNAi wheat plants had more tillers, and TaD27‐B‐OE wheat plants had fewer tillers. Germination bioassay of Orobanche confirmed the SLs was deficient in TaD27‐RNAi and excessive in TaD27‐B‐OE wheat plants. Moreover, application of exogenous GR24 or TIS108 could mediate the axillary bud outgrowth of TaD27‐RNAi and TaD27‐B‐OE in the hydroponic culture, suggesting that TaD27‐B plays critical roles in regulating wheat tiller number by participating in SLs biosynthesis. Unlike rice D27, plant height was not affected in the transgenic wheat plants. Transcription and gene coexpression network analysis showed that a number of genes are involved in the SLs signalling pathway and axillary bud development. Our results indicate that TaD27‐B is a key factor in the regulation of tiller number in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychobehavioral intervention is an effective treatment of Internet addiction, including Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the neural mechanisms underlying its efficacy remain unclear. Cortical-ventral striatum (VS) circuitry is a common target of psychobehavioral interventions in drug addiction, and cortical-VS dysfunction has been reported in IGD; hence, the primary aim of the study was to investigate how the VS circuitry responds to psychobehavioral interventions in IGD. In a cross-sectional study, we examined resting-state functional connectivity of the VS in 74 IGD subjects (IGDs) and 41 healthy controls (HCs). In a follow-up craving behavioral intervention (CBI) study, of the 74 IGD subjects, 20 IGD subjects received CBI (CBI+) and 16 IGD subjects did not (CBI-). All participants were scanned twice with similar time interval to assess the effects of CBI. IGD subjects showed greater resting-state functional connectivity of the VS to left inferior parietal lobule (lIPL), right inferior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus, in positive association with the severity of IGD. Moreover, compared with CBI-, CBI+ showed significantly greater decrease in VS-lIPL connectivity, along with amelioration in addiction severity following the intervention. These findings demonstrated that functional connectivity between VS and lIPL, each presumably mediating gaming craving and attentional bias, may be a potential biomarker of the efficacy of psychobehavioral intervention. These results also suggested that non-invasive techniques such as transcranial magnetic or direct current stimulation targeting the VS-IPL circuitry may be used in the treatment of Internet gaming disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies conducted in drug addiction suggest a transition in processing of drug-related cues from the ventral to the dorsal component of the striatum. However, this process has not been studied in a behavioral addiction. Assessment of this process in a non-drug addiction can provide insight into the pathophysiology of both substance and behavioral addictions. Thirty-nine male Internet gaming disorder (IGD) subjects and 23 male matched healthy controls (HCs) participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging during performance of a cue-reactivity task involving alternating presentation of Internet gaming-related stimuli (game cues) and general Internet surfing-related stimuli (control cues). Cue-induced neural activations in the ventral and dorsal striatum (DS) were compared between IGD and HC participants. Associations between cue-reactivity within these regions and cue-induced craving and severity and duration of IGD were also explored. IGD participants exhibited higher cue-induced activations within both the ventral and DS when compared with HCs. Within the IGD group, activity within the left ventral striatum (VS) was correlated negatively with cue-induced craving; positive associations were found between activations within the DS (right putamen, pallidum and left caudate) and duration of IGD. Cue-induced activity within the left putamen was negatively associated with right VS volumes among IGD participants. Consistent with studies in substance addictions, our results suggest that a transition from ventral to dorsal striatal processing may occur among individuals with IGD, a condition without the impact of substance intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study of the synthesis and characterization of a salt-resistant superabsorbent polymer by the polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) with potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) as initiator and sodium tungstate (Na2WO4) as a crosslinker. Among the suppliers of the chemicals used were Tianjin Chemical Regent Co. and Shanghai Aijian Co. It describes the preparation of the crosslinker. The possible use of the superabsorbent composite in agriculture is noted.