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Global and Local Action of Serotonin Signalling on Brain Function with Integrative Neuroimaging
No full textNo novel antidepressant has been brought to the market over the past 30 decades despite the major burden incurred by depression on our society. The serotonin system is at the epicentre of depression treatment and other major mental health disorders, yet surprisingly, its role is poorly understood. We propose a holistic neurophysiological approach to put the mechanisms under which serotonin locally encodes reward and punishment predictions in the brain in evidence. Following a mechanistic description, we will examine a novel fast-acting antidepressant in the context of the framework described above. This work will pave the way to better understand a key system affected in depression, and a framework to validate antidepressive treatments based on trans-species mechanistic studies
Neural substrates underlying the expectation of rewards resulting from effortful exertion
No full textWhy do people persist—or stop—when rewards require effort? Such choices are often framed as a trade-off between reward and cost, yet this conceptualization overlooks a fundamental determinant: expectations. Economic theories propose that labor supply is reference-dependent, responding to deviations from expected earnings, but whether such reference points govern effort and how they are implemented in the brain has remained unknown. Using an incentivized grip-force paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging, we experimentally imposed reward expectations independent of outcomes. Effort provision shifted systematically with these expectations, demonstrating that individuals evaluate exertion relative to a reference point rather than absolute incentives. Activity in the ventral striatum encoded both prospective reward expectations and deviations between realized and expected earnings, and these signals predicted inter-individual differences in reference-dependent effort. These findings identify a neural mechanism by which expectations recalibrate the value of exertion, revealing reference dependence as a fundamental principle of motivated behavior
xCRISPR-CRCcorrect: Μια Προσέγγιση Γενετικής Επιδιόρθωσης στην Καταπολέμηση του Καρκίνου του Παχέος Εντέρου
No full textΕπικεφαλής Ερευνητής: Dr. Δημήτρης Κίμογλου Πεδίο Έρευνας: Θεωρητική Νευροεπιστήμη & Βιοπληροφορική Ημερομηνία: 15 Φεβρουαρίου 2026
Βιοχημική και Μοριακή Περιγραφή της Μελέτης
Η παρούσα εργασία εξετάζει τη θεραπευτική παρέμβαση στον καρκίνο του παχέος εντέρου (CRC) μέσω του επαναπρογραμματισμού του γονιδιώματος με το σύστημα CRISPR-CRCcorrect. Η ανάλυση επικεντρώνεται στη χημική συγγένεια και τη δυναμική των παρακάτω μηχανισμών:
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Σχηματισμός Ριβονουκλεοπρωτεϊνικού Συμπλέγματος (RNP): Η στρατηγική βασίζεται στη σύνδεση της ενδονουκλεάσης Cas9 με ένα ειδικά σχεδιασμένο sgRNA, το οποίο αναγνωρίζει μέσω συμπληρωματικών δεσμών υδρογόνου τις αλληλουχίες-στόχους στα ογκογονίδια APC, KRAS και TP53.
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Μηχανική Δίκλωνης Θραύσης (DSB): Η Cas9 προκαλεί ακριβή υδρόλυση των φωσφοδιεστερικών δεσμών στον σκελετό του DNA, δημιουργώντας μια θέση παρέμβασης τρία νουκλεοτίδια ανάντη της αλληλουχίας PAM.
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Ενζυμική Κινητική του HDR (Homology-Directed Repair): Η μελέτη προτείνει την αξιοποίηση του μηχανισμού HDR για την πιστή αποκατάσταση της γενετικής πληροφορίας. Χρησιμοποιούνται εξωγενή πρότυπα ssODN (Single-Stranded Oligodeoxynucleotides) ως χημικά εκμαγεία, τα οποία καθοδηγούν την επανασύνθεση της αλληλουχίας χωρίς την εισαγωγή τυχαίων μεταλλάξεων (indels).
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Μεταγραφικός Επαναπρογραμματισμός και Πρωτεώωμα: Η βιοχημική διόρθωση των μεταλλάξεων οδηγεί στην αναστολή της πυρηνικής συσσώρευσης της β-κατενίνης (μέσω του συμπλέγματος καταστροφής του APC), προκαλώντας δραστική μείωση της έκφρασης των μεταγραφικών παραγόντων c-MYC και Cyclin D1.
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Ενεργοποίηση Αποπτωτικού Καταρράκτη: Η αποκατάσταση του γονιδίου TP53 επαναφέρει τη λειτουργία του «φύλακα του γονιδιώματος», ενεργοποιώντας τη χημική αλληλουχία των κασπασών και προκαλώντας προγραμματισμένο κυτταρικό θάνατο στα καρκινικά κύτταρα.
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Μοριακή Στοχοθέτηση και Ποιότητα Ζωής: Η υψηλή εκλεκτικότητα της μεθόδου ελαχιστοποιεί τις "off-target" επιδράσεις, γεγονός που μεταφράζεται βιοχημικά σε μειωμένη κυτταροτοξικότητα και κλινικά σε βελτίωση της ποιότητας ζωής (EORTC QLQ-C30) κατά 33-40%.
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Working memory demands reshape duration perception via representation and inference: evidence from behavioral mapping and computational modeling
No full textWithin the framework of linear-logarithmic encoding and Bayesian modeling, we want to test how working memory distorts duration perceptio
A Geometric Geodesic Method for Solving Nonlinear Equations: Theory, Experiments, and Applications
No full textPreprint presenting a novel geometric method for solving nonlinear equations without derivative computation. The method reduces function evaluations by 30-50%, handles stiff and near-singular equations, and includes a spectral mode for multi-root detection. Applications in robotics, aerospace, and engineering with discrete/noisy data are demonstrated
Child Empathy: The predictive role of maternal psychopathological symptoms and mentalization.
No full textParental mentalization refers to a parent’s capacity to envision his or her child as being motivated by internal mental states such as feelings, wishes, and desires, and to be able to reflect on his or her own internal mental experiences and how they are shaped and changed by interactions with the child. Given this capacity the parent is able to interact sensitively with his or her child, which is significant for the child to develop a secure attachment representation. It is theorized that the parent´s ability to mentalize, not only facilitates secure attachment, but is central for the child to develop adequate mental representations of reasons for behaviour, by its own, and following that, the capacity to mentalize. The impaired ability to mentalize is seen as important psychopathological factor in many mental disorders. Accordingly impaired parental mentalization can be assumed to play a central role in in the transgenerational transmission of mental disorders.
Being a relatively young concept with a small but promising empirical base, further work is needed to understand parental mentalization. In comparing two concepts of the main research branches, namely mind-mindedness (MM) and parental reflective functioning (PRF), this paper and two other studies, building the author´s dissertation project, are aimed to investigate the complex nature of parental mentalization.
The first of the studies focuses on how a mother´s attachment experiences influence parental mentalization. With attachment experiences indicating a social environment to build mental representations about reasons for behaviours of others, respectively her child, two different resources of such are investigated. As theoretical literature proposes the importance of early attachment experiences, they will be captured with the Parental Bonding Instrument, which pictures the extant of care and overprotection received from the parents. Further, taking a more constructivist perspective, attachment representations are able to change with attachment experiences beyond and after those with the own parents. Indicative of such attachment experiences is the Experience in Close Relationships Questionnaire, which pictures the attachment style in current close relationships. The first study´s main interest is to search out the impact of different attachment experiences on mother´s mentalization.
The second study investigates the impact of mother´s symptoms of depression and anxiety on parental mentalization. Conflicting evidence regarding the impact of symptoms of depression on parental mentalization and barely evidence in regard to anxiety symptoms make further investigations necessary. In addition to that, this study tries to picture the relative impact of psychopathological symptoms in comparison to attachment representations. As attachment representations are theorized to be a relative stable influence on parental mentalization, and symptoms of psychopathology could be a more state like influence, a comparison will help to understand the concept of parental mentalization, and guide aims of interventions. To do so data from Study 1, especially the Parental Bonding Instrument and the Experience in Close Relationships Questionnaire, will be used as indicators of attachment representation.
The third study takes consequences of impaired parental mentalization and mother´s psychopathology on the child´s empathy development in account. As empathy can be understood as a form of mentalization, the transgenerational mechanisms are also central in this study. In comparing the influence of mother´s mentalization and psychopathological symptoms on her child´s empathy this study contributes important empirical data, to understand the emergence of risk factors for psychopathology.
Study
INTEGRATED HYBRID GREEN ENERGY & CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS SYSTEM
No full textINTEGRATED HYBRID GREEN ENERGY & CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS SYSTEM 1. Project Concept This project utilizes a high-temperature waste incineration process to drive a multi-stage energy recovery cycle. It converts thermal, kinetic, chemical, and gravitational energy into electricity while capturing all hazardous gases to produce high-value mineral fertilizers.
(1200 C)º CO2, SO3 , NOx Technical Stages and Engineering Solution Stage I (Primary Thermal & Gravity Cycle): Waste is incinerated at . The heat is captured via the 1st Water Jacket, generating high-pressure steam for the primary turbine. After driving the turbine, the steam undergoes condensation. The resulting water droplets fall by gravity, rotating a Dedicated Hydro-Blade System to generate additional electricity before being recycled.
Stage II (Gas Dynamics): High-pressure flue gases drive a specialized Gas Turbine using their kinetic energy for supplemental power generation.
Stage III (Chemical Reactor & Exothermic Gravity Cycle): The gas stream reacts with NH3 (ammonia), synthesizing Ammonium Bicarbonate , Ammonium Sulfate , and Ammonium Nitrate . The resulting Exothermic Heat (Q) is captured by a 2nd Water Jacket, producing steam for an auxiliary turbine. Following this, the secondary condensation cycle also uses a Dedicated Hydro-Blade System to capture energy from falling water droplets, maximizing total output.
3. Outcomes and Benefits Environment: Zero-emission system. Total sequestration of acid and greenhouse gases.
Production: High-purity Ammonium-based mineral fertilizers.
Efficiency: Multi-tier energy harvesting (Thermal + Kinetic + Chemical + Double Gravitational Hydro-recovery) achieves an estimated efficiency of 85-95%
Recommendations for central venous catheter insertion and maintenance in the prevention of primary bloodstream infection: scoping review protocol
No full textThis project consists of a scoping review protocol that aims to map the current scientific evidence and guidelines on best practices for central venous catheter (CVC) insertion and maintenance, focusing on the prevention of primary bloodstream infection (BSI/CLABSI).
The review seeks to support the development of an educational technology (interactive video) aimed at healthcare professionals and undergraduate students, especially in hospital teaching settings
"Universal Constants as Metric Synchronization Nodes: A Unified Resolution of the 7.1σ Discrepancy"
No full textThis work provides the causal derivation for the local H_0 = 73.1\ \text{km/s/Mpc} baseline via the 1.085 Scaling Constant. By resolving the 7.1σ discrepancy through metric synchronization and the Gross-Observer Effect, we provide a unified solution to the Hubble Tension as established in DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18451950
Causal Inference Approaches in Childhood Trauma-Inflammation Research: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study exploring Adiposity
No full textIn psychoneuroimmunology research, controlling for adiposity is often done without consideration for the underlying data-generating process, potentially leading to underestimation of associations between childhood trauma and inflammation suppressing indirect pathways. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation study using MIDUS-informed effect sizes to model a theorized causal structure (Childhood trauma → Adiposity → CRP) where trauma influences CRP indirectly via adiposity with no direct effect. Results showed models estimating the total association between childhood trauma and CRP produced effect estimates consistent with the simulated data-generating process, whereas models adjusting for adiposity yielded a null direct effect, reflecting statistical absorption of the mediating pathway. These findings illustrate how analytic adjustment decisions alter the estimand and, consequently, the biological interpretation of trauma–inflammation associations
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