Computational modeling investigates the neural mechanisms underlying working memory updating impairments in depression.

Depression has been associated with a reduced ability to update negative beliefs, possibly driven by difficulties integrating new positive information. Recent theoretical accounts propose that attenuated neural responses to unexpected positive information, i.e., positive prediction errors, may underlie this biased belief updating. We examined the revision of established negative vs. positive interpretations in response to novel negative vs. positive information and the associated pupillary responses in clinically depressed individuals (n=41) and healthy controls (n=43). Results confirmed a negative interpretation bias in the clinical subsample, but no deficits in updating negative interpretations in the face of positive information. Similarly, no blunted pupillary responses to unexpected positive outcomes were observed in individuals with depression. Exploratory analyses provided preliminary evidence that medicated participants were more likely to revise their interpretations after positive information than unmedicated participants. Additionally, there was a possible tendency toward an increased pupillary response to unexpected compared to expected positive information across both subsamples, while negative outcomes appeared to elicit stronger pupil dilations regardless of the level of surprise. We discuss the results in terms of a trade-off between using ecologically valid, disorder-relevant stimuli and the resulting complexity and susceptibility to confounding variables in psychophysiological measurements.

Understanding bipolar information is crucial as it enables individuals to make informed decisions that consider both extremes of a spectrum, leading to more balanced and effective outcomes. Interval-valued bipolar fuzzy set (IVBFS) has already been introduced in the literature as a great decision-making tool that can capture interval-valued bipolar information to properly address uncertainty. In this article, we introduce a hybrid of Interval-valued bipolar fuzzy set (IVBFS) and bipolar hypersoft sets (BHSS) called interval-valued bipolar fuzzy hypersoft set [Formula: see text], which merges the capabilities of IVBFS and BHSS. The rationale behind the design of the presented data structure is to manipulate and process information in decision-making scenarios when the data is bipolar, has multiple attributes that need to be addressed up to a sub-attributive level to get a proper representation of the data provided, and needs to be presented in the form of intervals. In [Formula: see text], two hyper soft sets (HSSs) are used, one providing positive interval-valued membership information and the other providing negative interval-valued membership information. We outline the essential features and basic operations of [Formula: see text] in this paper, examining its commutative, associative, distributive, and De Morgan laws to ensure a comprehensive analysis. To demonstrate the significance of [Formula: see text], we develop a preferential decision support algorithm for selecting the best alternative in e-learning, such as identifying the most suitable instructional method, which can effectively be formulated as a Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) problem. This approach allows for the systematic evaluation of various alternatives based on multiple parameters and sub-parameters, enabling a rational and well-informed decision. This algorithm helps select the best alternative from a given set of options, leveraging the versatile nature of [Formula: see text]. The presented study conducts both computation-based and structural comparisons to evaluate the adaptability and reliability of the proposed framework.

Anxiety is characterized by hypervigilance, distractibility and selective processing of negative information. There is growing evidence that prefrontal function underlies biases in threat processing and attention control in anxiety. We examined the effect of 20 min of 2 mA dorsolateral prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (bipolar-balanced montage) on subjective anxiety, autonomic arousal and threat processing in the 7.5% CO2 experimental medicine model of anxiety. A between-subjects healthy volunteer double-blind randomized design compared 2 mA tDCS stimulation of the PFC versus sham tDCS on subjective anxiety, autonomic arousal and antisaccade performance during 7.5% CO2 challenge. tDCS did not moderate subjective and autonomic response to CO2 challenge. tDCS reduced erroneous eye movements toward threat images relative to neutral images. Twenty minutes of active 2 mA tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may reduce threat processing biases during experimentally induced anxiety and could help target early positive changes in emotion processing.

ABSTRACT Globalization has significantly amplified the risk of supply chain disruptions, posing serious threats to operational stability. While e‐commerce platforms facilitate information sharing among supply chain members, the precise strategic value of such sharing under disruption risk remains insufficiently explored, particularly across different distribution channels. This research examines a two‐tier supply chain comprising a manufacturer with potential supply disruptions and an e‐commerce platform. The interaction is modeled using a Stackelberg game framework under two distinct sales configurations: without and with manufacturer encroachment. The analysis reveals that the value of information sharing is highly sensitive to several factors, including the sales channel structure, the pattern of demand fluctuations, the manufacturer's efficiency in improving resilience, the intensity of channel competition, and the platform's revenue‐sharing rate. Under the wholesale model, the platform prefers (not) to share negative (positive) demand information. In contrast, under the hybrid model, the platform's sharing strategy becomes complex, which is jointly moderated by multiple parameters. Notably, under disruption‐induced capacity constraints, a higher ex‐ante capacity commitment to the wholesale channel paradoxically reduces realized order volumes, as the manufacturer raises wholesale prices to compensate for reduced allocation flexibility. The manufacturer's encroachment decision is fundamentally a trade‐off between fixed entry costs and anticipated incremental gains. Both elevated revenue‐sharing rates and intensified channel competition are found to suppress the manufacturer's incentive to encroach. Finally, extensions considering endogenous allocation and a signaling game framework demonstrate that the manufacturer's ability to infer demand signals enhances wholesale profitability, thereby further mitigating the motivation for channel encroachment.

Negative information often exerts a disproportionately strong impact on human decision-making, a phenomenon known as the negativity bias. In behavioral economics, this effect is formally captured by prospect theory, which posits that losses loom larger than equivalent gains. For example, a single negative product review can outweigh numerous positive ones, reflecting this principle of loss aversion in consumer behavior. While this psychological effect has been widely documented, its implications for collective opinion dynamics, critical for understanding market stability and reputation dynamics, remain poorly understood. Here, we generalize the q-voter model with independence by introducing opinion-dependent influence group sizes, q+ and q-, which represent the social reinforcement needed to change an opinion from negative to positive and from positive to negative, respectively. We study two versions of this asymmetric model: a baseline model that reduces to the standard q-voter model when q+=q-=q and an extended model that incorporates an additional asymmetry expressed as a preference for one opinion. In its reduced version, this represents a minimal model in terms of non-linearity within the q-voter framework that allows for discontinuous phase transitions and hysteresis. Using mean-field analysis and computer simulations, we show that these modifications lead to rich collective behaviors, including double hysteresis, one form of which is irreversible, providing a mechanism for path-dependence and the sustained, irrecoverable damage to collective sentiment, brand equity, or market confidence.

Children's ability to process emotional information is central for social development and for understanding risk factors for affective disorders. Prior neuroimaging studies have identified brain systems underlying emotional processing, but most have relied on functional MRI, which cannot capture rapid neural dynamics. Moreover, these studies utilized emotional stimulus sets with outdated, adult-focused content, which may not effectively engage children, thereby reducing sensitivity to developmental effects. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of emotional processing in children and adolescents. Fifty-seven participants viewed pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral pictures from the Nencki Affective Picture System (NAPS), a recent database with child-appropriate content. Source-reconstructed responses were analysed using cluster-based permutation tests. Both pleasant and unpleasant pictures elicited stronger activity than neutral ones in salience and prefrontal regions, including the insula and orbitofrontal cortex, as early as 50-100 ms. Unpleasant pictures evoked stronger and more sustained activity than pleasant pictures in salience and default mode network regions, consistent with negativity bias. Finally, developmental analyses revealed that younger children exhibited greater medial prefrontal response amplitude to pleasant than to unpleasant pictures between 650-700 ms post-stimulus, whereas older adolescents showed greater medial prefrontal response amplitude to unpleasant than to pleasant pictures during the same time window. Overall, these results suggest that children rapidly differentiate emotional from neutral input, prioritize negative information in salience and default mode network systems, and that age influences emotional processing in prefrontal and default mode network regions. Our findings clarify the timing of affective brain responses across development and inform pathways of risk for affective disorders.

ABSTRACT There are large and growing bodies of research highlighting inaccuracies in news coverage. In this paper, we suggest that negativity biases account for a substantial portion of longstanding inaccuracies (or “misinformation”) in coverage of a broad range of social, medical, environmental, political, and economic domains. As an illustrative example, we use automated content analyses of over 20 years of television news transcripts merged with unemployment data to measure the accuracy of unemployment coverage across the six major US broadcasters (ABC, CBS, NBS, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC), and then examine the degree to which variation in accuracy is associated with variation in the tendency to overweight negative information relative to positive information. Results reveal a connection between inaccuracy and negativity biases, a finding that we interpret as it relates to our understanding of misinformation in the news.

Mangroves are a type of tree that play an important role in maintaining the balance of the coastal ecosystem. The decline in mangrove area and function due to urbanization pressures requires the active involvement of the younger generation in conservation efforts, particularly through digital media. Mangrove conservation activities necessitate the involvement and knowledge of Generation Z. Communication is an aspect that can impact knowledge of mangrove conservation. However, communication delivered in the form of visual images, audio, or graphics that explain the negative impacts makes people feel compelled to participate or vice versa. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of persuasion of positive and negative information posted on the Jakarta Mangrove Community's Instagram social media account on Generation Z's understanding of the mangrove forest ecosystem in Jakarta. The method employed is a quantitative survey with data collection procedures utilizing a questionnaire. An examination of survey data for Generation Z reveals a good association between the type of Instagram social media material and environmental awareness of the mangrove ecosystem. Whereas the substance of Instagram posts providing positively or negatively packaged critical information on mangrove forests and their environmental impact has a large overall influence on Generation Z's understanding of the need for mangrove forest ecosystems. Using Instagram as a social media platform to raise awareness among Generation Z communities about the efforts that can be made to conserve mangrove forest ecosystems is an effective technique.

Abstract Background Adolescent depressive symptoms typically manifest as persistent low mood, diminished interest, and slowed emotional responses, closely linked to negative self-evaluation and biased processing of environmental stimuli, which can have long-term effects on psychological development and social functioning. Although psychological counseling and medication play crucial roles in clinical settings, adolescents with mild to moderate depression often exhibit low willingness to participate, poor treatment adherence, and limited ability to sustain emotional improvements. This has prompted researchers to focus on sustainable, low-threshold supportive interventions in daily environments. Studies on art therapy demonstrate that colors, graphics, and symbolic visual elements can modulate emotional experiences through arousal and meaning association. Integrating art therapy concepts into packaging designs frequently encountered in daily consumer interactions may subtly influence adolescents' emotional processing patterns. However, existing research primarily remains at the qualitative analysis or subjective preference level, lacking systematic controlled experiments and longitudinal evidence. To address this, this study employs randomized grouping and multi-timewide measurements to investigate the efficacy of art therapy-inspired packaging designs in alleviating adolescent depressive symptoms and their underlying psychological mechanisms. Methods The study enrolled 294 middle school students for baseline screening, with 198 participants meeting depression criteria and entering randomization. A control group of 96 emotionally stable individuals served as baseline reference. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned to three 6-week situational exposure groups: (1) Art Therapy Packaging Design Group (n = 66), exposed to packaging visual stimuli integrating emotional expression, positive symbolism, and soft colors; (2) Neutral Functional Packaging Design Group (n = 64); and (3) Conventional Visual Environment Control Group (n = 68). Key measures included depression levels, emotional arousal and pleasure ratings, negative cognitive bias, and emotional regulation ability. The relevant indicators were assessed at baseline, at the end of the intervention and at 8 weeks follow-up. Results The results demonstrated that, compared to the neutral packaging group and control group, the art therapy packaging design group showed a significant reduction in depressive mood scores at the end of the intervention (p=.002, d = 0.45), with sustained improvement during the follow-up period (p=.008). Emotional experience data revealed that the art therapy packaging design significantly enhanced positive emotional arousal (p=.004, d = 0.41) and reduced negative emotional response intensity (p=.012, d = 0.36). Cognitive processing analysis further indicated a marked decrease in negative information attention bias (p=.01). Mechanistic analysis revealed that increased positive emotional arousal (p=.02) and reduced negative cognitive bias (p=.03) could significantly predict lower depressive mood levels during the follow-up phase. Discussion Art therapy-inspired packaging designs can significantly alleviate depressive symptoms in adolescents outside clinical settings, with sustained positive effects observed. The core psychological mechanisms likely involve heightened emotional arousal, reduced processing of negative thoughts, and enhanced emotional regulation. Research demonstrates that integrating art therapy concepts into daily visual environments proves both feasible and valuable, serving as an effective environmental support strategy for adolescent mental health. Future studies should explore variations in design element combinations and evaluate their long-term efficacy in school and public spaces.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel approved therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Little is known about its neurocognitive mechanisms of action. The existing literature has focused on resting-state neuroimaging. It therefore remains unknown what information processing changes TMS induces during treatment that drive mood change. Here we tested the hypothesis that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment changes emotional bias, increasing the focus on positive (versus negative) information processing. 49 patients with major depression received 20 daily sessions of open-label intermittent theta-burst TMS to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Emotional bias was measured using behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks of emotional face processing, both at baseline and after eight days of treatment. We tested whether early changes in these measures after the first week predicted clinical outcome at the end of treatment (4 weeks). As predicted, an increase in behavioural and neural measures of positive bias after one week predicted clinical response after four weeks of treatment. Behaviourally, response to TMS treatment was associated with a bias towards interpreting ambiguous facial expressions as positive. Neurally, clinical improvement was related to increased neuroimaging response for the contrast of positive versus negative emotional faces in rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), and a positive bias in task-related functional connectivity between rACC and posterior default mode network. These early neurocognitive changes predicted clinical outcomes after four weeks of treatment, beyond early symptom reduction. Thus, clinical response to TMS treatment was linked to increases in positive bias in emotional processing early during treatment which might represent a neurocognitive mechanism of TMS depression treatment, potentially neurally distinct from antidepressant drugs.

Abstract One of the most pressing regulatory issues of our time is whether, when, and how short selling should be regulated. Short selling facilitates the dissemination of negative information that is otherwise not available to the marketplace, thereby improving market efficiency. However, it may also disrupt market stability, particularly during times of stress. Therefore, regulators seek to regulate this market practice in a balanced manner. This paper examines the Korean short selling regime, the world’s longest ban, instituted following the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the regulatory system is run on archaic methods. In particular, our analysis demonstrates that the rules are overly restrictive and complex compared to those in other major jurisdictions. Also, critical decisions are entirely at the government’s discretion, rendering it vulnerable to political interference. Stressing the need for a revamp of the current short selling system, we call for a thorough revision of law and regulations. Market authorities must set out clear standards for regulatory intervention to avoid arbitrary and capricious decisions. In doing so, they can enhance transparency and accountability in law enforcement. Regulators should be aware that it is the most effective way to protect themselves from undue political influences and to restore regulatory trust.

Purpose This study examines how parent brand characteristics (brand diversity and similarity) and brand extension typicality affect adverse extension effects. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted. The first study examined the accessibility of negative extension information using a two-factor design. The second study investigated the diagnosticity of negative extension information using a three-factor mixed design. The third study tested the combined effects of brand diversity, similarity, and extension typicality on adverse extension effects using a three-factor design. Findings Negative extension information is more accessible for narrow brands than for broad brands and exerts greater adverse effects. Typical negative extensions signal lower quality for low-diversity narrow brands over low-diversity broad brands, while atypical negative extensions indicate lower quality for high-diversity narrow brands and low-diversity broad brands than for low-diversity narrow brands. Consequently, typical negative extensions weaken high-diversity narrow brands more than high-diversity broad brands, while affecting low-diversity narrow and broad brands equally. In contrast, atypical negative extensions impact high-diversity narrow and broad brands equally but weaken low-diversity narrow brands more than low-diversity broad brands. Practical implications Brand managers should maintain quality consistency to mitigate adverse extension effects and protect brand equity. Originality/value This study extends brand research by analyzing how brand structure moderates adverse extension effects through information accessibility and diagnosticity.

The article provides a comprehensive study of the fundamental transformation of the nature of financial crises in the conditions of rapid digitalization of the global economy. It is shown that technological changes not only modify the toolkit of financial transactions, but also radically change the dynamics, speed and mechanisms of the spread of crisis phenomena. Special attention is paid to the evolution of banking panics: from traditional physical queues near branches to the phenomenon of "bank sprint", characterized by instantaneous, synchronized and mass withdrawal of liquidity through digital channels. This form of panic differs significantly from classical models in that the time lag between the appearance of negative information and the reaction of depositors is reduced from days or hours to minutes, which significantly complicates the possibilities of regulatory intervention. Based on historical analysis of the collapse of Continental Illinois (1984) and Silicon Valley Bank (2023), it is demonstrated that the digitalization of financial services combined with information synchronization through social networks creates conditions for an exponential acceleration of the spread of financial shocks. Particular attention is paid to new systemic risk vectors in the decentralized finance sector (DeFi), in particular the problem of the absence of automatic market fuses (circuit breakers) and threats of algorithmic cascading liquidations by smart contracts. The influence of artificial intelligence and large language models on market behavior, which contributes to the emergence of the "digital herding" effect, is considered. The need to change the regulatory paradigm is substantiated: the transition from static liquidity standards to dynamic management of operational stability. In this context, the unique experience of the Ukrainian Power Banking network was analyzed, which ensured the continuity of financial services in the conditions of large-scale crisis challenges caused by war and energy attacks. It is shown that the creation of a physically and energetically autonomous infrastructure of bank branches can be an effective tool for increasing the operational stability of the financial system.

In this perspective paper we advance the hypothesis that loss aversion (the general tendency to weigh losses significantly more than equivalent gains) and loneliness (the distress arising from perceived social deficiency and isolation) share a fundamental basis in negativity bias and partially overlapping neuro-cognitive mechanisms. Although traditionally studied separately, we argue that both phenomena reflect heightened sensitivity to negative information, expressed in distinctive attentional and expectancy biases, and in opposite response patterns in striatal and insular neural systems processing rewards and negative affects, respectively. Moreover, both phenomena are associated with individual differences in emotion regulation and cognitive control, reflected in altered amygdala-prefrontal cortex connectivity. We propose that - when exacerbated - these shared behavioral and neural patterns may contribute to the affective dysfunction observed in depression, thereby helping explain the robust association of this condition with both loss aversion and loneliness. By integrating evidence from experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience and clinical research, we outline the shared underpinnings of loss aversion and loneliness while also delineating their theoretical and experimental differences. This unified framework offers novel insights into the cognitive and neural mechanisms supporting self-preservation, and motivates future interdisciplinary investigation linking decision-making with social attitudes and interactions.

Purpose This study analyzes volatility dynamics and regional financial integration in European and Latin American equity markets under heightened global uncertainty and the growing relevance of sustainable finance. It aims to assess volatility persistence, asymmetric responses to negative information, and the role of intraregional integration in shock transmission and financial stability. Design/methodology/approach Daily equity index returns from representative European and Latin American markets over 2010–2025 are analyzed using asymmetric GARCH-type models (EGARCH and GJR-GARCH) with skewed innovations. Volatility persistence is measured through model parameters and half-life indicators, while financial integration is examined using Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC-GARCH) models. Robustness is evaluated through structural stability tests and pre- and post-COVID-19 comparisons. Findings European markets exhibit high volatility persistence but short half-lives (approximately 4–6 days), indicating faster shock absorption. Latin American markets display longer half-lives (around 8–12 days), reflecting more persistent volatility. Asymmetric effects are stronger and more systematic in Europe, while Latin America shows weaker and more heterogeneous responses. Intraregional correlations are extremely high in Europe, limiting diversification, whereas Latin America remains moderately and unevenly integrated. No evidence of structural breaks is found. Originality/value The study offers a unified long-horizon comparative framework combining asymmetric GARCH models, half-life measures, dynamic correlations, and stability diagnostics. It provides robust evidence on structural differences between developed and emerging markets, with implications for investors and policymakers in financial stability and sustainable finance.

Kinship verification aims to determine whether two individuals share a familial relationship based on facial information. Cross-gender relationships (i.e., Father-Daughter and Mother-Son) continue to face formidable challenges due to the diversity and uncertainty of genetic inheritance. Existing studies primarily focus on extracting robust features and measuring similarity, with limited attention given to the fuzziness of gender differences. To address this issue, this paper proposes a kinship verification framework based on a fuzzy neural network, which adaptively extracts gender-independent kinship features and handles relationship fuzziness to improve cross-gender verification performance. Specifically, the Swin Transformer, which has demonstrated excellent performance in facial analysis, is employed to extract initial features. A fuzzy neural network is then designed to disentangle gender and kinship features, with a gender recognition task introduced to further enhance this disentanglement and improve the gender independence of kinship features. Subsequently, a multi-metric fuzzy reasoning module is adopted to integrate kinship features, extract latent kinship cues, and leverage a contrastive loss function to effectively mine potential negative sample information, thereby significantly enhancing the model's robustness. Experimental results on three publicly available datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance.

Dynamics of two-strain disease transmission with negative vaccine information and vaccination on multiplex networks

Mechanisms of rumination in depression: neuroendocrine dysregulation, circadian disruption, and therapeutic interventions.

This study discusses the reputation risk management of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School regarding the news of the collapse of the prayer room building (case study of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Buduran, Sidoarjo). This study aims to analyze and identify aspects of reputational risk that arise due to the incident, strategies that can be carried out to improve public perception and restore public trust. This study uses a qualitative method, using a case study approach involving interviews with victims of the collapse, guardians of students, the surrounding community and evacuation officers, with reference to the ISO 31000 guidelines as a guide in the risk assessment and management process. The results of discussion indicate that reputation can be negatively impacted when negative information spreads faster than official clarification, especially through digital media. To reduce and anticipate bad reputation, institutions must provide a quick response, transparency and empathetic public communication.