Risky Task Research Articles

Amygdala volume is associated with risky probability cognition in gambling disorder.

Gambling disorder (GD) is characterized by continual gambling despite negative consequences. Risky decision-making is a hallmark of the disorder. We applied a tool from behavioral economics for assessing probability cognition in both gain and loss domains to GD. We aimed to examine the alteration of probability cognition and its relationship with brain structure in GD. Forty-six GD patients and 52 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) conducted a risky choice task in which subjects should choose between a sure and a risky option in both loss and gain domains. The distortion and elevation parameters of the probability weighting function were estimated. We compared the parameters between GD and HC and examined their relationships with the striatum and amygdala volumes in GD. GD showed greater elevation parameter in the gain domain and smaller regional gray matter volume in the left amygdala than HC. The elevation parameter in the gain domain showed a negative correlation with the left amygdala volume in GD. Altered probability cognition in the gain domain but not in the loss domain might be more relevant to risky decision-making in GD. Our findings indicate that alteration in the amygdala might play a significant role in risky decision-making of GD. Longitudinal studies are recommended to examine the causal relationship between brain abnormalities and risky decision-making in GD.

Contributions of medial prefrontal cortex to decision making involving risk of punishment

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in several forms of cost-benefit decision making. Its contributions to decision making under risk of explicit punishment, however, are not well understood. A rat model was used to investigate the role of the medial PFC (mPFC) and its monoaminergic innervation in a Risky Decision-making Task (RDT), in which rats chose between a small, “safe” food reward and a large, “risky” food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of mild footshock punishment. Inactivation of mPFC increased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability increased across the session (“ascending RDT”), but decreased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability decreased across the session (“descending RDT”). In contrast, enhancement of monoamine availability via intra-mPFC amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward only in the descending RDT. Systemic administration of amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward in both the ascending and descending RDT; however, this reduction was not attenuated by concurrent mPFC inactivation, indicating that mPFC is not a critical locus of amphetamine's effects on risk taking. These findings suggest that mPFC plays an important role in adapting choice behavior in response to shifting risk contingencies, but not necessarily in risk-taking behavior per se.

A Hybrid Approach for Breast Cancer Classification and Diagnosis

Feature selection in breast cancer disease important and risky task for further analysis. Breast cancer is the second leading reason for death among the women. Cancer starts from breast and spread to other part of the body. People are unable to identify their disease before it become dangerous. It can be cured if the disease identified at early stage. Accurate classification of benign tumours can avoid patients undergoing unnecessary treatments. Data Analytics and machine learning methods provides framework for prognostic studies by errorless classification of data instances into relevant based on the cancer severity. In this study we have purposed a prediction model by combining artificial intelligent based learning technique with multivariate statistical method. For automation of the diagnosis process data mining plays an significant role. The data sets available in different repositories are noisy in nature. This study suggests a hybrid feature selection method to be used with PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Preprocessing of data and extracting the most relevant features done by PCA. The proposed algorithm is tested by applying it on Wisconsin Breast Cancer Dataset from UCI Repository of Machine Learning Databases. In classification phase 10 fold cross validation was used. The suggested algorithm was measured against different classifier algorithms on the same database. The evaluation results of the algorithm proposed have achieved better accuracy with sensitivity and F measure comparison with others and by enhancing this concept we can provide a future scope to produce sophisticated learning models for diagnosis.

DIMPL: a distributed in-memory drone flight path builder system

Drones are increasingly being used to perform risky and labor intensive aerial tasks cheaply and safely. To ensure operating costs are low and flights autonomous, their flight plans must be pre-built. In existing techniques drone flight paths are not automatically pre-calculated based on drone capabilities and terrain information. Instead, they focus on adaptive shortest paths, manually determined paths, navigation through camera, images and/or GPS for guidance and genetic or geometric algorithms to guide the drone during flight, all of which makes flight navigation complex and risky. In this paper we present details of an automated flight plan builder DIMPL that pre-builds flight plans for drones tasked with surveying a large area to take photographs of electric poles to identify ones with hazardous vegetation overgrowth. The flight plans are built for subregions allowing the drones to navigate autonomously. DIMPL employs a distributed in-memory paradigm to process subregions in parallel and build flight paths in a highly efficient manner. Experiments performed with network and elevation datasets validated the efficiency of DIMPL in building optimal flight plans for a fleet of different types of drones and demonstrated the tremendous performance improvements possible using the distributed in-memory paradigm.

Honeybee rebel workers invest less in risky foraging than normal workers

In eusocial insect colonies, workers have individual preferences for performing particular tasks. Previous research suggests that these preferences might be associated with worker reproductive potential; however, different studies have yielded inconsistent results. This study constitutes the first comparison of foraging preferences between genetically similar normal and rebel honeybee workers, which present different reproductive potential. We found that rebels, which have a higher reproductive potential than normal workers, displayed a delayed onset of foraging and a stronger tendency to collect nectar compared with normal workers. These results support the hypothesis that workers with high reproductive potential invest more in their own egg laying and avoid risky tasks such as foraging. In contrast, the results do not support the hypothesis that reproductive workers initiate foraging earlier in life than normal workers and specialize in pollen foraging.

Fraud prevention initiatives in the Nigerian public sector

PurposeDetecting and preventing fraud are challenging and risky tasks, especially in a fast developing economy such as Nigeria. The efforts become crucial in the government sectors, as they involve public’s trust and resources. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between the fraud incidence and the elements of fraud triangle theory (FTT) with the aim of combating current fraud outrages in the Nigerian public sector.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted and 302 questionnaires were distributed to the staff of the departments of accounting, internal auditing and investigation of ten selected ministries, departments and agencies of Kano State, Nigeria. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe study reveals a significant relationship between three elements of FTT and fraud incidences in the Nigerian public sectors (p-value < 0.001 for pressure and opportunity and p-value = 0.024 for rationalization).Practical implicationsThe findings of the study are useful for forensic accountants and the Nigerian anti-graft bodies to enhance existing control mechanisms in fraud prevention initiatives. The research also contributes to bridge the gap in academic theory and empirical study related to FTT.Social implicationsFraud scandals can cause public’s frustration, damage the reputation and integrity of the ruling government and result in negative image of the public sector.Originality/valueAccordingly, the study suggests a salary scale reform (SSR) in the Nigerian public sector and improvement in fringe benefits to increase employees’ standard of living. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance fraud awareness and training programs to the government employees.

Dissecting "Peer Presence" and "Decisions" to Deepen Understanding of Peer Influence on Adolescent Risky Choice.

This study evaluated the aspects of complex decisions influenced by peers, and components of peer involvement influential to adolescents' risky decisions. Participants (N=140) aged 13-25 completed the Columbia Card Task (CCT), a risky choice task, isolating deliberation-reliant and affect-reliant decisions while alone, while a friend monitors choices, and while a friend is merely present. There is no condition in which a nonfriend peer is present. Results demonstrated the risk-increasing peer effect occurred in the youngest participants in the cold CCT and middle-late adolescents in the hot CCT, whereas other ages and contexts showed a risk-decreasing peer effect. Mere presence was not sufficient to influence risky behavior. These boundaries in age, decision, and peer involvement constrain prevailing models of adolescent peer influence.

Neural substrates of the influence of emotional cues on cognitive control in risk-taking adolescents

Adolescence is a period characterised by increases in risk-taking. This behaviour has been associated with an imbalance in the integration of the networks involved in cognitive control and motivational processes. We examined whether the influence of emotional cues on cognitive control differs between adolescents who show high or low levels of risk-taking behaviour. Participants who scored especially high or low on a risky decision task were subsequently administered an emotional go/no-go fMRI task comprising angry, happy and calm faces. Both groups showed decreased cognitive control when confronted with appetitive and aversive emotional cues. Activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) increased in line with the cognitive control demands of the task. Though the risk taking groups did not differ in their behavioural performance, functional connectivity analyses revealed the dorsal striatum plays a more central role in the processing of cognitive control in high than low risk-takers. Overall, these findings suggest that variance in fronto-striatal circuitry may underlie individual differences in risk-taking behaviour.

F62. RISKY DECISION-MAKING PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDER

BackgroundDysfunction in risky decision-making has been regarded as one potential contributing factor to functional impairment exhibited in patients with schizophrenia. Literature has revealed suboptimal risky decision-making in chronic schizophrenia patients. However, abnormality in risky decision-making has not been investigated in the early stage of illness. This study aimed to examine whether early schizophrenia patients displayed aberrant risky decision-making using two well-validated paradigms including Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; Lejuez et al., 2002) and Risky-Gains Task (RGT; Paulus et al., 2003).MethodsThirty-three clinically-stable patients diagnosed with DSM-V schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or schizophreniform disorder) were recruited from specialized early intervention service for psychosis in Hong Kong. A group of healthy controls (n=32), matched with age, gender and educational levels, was enrolled for comparison. All participants were evaluated with a brief battery of cognitive assessment and two computerized risky decision-making tasks. Symptom assessment was also conducted for patients.ResultsIn both BART and RGT, patients with early schizophrenia-spectrum disorder performed worse than healthy controls regarding total points gained and reaction time. In BART, patients had significantly lower adjusted scores (F(1,63)=7.8, p<0.05) and lower balloon exploration rates than controls (F(1,63)=11.5, p<0.001), indicating that patients exhibited a tendency toward risk-aversion. In GRT, three-way analysis of variance revealed significant group x response interaction (F(1,63)=7.8, p<0.05), with post-hoc independent t-test showing that patients significantly preferred safe over risky options than controls (t=2.6, p<0.05). There were no significant correlations of risky decision-making parameters with symptom ratings and cognitive functions.DiscussionWe extend previous findings of chronic samples to patients with early schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and indicate that suboptimal risky decision-making with risk-aversion preference has also been observed in the early course of illness. Further research is warranted to clarify the longitudinal change of aberrant risk-aversive behavioral patterns and its relationship with prospective functional and symptom outcomes.

Age-based soldier polyethism: old termite soldiers take more risks than young soldiers.

Who should take on risky tasks in an age-heterogeneous society? Life-history theory predicts that, in social insects, riskier tasks should be undertaken by sterile individuals with a shorter life expectancy. The loss of individuals with shorter life expectancy is less costly for colony reproductive success than the loss of individuals with longer life expectancy. Termite colonies have a sterile soldier caste, specialized defenders engaged in the most risky tasks. Here we show that termite soldiers exhibit age-dependent polyethism, as old soldiers are engaged in front-line defence more than young soldiers. Our nest defence experiment showed that old soldiers went to the front line and blocked the nest opening against approaching predatory ants more often than young soldiers. We also found that young soldiers were more biased toward choosing central nest defence as royal guards than old soldiers. These results demonstrate that termite soldiers have age-based task allocation, by which ageing predisposes soldiers to switch to more dangerous tasks. This age-dependent soldier task allocation increases the life expectancy of soldiers, allowing them to promote their lifetime contribution to colony reproductive success.

Modulating Episodic Memory Alters Risk Preference during Decision-making.

When choosing between options that vary in risk, we often rely on our experience with options-our episodic memories-to make that choice. Although episodic memory has been demonstrated to be critically involved in value-based decision-making, it is not clear how these memory processes contribute to decision-making that involves risk. To investigate this issue, we tested a group of participants on a repeated-choice risky decision-making task. Before completing this task, half of the participants were given a well-validated episodic induction task-a brief training procedure in recollecting the details of a past experience-known to engage episodic memory processes, and the other half were given a general impressions induction task. Our main finding was that risk-taking following the general impressions induction task was significantly lower than following the episodic induction task. In a follow-up experiment, we tested risk-taking in another group of participants without any prior induction task and found that risk-taking from this no-induction (baseline) group was more similar to the episodic induction than to the general impression group. Overall, these findings suggest engaging episodic memory processes when learning about decision outcomes can alter apparent risk-taking behavior in decision-making from experience.

Risk approximation in decision making: approximative numeric abilities predict advantageous decisions under objective risk.

Many decision situations in everyday life involve mathematical considerations. In decisions under objective risk, i.e., when explicit numeric information is available, executive functions and abilities to handle exact numbers and ratios are predictors of objectively advantageous choices. Although still debated, exact numeric abilities, e.g., normative calculation skills, are assumed to be related to approximate number processing skills. The current study investigates the effects of approximative numeric abilities on decision making under objective risk. Participants (N=153) performed a paradigm measuring number-comparison, quantity-estimation, risk-estimation, and decision-making skills on the basis of rapid dot comparisons. Additionally, a risky decision-making task with exact numeric information was administered, as well as tasks measuring executive functions and exact numeric abilities, e.g., mental calculation and ratio processing skills, were conducted. Approximative numeric abilities significantly predicted advantageous decision making, even beyond the effects of executive functions and exact numeric skills. Especially being able to make accurate risk estimations seemed to contribute to superior choices. We recommend approximation skills and approximate number processing to be subject of future investigations on decision making under risk.

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex affects performance in Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART).

BackgroundStudies on risk preferences have long been of great concern and have examined the neural basis underlying risk‐based decision making. However, studies using conventional transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) revealed that bilateral stimulation could change risk propensity with limited evidence of precisely focalized unilateral high‐definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD‐tDCS). The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of HD‐tDCS focalizing the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on risk‐taking behavior during the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART).MethodsThis study was designed as a between‐subject, single‐blind, sham‐controlled experiment. University students were randomly assigned to three groups: the anodal group (F3 anode, AF3, F1, F5, FC3 returned), the cathodal group (F3 cathodal, AF3, F1, F5, FC3 returned) and the sham group. Subsequently, 1.5‐mA 20‐min HD‐tDCS was applied during the BART, and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Sensation Seeking Scale‐5 (SSS‐5), and the Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Approach System scale (BIS/BAS) were measured as control variables.ResultsThe cathodal group earned less total money than the sham group, and no significant difference was observed between the anodal group and the sham group.ConclusionsThese results showed that, to some extent, focalized unilateral cathodal HD‐tDCS on left DLPFC could change performance during risky tasks and diminish risky decision making. Further studies are needed to investigate the dose effect and electrode distribution of HD‐tDCS during risky tasks and examine synchronous brain activity to show the neural basis.

Prefrontal Cortical Activation, but Not Behavioral Performance of Impulsivity and Risky Decision-Making Tasks, was Associated with Treatment Outcome in Residential Patients with Alcohol or Prescription Opioid Use Disorder.

Prefrontal Cortical Activation, but Not Behavioral Performance of Impulsivity and Risky Decision-Making Tasks, was Associated with Treatment Outcome in Residential Patients with Alcohol or Prescription Opioid Use Disorder.

History of Suicide Attempt Is Associated with Reduced Medial Prefrontal Cortex Activity during Emotional Decision-Making among Men with Schizophrenia: An Exploratory fMRI Study

Despite the high prevalence of suicidal ideas/attempts in schizophrenia, only a handful of neuroimaging studies have examined the neurobiological differences associated with suicide risk in this population. The main objective of the current exploratory study is to examine the neurofunctional correlates associated with a history of suicide attempt in schizophrenia, using a risky decision-making task, in order to show alterations in brain reward regions in this population. Thirty-two male outpatients with schizophrenia were recruited: 13 patients with (SCZ + S) and 19 without a history of suicidal attempt (SCZ − S). Twenty-one healthy men with no history of mental disorders or suicidal attempt/idea were also recruited. Participants were scanned using fMRI while performing the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. A rapid event-related fMRI paradigm was used, separating decision and outcome events, and the explosion probabilities were included as parametric modulators. The most important finding of this study is that SCZ + S patients had reduced activations of the medial prefrontal cortex during the success outcome event (with parametric modulation), relative to both SCZ − S patients and controls, as illustrated by a spatial conjunction analysis. These exploratory results suggest that a history of suicidal attempt in schizophrenia is associated with blunted brain reward activity during emotional decision-making.

A Low Cost Underwater Robot with Grippers for Visual Inspection of External Pipeline Surface

Underwater robots are used in surveillance, academic and military applications because of their capability to execute risky tasks underwater without human intervention. In this study, a robot is built at low cost budget to carry out inspection at specified depth in a water body. Preliminary studies are performed to understand the buoyancy and stability of an underwater robot. Different configurations of propeller arrangements are identified and the final prototype is arrived after meeting the specific application requirements. Dual grippers are incorporated with the underwater robot, one for holding the pipe to avoid underwater currents and other for gripping/releasing the pipe. Gyroscope sensor is embodied in the underwater robot to maintain stability from its feedback signals. A high definition camera is mounted in front of the underwater robot for live video and image capturing purposes. Thus the underwater robot is able to meet all its requirements with minimal frontal drag. For validation purpose, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies are carried out with dynamic meshes and boundary conditions. The deviation between CFD and experimental results is found to be within the acceptable limits. The detailed cost analysis for the construction and testing of this underwater robot is also briefly tabulated.

Higher Trait Psychopathy Is Associated with Increased Risky Decision-Making and Less Coincident Insula and Striatal Activity.

Higher trait levels of psychopathy have been associated with both a tendency to maintain disadvantageous decision-making strategies and aberrant cortico-limbic neural activity. To explore the neural mechanisms associated with the psychopathy-related propensity to continue selecting risky choices, a non-forensic sample of participants completed a self-report psychopathy questionnaire and two runs of a risky decision-making task during H215O positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. In this secondary data analysis study, we leveraged data previously collected to examine the impact of previous drug use on risky decision-making to explore the relations between self-reported psychopathy and behavioral and brain metrics during performance of the Cambridge Decision-Making Task (CDMT), in which volunteers chose between small/likely or large/unlikely potential reward outcomes. Behaviorally, we observed that psychopathy scores were differentially correlated with the percent of risky decisions made in run 1 vs. run 2 of the task. Specifically, higher levels of psychopathy, above and beyond that attributable to drug use or sex, were associated with greater tendencies to make risky selections only in the second half (run 2) of the task. In parallel, psychopathy scores negatively correlated with regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the right insula and right ventral striatum during run 2 of the CDMT. These exploratory outcomes suggest that greater levels of psychopathy may be associated with an inability to translate experience with negative outcomes into behavioral adaptations possibly due to decreased neural efficiency in regions related to somatic and/or reward feedback processes.

From inside to outside and back again: changing waste dump formation, defecation and worker localization in a clonal ant

Reproductive division of labor is a defining feature of all eusocial organisms. In the eusocial insects, non-reproductive labor is often also divided into safe tasks within the nest, such as nursing, and risky extranidal tasks, such as scouting and foraging. Within-nest (intranidal) tasks are usually performed by younger workers while older workers forage outside. This temporal specialization can be delayed, accelerated or even reversed if the need arises. Here, we studied reversion in the clonal ant Platythyrea punctata. Rather than focusing on traditional markers of temporal polyethism, such as nursing vs. foraging, we examined neglected behaviors, such as waste management and defecation, as well as the proportion of ants outside the nest and the onset of egg laying. We formed single-age groups of young intranidal, old intranidal and forager workers, and found strong differences in behavior between these groups. Intranidal workers rapidly created well-formed waste dumps (middens) and defecated within the nest, initiated egg laying sooner, and remained mostly inside the nest. Forager workers showed the reverse pattern. However, the behavior of the groups gradually converged, and after 8 weeks midden formation was similar and the proportion of ants outside the nest was identical across all groups. This study demonstrates reversible temporal polyethism in defecation and waste management, which correlates well with more traditionally studied age-related traits. Different traits seem to revert at different rates. Waste management behavior may provide an easy and low-impact way of examining behavioral reversions and allows insights into aspects of colony life not usually examined.

MeCP2 Expression in a Rat Model of Risky Decision Making

Many neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with abnormal decision making involving risk of punishment, but the underlying molecular basis remains poorly understood. Methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is an epigenetic factor that regulates transcription by directly binding to methylated DNA. Here, we evaluated MeCP2 expression in the context of risk-taking behaviors using the Risky Decision-making Task (RDT), in which rats make discrete choices between a small “safe” food reward and a large “risky” food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of punishment. In Experiment 1, expression of MeCP2 as assessed by immunoblotting in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not the striatum, was inversely correlated with the degree of preference for the large, risky reward (risk taking) seven days after the last RDT test. In Experiment 2, MeCP2 expression 90 min after RDT testing, assessed using immunohistochemistry, was suppressed in both the dorsal mPFC (dmPFC) and nucleus accumbens compared to home cage controls, indicating that MeCP2 expression is modulated by RDT performance. Additional experiments revealed that RDT performance increased expression of MeCP2 phosphorylated at Ser421 (associated with neuronal activity and activation of gene expression) in dmPFC principal neurons. Finally, as in Experiment 1, lower expression of MeCP2 in the ventral mPFC was associated with greater risk taking under baseline conditions. Together, these findings indicate a complex regulatory role of MeCP2 in risky decision making, and suggest that epigenetic factors may be an important component of the molecular mechanisms underlying such decision-making processes.

Quality assessment of medical translations performed by the two groups of medical translators and physicians

Translating medical texts is a very risky and important task because these texts deal with human life and any mistake in their translation can be life threatening. However, physicians, as well as medical translators, do this task and believe that the quality of their translation is more better than one performed by the medical translators but due to lack of time, they have to employ medical translators for doing this task. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of medical translations performed by the two groups of medical translators and physicians using House's model. For this purpose, the book Bate's Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking written by Fiona R. Prabhu and Lynn S. Bickley published in 2003 (ST) and its two versions of Persian translation performed by two groups of medical translators (TT1) and physicians (TT2) were analyzed according to the steps described in the House's model and the mismatches (overt and covert errors) were determined. Then the translations were classified as over or covert translations and the reasons were described. The results show that neither medical translators (with English knowledge and translating skills) nor physicians (with Medical knowledge) can perform a high quality translation of medical texts alone and without cooperation with the other group. It was concluded that for presenting a high quality translation, medical translators and physicians should have cooperation with each other and a team of medical translators and physicians is required.