Processing of fMRI-related anxiety and bi-directional information flow between prefrontal cortex and brain stem

Brain–heart synchronization is fundamental for emotional-well-being and brain–heart desynchronization is characteristic for anxiety disorders including specific phobias. Recording BOLD signals with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an important noninvasive diagnostic tool; however, 1–2% of fMRI examinations have to be aborted due to claustrophobia. In the present study, we investigated the information flow between regions of interest (ROI’s) in the cortex and brain stem by using a frequency band close to 0.1 Hz. Causal coupling between signals important in brain–heart interaction (cardiac intervals, respiration, and BOLD signals) was studied by means of Directed Transfer Function based on the Granger causality principle. Compared were initial resting states with elevated anxiety and final resting states with low or no anxiety in a group of fMRI-naïve young subjects. During initial high anxiety the results showed an increased information flow from the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) to the pre-central gyrus (PCG) and to the brainstem. There also was an increased flow from the brainstem to the PCG. While the top-down flow during increased anxiety was predominant, the weaker ascending flow from brainstem structures may characterize a rhythmic pacemaker-like activity that (at least in part) drives respiration. We assume that these changes in information flow reflect successful anxiety processing.

No-Thing and Causality in Realistic Non-Standard Interpretations of the Quantum Mechanical Wave Function: Ex Nihilo Aliquid?

It has been shown that quantum mechanics in its orthodox interpretation violates four different formulations of causality principle endowed with empirical meaning. The present work aims to highlight how even a realistic non-standard interpretation of the theory conflicts with causality in its Cartesian formulation of the principle of the non-inferiority of causes over effects. Such an interpretation, which attributes some form of weak physical reality to the wave function (called empty wave, regarded as a zero-energy wave-like phenomenon), is a sort of precursor of the more recent so-called wavefunction realism. We also discuss a more radical realistic interpretation according to which physical properties can also be assigned to non-metaphysical relative nothing, seen as the simple absence of a particle such as a photon, but not of its corresponding state (no-photon), which is considered real. By interpreting the wave function collapse as a consequence of an interaction with empty waves or of a detection of the no-photon, we will highlight how more real physical effects can derive from lower causes, including relative nothing. Finally, we will show how these interpretations, while violating Cartesian causality in its two variants, do not seem to affect the validity of the principle of a rational explanation that nothing can derive from (absolute) nothing, which does not seem satisfied by the orthodox interpretation.

The Plot Coherence as a Generalization of the Causality Principle

In connection with the growing manifestations of the systemic crisis of civilization – ideological, ecological and socio-economic, there is an urgent need for a holistic spiritual and psychophysical picture of the world, called ‘the plot-game’ by the author. The author investigates the concept of ‘causality’ within the frame of this paradigm, and then shows the expediency of generalizing it to the concept of ‘plot coherence’, which opens up new possibilities for applying the plot-game methodology. The methodology and methodology of the research are based on the categorical apparatus of the story-game paradigm, the main feature of which, the novelty, is the proposal to add a third parameter to the space-time model of the world – the individual, who at each moment perceives the first two aspects – space and time – in his own way as a certain plot. Thus, the art-historical concepts of plot, scenario and game are generalized to the level of ideological universals and at the same time natural-scientific terms – ‘cross-cutting’ units of Being. It is shown that we see each object under study as a participant in the flow of story cycles, and its essence is the roles that it ‘played’, can play and will play in them, and which are reflected in its genetic and acquired scenarios. The plot stream of events is formed as the resultant of the attempts of all its participants to implement their own behavior scenarios, generated mainly automatically with the help of programs for processing all incoming information, which are formed from the moment of birth in each individual. On the basis of the story-game paradigm, the concept of causality is expanded to plot coherence, and it can be applied both in natural science and in the humanities. In the proposed model of communal reality, the rigid opposition of science and art is removed, since both there and here, as in ordinary life, we not only learn, discover, and observe something ‘from the outside’, but continuously reproduce, create the world and ourselves in it, regardless of our awareness of this fact; and the story-game picture of the Universe and its corresponding approach make it possible to realize the dependence of the ‘world plot’ on our ‘scenarios’ and games, to feel the responsibility for the future in each of our steps.

Human conception of the environment

This article focuses on the metaphysical foundations of educational philosophy. They are considered as the sources of future human modeling and the commission of certain actions. The article explores the evolution of these principles in the development of human civilization. The causality principle is considered as the entity’s fundamental ontological characteristic. It suggests that a human being can realize his desire for freedom only by submitting his life to the universal objective law. In the causal perspective, any phenomenon is considered as the consequence of a cause and at the same time as the cause of some other consequence. The model of the world of primitive man could not and did not contain a picture of nature as a certain arrangement of phenomena, united by unified cause-and-effect laws. However, it does not mean that our primitive ancestors did not imagine the world around them without the categories of order, just in his mind, there was a different order.

Top Seven Trends in Management Accounting

Ultimately, costing principles, such as the causality principle, must be converted into practical practices with supporting tools. This chapter describes how cost modeling has evolved over the last century. It describes the trends and obstacles that have helped or delayed developments. These evolving areas and trends include (1) the expansion from product costing to include channel and customer profitability reporting and analysis, (2) the integration of managerial accounting with other enterprise and corporate performance management (EPM/CPM) methods, (3) the shift from historical reporting to predictive accounting (e.g., marginal/incremental costing, (4) driver-based budgeting and rolling financial forecasts, (5) customer lifetime value (CLV), (6) imbedding analytics into managerial accounting (e.g., correlation and regression analysis), (7) acceptance of two or more co-existing managerial accounting methods, and (8) chargebacks to internal users and service-level agreements of information technology (IT) and shared services.

Theoretical modeling of the logical-procedural system organizations of the history of society

This article focuses on the metaphysical foundations of educational philosophy. They are considered as the sources of future human modeling and the commission of certain actions. The article explores the evolution of these principles in the development of human civilization. The causality principle is considered as the entity's fundamental ontological characteristic. It suggests that a human being can realize his desire for freedom only by submitting his life to the universal objective law. In the causal perspective, any phenomenon is considered as the consequence of a cause and at the same time as the cause of some other consequence. The model of the world of primitive man could not and did not contain a picture of nature as a certain arrangement of phenomena, united by unified cause-and-effect laws. However, it does not mean that our primitive ancestors did not imagine the world around them without the categories of order, just in his mind, there was a different order.

Electromagnetic surface waves supported by a resistive metasurface-covered metamaterial structure

This study examines the analytical and numerical solution of electromagnetic surface waves supported by a resistive metasurface-covered grounded metamaterial structure. To simulate the metamaterial, the Kramers–Kronig relation based on the causality principle is used, while the modeling of the resistive metasurface has been done by implementing the impedance boundary conditions. The analytical expressions for the field phasors of surface waves are developed for the transverse magnetic (TM) polarized mode and transverse electric (TE) polarized mode. The characteristic equations are computed for both modes, and the unknown propagation constant is evaluated numerically in the kernel. After computation, the dispersion curves, electric field profiles, effective mode index ($$N_{eff}$$ N eff ), and phase speeds ($$v_{p}$$ v p ) are presented for both the TM and TE polarized modes. To study the tunability of surface waves, the influence of the thickness of the metamaterial slab ($$d$$ d ), effective permittivity of the metamaterial ($$\varepsilon_{1}$$ ε 1 ), thickness of the resistive metasurface ($$t$$ t ), and effective permittivity of the metasurface ($$\varepsilon_{r}$$ ε r ) on all the numerical results has been studied. However, the geometrical parameters are found to be more sensitive to the effective mode index ($$N_{eff}$$ N eff ) and phase speed ($$v_{p}$$ v p ) of the surface waves. The results are consistent with the published results, which reflects the accuracy of the work. It is concluded that the appropriate choice of parameters can be used to achieve surface waves with the desired characteristics in the GHz range. The present work may have potential applications in surface waveguide design, surface wave speed controllers, surface communication devices, and light trapping configurations.

A new continuum model for general relativistic viscous heat-conducting media

The lack of formulation of macroscopic equations for irreversible dynamics of viscous heat-conducting media compatible with the causality principle of Einstein’s special relativity and the Euler–Lagrange structure of general relativity is a long-lasting problem. In this paper, we propose a possible solution to this problem in the framework of SHTC equations. The approach does not rely on postulates of equilibrium irreversible thermodynamics but treats irreversible processes from the non-equilibrium point of view. Thus, each transfer process is characterized by a characteristic velocity of perturbation propagation in the non-equilibrium state, as well as by an intrinsic time/length scale of the dissipative dynamics. The resulting system of governing equations is formulated as a first-order system of hyperbolic equations with relaxation-type irreversible terms. Via a formal asymptotic analysis, we demonstrate that classical transport coefficients such as viscosity, heat conductivity, etc., are recovered in leading terms of our theory as effective transport coefficients. Some numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the viability of the approach. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fundamental aspects of nonequilibrium thermodynamics’.

The duality principle and new forms of the inverse Laplace transform for the analysis of signal propagation in inhomogeneous media with dispersion

New equations for Laplace transform inversion are obtained. The equations satisfy the causality principle. The impulse response of a channel is determined in order to analyze dispersion distortions in inhomogeneous media. The impulse response excludes the possibility that the signal exceeds the speed of light in the medium. The transmission bandwidth, the angular spectrum, and the Doppler shift in the ionosphere are computed.