Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Multiomics Profiling During Autoimmune Demyelination Highlights a Complex Regulatory Role for Ataxin-1 in B Cells.
Carver JJ, Denbrock RR, Lau KM … +4 more , Zeczycki TN, Yin C, Huang W, Didonna A
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jul · PMID 42390217 · Full text
Recent evidence from genome-wide association studies has linked the ataxin-1 gene (ATXN1) to an increased risk of developing the autoimmune demyelinating disorder multiple sclerosis. From a mechanistic standpoint, our pr...
Recent evidence from genome-wide association studies has linked the ataxin-1 gene (ATXN1) to an increased risk of developing the autoimmune demyelinating disorder multiple sclerosis. From a mechanistic standpoint, our previous work explained this genetic association by defining an immunomodulatory function for ataxin-1 in controlling specific genetic programs underlying B cell proliferation, activation, immunoglobulin production, and antigen presentation. Here, we employed a high-resolution multiomics analytical pipeline to further dissect the role of ataxin-1 in distinct B cell subsets upon encephalitogenic stress. By combining single-nuclei RNA-seq and ATAC-seq, along with mass-spectrometry proteomics, we documented that ataxin-1 is significantly enriched in B1 cells, marginal zone B cells, memory B cells, and precursor B cells. Pathway analysis highlighted that ataxin-1 is implicated in RNA splicing and translation processes. Conversely, no major effects were implicated for ataxin-1 in chromatin remodeling in the B cell population. Our findings expand the current knowledge of the cellular functions controlled by ataxin-1 outside of the central nervous system, and further describe a key regulator of B cell biology in health and disease.
Global Trends in Light Pollution and Their Relationship With Socioeconomic Factors.
Güneş M, Kurt Z, Bayazıt M … +2 more , Aksaker N, Yerli SK
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jul · PMID 42383659 · Full text
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a growing environmental pressure linked to socioeconomic development. This study examines ALAN trends from 2012 to 2024 across 165 countries using harmonized VIIRS satellite data. Glob...
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a growing environmental pressure linked to socioeconomic development. This study examines ALAN trends from 2012 to 2024 across 165 countries using harmonized VIIRS satellite data. Globally, ALAN increased at an annual rate of 3.2%. Highest radiance levels occur in developed regions (Europe, North America, and East Asia), while remote areas remain dark. A few countries, including France and Venezuela, show declines. The study extends the VIIRS time series and applies a calibrated Kaya-identity framework integrating the human development index (HDI) and Gini coefficient. It introduces radiance density (RD) as a normalized metric linked to per-capita development for cross-national comparison. ALAN shows associations with macroeconomic indicators. Absolute ALAN correlates with total GDP (log), energy consumption, and CO emissions ( -0.81). RD and light pollution density better reflect development quality, correlating with HDI ( ), GDP per capita (log) ( ), and life expectancy ( ). Predictive models achieve high explanatory power ( -0.89), with population and GDP per capita as the strongest determinants.
Wired for Corruption: Inter-Brain Synchrony Encodes Bribery-Related Value Information and Predicts Bribery Agreement.
Lin Y, Qiu S, Xu Y … +3 more , Pan Y, Hu Y, Li X
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jul · PMID 42376945 · Full text
Bribery typically arises in power-asymmetric interpersonal interactions requiring immoral collaboration between a briber and a power-holder. While previous research has predominantly adopted a single-person aspect, the n...
Bribery typically arises in power-asymmetric interpersonal interactions requiring immoral collaboration between a briber and a power-holder. While previous research has predominantly adopted a single-person aspect, the neurocognitive foundation of its collaborative nature remains largely unexplored. In this study (N = 112), we combined a novel dyadic behavioral paradigm, computational modeling, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning to investigate the cognitive mechanisms and inter-brain synchrony (INS) involved in bribery decision-making. Anonymous pairs participated in a multiround coin-guessing game involving two roles. Players could propose offers to earn rewards immorally (Bribery) or morally (Control), and judges decided whether to accept them. INS in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) were measured during decision-making. Behaviorally, fewer deals were reached in the Bribery condition, as computational modeling showed that the moral costs of bribery devalued both self-interest and the counterparts' gains. Neurally, distributed INS patterns in the PFC and rTPJ specifically represented bribery-related value information. Additionally, bribery-specific INS features-particularly those associated with moral cost, later decision phases, and rTPJ-accurately forecasted the overall bribery agreement rate across dyads. These findings highlight frontoparietal INS as a key neural marker of coordinated bribery-related information processing, advancing understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of interpersonal corruption.
LM-YOLO: A Lightweight Multi-Scale Enhanced Model for Forest Smoke Detection Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Zhu E, Chen X, Zhu Y … +3 more , Fu Y, Han K, Liu B
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jul · PMID 42376937 · Publisher ↗
Existing forest smoke detection models face limitations in recognizing small targets, achieving real-time performance, and maintaining high inference efficiency on edge devices. To overcome these challenges, this study p...
Existing forest smoke detection models face limitations in recognizing small targets, achieving real-time performance, and maintaining high inference efficiency on edge devices. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes a novel lightweight multi-scale You Only Look Once (LM-YOLO) model that enhances detection accuracy and real-time capability while ensuring computational efficiency. The LM-YOLO integrates the backbone feature extraction and multi-scale fusion mechanisms of YOLOv12n. Specifically, we introduce the RFMBlock to enhance the fused representation of shallow and deep features, considering the visual characteristics of forest smoke. Meanwhile, the two-path downsampling module achieves efficient downsampling with minimal spatial information loss. To further improve localization accuracy for small and blurred smoke regions, we employ the Shape-IoU loss function. Extensive experiments on the public try123-v4 forest fire smoke dataset demonstrate that, compared with the baseline YOLOv12n under the same experimental conditions, LM-YOLO reduces the number of parameters by 34.5%, decreases the computational cost by 30.2%, and improves detection precision by 4.7%. In addition, the model achieves 92.7% precision on the public try7 dataset. These results outperform existing methods and highlight the strong adaptability of LM-YOLO for edge deployment, ultimately providing reliable technical support for early forest fire warning using unmanned aerial vehicles.
Polyrhythm Perception and Production: A Scoping Review.
Nijhuis P, Møller C, Bamford JS … +1 more , Stupacher J
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jul · PMID 42376933 · Full text
In music, rhythms can range from simple isochrony to complex polyrhythms, in which multiple nonharmonically related metrical hierarchies are superimposed (e.g., 2:3, 4:5). This scoping review synthesizes 64 studies compr...
In music, rhythms can range from simple isochrony to complex polyrhythms, in which multiple nonharmonically related metrical hierarchies are superimposed (e.g., 2:3, 4:5). This scoping review synthesizes 64 studies comprising 96 experiments on polyrhythm perception and production. Over the past decades, research has shown that factors such as polyrhythm ratio, tempo, sensory modality, and musical training shape how we perceive and produce polyrhythms. Although most reviewed studies lack subjective measurements of polyrhythm complexity, behavioral tasks suggest that ratio sum (e.g., five in 2:3) and the Farey tree offer rough complexity estimates. While tempo affects which periodicity is perceived as the underlying beat, these effects are limited by the preference for binary subdivision grouping. Finally, the reviewed literature suggests that polyrhythms are more often perceived as integrated patterns than segregated streams. For future research, we recommend defining polyrhythms as the superposition of two or more nonharmonically related pulses that share a common cycle, and adding a clear description of whether these pulses are isochronous stimuli or perceived beats extracted from nonisochronous stimuli. Combining behavioral and subjective measures across different polyrhythmic contexts could clarify subjective complexity and under which circumstances polyrhythms are perceived and produced as integrated rhythms or segregated pulses.
DARTS-CNN-BiLSTM: Intelligent Fault Diagnosis for Computer Numerical Control Machine Tool Feed System.
Li Y, Liang X, Na L … +2 more , Guo G, Su P
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42339569 · Publisher ↗
As core equipment in high-end manufacturing, computer numerical control machine tools depend critically on the health of their feed systems, which directly affects machining quality and efficiency. To address fault diagn...
As core equipment in high-end manufacturing, computer numerical control machine tools depend critically on the health of their feed systems, which directly affects machining quality and efficiency. To address fault diagnosis challenges under variable-speed and strong-noise conditions, this paper proposes a deep learning model named DARTS-CNN-BiLSTM. The key novelty lies in the first systematic integration of differentiable architecture search (DARTS) with a hybrid CNN-BiLSTM framework. DARTS automatically optimizes the convolutional neural network structure for spatial feature extraction, while the bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) captures bidirectional temporal dependencies. Global average pooling is used for feature reduction, and a softmax classifier enables end-to-end fault classification. This automated design eliminates the need for manual network tuning and feature engineering. Experimental results on two public datasets and a self-built dataset demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms advanced models such as Inception-BiLSTM and DenseNet. Specifically, our method maintains over 90% diagnostic accuracy under strong noise (signal-to-noise ratio -6 dB) and achieves 98.15% average accuracy on a variable-speed dataset. Ablation studies confirm the advantage of automated architecture design over manually tuned counterparts. These results validate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method for complex feed system fault diagnosis.
Synchrony and Reciprocity in Rhythmic Interaction.
Palmer C, Yi W, Smykovskyi A
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42325126 · Full text
Multiperson rhythmic tasks such as music performance, dance, and chant typically result in a sequence of actions or events that must be coordinated temporally across individuals. Is reciprocity a bidirectional influence...
Multiperson rhythmic tasks such as music performance, dance, and chant typically result in a sequence of actions or events that must be coordinated temporally across individuals. Is reciprocity a bidirectional influence among individuals who perform some action or behavior together, necessary for successful synchronization or for enhancing social interactions among those individuals? Reciprocity is considered a fundamental mechanism for promoting prosocial behavior between individuals and in evolutionary biology. We examine group rhythmic auditory tasks in terms of behavioral synchrony (e.g., body movements, tone onsets); physiological synchrony (e.g., cardiac and respiratory rhythms); and emotional synchrony (e.g., shared emotional responses). The paper identifies scientific studies that test whether reciprocity at one level (behavioral, physiological, emotional) is also shared between those individuals at another level. We review distinctions between individual differences and group-level differences that may influence behavioral, physiological, and emotional synchrony. Understanding reciprocal relationships among group members is important for psychological and computational models of how relationships evolve over time in auditory rhythmic behaviors.
Leveraging Salt Fortification Platforms to Address Multiple-Micronutrient Deficiencies in Africa: A Policy Opportunity.
Zerfu T, Tareke AA, Chekol DA
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42308387 · Publisher ↗
Micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting not only inadequate diets but also limitations in how current interventions are designed and delivered. Universal salt iodization (USI) h...
Micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting not only inadequate diets but also limitations in how current interventions are designed and delivered. Universal salt iodization (USI) has achieved broad population coverage and represents one of the most successful large-scale nutrition interventions globally. However, most fortification strategies continue to target single nutrients in isolation, missing opportunities to address overlapping deficiencies. Recent evidence from Ethiopia demonstrates that folic acid can be co-fortified with iodized salt without compromising iodine status, offering proof-of-concept that existing platforms can be leveraged for integrated micronutrient delivery. This perspective argues that integrated fortification strategies combining iodine, folic acid, and potentially other micronutrients into widely consumed vehicles offer a more efficient, scalable, and equitable pathway to improve population-level nutritional status. However, translating proof-of-concept into public health impact requires addressing key challenges: biological effectiveness, product stability, implementation feasibility, quality assurance, and population heterogeneity. We propose a policy agenda that includes regulatory reform, investment in surveillance systems, and coordinated action across health, trade, and food safety sectors. Integrated fortification should complement, not replace, broader strategies like dietary diversification and supplementation, while offering a pragmatic pathway to address overlapping micronutrient deficiencies at scale across Africa and other low- and middle-income settings.
Influence of Early Dry-Wet Cycles on Performance and Durability of Steel-Fiber Recycled Coarse Aggregate Concrete.
Wu J, Liu D, Li S … +2 more , Ding Y, Mu S
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42308381 · Publisher ↗
To enhance the durability of recycled coarse aggregate concrete (RCAC) under early dry-wet cycles, this study investigates the effects of incorporating copper-plated steel fibers (CPSFs) at volume fractions of 0%, 0.5%,...
To enhance the durability of recycled coarse aggregate concrete (RCAC) under early dry-wet cycles, this study investigates the effects of incorporating copper-plated steel fibers (CPSFs) at volume fractions of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%. We systematically evaluated the Cl erosion resistance, splitting tensile strength, mass-change rate, pore structure, phase composition, and microstructural evolution of RCAC subjected to 21 NaCl dry-wet cycles. Results show that CPSF effectively inhibits microcrack propagation and improves the interfacial transition zone within the concrete matrix. At a fiber content of 1.5%, the mass of the specimen increased by 1.23% after 21 erosion cycles, and the splitting tensile strength reached 2.86 MPa, which is 80% higher than that of the fiber-free control group. Comprehensive evaluation using the entropy weight method confirms that RCAC with 1.5% CPSF exhibits the best durability performance. This study demonstrates that an appropriate dosage of CPSF significantly mitigates the detrimental effects of early dry-wet cycles on RCAC performance.
All About That Bass Drum? Asynchrony Effects on the Perceived Timing of Compound Musical Sounds.
Danielsen A, London J, Langerød MT … +1 more , Schmidt Câmara G
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42301156 · Publisher ↗
When a sound occurs (i.e., its acoustic onset) is not the same as when we perceive that sound to occur. The latter location is known as the "P-center" in both music and language perception, and can be a few to over a hun...
When a sound occurs (i.e., its acoustic onset) is not the same as when we perceive that sound to occur. The latter location is known as the "P-center" in both music and language perception, and can be a few to over a hundred milliseconds after a sound's acoustic onset. While P-center perception in music has received scrutiny, it remains unclear how P-centers emerge when multiple instruments play together, particularly when they are not perfectly synchronized. Here, we investigate the effect of different degrees of instrument asynchrony on the P-center of their combined sound. In two experiments, participants aligned a click probe to pairs of instruments used in popular music with varying asynchronies (0-±80 ms). Results show that increasing asynchrony shifts the P-center of the compound sound later in time. Moreover, fast-attack instruments (e.g., kick drum) exert a strong pull on the P-center; fast-slow pairs largely retained a single P-center anchored to the fast-attack sound. By contrast, pairs of fast-attack sounds with ≥40 ms asynchronies between their individual P-centers provided evidence of perceptual segregation of the sound into two events. The findings show how inter-instrument asynchronies and attack characteristics jointly structure the perceived timing and unity of compound musical sounds.
Not Just Rocked, but Delighted: Rhythmic Passive Movement Induces Positive States in Chicks.
Chiandetti C, Dissegna A, Scalera L … +1 more , Gallina P
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42301154 · Full text
Rhythm is a fundamental organizing principle in biological systems, shaping physiological regulation, affect, and social interaction across species. In caregiving, rhythmic passive movement, such as carrying and rocking,...
Rhythm is a fundamental organizing principle in biological systems, shaping physiological regulation, affect, and social interaction across species. In caregiving, rhythmic passive movement, such as carrying and rocking, has long been recognized as a soothing strategy in mammals, reducing crying, heart rate, and arousal while promoting sleep. Anecdotal and behavioral evidence in humans also suggest that some forms of rhythmic motion, such as sliding or tossing infants, can elicit overt enjoyment. Yet, no study has directly investigated the effects of passive rhythmic movement beyond the mammalian lineage or in species lacking maternal carrying, nor assessed its potential to evoke pleasurable states. Here, we examined the effects of rhythmic passive movement in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus), a precocial bird that walks immediately after hatching and is never carried by the mother. Chicks were exposed to rocking (horizontal, vertical) and carrying-like motion at different frequencies. Slow rhythmic movements reduced contact calls, replicating the soothing effects known in mammals, while faster movements increased brood calls, indicating a transition from distress reduction to positive arousal. These results demonstrate that rhythmic passive motion modulates affective states in birds, revealing both calming and pleasurable dimensions and suggesting deeply conserved mechanisms for rhythm-based affect regulation across vertebrates.
Evolutionary Stability of the Shark Snout: Geometric Morphometrics of Ventral Facial Openings.
Aicardi S, Rosa G, Longo A … +6 more , Bozzo M, Risso B, Damonte E, Amaroli A, Candiani S, Ferrando S
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42301148 · Full text
Chondrichthyans are among the most ancient vertebrates, and their morphology has enabled adaptation to diverse marine environments. In sharks, the head is the functional center for feeding, respiration, and sensory perce...
Chondrichthyans are among the most ancient vertebrates, and their morphology has enabled adaptation to diverse marine environments. In sharks, the head is the functional center for feeding, respiration, and sensory perception, reflecting a balance between phylogenetic constraints and ecological demands. Striking specializations, such as the cephalofoil of hammerhead sharks or the elongated rostrum of sawsharks, illustrate remarkable adaptations. Most studies on head shape have focused on single species or restricted clades, whereas broader analyses have focused on parts of the skull. We analyzed the ventral head morphology of 453 shark species (Selachii), focusing on the relative position of the rostrum, mouth, and nostrils (in a subset of 395 species), using standardized illustrations and landmark-based geometric morphometrics. Shape variation was related to ecological and anatomical factors. The morphological space reveals a phylogenetic signal, with reconstructed ancestral shapes close to the overall mean configuration, indicating strong morphological conservatism. Evolutionary model fitting supports Brownian motion dynamics with limited divergence from ancestral forms. Correlations with habitat and body size are weak, whereas stronger associations are observed with the number of olfactory lamellae. Our results provide a large-scale comparative framework of ventral head morphology in sharks, highlighting its evolutionary stability and predominant phylogenetic control.
Psychological Empowerment on the Streets: Designing and Validating Multisensory Experiences in Simulated Autonomous Driving.
Jeong E, Hong YJ, Shin J … +3 more , Kim JS, Yoo MA, Kim SP
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42301144 · Full text
Driving is evolving from a transportation task into a rich, multisensory experience in automated vehicles. This study developed and evaluated three multisensory solutions combining music with synchronized vibrotactile st...
Driving is evolving from a transportation task into a rich, multisensory experience in automated vehicles. This study developed and evaluated three multisensory solutions combining music with synchronized vibrotactile stimulation for autonomous driving contexts: safe (city driving), engagement (highway cruising), and entertainment (highway entry). Eighteen healthy adult drivers experienced three context-solution pairs presented in music only (M) and music with vibration (MV) modalities with simulated autonomous driving scenarios. Participants' responses were measured using self-assessment manikin (SAM) ratings and electroencephalography (EEG). A significant main effect of modality showed that MV led to greater pleasure than M (EEG: p < 0.05; SAM: p < 0.05), with arousal showing a similar pattern (EEG: p < 0.05; SAM: p = 0.099). Behavioral data showed different emotional profiles across the three context-solution pairs (p < 0.001 for pleasure, arousal, and dominance), whereas the EEG contrast, which subtracted the video-only condition, showed no significant pair effect. These findings demonstrate that vibrotactile enhancement provides consistent emotional benefits across diverse driving contexts. Because each musical solution was paired with a unique driving scenario, these differences cannot be attributed solely to the music intervention. Future optimization of music and vibrotactile parameters may further enhance the autonomous driving experience.
Interpersonal Synchronization of Autonomic Physiology via Mere Visual Contact.
Koul A, Novembre G
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42301140 · Full text
Interpersonal physiological synchrony (IPS)-the temporal alignment of autonomic physiological signals-is emerging as a prominent feature of social interaction. IPS can predict complex social phenomena such as relationshi...
Interpersonal physiological synchrony (IPS)-the temporal alignment of autonomic physiological signals-is emerging as a prominent feature of social interaction. IPS can predict complex social phenomena such as relationship quality or social bonding. Yet, the origins of IPS remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether and how IPS can emerge spontaneously through mere visual contact. Thirty-eight dyads of familiar participants were asked to face each other without speaking or making coverbal gestures. IPS was measured using four autonomic signals-heart rate, skin conductance, respiration rate, and pupil diameter-and quantified as the Pearson correlation between dyad members' signals. We found that visual contact was sufficient to synchronize all physiological signals in real dyads, compared with chance-level synchrony in surrogate dyads. Notably, heart rate and pupil diameter IPS were particularly vision-dependent, showing significant reductions when visual contact was prevented. Furthermore, examining the link between IPS and spontaneous social cues revealed that heart rate IPS co-occurred with synchronized body movements, whereas pupil diameter IPS co-occurred with synchronized smiling. These findings show that IPS can emerge spontaneously through mere visual contact and is linked to the exchange of social cues. They position IPS as a robust, self-organizing phenomenon that occurs naturally in social interactions.
Sound Guides Object Size Choices in African Penguins Through Pitch-Size Association.
Terranova F, D'Orazio F, Pilenga C … +3 more , Baciadonna L, Reby D, Favaro L
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42274297 · Full text
The brain's ability to associate information from different sensory modalities, known as cross-modal integration, is crucial for forming a coherent perception of objects and events. When such associations follow systemat...
The brain's ability to associate information from different sensory modalities, known as cross-modal integration, is crucial for forming a coherent perception of objects and events. When such associations follow systematic and predictable patterns, they are referred to as cross-modal correspondences. Humans, for example, tend to associate large objects with low-pitched sounds and small objects with high-pitched sounds, a phenomenon known as pitch-size cross-modal correspondence. This phenomenon has been documented in several vertebrate species, yet direct experimental evidence in avian species remains comparatively limited. Here, we tested African penguins using a preferential choice paradigm in which individuals chose between two cubes of different sizes after hearing either a high- or low-pitched sound. Following passive exposure to congruent pitch-size pairings, penguins chose larger objects following low-pitched sounds and smaller objects following high-pitched sounds, indicating that auditory pitch guided their visual size choices. Given that individuals were pre-exposed to a limited set of pitch-size pairings, this effect may reflect either a preexisting bias consistent with cross-modal correspondences or the generalization of a learned association. Nevertheless, these findings demonstrate that penguins can integrate auditory and visual information to guide their behavior and generalize a systematic pitch-size relationship across sensory dimensions.
Enhancing Preclinical Rigor: Evaluating Robustness and Numerical Stability in a Chronic Pancreatitis Mouse Model.
Thämlitz A, Khan MI, Schulz B … +3 more , Pilch L, Vollmar B, Zechner D
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42262151 · Full text
Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by progressive fibrosis, inflammation, and pancreatic atrophy. Here, we evaluate a milder CP model using only 42 cerulein injections administered in both male and female C57BL/6...
Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by progressive fibrosis, inflammation, and pancreatic atrophy. Here, we evaluate a milder CP model using only 42 cerulein injections administered in both male and female C57BL/6J (BL6) and BALB/c mice. We further assess the therapeutic potential of the RORγt inhibitor GSK805. We employed a multi-tiered analytical approach, including the robustness of conclusion (RC), unit fragility index, and robustness index, to evaluate consistency and numerical stability of conclusions. The model reliably produced key hallmarks of CP: reduced pancreas-to-body weight ratio, elevated collagen I deposition, and tubular complex formation with an RC of 100%. In contrast, the induction of Tnf, Ifng, Il10, Il23r, Il6, and Il1b expression was less robust and partially strain specific. Il23r and Il10 were significantly induced during CP in female and male BL6 but not in BALB/c mice. Il6 was significantly induced in female and male BALB/c but only reached significance in BL6 when sexes were combined. Treatment with GSK805 reduced Il23r expression level significantly in BL6 mice, but no reliable improvements in other disease characteristics were observed. Overall, this study validates a simplified, robust CP model and advocates for the integration of complementary statistical metrics to strengthen the reliability of scientific conclusion.
Rhythmicity and Trait Absorption Are Linked to Nonordinary States of Consciousness.
Aparicio-Terrés R, López-Mochales S, Díaz-Andreu M … +1 more , Escera C
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42262149 · Full text
A widely observed phenomenon across cultures involves the use of rhythmic auditory stimulation in intricate rituals to achieve dissociative mental states. While several physiological mechanisms link repetitive auditory s...
A widely observed phenomenon across cultures involves the use of rhythmic auditory stimulation in intricate rituals to achieve dissociative mental states. While several physiological mechanisms link repetitive auditory stimuli to nonordinary states of consciousness (NSCs), entrainment-the brainwave synchronization through periodic external stimuli-has received particular attention. However, there is limited experimental evidence on this relationship, and the influence of certain personality traits that shape the strength of NSCs remains underexplored. In our study, 27 participants with no prior experience of rhythm-induced NSCs listened to 12 min of both rhythmic and nonrhythmic drum sounds. Following each type of stimulation, they engaged in cognitive tasks and reported their phenomenological experiences related to NSCs through questionnaires. Electroencephalography was employed to record brain activity, evaluating whether entrainment to the drum sounds affected both objective and subjective proxies of NSCs. Our findings show that higher trait absorption was associated with stronger experiences of disembodiment and spirituality during drumming listening. Also, rhythmic drum sounds increased experiences of unity compared to nonrhythmic ones, and for individuals with low trait absorption, it also increased spiritual experiences. These findings suggest that rhythm influences the characteristics of the resulting phenomenological experience.
A Visual Behavioral Training Study of Categorical Face Pattern Recognition in Mice.
Chen Y, Guo L, Jiang R … +3 more , Zhou K, Zhao X, Meng M
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42244244 · Full text
Can rodents form a categorical face concept or is their ability to discriminate faces from objects driven solely by visual features? To answer this question, we trained C57BL/6J mice on a touchscreen face-object discrimi...
Can rodents form a categorical face concept or is their ability to discriminate faces from objects driven solely by visual features? To answer this question, we trained C57BL/6J mice on a touchscreen face-object discrimination task and examined their behavior in two experiments. We show that: (i) after training, mice generalized face-object classification to novel exemplars but lost the ability to discriminate when stimuli were inverted or contrast‑negated, consistent with the classic effects of these manipulations on humans performing categorically face-specific tasks; (ii) along a continuum from low‑similarity pareidolia to real faces, choice performance followed a sigmoidal rather than a linear or quadratic function, which again suggests a categorical face concept recognition boundary. These behavioral results in mice resemble how humans visually categorize faces and nonfaces. The work provides evidence that a face concept can emerge even in a species whose social communication is not primarily visual, paving the way for future investigations on neural and genetic substrates of categorical pattern recognition.
Evidence of Physiological Comodulation During Human-Animal Interaction: A Systematic Review.
Bargigli G, Frassineti L, Baragli P … +3 more , Scopa C, Vignoli A, Lanata A
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42244242 · Full text
This review examines the evidence in the literature for physiological co-modulation during human-animal interaction, identifying studies that assessed comodulation via simultaneous measurement of physiological signals in...
This review examines the evidence in the literature for physiological co-modulation during human-animal interaction, identifying studies that assessed comodulation via simultaneous measurement of physiological signals in both species, performing quantitative comparisons. We searched (last search: August 5, 2025) PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Animal Studies Repository, Cochrane, and the Consensus App academic search engine. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted version of the ROBINS-I V2 tool. The results, grouped by data analysis method, interaction context, and physiological parameter, were synthesized narratively in structured tables. Thirty-seven studies were included, focusing on dogs (n = 22) and horses (n = 15), framed primarily within the interaction contexts of animal-assisted therapy/intervention and companionship. Cardiac and hormonal measures were most frequently assessed. Most studies (n = 20) performed correlation analyses. Sample sizes ranged from 10 to 130 dyads. Comodulation was significant in 16 studies, partial in 16, and absent in 5. Time-series coupling methods yielded more consistent evidence than discrete-time correlations. Evidence, while not conclusive, supports physiological comodulation during human-animal interactions. However, the studies' heterogeneity limits generalizability; findings suggest comodulation may emerge under specific biological and methodological conditions, and future research should explicitly test its presence across contexts.
How Policy Incentives Are Associated With Consumers' Purchase of Higher Level Energy-Saving Home Appliances: Online Versus Offline Channels.
Peng L, Chen T, Cong G
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jun · PMID 42244238 · Publisher ↗
Promoting consumer adoption of high-efficiency energy-saving home appliances (ESHA) is critical for reducing residential energy consumption. China has implemented a portfolio of incentive policies, yet policy effects var...
Promoting consumer adoption of high-efficiency energy-saving home appliances (ESHA) is critical for reducing residential energy consumption. China has implemented a portfolio of incentive policies, yet policy effects vary across regions, sales channels, and information environments. Based on panel data of 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2015 to 2022, this study adopts gradient boosting regression trees (GBRTs) and panel models to explore online and offline policy-sales associations. The online sample includes three major appliance categories: air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines, whereas, constrained by data availability, the offline analysis covers only air conditioners and washing machines. Results show that more policy instruments do not always strengthen online associations, with evident heterogeneity across instrument types and product groups. Offline policy performance also exhibits marked regional differentiation. This study reveals channel- and product-differentiated policy roles and provides empirical implications for targeted ESHA policy design, with its conclusions limited to China's institutional and market context and the scope of the available data.
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