Bao W, Li H, Ma H
… +6 more, Huang L, Wu D, Dong H, Wang Q, Tian W, Su R
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 May · PMID 42127295
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Mechanical components are susceptible to fatigue cracks when subjected to prolonged and complex external alternating loads, which can ultimately lead to component failure. The introduction of advantageous compressive res...Mechanical components are susceptible to fatigue cracks when subjected to prolonged and complex external alternating loads, which can ultimately lead to component failure. The introduction of advantageous compressive residual stress can counteract external tensile stress, thereby enhancing the fatigue life of mechanical components. However, when these components are subjected to mechanical loads and high temperatures, residual stress relaxation (RSR) may occur, which can affect the fatigue performance of the components. In recent years, RSR has been extensively studied by experiments and simulations. In this paper, we summarize the influencing factors of RSR in terms of cyclic loading, temperature, work hardening, and initial stress level, as well as discuss the intrinsic mechanism of RSR in terms of four types of dislocation motion: annihilation, proliferation, rearrangement, and slip. Given the practical needs of industrial production, data-driven machine learning methods show potential in residual stress prediction, but data quality and model interpretability are still key challenges. In this regard, we propose the future focus of research in machine learning for residual stress prediction.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 May · PMID 42109012
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Optimizing water-nitrogen-biochar (W-N-B) management is essential for achieving sustainable greenhouse tomato production under climate change. This study assessed long-term changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), greenhous...Optimizing water-nitrogen-biochar (W-N-B) management is essential for achieving sustainable greenhouse tomato production under climate change. This study assessed long-term changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), greenhouse gas fluxes, and tomato yield under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) during 2025-2100 and evaluated trade-offs among carbon mitigation, productivity, and resource use efficiency. The results showed that biochar application consistently increased tomato yield and SOC while reducing CO and NO emissions, whereas irrigation and nitrogen input primarily influenced yield formation and NO emissions. Among the three climate scenarios, SSP1-2.6 produced the greatest cobenefits, with yield increasing by 4.16%, SOC rising by 0.73%, and global warming potential decreasing by 18.6%. The optimal W-N-B management strategies were identified as W1N3B3 under SSP1-2.6, W2N2B2 under SSP2-4.5, and W2N3B3 under SSP5-8.5. These findings provide scientific support for developing high-yield and low-carbon greenhouse agriculture in arid regions of Northwest China.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 May · PMID 42102229
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Soil erosion constrains agricultural productivity, ecological security, and water resources in the Lancang River Basin. This study mapped annual soil erosion at 30-m resolution from 2000 to 2024 using the revised univers...Soil erosion constrains agricultural productivity, ecological security, and water resources in the Lancang River Basin. This study mapped annual soil erosion at 30-m resolution from 2000 to 2024 using the revised universal soil loss equation combined with Theil-Sen slope estimation and the Mann-Kendall test. Basin-wide mean erosion remained generally stable, while pixel-wise analyses revealed significant localized intensification (p < 0.05) in localized areas. Areas classified as very slight and slight erosion accounted for approximately 55%-73% and 25%-37% of the basin, respectively, whereas moderate-to-extreme erosion occupied <2% of the area. Optimal parameter geographical detector analysis identified precipitation (Q = 0.196) and land use (Q = 0.170) as the dominant controls, with strong bifactor enhancement indicating synergistic effects on exposed slopes. Future erosion for 2025-2050 was assessed using precipitation-driven CMIP6 scenarios (SSP1-1.9, SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5) based on the GFDL-CM4 model. Results indicate minimal change under SSP1-1.9, increases of 5%-10% under SSP2-4.5, and pronounced intensification exceeding 10% in parts of the middle and lower basin under SSP5-8.5. Sensitivity analyses confirm that the identified patterns are robust to reasonable uncertainty in land-cover and conservation parameters. These findings provide quantitative guidance for prioritizing soil conservation under future climate change.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 May · PMID 42085570
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Low calcium intake is a widespread global health problem that impacts maternal health, neonatal survival, and the development of chronic health problems such as osteoporosis. Despite its important health implications, fr...Low calcium intake is a widespread global health problem that impacts maternal health, neonatal survival, and the development of chronic health problems such as osteoporosis. Despite its important health implications, fragmented data on calcium intakes and related health outcomes have hindered more strategic responses. We aimed to develop a centralized, interactive platform that visualizes calcium intakes, associated health outcomes, and policies across countries. The Global Calcium Dashboard integrates datasets that include calcium intake estimates, as well as calcium supplementation guidelines, food-based recommendations, and fortification legislation. Epidemiological data and modeled estimates on preterm births, maternal hypertensive disorders, and bone fractures were also incorporated to highlight areas with the greatest potential need for improved calcium intake. Country typologies were created based on the risk of adverse health outcomes and the presence of policies or guidelines for calcium interventions. Countries with the greatest risk of adverse health outcomes and lacking calcium intervention policies were primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia. Supporting these countries in developing calcium-based interventions to address this nutrient gap has the greatest likelihood to improve health outcomes, especially for mothers and their infants.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 May · PMID 42059772
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People synchronize their behavioral and physiological rhythms with each other during social interaction. While interpersonal synchronization has largely been associated with positive effects such as social bonding, some...People synchronize their behavioral and physiological rhythms with each other during social interaction. While interpersonal synchronization has largely been associated with positive effects such as social bonding, some evidence suggests that it may also impair self-regulation and disrupt intrapersonal coordination. Because respiration and heart rhythms are weakly coupled within individuals, we investigated whether synchronizing breathing with another person alters intrapersonal cardiorespiratory coupling. Across two experiments, participants synchronized their breathing reciprocally (bidirectional interaction), unidirectionally with a confederate, or with prerecorded breathing signals, while respiration and electrocardiography were continuously measured. Relative phase analyses revealed that bidirectional breathing synchronization induced in-phase synchronization of heart rhythms between individuals. Critically, interpersonal synchronization coincided with cardiorespiratory decoupling: respiration and heart rhythms became more out-of-phase during interaction compared to resting baselines and the unidirectional condition. Moreover, stronger interpersonal respiratory synchronization predicted greater intrapersonal cardiorespiratory decoupling, particularly when participants adapted their own breathing to another person's. These findings provide evidence that interpersonal physiological synchronization entails a trade-off with intrapersonal physiological coupling, perturbing the phase relationship within one's own physiological system. We propose that aligning one's physiological rhythms with others strengthens self-other coupling but weakens intrapersonal coupling, pointing to a physiological mechanism of self-decoupling during social interaction.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 42033747
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The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH, α-MSH) systems are examples of functional antagonism built upon mechanistic parallelism. Evolved from light-responsive pigment mechanisms,...The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH, α-MSH) systems are examples of functional antagonism built upon mechanistic parallelism. Evolved from light-responsive pigment mechanisms, these peptides were repurposed into hypothalamic circuits regulating energy balance, circadian rhythms, and complex behaviors. Their antagonism manifests across multiple biological scales. In the skin, MCH induces melanosome aggregation in low light, whereas MSH promotes their dispersion for ultraviolet protection. In the brain, this pigmentary logic was repurposed into circadian and metabolic regulation: MCH promotes feeding, energy conservation, and sleep, while MSH drives satiety, thermogenesis, and wakefulness. Strikingly, their antagonism extends to subcellular organelles. MCH shortens neuronal primary cilia, whereas MSH elongates them, paralleling their opposite actions on melanosomes. Both processes depend on cAMP-PKA-regulated microtubule transport, reflecting a conserved cellular architecture probably rooted in the shared neural crest origins of melanocytes and neurons. Importantly, these pathways remain tightly entrained to the circadian clock, translating external light-dark cycles into rhythmic control of skin pigmentation and the body's internal metabolic state. Disruptions of these systems contribute to diverse metabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders, often through opposite imbalances of signaling, and understanding this deep evolutionary continuity reveals new therapeutic targets, from receptor ligands to circadian interventions and cilia-targeted therapies.
Jamey K, Laflamme H, Foster NEV
… +3 more, Rigoulot S, Hyde KL, Dalla Bella S
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 42024144
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Autistic children often experience differences in rhythmic skills and executive functioning, which are associated with rhythm-related challenges and the degree of autistic traits. Training rhythmic skills could support a...Autistic children often experience differences in rhythmic skills and executive functioning, which are associated with rhythm-related challenges and the degree of autistic traits. Training rhythmic skills could support autistic individuals, given the fundamental role of timing skills in various aspects of cognitive, motor, and social functioning. We evaluated the feasibility of rhythmic training to support perceptual, motor, and cognitive functioning by testing Rhythm Workers (RW), a finger-tapping serious game, in autistic children (ages 7-13; n = 26). Participants were randomly assigned to play either RW or a control game with similar auditory-motor demands over 2 weeks. Feasibility results showed high compliance (retention, adherence) and similar engagement (training duration, enjoyment, perceived difficulty) for both games. Compared to the control group, children who played RW showed greater improvement in rhythmic skills as a function of training duration and autistic traits (social awareness). Gains were also observed in composite scores of executive functioning (accuracy), though not all subcomponent tasks showed significant effects. These findings offer preliminary support for the feasibility of implementing digital gamified rhythmic training for autistic children, and suggest potential benefits for motor and cognitive engagement that warrant further investigation.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 42023709
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Arts and cultural engagement have been linked to health and wellbeing but there has not been any national monitoring of arts and cultural behaviors in the United States. Given its potential benefits, understanding how en...Arts and cultural engagement have been linked to health and wellbeing but there has not been any national monitoring of arts and cultural behaviors in the United States. Given its potential benefits, understanding how engagement is changing is vital. We used the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), a continuous cross-sectional survey (2003-2023) measuring activities during the last 24 h. We estimated rates of arts engagement on an average day; determined how long people spent on the arts; explored with whom activities were done; identified where activities were done; examined potential disparities across different subgroups of the population; and described the time trends in these measures. In this nationally representative sample (n = 236,270), daily arts engagement rates were stable from 2003 to 2023, with small underlying increases in participatory engagement (dancing/performing/arts/crafts/writing) and slight declines in receptive engagement (attending performing arts/museums/watching dancing). There were less consistent trends in time spent on the arts. People increasingly did arts activities alone at home. There were disparities in engagement, with differing trends according to sex, age, and income. To understand population-level engagement, arts behaviors should be monitored nationally. Tracking different activities separately is crucial, alongside the factors influencing participation.
Laffi L, Salerno A, Friard O
… +10 more, Poletti S, Ruffa G, Tubito M, Bianco VL, Valente D, Capasso M, Castiglioni R, Isaja V, Ravignani A, Gamba M
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 42013238
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Temporal organization is crucial for efficient communication in many animal species, particularly those with complex vocal output. Singing primates structure their songs into rhythmic categories based on small-integer ra...Temporal organization is crucial for efficient communication in many animal species, particularly those with complex vocal output. Singing primates structure their songs into rhythmic categories based on small-integer ratios between adjacent intervals. However, rhythmic organization usually emerges from a single sound source, and it remains unknown whether any species can produce rhythms through the coordination of multiple vocal production mechanisms. This study investigates rhythmicity in the song of siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus). This singing primate uses two distinct vocal mechanisms: modulation of the oral tract and radiation through the laryngeal sac. We analyzed the temporal structure of vocal units resonated in the oral tract (mouth units) and those by the laryngeal sac (sac units), as well as the combined output of both. Both mouth and sac units displayed an isochronous pattern (1:1), corresponding to adjacent intervals of the same duration. The combined output showed significant isochrony (1:1) and two additional nonsignificant clusters at ratios of 1:9 and 9:1. These findings suggest that the interaction between the two vocal mechanisms yields a more complex rhythmic structure, representing a unique case of vocal coordination in nonhuman primates.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 42013236
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Mapping time and numbers on space is affected by the writing direction. In two experiments, we searched for an explanation of how writing scripts can influence the mental representation of time and number axes. We presen...Mapping time and numbers on space is affected by the writing direction. In two experiments, we searched for an explanation of how writing scripts can influence the mental representation of time and number axes. We presented to participants either 2 months (written in their native language) or two numbers (Arabic numerals), one on the left and the other on the right of the screen, and asked them to judge which number is larger or which month comes later in the year. For the months, Arabic speakers responded more accurately and faster when the correct answer was shown on the left, and the pattern was reversed for the Portuguese. However, this effect was not detected when the numbers were compared. We suggest that the observed effect is not rooted in mental mapping of time on space but is accounted for by automatized behavioral patterns related to habitual information processing. We also found that mathematicians performed better with numbers and worse with month names than nonmathematicians, confirming the direct effect of experience on cognitive processing without involving mental representations of number or time axes.
Mouta R, Cavalcante LTF, Soares MA
… +4 more, Schrago CG, D'arc M, Moreira FRR, Andrade Dos Santos AF
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 42013235
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Feline leukemia virus (Gammaretrovirus felleu) causes variable pathologies, partially modulated by its endogenous form (enFeLV). Although enFeLV is found in genomes of all species of the Felis genus, the limitations of t...Feline leukemia virus (Gammaretrovirus felleu) causes variable pathologies, partially modulated by its endogenous form (enFeLV). Although enFeLV is found in genomes of all species of the Felis genus, the limitations of transposable element sequencing have hindered a comprehensive characterization. In this study, we examined 17 felid genomes for enFeLV copies, confirming that enFeLV is restricted to the Felis genus. From the long-read genomes of Felis catus, Felis nigripes, and Felis chaus, we identified 73 solo LTRs, 64 copies with genic segments, and 4 atypical copies. These were annotated and characterized using recombination assessment, phylogenetic analysis, insertion dating, and Fisher's exact tests. All enFeLV copies shared a single origin, with insertions occurring within the last 3.5 million years, except for predicted recombinants. Copy distribution, dating, and the phylogenetic position of F. chaus copies reinforce the hypothesis of a recent introgression of enFeLV into this species. Furthermore, 41 copies exhibit identical LTR pairs and 14 retain intact open reading frames spanning the viral genome. Uneven evolutionary pressures across the enFeLV genome were evidenced by discrepancies between tree topologies of individual genes and the preferential loss of pol. We conclude that enFeLV has undergone a complex post-endogenization evolutionary history and urge additional studies of other endogenous retroviruses.
He T, Yu J, Ou L
… +3 more, Zheng Q, Ye J, Jiang Z
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41996601
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Precision microspheres have small volumes, making the detection of surface defects challenging with the naked eye. Traditional optical microscopy methods are hindered by issues such as localized blurriness and low resolu...Precision microspheres have small volumes, making the detection of surface defects challenging with the naked eye. Traditional optical microscopy methods are hindered by issues such as localized blurriness and low resolution, which impede their ability to detect surface defects of microspheres with the precision required. This paper proposes an autocorrelation two-step deconvolution super-resolution image reconstruction method using the sparrow search algorithm, which adaptively fine-tunes the acceleration parameters and optimizes them through a hybrid energy function as the objective. This method enhances image resolution and mitigates the occurrence of artifacts during the reconstruction process. Rolling Fourier ring correlation and full width at half maximum are employed to assess the quality of the reconstructed images. In comparison to the traditional autocorrelation two-step deconvolution super-resolution algorithm, the proposed method achieves a resolution enhancement ranging from 2.79 to 3.82 times, depending on the frame count. For equivalent frame counts, the image processing speed increases by 6.3%-34.2%. When compared to various deep learning models, the proposed algorithm reconstructs more detailed features and enhances the detection of surface defects in precision microspheres. It displays a depression effect, which may serve as a valuable reference for the quantitative assessment of surface roughness in precision microsphere images.
Zhang X, Yu C, Zhang Z
… +6 more, Liu M, Huang X, Bai D, Yang R, Wang P, Yang C
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41973868
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The nasal microbiome, an integral component of the upper respiratory tract's microecological system, plays a pivotal role in inflammatory diseases such as allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, which affect a substanti...The nasal microbiome, an integral component of the upper respiratory tract's microecological system, plays a pivotal role in inflammatory diseases such as allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, which affect a substantial population and markedly reduce quality of life. A healthy nasal flora and its metabolites are crucial for maintaining immune homeostasis and mucosal barrier integrity. This review comprehensively discusses the pathological mechanisms, immune interactions, and clinical intervention strategies involving the nasal microbiota in nasal inflammation. It has been shown that dysbiosis of the nasal flora disrupts immune function and compromises the epithelial barrier, thereby initiating and exacerbating a vicious cycle of inflammation. Furthermore, the formation of bacterial biofilms and the emergence of drug resistance contribute to persistent and recurrent symptoms. Regarding treatment, while antibiotics may offer short-term efficacy, they risk aggravating the microbial imbalance. In contrast, therapies including probiotics, novel immunomodulators, and traditional Chinese medicine demonstrate significant therapeutic potential by restoring microbial balance and modulating immune responses. This review synthesizes current research to provide new perspectives for understanding host-microbiome interactions and to guide future clinical treatments and drug development.
Xiang X, Wu X, Ling S
… +3 more, Zhu J, Zhang J, Fu T
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41964611
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Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (SWT) has shown potential in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration, yet its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this study, we explored the role of extracellular s...Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (SWT) has shown potential in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration, yet its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this study, we explored the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)-mediated autophagy in SWT-enhanced nerve repair using both in vivo and in vitro models. Application of SWT to transected sciatic nerves in rats led to increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation and upregulation of the autophagy marker LC3B, as confirmed by immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR. In vitro, SWT-treated Schwann cells exhibited enhanced autophagosome formation and accelerated autophagic flux, correlating with increased axonal outgrowth in cocultured dorsal root ganglion neurons. Pharmacological modulation further revealed that ERK1/2 activation enhanced, while inhibition suppressed, SWT-induced autophagy and neurite extension. Moreover, SWT improved motor recovery in injured rats, as evidenced by enhanced gait performance, sciatic functional index, and electrophysiological recordings. These effects were amplified by cotreatment with the ERK1/2 agonist senkyunolide I and attenuated by the inhibitor SCH772984. Histological and ultrastructural analyses showed enhanced Schwann cell proliferation, axonal integrity, and myelin reorganization following SWT, alongside improved muscle morphology. Collectively, our findings identify ERK1/2-activated autophagy in Schwann cells as a key mechanism mediating the therapeutic effects of SWT, supporting its translational potential for peripheral nerve repair.
Cheng X, Gong Y, Yan C
… +3 more, Chen M, Ma M, Liu Y
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41954382
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The reliability and safety of mechanical systems rely heavily on fault diagnosis of rolling bearings. In comparison with traditional graph signals, the changes in the dynamic characteristics of vibration signals are more...The reliability and safety of mechanical systems rely heavily on fault diagnosis of rolling bearings. In comparison with traditional graph signals, the changes in the dynamic characteristics of vibration signals are more accurately reflected by the spectra obtained from graph signals converted by the weighted, limited penetrable horizontal visibility graph (WLPHVG). However, its capacity to record changes in the health status of bearings is significantly limited by the selection of the limited penetrable visibility distance, the choice of the weighting method, and the effectiveness of graph spectral feature enhancement and extraction. To address these issues, we developed a slope-weighted, limited penetrable horizontal visibility graph (SWLPHVG) by determining the limited penetrable visibility distance for WLPHVG and developing a slope-weighting approach. This improvement significantly increased the responsiveness of the WLPHVG graph spectrum to the dynamic characteristics of vibration signals. Finally, a fault feature indicator based on spectrum preprocessing, referred to as the graph spectral area of SWLPHVG, was proposed. This indicator revealed both the amplitude distribution and clustering characteristics of the graph spectrum while improving processing efficiency. Experimental results verified the superiority of these measures for fault diagnosis in rolling bearings.
Liu A, Liu X, Li J
… +8 more, Li J, Wang X, Dong Y, Shao F, Bi M, Deng X, Wang G, Wang Y
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41954370
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Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a crucial role in cell therapy, but their efficacy diminishes with age. While biochemical methods like flow cytometry, immunoblotting, β-galactosidase labeling, and gene profiling are e...Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a crucial role in cell therapy, but their efficacy diminishes with age. While biochemical methods like flow cytometry, immunoblotting, β-galactosidase labeling, and gene profiling are effective for screening MSC aging, mechanical factors also change with aging. After analyzing the transcriptomes of young and aged MSCs, we observed downregulation of adhesion-related genes and, based on those data, developed an integrin mechano-probe to measure integrin forces in MSCs. The probe's effectiveness was validated by mapping integrin forces in young and aged MSCs, revealing reduced integrin force signals in aged cells that correlated with downregulated expression of β1 integrins. This finding was further confirmed by flow cytometry and β-galactosidase staining. Overexpression of integrin β1 in aged MSCs restored mechanical signaling and increased p-ERK production, suggesting that the integrin β1/ERK pathway plays a role in rescuing the contractility of aged MSCs. Our mechano-probe enables distinguishing aged MSCs in a mixed pool of young and aged MSCs and identifying aged MSCs taken from mouse tissue. Integrin tension signals, as measured by a mechano-probe, may thus complement biochemical markers in assessing MSC aging.
Estrada Gonzalez V, Darda KM, Cardillo ER
… +3 more, Nasim Z, Krimm A, Chatterjee A
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41954358
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Aesthetic experiences have traditionally been evaluated using judgments of beauty and liking. Prior research indicates greater agreement on aesthetic judgments of natural stimuli, such as landscapes and faces, than human...Aesthetic experiences have traditionally been evaluated using judgments of beauty and liking. Prior research indicates greater agreement on aesthetic judgments of natural stimuli, such as landscapes and faces, than human-made artifacts like artworks. This variability underscores the subjectivity of art appraisals. This study leverages recent theoretical and methodological advances in empirical aesthetics to investigate the complexity of aesthetic experiences by evaluating individual agreement across impacts more nuanced than global beauty and liking judgments. We hypothesized that complex appraisals are more variable than simpler affective ones. To test this, we employed a comprehensive taxonomy of cognitive and emotional impacts-positive affect, negative affect, immersion/motivation, and epistemic transformation. We also examined how levels of agreement vary by viewing context: museum in-person versus digital online. Participants rated artworks presented in both gallery and digital contexts. Using the mean-minus-one method, we measured individual agreement across aesthetic impact categories. Agreement was highest for traditional preference assessments (liking and beauty), while higher-order impacts, particularly immersion/motivation and epistemic transformation, showed lower agreement. Viewing context did not significantly affect agreement, suggesting enduring aesthetic evaluations. This study highlights that traditional aesthetic evaluations show high agreement, while higher-order impacts are more variable.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
· 2026 Apr · PMID 41945788
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High-definition (HD) maps provide precise geometric priors for perception and planning in autonomous driving; however, existing online HD map construction models are often computationally demanding, which hampers real-ti...High-definition (HD) maps provide precise geometric priors for perception and planning in autonomous driving; however, existing online HD map construction models are often computationally demanding, which hampers real-time deployment on resource-constrained in-vehicle platforms. To address this issue, we propose LiteMapNet, a lightweight transformer-based framework that accelerates online HD map construction by eliminating redundancy in self-attention and cross-attention modules. LiteMapNet employs a post-training, two-stage structured attention-head pruning pipeline. In the first stage, we estimate attention-head importance using the Fisher information matrix and prune redundant heads with minimal impact on mapping accuracy under a specified compute and latency budget. In the second stage, we introduce continuous learnable mask variables and optimize them through lightweight calibration to recover performance while improving stability and generalization, without incurring additional inference-time overhead. Experiments on nuScenes and Argoverse 2 show that LiteMapNet substantially reduces computational cost and floating point operations using only a small calibration set. While keeping the accuracy drop below 1% as compared to the unpruned MapQR baseline, LiteMapNet achieves up to 1.5× inference speedup on a 4× NVIDIA H100 GPU server, enabling efficient deployment of online HD map models in resource-limited settings.