Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Explaining the Musical Advantage in Speech Perception Through Beat Perception and Working Memory.
Perron M, Wood EA, Russo FA
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41640046 · Full text
Although musical experience has been linked to enhanced speech-in-noise (SIN) perception, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. While previous studies have identified contributions from both auditor...
Although musical experience has been linked to enhanced speech-in-noise (SIN) perception, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. While previous studies have identified contributions from both auditory and cognitive skills, few have evaluated these contributions within an integrated framework. Furthermore, most studies have relied on binary comparisons between musicians and nonmusicians. Here, we assessed 62 young adults with normal hearing using a continuous measure of musical engagement (Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index) alongside tests of beat perception (Beat Alignment Test), pitch discrimination (frequency difference limen), auditory working memory (WAIS digit span), and subcortical pitch encoding (frequency-following response, FFR). SIN perception was measured with a spatialized two-talker masker task. Greater musical sophistication was associated with better SIN performance, stronger working memory, finer beat perception, and sharper pitch discrimination. Regression analyses identified working memory and beat perception as the strongest predictors, and mediation analyses indicated that these skills contributed to the association between musical sophistication and SIN performance, with working memory accounting for the most variance. In contrast, pitch discrimination and FFR precision were not significant predictors. Our findings clarify the cognitive and temporal foundations of the musician advantage and highlight the value of considering musical engagement as a continuous variable rather than categorical.
Loneliness and Its Associations With Personality Functioning: Evidence From Longitudinal Inpatient Psychotherapy Programs in Germany.
Kunz JI, Barton BB, Wolfrum N … +8 more , Wolf J, Merz K, Musil R, Goerigk S, Jobst A, Bertsch K, Padberg F, Reinhard MA
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41640041 · Full text
Loneliness is an aversive state that occurs at elevated rates among individuals with mental health disorders and may reciprocally exacerbate psychopathological processes. Individuals with personality disorders (PDs) appe...
Loneliness is an aversive state that occurs at elevated rates among individuals with mental health disorders and may reciprocally exacerbate psychopathological processes. Individuals with personality disorders (PDs) appear particularly susceptible; however, knowledge regarding the relationship between loneliness and facets of personality functioning (PF) remains limited. Greater conceptual and empirical clarity is needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking loneliness with maladaptive self- and interpersonal functioning and to inform clinical practice. We examined the association between loneliness and PF in a longitudinal cohort of 87 inpatients undergoing psychotherapy programs. Loneliness was measured with the UCLA Loneliness Scale. PF was evaluated with the Semi-Structured Interview for Personality Functioning and the Level of Personality Functioning Scale. Baseline loneliness scores were positively associated with self-direction and intimacy, and changes in loneliness were correlated with changes in identity and intimacy. During treatment, significant changes were observed for loneliness and PF, particularly self-functioning, based on self- and clinician ratings. These findings indicate that loneliness is associated with dimensions of self- and interpersonal functioning cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate how components of loneliness and PF are interconnected and to identify underlying mechanisms that may inform interventions aimed at reducing loneliness in individuals with PDs.
Drainage-Pressure Relief for Anti-Uplift Performance in Expansive Clay: A Low-Carbon Alternative to Conventional Anchors.
Chen J, Liu G, Liu J … +3 more , Liu B, Tang J, Kang J
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41636550 · Publisher ↗
Extreme weather can cause urban groundwater levels (GWLs) to rise sharply, making anti-uplift performance critical for underground structures. We present a drainage-pressure relief anti-uplift technique (DPRAT) that inte...
Extreme weather can cause urban groundwater levels (GWLs) to rise sharply, making anti-uplift performance critical for underground structures. We present a drainage-pressure relief anti-uplift technique (DPRAT) that integrates the Dupuit circular island model, the Thiem equation, and GWL distribution assumptions into an intelligent control system. The system activates automatically when the measured water head exceeds a design threshold, draining groundwater to relieve hydrostatic pressure on buried structures. Tests and simulations in Chengdu's expansive soil areas confirm that anti-uplift failure results primarily from buoyant forces and soil expansion. To ensure adequate safety margins, the target drainage level is calibrated to maintain system inactivity approximately 80% of the time under normal conditions. Four years of field monitoring demonstrate that DPRAT effectively maintains GWLs below the design datum during extreme rainfall events. A 50-year life cycle assessment reveals that DPRAT reduces cradle-to-grave carbon emissions by up to 97.5% compared with conventional uplift anchors, representing a substantial shift from high-energy construction methods to low-carbon alternatives.
Hierarchical Feature Evaluation and Decision‑Making for In-Vehicle Augmented-Reality Head-Up Display Based on Pythagorean Hamacher Aggregation.
Chen H, Wang W, Gao J … +5 more , Tao X, Li Z, Lu Q, Liu Y, Huang J
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41589622 · Publisher ↗
The rapid proliferation of automotive augmented-reality head-up displays (AR-HUDs) in intelligent-driving systems has increased the need for rigorous multidimensional performance evaluation-a task complicated by data het...
The rapid proliferation of automotive augmented-reality head-up displays (AR-HUDs) in intelligent-driving systems has increased the need for rigorous multidimensional performance evaluation-a task complicated by data heterogeneity and cognitive uncertainty. To address this dual challenge, we propose a comprehensive decision-making method that combines Pythagorean fuzzy set and Hamacher confidence-weighted aggregation operator (PyHa-CWAO) and embeds it in a novel hierarchical evaluation framework that separately appraises the static basic information layer (SBIL) and the dynamic AR fusion layer (DAFL) before synthesizing the results. We further propose a hyperbolic tendency-confidence fused scoring model for the first time, which simultaneously captures subjective hesitation and confidence weights while amplifying interalternative discrimination. Combining DEMATEL for causal-relationship elicitation with VIKOR for multicriteria ranking yields the integrated PyHa-CWAO-DEMATEL-VIKOR decision model. A driving-simulation and eye-tracking experiment evaluated 10 AR-HUD prototypes (six DAFL, four SBIL) across 12 objective and subjective indicators. Compared with three established multicriteria decision-making methods, the proposed model improves ranking consistency by 14%, confirming its robustness and practical value. Overall, this work offers an accurate, resilient, and extensible decision tool for AR-HUD and broader extended reality interfaces, enriching fuzzy-decision theory and providing a methodological foundation for future virtual human-computer interaction optimization.
Periodic and Aperiodic Electroencephalographic Rhythms During Vigilance Transitions in Alzheimer's Disease Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Carpi M, Henao Isaza V, Noce G … +44 more , Salamone EM, Del Percio C, Lopez S, Carducci F, Lizio R, De Bartolo M, Jakhar D, Afragola AP, Rossi C, Barjami L, Soricelli A, Salvatore M, Giubilei F, Güntekin B, Yener G, Massa F, Arnaldi D, Famà F, Pardini M, Ferri R, Lanuzza B, Stocchi F, Vacca L, Coletti C, Marizzoni M, Taylor JP, Hanoğlu L, Yırıkoğulları H, Frisoni GB, Cuoco S, Cappiello A, Barone P, Bonanni L, D'Anselmo A, Biundo R, Cauzzo S, Fiorenzato E, Antonini A, D'Antonio F, Bruno G, Infarinato F, Marziali S, De Pandis MF, Babiloni C
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41589606 · Publisher ↗
Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia is associated with marked disruptions in resting-state eyes-closed electroencephalographic (rsEEG) rhythms, particularly in the periodic alpha band (8-12 Hz), suggesting impaired vigilan...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia is associated with marked disruptions in resting-state eyes-closed electroencephalographic (rsEEG) rhythms, particularly in the periodic alpha band (8-12 Hz), suggesting impaired vigilance regulation. In contrast, the aperiodic rsEEG component, reflecting global cortical arousal, has been reported to remain unchanged. This exploratory study examined periodic and aperiodic EEG activity in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (ADMCI) during transitions from quiet wakefulness to light sleep. EEG datasets (∼30 min) from 19 ADMCI patients and 18 matched cognitively unimpaired older adults (control) were analyzed. Vigilance stages were scored using a reduced version of Hori's system, distinguishing the alpha-dominant wakefulness stage and the theta-dominant light sleep (ripples) stage. EEG spectra were parameterized using the specparam algorithm. ADMCI participants showed reduced reactivity of individual alpha power between the wakefulness and ripples stages compared to the control group. Conversely, both groups exhibited comparable increases in fronto-central theta power and steepening of the aperiodic slope and offset. No group differences emerged in aperiodic exponent and offset, although statistical power was limited by modest sample size. Overall, EEG alpha rhythms reflecting vigilance regulation are disrupted in prodromal AD, while periodic and aperiodic signatures of sleep onset are relatively preserved, suggesting selective vulnerability of attentional thalamocortical systems.
LLNS-Net: Lightweight Lung Nodule Segmentation Network With Multiscale Information Fusion and Complementarity.
Liang Z, Jia X, Zhang M … +2 more , Zhao B, Wang C
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41589555 · Publisher ↗
To address the challenge that existing lung nodule segmentation algorithms face in balancing high accuracy with a lightweight design, we propose LLNS-Net, a compact yet effective lung nodule segmentation network. In the...
To address the challenge that existing lung nodule segmentation algorithms face in balancing high accuracy with a lightweight design, we propose LLNS-Net, a compact yet effective lung nodule segmentation network. In the feature-mining encoder, convolutional residual blocks operating at multiple scales extract both shallow and deep nodule information from CT images, while an efficient multiscale attention mechanism enriches semantic representations. A subsequent feature enhancement module explores and leverages correlations among the outputs of the encoder's submodules. Within this module, we introduce an enhanced mixed local channel attention (E-MLCA) mechanism and a reinforced multiscale feature module to further strengthen cross-scale feature learning. The decoder aggregates features from four decoding layers and applies subchannel enhancement to refine the segmentation map. This design improves boundary smoothness and more accurately preserves the true morphology of nodule regions. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared with mainstream methods such as HmsUnet, MSA-Unet, and H-vmunet, the intersection over union of LLNS-Net improves by 1.86%, 0.27%, and 7.62%, respectively. Additionally, the generated feature maps exhibit smoother boundaries and superior visual quality compared to those produced by leading medical image segmentation algorithms.
Using Rhythmic Notation and Musical Analysis on Animal Communication: A Case Study on Sperm Whales.
Davitt M, Eckelberry M, Davitt M … +1 more , Burchardt LS
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41588730 · Full text
Western music notation, a language of symbols representing various parameters in music, can be used to describe and analyze existing musical performances. Rhythmic elements such as periodicity and categorical rhythm have...
Western music notation, a language of symbols representing various parameters in music, can be used to describe and analyze existing musical performances. Rhythmic elements such as periodicity and categorical rhythm have been studied in sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) codas, which are short click sequences produced in social interaction. As a case study in the applicability of music notation for animal communication, we transcribed human music, randomly generated rhythms, and sperm whale codas in Western music notation. Music notation categorizes sound elements into a metric hierarchy based on the perception of an isochronous beat in nonisochronous rhythms, a difficult comparison when we cannot know the rhythm perception of nonhuman animals. In accuracy and complexity, the transcriptions of codas showed similar statistics to the human rhythm samples. We demonstrated two modes of musical analysis on the transcriptions of sperm whale codas: tempo variation and motivic variation, and explored how they could be applied in ways that mitigate the subjective nature of interpreting beats. Our sample size was small, and our tools were time-consuming, so a streamlined approach is needed to fully test the applicability of these tools on a large scale.
Glymphatic Dysfunction Coupled with Altered Neural Activity in High Myopia: Multimodal Study of Brain-Eye Interactions.
Zhang X, Liu L, Han S … +6 more , Jin X, Pan X, Zhang Y, Cheng J, Zhang B, Wen B
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41588704 · Publisher ↗
High myopia is a serious global health issue, with particularly significant impacts on the central nervous system. However, the role of glymphatic system dysfunction and associated neural alterations in high myopia remai...
High myopia is a serious global health issue, with particularly significant impacts on the central nervous system. However, the role of glymphatic system dysfunction and associated neural alterations in high myopia remains largely unexplored, and the underlying brain-eye pathological interactions are poorly understood. Our multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study integrates diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS), choroid plexus volumetry, and regional homogeneity (ReHo) analyses to evaluate glymphatic function and neural activity changes in high myopia. Compared to controls, patients exhibited significantly reduced DTI-ALPS indices, enlarged choroid plexus volumes, and distinct ReHo alterations, including increased activity in the superior frontal gyrus, but decreased activity in the calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, as well as the superior temporal gyrus. Notably, the DTI-ALPS index correlated positively with refractive error but negatively with axial length, whereas choroid plexus volume showed the opposite pattern. Furthermore, glymphatic dysfunction correlated with abnormal ReHo in key brain regions. These findings indicate a pathological cascade linking axial elongation, impaired glymphatic clearance, and disrupted neural synchronization-a pathophysiological state that may underlie the broader neurological risks associated with high myopia. This framework integrates multimodal evidence to elucidate brain-eye interactions, incorporating complementary insights derived from structural, diffusion, and functional MRI methodologies.
Coupling of Rhythms in Prefrontal Cortex and Autonomic Nervous System in School-Age Children.
Steffen G, Lindig K, Howard CJ … +8 more , Jerry C, Bell C, Morrow KE, Gallegos D, Oshri A, Suveg C, Kello C, Abney DH
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41587058 · Full text
Self-regulation is a neuroregulatory process driven by function in both the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Although many investigations have explored the role of these systems...
Self-regulation is a neuroregulatory process driven by function in both the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Although many investigations have explored the role of these systems in self-regulation independently, little work has examined how they cooperate across contexts, limiting the understanding of neurophysiological substrates of self-regulation. In a sample of 55 children (M = 5.85, SD = 0.80), the present study examined the coordination of cardiac and neural signals during rest and a mildly stressful task. Paired-samples t-tests confirmed that the stressor elicited increases in heart rate (HR) and decreases in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), while correlations indicated stability in individual differences across phases. Wavelet transform coherence assessed coupling of dlPFC signals with HR and RSA. HR- and RSA-dlPFC coupling was observed in both contexts, but timescales of significant coupling varied across contexts, cardiac signals, and dlPFC hemispheres. No associations were found between the coupling of any signal at any timescale and child positive or negative affect or emotion regulation dysfunction. Findings suggest that cardiac-neural coupling is sensitive to timescale, context, and choice of cardiac signal. Future studies should consider other measures of behavioral regulation to better understand its potential relation with ANS-dlPFC coupling.
An Archival Analysis of 326 Child Sexual Abuse Cases From the National Registry of Exonerations.
Miller QC, Fessinger MB, Klemfuss JZ
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41579340 · Publisher ↗
Child sexual abuse cases present unique challenges for conviction and exoneration due to the typical reliance on the child's testimony as the primary source of evidence. Yet, little empirical research has examined wrongf...
Child sexual abuse cases present unique challenges for conviction and exoneration due to the typical reliance on the child's testimony as the primary source of evidence. Yet, little empirical research has examined wrongful convictions and exonerations in such cases. In this study, we analyzed the largest sample of child sexual abuse exonerations to date (N = 326), drawing on cases documented by the National Registry of Exonerations between 1989 and 2024. Descriptive results revealed several patterns unique to child sexual abuse exonerations. Unlike other types of crimes, perjury or false accusation was the most frequent contributor to wrongful convictions, while mistaken eyewitness identifications and false confessions were rare. Physical and forensic evidence were presented at many of the original trials, yet in most cases this evidence was later determined to be false or misleading. Post-conviction witness recantation was the most common factor contributing to exoneration, whereas few exonerations were based on DNA evidence or actual perpetrator identification. Case narratives highlight the influential role of family members and authorities in prompting children's false allegations. These findings provide novel insights to inform investigative, prosecutorial, and adjudicative approaches in child sexual abuse cases and reduce risk for future miscarriages of justice.
"I Have No Business Talking to the Police": A Qualitative Exploration of Youth Miranda Waiver Decisions.
Baker S, Betances S, Philleo K … +1 more , Haney-Caron E
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41578681 · Publisher ↗
Once a youth waives their Miranda rights and agrees to talk to police, they increase their risk of a myriad of negative short- and long-term outcomes. Given that a vast majority (over 90%) of interrogated youth waive the...
Once a youth waives their Miranda rights and agrees to talk to police, they increase their risk of a myriad of negative short- and long-term outcomes. Given that a vast majority (over 90%) of interrogated youth waive their rights, it is important to examine their perspectives on waiver decision making. Participants (n = 82) between 13 and 17 years old listened to a vignette in which they imagined they were in police custody and explained how they would respond and why, both when imagining they were guilty and innocent. Responses were coded using framework analysis, revealing that although most guilty and innocent participants believed they would assert their rights, more would waive when innocent than when guilty. Most participants, guilty and innocent, voiced a desire for guidance from an authority figure. Some also expressed beliefs around potential benefits of talking to police officers, and a few identified police officers as potentially harmful. Patterns emerged regarding differences in responses based on race and gender identity, in which minoritized groups expressed more distrust in the legal system. Results underscore the importance of ensuring that youth are provided with legal support during interrogation, which can guide policy reform.
Legged Locomotion in Lattices: Centipede Traversal of Obstacle-Rich Environments.
Pierce CJ, Soto D, Erickson E … +4 more , Diaz K, Iaschi M, Lay A, Goldman DI
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41578445 · Full text
Centipedes locomote through complex obstacle-rich environments by propagating waves of body bending and limb stepping. However, little is known about how collisions with obstacles influence locomotion. In terrestrial env...
Centipedes locomote through complex obstacle-rich environments by propagating waves of body bending and limb stepping. However, little is known about how collisions with obstacles influence locomotion. In terrestrial environments such as branches or leaf litter, obstacles can both cause drag and offer affordances for the animals to generate thrust. In laboratory experiments, we challenged Scolopendra polymorpha (∼9 cm long, ∼1 cm wide) to negotiate model heterogeneous terrains, hexagonal and square lattices composed of thin posts. The centipedes maintained rapid motion (∼0.2 body lengths per cycle, comparable to flat ground speed) across lattices of different spacings by altering their body and limb postures in response to collisions. Several behaviors minimized deleterious limb and head collisions: the first was "prolonged limb adduction," in which consecutive limbs fold to the body after a leading limb collides with a post, while other limbs maintained a stepping pattern. The second, occurring in narrower lattices, was "body twisting," in which the animal propagated local body twists to locomote on its side using the posts as footholds. In some cases, the animals used a peristaltic-like gait, previously undocumented for this species. We propose that the principles discovered here can improve morphologies and control schemes for elongate robots tasked with navigating similar terradynamic scenarios.
Narrative Development in Infant-Mother Interaction.
McGowan T, Væver M, Krogh MT … +2 more , Harder S, Delafield-Butt J
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41556878 · Full text
Narrative is a fundamental component of human cognition necessary for social meaning and cultural learning, yet its origins in preverbal infancy are not well understood. This study provides the first longitudinal analysi...
Narrative is a fundamental component of human cognition necessary for social meaning and cultural learning, yet its origins in preverbal infancy are not well understood. This study provides the first longitudinal analysis of the development of preverbal narrative in infancy. We measured its temporal structure in the interactions of 18 mother-infant dyads selected from a cohort of 60 dyads at 4, 7, and 10 months. Timings of infant gaze, affect, engagement duration, and progress through the four-part narrative cycle were coded and analyzed. Interestingly, the narrative complexity of mother-infant interactions significantly increased with age; infants at 7 and 10 months reached the climax and resolution phases significantly more often than at 4 months, while also significantly decreasing in duration. Progressing through this narrative arc was strongly associated with increased positive affect, with completed narratives generating longer durations of positive affect for both infant and mother. These results identify a coherent narrative structure present in preverbal interactions that develops in complexity across the first year, strongly associated with positive feelings. This provides an affective, embodied, and participatory foundation for narrative cognition as a primary organizer of shared experience, learning, and socioemotional regulation evident from birth.
A Proof-of-Concept Study of Gamified Rhythmic Training in Preadolescents Who Stutter.
Jamey K, Finlay S, Foster NEV … +2 more , Dalla Bella S, Falk S
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Mar · PMID 41528059 · Full text
Stuttering is a developmental speech fluency disorder linked to timing deficits in speech motor control. Given the shared neural mechanisms between rhythmic timing and speech production, rhythm-based interventions may ho...
Stuttering is a developmental speech fluency disorder linked to timing deficits in speech motor control. Given the shared neural mechanisms between rhythmic timing and speech production, rhythm-based interventions may hold promise for stuttering. This proof-of-concept study evaluated the feasibility and potential benefits of a gamified rhythmic training program, Rhythm Workers (RW), in preadolescents who stutter. Twenty-one children (aged 9-12) were randomly assigned to RW or an active control game, which they played at home for 3 weeks. We assessed feasibility and potential training effects on rhythmic, cognitive, and speech-related abilities. Both games were well accepted, and compliance was moderate to high. Only participants trained on the rhythm game showed moderate enhancements in rhythmic synchronization, interference control, oromotor performance, and reduction of stuttering after training. The improvements (except for interference control) correlated with the training dose. Moreover, speech fluency gains were associated with improved rhythmic performance. While some effects did not reach statistical significance due to the limited sample size, the observed dose-response patterns and domain-specific improvements support the feasibility and promise of rhythmic gaming for young people who stutter. This study provides preliminary evidence that rhythm-based training can enhance speech and cognitive outcomes in preadolescents who stutter.
Continuous Theta Burst to Supplementary Motor Area Modulates Groove.
Spiech C, Martínez MG, Lazzari G … +1 more , Penhune V
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41511416 · Full text
The pleasurable urge to move to music ("groove") has been shown to be greatest for moderately complex musical rhythms. This is thought to occur because temporal predictions from the motor system reinforce our perception...
The pleasurable urge to move to music ("groove") has been shown to be greatest for moderately complex musical rhythms. This is thought to occur because temporal predictions from the motor system reinforce our perception of the beat when there is a balance between expectation and surprise. The supplementary motor area (SMA) has been identified as the potential origin of these temporal predictions. Thus, to causally test the role of the SMA in the experience of groove, we used continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to disrupt activity in this region or an active control site (V1). Nonmusicians listened to and rated musical clips that varied in rhythmic complexity and groove before and after stimulation. Following inhibitory stimulation over the left SMA, participants preferred moving to music with higher rhythmic complexity while after V1 stimulation, they preferred moving to music with lower rhythmic complexity. Pleasure ratings, however, were unaffected. These results suggest that the SMA weighs the precision of beat-based predictions generated by the dorsal auditory stream. Therefore, stimulating the SMA may have disinhibited the dorsal striatum or other nodes generating the beat-based predictions. In summary, these findings provide causal evidence that the SMA and V1 play critical roles in embodied rhythm processing.
Rhythmic Entrainment and Sexual Selection in Animal Communication.
Greenfield MD
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41511408 · Publisher ↗
In animal behavior, entrainment is the specialized sensorimotor process by which individuals precisely coordinate endogenous ultradian (period <10 s) rhythms with those of their conspecific neighbors. The rhythms are typ...
In animal behavior, entrainment is the specialized sensorimotor process by which individuals precisely coordinate endogenous ultradian (period <10 s) rhythms with those of their conspecific neighbors. The rhythms are typically communication signals, either acoustic, substrate vibration, or optical, that are distinguished by their continuous isochrony (consistent repetition rate), and the expressed coordination is synchronous or antisynchronous (alternating) alignment. Entrainment is known in orthopterans, cicadas, fireflies, crabs, frogs, birds, and humans, where it is a core element of musicality and related group activities. Animals, including humans, achieve entrainment by adjusting rhythm phase, which is adequate if several individuals have comparable tempos (repetition rates), or by adjusting both phase and tempo, if their tempos differ. In the latter case, temporal alignment can be very precise. Entrainment has not yet been reported for natural populations of nonhuman mammals, notably primates-suggesting that human entrainment evolved de novo in the hominid lineage within the past 5 million years. Experimental studies on the function and adaptation of entrainment in arthropods and anurans can offer clues to its origin in humans.
The Impact of Memory and Anxiety on Choice Consistency.
Xin F, Lai J, Guo M … +3 more , Chen Q, Wu J, Qiao L
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41504605 · Publisher ↗
Choice consistency is a fundamental aspect of rational decision-making, reflecting the stability and reliability of preferences. However, real-world decisions frequently exhibit variability and inconsistency, deviating f...
Choice consistency is a fundamental aspect of rational decision-making, reflecting the stability and reliability of preferences. However, real-world decisions frequently exhibit variability and inconsistency, deviating from normative ideals. To elucidate these deviations, this study combined computational modeling, neuroimaging, and behavioral assessments to examine how state anxiety and memory dynamically modulate choice consistency. Remembered food items prompted more consistent and faster choices than forgotten ones, with computational modeling attributing this effect to lower decision thresholds. In contrast, state anxiety-induced via threat-of-shock-impaired both choice consistency and memory retrieval. Intriguingly, anxiety-driven reductions in memory accuracy positively correlated with shorter decision latencies. Neurally, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation during prechoice anticipation predicted choice consistency. Similarly, orbitofrontal cortex engagement during memory retrieval of food stimuli correlated with enhanced memory accuracy. Anxiety dynamically reallocated neural resources, suppressing sensorimotor and memory-related regions while amplifying emotional salience networks. These results suggest that anxiety impairs choice consistency by disrupting memory retrieval processes, which are critical for stabilizing value-based preferences.
Others Like Me: How Issue-Position Groups Distort the Function of Morality by Manufacturing Consensus.
Wright JC
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41498609 · Full text
Morality is centered within the person-someone who experiences herself at the center of life, she is called upon to live in a way that is "good." She does this in partnership with others in groups with systems of shared...
Morality is centered within the person-someone who experiences herself at the center of life, she is called upon to live in a way that is "good." She does this in partnership with others in groups with systems of shared beliefs, values, and practices that require conformance. Yet, even the most conforming groups contain differing ideas and viewpoints. Such differences may strike us as dangerous and threatening, activating intolerance. If we encounter strong consensus within our group, we may feel emboldened to fight against the threat, an important corrective to the possibility of harmful beliefs, values, activities, or practices taking hold within the group. Unfortunately, consensus can be manipulated, most dangerously through our proclivity for "grouping" with others who are "like us," especially when this is narrowly defined by a particular issue. Issue-position grouping creates consensus, which can hypercharge intolerance with a moral mandate and encourage the villainization of those who disagree. And this has become more prevalent now that we have easy access to online spaces that cater to and encourage it. And though beyond the scope of this article to offer solutions, I highlight a few key insights that may help us protect against this trend.
Micro-Expression Recognition Under Occlusion Based on Expression Semantic Surface Texture.
Zhang M, Wu C, Zheng M … +1 more , Chen Z
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41493291 · Publisher ↗
Micro-expression recognition is a fine-grained task aimed at capturing subtle, brief facial movements. However, facial occlusions in real-world scenarios significantly challenge existing models, often leading to feature...
Micro-expression recognition is a fine-grained task aimed at capturing subtle, brief facial movements. However, facial occlusions in real-world scenarios significantly challenge existing models, often leading to feature sparsity and disconnection. This arises from both the loss of spatial and temporal information, further disrupting feature dependencies across facial regions. To address these issues, we introduce the concept of expression semantic surface texture, designed to separate and reconstruct expression-aware and expression-irrelevant features. We propose a dual-branch collaborative network: one branch extracts spatial features using optical flow and frame differencing, while the second branch filters out expression-irrelevant features using occlusion position embedding and reconstructs expression-aware features in occluded regions. Experiments show that our network effectively restores disrupted features and outperforms recent state-of-the-art methods in occluded micro-expression recognition.
Steroid Hormones Are Potent and Putatively Endogenous Activators of Human Bitter Taste Receptors.
Lang T, Ferri F, Ziegler F … +2 more , Pizio AD, Behrens M
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Feb · PMID 41482740 · Full text
Human bitter taste plays an important role in the quality assessment of food. The presence of the corresponding receptors, the taste receptor 2 family (TAS2Rs), in nongustatory tissues without direct contact to the envir...
Human bitter taste plays an important role in the quality assessment of food. The presence of the corresponding receptors, the taste receptor 2 family (TAS2Rs), in nongustatory tissues without direct contact to the environment suggested that, apart from food compounds, putative endogenous agonists may also exist. Recent studies on bitter taste receptors of vertebrates, including humans, identified occasional steroid hormones as agonists for these receptors; therefore, steroid hormones represent relevant, potentially endogenous agonists for TAS2Rs. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of 19 steroid hormones, cholesterol, and two plant-derived hormones was performed using functional assays to assess the activation of TAS2Rs. Two TAS2Rs, TAS2R14 and TAS2R46, were found to be differentially activated by the test compounds, with TAS2R46 being in almost all cases the more sensitive receptor. Some steroid hormones activated TAS2R46 with extraordinarily high potencies. Comparison with a human metabolite database revealed that several steroid hormone levels reach activating concentrations for TAS2Rs, suggesting that TAS2Rs indeed could act as sensors for circulating steroid hormones.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe