Visual processing and sensorimotor integration in flute music reading: Eye movements, anticipation, and breathing patterns during practice.

Multi-scale chunked residual encoding and temporal stochastic interpolation padding in SNNs for enhanced speech classification.

The amygdala and perirhinal cortex sometimes cooperate but often compete during information processing in rats, cats, and people.

Humans possess a sophisticated ability to read the mind in the eyes of other people. Here we tested whether this ability is also present in GPT-4o, a multimodal LLM. Using two versions of a widely used theory of mind test, the Reading the Mind in Eyes Test and the Multiracial Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, we found that GPT-4o outperformed humans in extracting mentalistic information from upright faces but underperformed humans when faces were inverted. GPT-4o errors were not random but revealed a highly consistent, yet incorrect, processing of mental-state information across trials, with an orientation-dependent error structure that qualitatively differed from that of humans for inverted faces but not for upright faces. These findings highlight how advanced mental state inference abilities coexist in GPT-4o alongside substantial differences in information processing compared to humans. • GPT-4o surpasses humans in reading mental states from the eye-region. • Face inversion severely reduces GPT-4o’s mindreading. • Unlike human errors, GPT-4o’ errors are not random. • Error analysis reveals GPT-4o’s highly structured error space.

Speech perception is thought to draw on multiple abilities, including both domain-general (perceptual, cognitive, motoric) and speech-specific (categorization) processes, yet it remains unclear how individual learners differ across these dimensions and how such differences shape language learning outcomes. This study examined 123 Chinese learners of English to investigate different facets of pitch sensitivity and their impact on acquiring L2 English lexical stress. Participants completed a battery of domain-general, non-speech tasks assessing perceptual, cognitive, and motoric processing of pitch and non-pitch information, along with a speech-specific cue-weighting task. Results revealed substantial individual variation in pitch discrimination and reproduction, as well as attention to pitch, which accounted for a medium-to-large proportion of variance in lexical stress identification, even after controlling for experience-related factors and general L2 proficiency. The findings indicate that successful L2 suprasegmental learning depends not only on precise acoustic encoding but also on the motoric integration of existing cues (e.g., pitch for tonal-language speakers) at domain-general, pre-categorical levels rather than at speech-specific levels.

A delay-Adaptive neural network for querying TOP-k critical vertices on time-Dependent shortest paths.

Integrated information and predictive processing theories of consciousness: An adversarial collaborative review.

Dynamic and integrative visual processing abilities in schizophrenia.

Aberrant hippocampal-cortical connectivity and network coupling in facial emotion recognition-based subtypes of depression.

Excitation-inhibition imbalance and impaired neuronal interactions contribute to cognitive impairments in neuroinflammation by disrupting neuronal avalanche dynamics and criticality.

Recurrent spiking neural networks with bimodal neuronal time scales for learning performance enhancement.

We investigated effects of rice-memolin on neural oscillations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during sleep in mice. Spectral analysis revealed that rice-memolin treatment significantly attenuated theta power in the mPFC during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Furthermore, the power of beta and high gamma oscillations was significantly attenuated in the mPFC during non-REM sleep. Cardiac and autonomic functions remained unchanged. These findings suggest that rice-memolin modulates cortical network dynamics via specific oscillatory bands, potentially affecting local and global information processing underlying its procognitive properties.

Plant embodied intelligence: A paradigmatic perspective.

Reliable and non-invasive assessment of affective states is crucial in animal welfare research. Linking affective states to cognitive processes, such as cognitive biases, provides a promising approach. An affect-driven attention bias - the tendency to focus more on threatening than on neutral or positive stimuli when in a negative affective state - has been observed in humans and non-human animal species. However, implementation is often hampered because ecologically relevant test setups need to be adapted to species-specific differences in the perception and processing of information from different modalities. As an initial step towards developing and validating an affect-driven attention bias test for goats, we aimed to identify visual stimuli perceived as potentially threatening using a looking-time paradigm. In a within-subject design, 30 adult female dwarf goats ( Capra hircus ) were presented with photographs of 12 animal species (six natural predators and six non-predators) from three taxa (mammals, reptiles, birds). Each image was shown for 10 seconds on one of two video screens, while the opposite screen remained white. Each goat completed four sessions (one per day) of six trials each: two sessions showing full-body and two sessions showing face/head-only images, resulting in 24 trials per subject. Analysis of relative looking duration revealed a significant interaction between animal taxon and predator category. Goats looked longer at predatory than non-predatory reptiles, while the opposite pattern was found for mammals. No difference was observed for birds. The presented body part (full body vs. face/head only) did not influence looking behaviour. These results suggest that photographs of predatory reptiles, particularly snakes, might be perceived as potentially threatening by goats, indicating their suitability as negative stimuli in future affect-driven attention bias tests. Further validation is needed to confirm their negative valence. • Attention bias tests need validated stimuli in terms of their perceived valence. • We aimed to identify ecologically relevant visual stimuli perceived as potentially threatening by dwarf goats, using a looking-time paradigm. • We presented subjects with photographs of predatory and non-predatory species from three different taxa. • Goats paid more attention to predatory reptiles compared to non-predatory ones. • Further validation is needed to confirm their negative valence.

ABSTRACT Scholars recognise the importance of applied learning in online courses and reinforcement of twenty-first century skills related to learning, literacy, and life. The inquiry-based learning framework (IBL), which provides structure and guidance for student-driven learning, can be used to support online applied learning activities, such as case study development. This study examined students’ experience creating case studies as a form of applied learning in an online course using the IBL framework. Students completed a qualitative questionnaire at the end of the project to assess their experience. Analysis resulted in four primary themes: information processing, self-directed inquiry, skill development, and future applications, which align with the three pillars of twenty-first century skills. The results of this study indicate that IBL provides an effective framework for incorporating applied learning in the form of case study development in an online course, which facilitates students’ engagement and promotes further development of twenty-first century skills.

Platinum nanozyme logic gates for probing biomolecular recognition and interaction dynamics.

To synthesize qualitative research on self-management among patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) to provide insights and recommendations for enhancing self-management interventions. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP databases was conducted through August 15, 2024. Studies were selected based on the PICo-D model; P (Population) was patients with DFUs, I (Interest) was barriers to self-management, Co (Context) was the patient's life following a DFU diagnosis, and D (Design) was qualitative or mixed-method studies. Exclusion criteria included duplicate publications, unavailable full text, and literature published in languages other than Chinese or English. Two researchers independently screened, assessed quality, and extracted data. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion or a third reviewer. Extracted data included authors, year, country, methodology, sample size, phenomenon of interest, and key findings. A meta-synthesis approach integrated findings from 14 studies with 256 participants. Barriers to DFU self-management were grouped into eight themes: (a) cognitive factors (eg, lack of knowledge, information processing, decision-making abilities, self-efficacy); (b) emotional factors; (c) behavioral factors (eg, behavioral habits, adherence); (d) social factors (eg, social resources, social support); (e) economic factors; (f) environmental factors (eg, living environment, environmental support); (g) policy factors (eg, policy support, resource allocation, regulatory restrictions); and (h) cultural factors (eg, cultural identity, traditional beliefs). Patients with DFUs face multiple barriers to effective self-management. Health care providers should focus on enhancing health education, providing psychological support, fostering a supportive environment, and implementing personalized interventions to improve patients' self-management abilities and strengthen their overall prognosis.

Effects of noradrenergic blockade on emotional working memory and its neural underpinnings: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Biasing predictive processing of interoceptive information affects implicit spirituality but not religiosity.

Guiding generation Z to healthier beverages: Exploratory comparative RCT findings on four front-of-package labels in a policy-gap context.