Search Results (958)

Background: Attractiveness plays an important role in social interactions. However, it remains unclear whether presenting attractiveness information across multiple sensory modalities facilitates attractiveness evaluation, and how cross-modal congruency modulates this process. Methods: The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate these questions. Participants judged the attractiveness of voices presented alone or paired with faces that were congruent or incongruent in attractiveness. Results: Significant differences were found between unimodal and audiovisual conditions, as well as between congruent and incongruent pairs, during both early perceptual (N1) and later evaluative (P3) stages. Both audiovisual conditions elicited larger N1 amplitudes than the auditory-only condition, and congruent pairs produced larger N1 amplitudes than incongruent pairs. At a later stage, the auditory-only condition produced larger P3 amplitudes than the audiovisual conditions. Furthermore, the interaction between voice attractiveness and visual context on P3 amplitudes was significant. Audiovisual incongruent pairs elicited larger P3 amplitudes than congruent pairs, but only when the voice was unattractive. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that redundant visual cues of attractiveness both accelerate and alter the perception of auditory attractiveness. These audiovisual integration effects occur across different processing stages and may reflect enhanced processing efficiency in multisensory social perception. Full article

Background/Objectives: The processing and evaluation of behavior, actions or events that go against social (moral) norms can be assumed to operate on mental representations of the world and of how people typically behave. These mechanisms and representations may therefore be shared by the processing of meaning in general. The current study investigated whether the processing of deviations of morality can be distinguished from processing of semantic inconsistencies. Methods: Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded from English speakers while they read short written texts in English for comprehension. Texts contained words that constituted moral violations, semantic violations and neutral controls depending on the context, allowing for a direct comparison. Results: Using trial-based analyses, we found different ERP responses to semantic and moral violations: the moral violation elicited a long-lasting, posterior Late Positive Component (LPC) starting at around 300 ms, whereas the semantic violation elicited a positivity that started later and was descriptively more frontally distributed. Furthermore, the LPC amplitudes could be explained by the moral acceptance scores over and above plausibility scores, but not vice versa. Conclusions: The outcomes are compatible with the view that the processing of moral deviations engages at least some mechanisms that are different from the processing of semantic deviations. Full article

The socks, hosiery, bodywear (SHB) industry is a critical segment of the textile sector, characterized by high-volume production and rapid delivery requirements, making efficiency and resource optimization essential. A corporate sustainability system is needed to minimize environmental impact, ensure long-term competitiveness, and align operations with global sustainability standards. Thus, this research aims to propose an integrated Corporate Sustainability System (CSS) framework that synergizes Lean Manufacturing (LM), Digital Transformation (DT), and sustainability transition through a methodological triangulation of (1) a narrative review, (2) in-depth expert interviews, and (3) a comprehensive Turkish case study. The proposed framework integrates foundational lean principles such as 5S, TPM, and Value Stream Mapping with Industry 4.0 technologies, including RFID traceability, real-time ERP integration and machine vision systems. Empirical demonstration through the case study reveals that establishing foundational lean maturity is a critical foundation for successful digital adoption. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that transitioning from manual tracking to integrated digital platforms resolves data silos and enhances the transparency of customer revisions and warehouse accuracy. The framework also incorporates human-centric Lean 5.0 improvements, proving that ergonomic interventions such as rail-mounted cable systems are vital for operational sustainability. Ultimately, the CSS provides a scalable model that aligns SHB production with global mandates like the EU Green Deal and CBAM, positioning the sector for long-term competitive advantage in an increasingly eco-conscious global market. Full article

An event-related potential (ERP)-based brain–computer interface (BCI), or P300 BCI, has long been intended for communication access for individuals with severe motor impairments. BCI access to communication tools, websites, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) keyboards requires aligning BCI stimuli to screens with differing numbers of various-sized keys in partially populated grid layouts. Six design priorities were defined for creating and ordering flash groups: identifiability, unpredictability, perceptibility, minimality, anti-adjacency, and equality. Building on the checkerboard paradigm, multiple algorithmic approaches were evaluated on simulated AAC screens to create the magic square paradigm (MSP) for flash group creation for irregular key layouts. The MSP algorithm was then used for BCI access to the dynamic screens of a commercial AAC device that combines text-based and icon-based language representations and the resulting flash groups analyzed for design priorities of anti-adjacency and equality. The 126,944 flash groups created for 5778 selections on AAC screens had 0 groups with side-by-side adjacency, 0.02% with adjacency to an amalgamated key, and 6% with diagonally adjacent keys. The average difference between the shortest and longest flash groups was 1.9 keys. The MSP provides a novel method to access dynamic AAC keyboards with irregular layouts and multiple key sizes. Full article

Prosocial behavior is a core element of social harmony, and implicit prosocial attitudes, which may outperform explicit assessments in predicting real-world behavior, underscore their unique utility in prosocial and moral research contexts. Moreover, red songs, a distinctive musical form emerging in specific revolutionary and developmental periods of China, align with this prosocial potential, as they are characterized by lyrics advocating patriotism, collective memory, and emotional resonance. However, the specific effect of red songs on implicit prosocial attitudes, as well as the potential moderating role of music training experience in this relationship, remains underexplored. This study aimed to explore whether red songs enhance implicit prosocial attitudes compared to neutral songs, whether music training modulates this effect, and the underlying neural correlates using the Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) and event-related potentials (ERPs). A mixed-factorial design was used with 60 college students (30 with ≥5 years of music training, 30 without). Participants completed the SC-IAT (measuring implicit prosocial D-scores) while EEG data were recorded, while listening to red (“China in the Lantern Light”) and neutral (“Lake Baikal”) songs. ERP components (N1, P2, N3, LPCs) were analyzed. Behaviorally, no significant main effects of song type or music training were observed, but a significant interaction emerged (F(1, 58) = 4.09, p = 0.04): the music training group showed higher D-scores under red songs (M = 0.35, SD = 0.32) than neutral songs (M = 0.15, SD = 0.51), while the non-music training group exhibited the opposite non-significant trend. Neurally, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect of electrode site for N1 (F(4, 212) = 48.63, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.48), with the largest amplitudes at FCz. Red songs elicited larger N1 amplitudes than neutral songs at Fz and FCz, and incongruent trials elicited larger N1 amplitudes at Pz. For P2, a main effect of condition was found (F(1, 52) = 7.02, p = 0.01), with larger amplitudes in incongruent trials, and a significant three-way interaction of song type, condition, and electrode site (F(4, 208) = 4.46, p = 0.006), with larger P2 amplitudes for red songs under incongruent trials at Fz. For N3, main effects of song type (F(1, 53) = 14.48, p < 0.001) and stimulus type (F(2, 106) = 8.32, p = 0.001) were observed; congruent trials elicited larger N3 amplitudes than incongruent trials at Fz and FCz. For LPCs, main effects of song type (F(1, 53) = 4.89, p = 0.03) and electrode site (F(4, 212) = 3.05, p = 0.047) were found, with the largest amplitudes at Pz and the smallest at FCz. Red songs enhance implicit prosocial attitudes specifically among individuals with music training, and are accompanied by multi-stage neurocognitive differences. These findings highlight the conditional effects of red songs and inform prosocial education. Full article

Adolescence is a key period of significant physiological and social development, during which social anxiety symptoms often emerge and can impact academic and social functioning. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) involves heightened sensitivity to social cues and impaired social information processing, potentially contributing to persistent anxiety symptoms. However, research exploring the neural mechanisms of social information processing in adolescents with social anxiety remains limited. The investigation employed a facial dot-probe paradigm combined with EEG measurements to assess differences in attentional processing and neurophysiological activity between two adolescent groups: a high-social-anxiety (HSA) group (N = 27) and a low-social-anxiety (LSA) group (N = 18). Results showed (1) there was a significant reduction in P2 amplitudes in the HSA group compared to the LSA group. (2) A significant negative correlation between the disengagement index (DI) and P2 amplitude was found. (3) Weaker functional connectivity in the theta band was found in the HSA group. (4) In the graph theory analysis, the HSA group exhibited significantly higher node efficiency across various frequency bands compared to the LSA group. The findings suggest that socially anxious adolescents have impaired attentional control toward social cues. This difficulty may reinforce their anxiety symptoms over time. Full article

Background/Objectives: Speech-evoked brain potentials provide a window into the neural encoding of speech, experience-dependent plasticity, and deficits in central auditory processing from communication disorders. Stronger and faster frequency-following responses (FFRs) and cortical event-related potentials (ERPs) have been interpreted as reflecting more robust and efficient auditory–sensory processing across brainstem and cortical levels. Importantly, these neural signatures relate to real-world listening skills like speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. How functional FFR/ERPs relate to the underlying anatomical structures that generate these responses in brainstem and cortex is unknown. Methods: Using a multimodal imaging approach, we recorded FFRs and ERPs to clean and noise-degraded speech sounds to assess the strength of listeners’ neural encoding of speech at brainstem (FFR) and cortical (ERP) levels. MRI volumetrics of midbrain and transverse temporal gyrus (Heschl’s gyrus) quantified morphological variation in subcortical and cortical anatomy that underly these EEG potentials. We used the QuickSIN to assess behavioral SIN abilities. Results: We found larger and thicker right (but not left) Heschl’s gyrus was related to listeners’ SIN perception as well as the size of their cortical ERPs. Structural and functional measures interacted at a subcortical level. For listeners with smaller midbrain volumes, larger speech FFRs were associated with better QuickSIN scores, whereas in individuals with larger midbrain volumes, larger FFRs were related to poorer QuickSIN scores. Conclusions: Our findings reveal common functional signatures of speech sound processing (FFRs, ERPs) are related to the anatomy of their underlying generator sources and suggest that both auditory brain structure and function can account for perceptual SIN capacity. Full article

Numerosity can be represented in symbolic formats and non-symbolic dot arrays. How numerosity load unfolds across WM encoding/maintenance and test-stage comparison within a single paradigm remains unclear, especially within the tested 4–6 range. We used a delayed match-to-sample task manipulating numerosity (4–6) and match status, with two test blocks (dot–digit and dot–dot). Behaviorally, a higher numerosity reduced accuracy and increased RTs in both blocks, with larger costs in dot–dot; the mismatch reliably slowed RTs. At sample onset, occipital P1 and N1 amplitudes decreased with increasing numerosity, consistent with greater perceptual/processing demands at higher load, with the strongest differences at the high end of the range. During the delay, numerosity modulation was temporally specific, emerging in the 450–650 ms posterior window and remaining significant after FDR correction across the four consecutive delay windows. At the test, the mismatch elicited a more negative N2 in both blocks (larger in dot–dot), while numerosity also modulated N2 only in dot–dot, showing a monotonic increase in negativity with load. Controlling for condition-mean logRT did not eliminate these N2 effects. P3 showed no reliable modulation, whereas a later positive component was enhanced by mismatch selectively in dot–dot. Together, these results indicate stage-differentiated effects: numerosity load impacts early encoding and a circumscribed maintenance interval, whereas mismatch effects arise primarily during the test-stage comparison, with additional late evaluative activity when formats are aligned. Full article

ERP systems significantly optimize many business processes and activities, but often their implementation and use in companies is a risky endeavor. They are the subject of various scientific studies and analyses in the fields of business, accounting and finance. The main focus in them falls on the process of implementing these systems, while the subsequent stages, risk analysis and long-term strategy are less affected. On this basis, this research paper proposes a methodology for quantitative assessment of identified ERP risks. It is based on a five-level matrix measuring three risk factors—influence, impact and vulnerability. The methodology has been empirically tested in three companies, different in size and operating in different economic sectors. The results show that the level of risk depends not only on the scale and complexity of the business, but also on the degree of integration of ERP solutions. Periodic application of the risk assessment methodology helps identify problem areas and facilitates management decision-making. Full article

The cause of chronic neurological effects associated with Lyme disease (LD) remains unclear. We propose that bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) released by Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of LD, exacerbate spirochete-induced damage and serve as a persistent source of antigenic stimulation. We showed that, over a 10-day period, in vitro cultures of B. burgdorferi B31 produced 38,000 BEVs per spirochete with a distinctive double-membrane structure and median diameter of 143.3 nm. BEVs contained known immunogenic and immunomodulatory molecules such as peptidoglycan, p66, flagellar filament protein (FlaB), basic membrane proteins A/B/D, BdrV, GroEL, CRASP-1, ErpA8, glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, p37, OMS28, p13, OspA/B/C, VlsE, and outer membrane glycolipids (e.g., cholesteryl 6-O acyl beta D galactopyranoside). Chromosome-encoded 16S ribosomal RNA and cp32 plasmid-encoded OspE and terminase genes were also detected in the BEVs. Of the 45 Borrelia proteins identified in the urine of a C3H/HeJ murine model of Lyme disease, 14 were associated with BEVs. In human urine samples, 31 of 289 spirochete proteins detected in patients with either acute Lyme disease or persistent borreliosis post-treatment symptoms, including p66 and FlaB, were also BEV-associated. BEV treatment of HMC3 human microglial cells reduced phagocytic activity and triggered aberrant activation of inflammatory and immunometabolic pathways, including upregulation of interferon-alpha (IFN-α), aconitate decarboxylase 1 (Acod1), and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) gene expression. BEVs also induced NRF2 nuclear translocation. In conclusion, these findings support that BEVs can amplify spirochete-induced damage and act as antigenic debris, driving dampened phagocytic activity and dysregulated inflammation, with implications for diagnostics and therapeutics targeting vesicle-mediated pathology. Full article

Despite the centrality of scalar implicature (SI) in pragmatic development, the neurocognitive trajectory of SI processing in Mandarin-speaking children remains underexplored, with existing frameworks inadequately accounting for developmental constraints and cross-linguistic variation. This ERP study maps the neurocognitive trajectory of scalar implicature (SI) processing in Mandarin preschoolers (N = 49). Behavioral accuracy improved with age (p < 0.001) but was not modulated by contextual felicity. Neural dynamics revealed developmental shifts: 4-year-olds exhibited heightened P200 amplitudes in infelicitous contexts, indicating attentional overloading. Differences in P200 amplitude between younger and older children indexed developmental shifts in attentional allocation. The N400 showed contextual sensitivity, whereas the Late Positive Component (LPC) showed only marginal context effects, suggesting protracted inferential adjustments. We propose the Cognitive-Dynamic Relevance Model (CDRM), challenging existing frameworks by integrating gradual recalibration mechanisms with resource constraints. Mandarin children demonstrate delayed SI maturation, attributable to reduced SI frequency in child-directed speech and quantifier ambiguity. Findings underscore cross-linguistic variation in pragmatic development, with neurocognitive markers preceding behavioral mastery. Full article

Number sense, the ability to rapidly perceive, estimate, and understand relationships between quantities, constitutes a fundamental basis for mathematical cognition. However, the extent to which it is modulated by top-down regulatory processes remains poorly understood. Rewards inherently carry quantitative attributes of abundance and scarcity, and prospect theory further suggests that individuals tend to underestimate rewards and overestimate punishments of equal magnitude, implying that the perception of reward quantities may be systematically biased. To address this issue, the present study employed EEG to examine how reward-related properties of stimuli modulate number sense, using socially relevant reward stimuli as experimental materials. Behavioral results demonstrated that rewarding stimuli were underestimated compared to neutral and punishing stimuli, while punishing stimuli were overestimated relative to neutral stimuli. EEG analyses revealed that at number-sensitive electrodes (PO7, PO8, Oz), the C1 component was sensitive to reward properties; the N1 component at PO7 was specifically sensitive to punishment; and in the P2p time window, neutral stimuli elicited the largest amplitudes, suggesting inhibitory processing of reward-related attributes during quantity perception. Together, these findings indicate that reward-based modulation of number sense occurs unconsciously and follows a dynamic temporal profile. Full article

Background: Although alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in emotional processing, the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. We hypothesized that specific deficits in activating and using emotion concepts would be associated with impairments in higher-order emotional processing in individuals with high levels of alexithymia. Methods: To elucidate these mechanisms, 20 high-alexithymia and 17 low-alexithymia young adults (M_age = 18.38, SD_age = 0.77), identified according to the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, were included in this study to examine distinct neural and behavioral features between participants with different levels of alexithymia. Participants selected target facial expressions primed by emotion concepts from interferential faces while their event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. We modulated the clarity of emotion concepts and varied the relative working-memory load of the emotion concepts versus facial features to promote top-down or bottom-up processing. Results: Behaviorally, clear emotion concepts facilitated accurate target identification in both groups. Event-related potential results show that the high alexithymia group had reduced N400 amplitudes than the low-alexithymia group in the top-down domain processing condition (mean difference of 2.75 μV, 95% CI [0.40, 5.11], Cohen’s d = 0.54), indicating reduced cognitive resource allocation for deliberately activating emotion concepts. Conclusions: These findings suggest that individuals with high alexithymia have emotion deficits, potentially due to difficulty in the deliberate activation of emotion concepts. Our findings provide theoretical and clinical implications for affective science by highlighting a possible conceptual-processing mechanism through which alexithymia may be linked to the development and persistence of comorbid affective symptoms. Full article

Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Escherichia coli represent an increasing therapeutic challenge. While ertapenem (ERP) is commonly used as first-line therapy, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (AMC) achieves therapeutic concentrations in serum and ascitic fluid and may offer a narrower-spectrum alternative. This exploratory preclinical study evaluated whether AMC produces effects comparable to ERP in a rat model of ESBL E. coli peritonitis. Methods: Thirty-three male rats were allocated to four groups: untreated E. coli, AMC, ERP, and sham controls. Peritonitis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of an ESBL-producing E. coli strain. The primary outcome was peritoneal bacterial culture positivity. Secondary outcomes included plasma inflammatory cytokines (CRP, PCT, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), proteomic signaling markers, and histopathological inflammation scores in the peritoneum, spleen, and lungs. Results: One death occurred in the untreated group. Both AMC and ERP were associated with lower peritoneal culture positivity compared with untreated animals, with ERP achieving statistical significance and AMC showing a similar downward trend. Inflammatory cytokines and proteomic markers demonstrated comparable reductions in both treated groups. Histopathology showed reduced inflammatory scores, with AMC exhibiting the lowest peritoneal inflammation. Lung involvement was observed in 7/10 untreated rats versus 5/10 AMC- and ERP-treated rats; these differences were not statistically significant, reflecting the limited sample size. Conclusions: AMC and ERP produced broadly comparable effects on microbiological, biochemical, and inflammatory parameters in ESBL E. coli peritonitis. These findings suggest that AMC may merit further investigation as a potential narrower-spectrum option, though definitive comparisons require larger, adequately powered studies. Full article

Background: Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) is functionally distinct from static visual acuity (SVA), though SVA is often used clinically as a reference. Methods: To identify EEG biomarkers for DVA, we presented participants with a high-contrast checkerboard moving horizontally at speeds ranging from 4°/s to 30°/s, engaging motion-sensitive pathways while preserving spatial detail. Six EEG features—ERPs (N200 and P300), TRCA, Hjorth activity, mean curve length, and Tsallis entropy—were extracted from eight occipito-parietal channels and evaluated for speed sensitivity. Results: Hjorth activity and Tsallis entropy showed consistent monotonic trends with respect to speed. Hjorth activity exhibited the strongest univariate correlation (r = 0.88, p < 0.05). In a Lasso regression model using all speed-sensitive features, the predicted speed correlated with actual speed at r = 0.588, with TRCA-weighted features retained for their multivariate contribution. Notably, Hjorth activity peaked at PO7/PO8 (3.558 and 1.478 µV² at 30°/s), aligning with V5/MT+ activation. Conclusion: Given its high sensitivity, neuroanatomical plausibility, and simplicity, Hjorth activity is recommended as a primary candidate for EEG-based DVA biomarker development. This study provides a foundation for objective neurophysiological evaluation of dynamic vision. Full article