Search Results (2,413)

Background/Objectives: Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is characterized by tremor, gait ataxia, and cerebellar white matter degeneration, along with possible cognitive and cerebral changes. Although diagnostic criteria were originally developed in males, emerging evidence suggests that FXTAS may present differently in females. The present study examined sensorimotor and memory features of aging in female premutation carriers with (FXTAS+) and without FXTAS (FXTAS+). Methods: We studied 51 female premutation carriers (FXTAS+ = 16, FXTAS− = 35) and 24 age-matched female controls. Participants ranged in age from 47–80 years. All participants completed genetic testing, clinical evaluations, T2-weighted MRIs, and quantitative assessments of sensorimotor (precision grip force task) and memory (reading span; visual paired associates task) functions. Results: During precision grip testing, FXTAS+ carriers showed higher sustained force regularity than FXTAS− carriers (p = 0.03, d = 1.0) and controls (p = 0.004, d = 1.1) at low gain levels only. FXTAS+ participants were slower than controls on motor reaction time (p = 0.009, d = 0.82). Initial force output was higher in FXTAS+ than FXTAS− carriers (p = 0.03, d = 1.0) and controls (p = 0.03, d = 1.0) but at low gain only. FXTAS+ carriers exhibited poorer working memory than FXTAS− carriers (p = 0.03, d = 0.91) and controls (p = 0.02, d = 1.0). During a long-term memory task, FXTAS+ participants were less accurate than FXTAS− carriers (p = 0.04, d = 0.86) and controls (p = 0.004, d = 1.1) and showed increased reaction times relative to FXTAS− carriers (p = 0.03, d = −0.82) and controls (p = 0.01, d = −1.2). Conclusions: Together, these findings indicate that FXTAS+ females exhibit distinct motor and cognitive impairments, underscoring the value of quantitative behavioral measures for detecting and tracking neurodegenerative progression in female premutation carriers. Full article

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using a modified literature method involving aqueous AgNO₃ (3 mM) and plant extract (LCE) at a constant ratio, under alkaline conditions and controlled temperature. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The UV-Vis spectra displayed a broad absorption band around 450 nm, indicative of polydispersity, while DLS revealed a hydrodynamic diameter of 90.3 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.3366. Zeta potential values suggested reduced electrostatic stability compared with previously reported plant-derived AgNPs, although STEM images confirmed predominantly spherical, well-dispersed nanoparticles with sizes between 15 and 20 nm. Functional assays in zebrafish demonstrated the biological relevance of AgNPs. In scopolamine-induced models of cognitive and behavioral deficits, AgNPs treatment significantly improved memory and locomotor activity, as assessed by the Y-Maze, Novel Tank Diving Test and Novel Object Recognition Test. Full article

Evaluating text readability is crucial for supporting both language learners and native readers in selecting appropriate materials. Cognitive psychology research, leveraging behavioral data such as eye-tracking and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, has demonstrated effectiveness in identifying cognitive activities associated with text difficulty during reading. However, the distinctive linguistic characteristics of Arabic present unique challenges for applying such data in readability assessments. While behavioral signals have been explored for this purpose, their potential for Arabic remains underutilized. This study aims to advance Arabic readability assessments by integrating eye-tracking features into computational models. It presents a series of experiments that utilize both text-based and gaze-based features within machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) frameworks. The gaze-based features were extracted from the AraEyebility corpus, which contains eye-tracking data collected from 15 native Arabic speakers. The experimental results show that ensemble ML models, particularly AdaBoost with linguistic and eye-tracking handcrafted features, outperform ML models using TF-IDF and DL models employing word embedding vectorization. Among the DL models, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) achieved the best performance with combined linguistic and eye-tracking features. These findings underscore the value of cognitive data and emphasize the need for exploration to fully realize its potential in Arabic readability assessment. Full article

This research is based on a systematic review of machine learning (ML) approaches for the cognitive load (CL) assessment of applications for unmanned aerial system (UAS) operator training. The review synthesises evidence on how ML techniques have been applied to assess CL using diverse data sources, including physiological signals (e.g., EEG, HRV), behavioural measures (e.g., eye-tracking), and performance indicators. It highlights the effectiveness of models such as Support Vector Machines (SVMs), Random Forests (RFs), and advanced deep learning (DL) architectures such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), as well as how the use of different methods affects the performance of ML models, with studies reporting accuracies of up to 98%. The findings also indicate that, compared with traditional UAS training approaches, ML approaches can enhance training by providing adaptive assessment, with methodological factors such as model selection, data preprocessing, and validation being central to ML assessment performance. These findings highlight the value of accurate CL assessment as a foundation for adaptive training systems, supporting enhanced UAS operator performance and operational safety. By consolidating the methodological insights and identifying research gaps, this review provides valuable background information for advancing ML-based CL assessment and its integration into adaptive UAS operator training systems to enhance UAS operator training. Full article

The Climate Crisis is reshaping not only ecosystems but also human cognition. While its psychological impact is increasingly acknowledged, little is known about how environmental degradation influences basic cognitive functions. Since spatial and temporal cognition provide the perceptual scaffolding for orientation and various decision-making processes, distortions in these dimensions may hinder adaptive responses to ecological change. This study examined whether simulated climate-related degradation affects spatial-temporal cognition and whether interoceptive awareness predicts variability in these effects. Using immersive Virtual Reality combined with an omnidirectional treadmill, participants walked along paths in verdant and arid landscapes and then estimated the duration and distance travelled on each path. The results showed that arid environments led to longer time and distance estimates than verdant ones, although there were no objective differences in path length or actual walking time. Furthermore, temporal judgements, but not spatial ones, were predicted by interoceptive attention regulation: participants with a higher capacity to regulate attention towards bodily sensations consistently provided shorter temporal estimates across all contexts. These findings demonstrate that spatial-temporal representations are sensitive to ecological quality and that interoceptive processes contribute to individual differences in temporal perception. This highlights the value of integrating cognitive processes and interoception into sustainability science, suggesting that environmental preservation supports not only ecological well-being but also the cognitive foundations through which humans perceive and adapt to their surroundings. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic altered individuals’ worldviews. This study examined how cultural values shaped the ways students navigated stress and adapted after the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and cultural psychology frameworks of individualism and collectivism, we hypothesized that university students in two culturally distinct contexts—China and Canada—would demonstrate resilience differently. Chinese students would display collectivistic coping strategies (e.g., social responsibility and perspective-taking), while Canadian students would show resilience through individualistic strategies (e.g., personal reflection and self-efficacy). A total of 814 students completed a mixed-methods survey assessing resilience, cognitive reflection, and post-pandemic adaptations. Quantitative data were analyzed using factor analysis and stepwise regression to identify predictors. Qualitative responses were thematically analyzed for context. Results revealed cultural differences in resilience and adaptation, with social responsibility, healthy habits, and third-person perspective-taking predicting the responses of Chinese students, whereas internal emotional processing and personal moral reflection predicting it for Canadian students. This study enhances cross-cultural understanding of resilience and adaptation after collective trauma. Full article

This study investigates the perception-to-purchase journey by examining how consumer artificial intelligence (AI) literacy influences the effectiveness of AI-generated sponsored vlogs (AISVs), an emerging digital marketing format. Using survey data from 413 consumers and structural equation modeling, we develop and test the AI Literacy Perception–Decision Model (AILPDM). Results show that AI literacy affects information adoption through three pathways: emotional value, information usefulness, and source credibility. Separate SEM analyses further suggest that the direct effect of AI literacy on purchase intention was observed in experiential service AISVs, whereas in tangible product AISVs the effect operated mainly through information adoption. The AILPDM framework advances marketing theory by tracing a decision pathway from AI literacy, through perceived value and information adoption, to purchase intention, thereby demonstrating how technological competence evolves from a cost barrier into a cognitive resource that shifts source credibility evaluation from peripheral to central processing. For practitioners, the findings suggest differentiated strategies: Marketers of experiential services should emphasize anthropomorphic elements, whereas marketers of tangible products should prioritize technological transparency to foster consumer trust. Full article

This study addresses the limited integration of place-based education (PBE) into primary science learning, particularly regarding its potential to cultivate both cognitive understanding and emotional attachment to place—key dimensions of education for sustainability. Implemented in a rural Thai primary school, a ten-week (20-h) PBE program engaged Grade 6 students in locally relevant, hands-on activities grounded in Experiential Learning Theory and Social Learning Theory. Mixed-method analysis combined rubric-based scoring of a Sense of Place Assessment with qualitative content analysis of student reflections and group work. Post-intervention results showed that 84.21% of students achieved a high level of sense of place, with the strongest gains in place knowledge, followed by place dependence and place identity. Qualitative findings revealed three developmental pathways: sustained attachment through long-term experiences, growth from surface awareness to active participation, and limited emotional connection despite involvement. These patterns illustrate diverse routes through which PBE can foster environmental stewardship by linking personal meaning-making with collaborative action. Embedding PBE in authentic school contexts can enhance students’ capacity to value, care for, and improve their immediate environments, offering a transferable model for integrating sustainability-oriented learning across curricula. Full article

Background: Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) has been proposed as a tool to monitor myelination in multiple sclerosis (MS). We present baseline results from an ongoing prospective study, which is the first to include both early and standard phases of amyloid PET in patients with newly diagnosed MS. Methods: The prospective study includes patients with newly diagnosed MS (January 2023–February 2024). Clinical evaluation includes neurological disability (EDSS) and neuropsychological assessment. Brain MRI, early [¹⁸F]florbetaben (FBB) PET (eFBB; 0–5, 0–10 min post-injection), and standard FBB PET (sFBB; 90 min post-injection) were acquired. Normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and damaged white matter (DWM) in MRI were segmented and co-registered with PET images. Results are presented as standardized uptake values (SUV), with the ratio using cerebellum as the reference region (SUVR) and the percentage of change between the DWM and NAWM. Results: Twenty patients were included (35.05 ± 10.72 years; 75% women). Both eFBB and sFBB acquisitions showed significantly lower SUVRmax and SUVRmean, and higher SUVRmin in the DWM compared to NAWM (p < 0.001) in all patients. SUV parameters in both DWM and NAWM from eFBB and sFBB PET correlated with the number of relapses and EDSS (r = −0.454 and r = −0.446, respectively; p < 0.05). Additionally, SUVR values in the DWM during eFBB correlated with cognitive impairment (SDMT; r = −0.516, p < 0.01), fatigue (MFIS-5; r = −0.450, p < 0.05), and quality of life (EQ-5D; r = −0.490, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Quantitative analysis of dual-phase FBB PET demonstrates differential uptake between DWM and NAWM, which is probably associated with demyelination and neurodegeneration. These preliminary findings suggest that amyloid PET may have predictive value for disease activity and progression, supporting its potential as a biomarker in MS. Follow-up data from this study are needed to support the baseline results. Full article

Fatal pediatric vehicular heatstroke occurs when a driver accidentally leaves a child in a vehicle, leading to death by overheating. Most such accidents are caused by simple cognitive errors. One aspect of these events, described anecdotally, is false memories: the driver has a conscious recollection of removing the child, despite knowing that, tragically, it did not happen. We systematically examined media reports of all cases in the USA over a five-year period, involving 164 separate incidents in which 166 children died. Although for many incidents insufficient information was available, with rigorous criteria, we identified cases that likely involved false memories. Tentatively, we suggest that these appear to be more common when a male child dies, and when more than one child dies, hinting that the severity of psychological trauma is a factor in their emergence. Possible explanations for these false memories are explored, with script/schema theory emerging as a reasonable explanation. This suggests that drivers fill in gaps in their memory for the journey, based on routine journey schemata. An example would be a memory gap filled with a default value of dropping the child at daycare, when in fact, they know they did not. In turn, this schema approach provides a framework for better understanding the reason that drivers sometimes experience cognitive slips, with fatal consequences for child passengers. Full article

Multidimensional approaches to understanding the daily lived experiences and well-being among spousal dyads, where one partner has diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the other serves as an informal caregiver, is a relatively unexplored area of research. This study examined contextual day-to-day patterns of spousal dyads’ caregiver burden, depressive affect, stress, relationship mutuality, sleep, and cognition from the perspective of both dyad members. For 14 consecutive nights, 27 dyads (n = 54 individuals) completed online daily diary forms. The forms included self and informant reports about daily caregiver burden, depressive affect, stress, dyadic interactions, memory, and sleep quality. Exploratory multilevel modeling was performed to understand how daily fluctuations among these aspects of everyday living for both dyad members were associated. Mutuality emerged as an important moderator for caregiver burden and depressive affect outcomes, underscoring the significance of the relationship between care recipients with MCI and their caregivers. Sleep debt was also associated with contagion effects among partners’ depressive affect, stress, mutuality, and cognition. The present study demonstrates the value of multifaceted investigations that account for contextually relevant factors using daily repeated measures with both dyad members to better understand the MCI caregiver experience. Larger, more diverse samples are needed for generalizability of findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aims to investigate the development of oculomotor behavior in children born preterm using a DIVE device (Device for an Integral Visual Examination) equipped with eye-tracking technology. Visual and visuo-cognitive measures obtained through eye-tracking technology provide quantitative and sensitive indicators of early neural development, as visual function is one of the earliest cerebral processes to develop postnatally. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Participants: The study included 428 children aged 0.5 to 14 years. Of these, 214 were born preterm (78 late preterm, born at 32–36 weeks’ gestation, and 136 early preterm, born at less than 32 weeks’ gestation) and 214 were full-term controls, matched by age and gender. Methods: All participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment. Oculomotor behavior was analyzed using a DIVE device, focusing on fixation duration, saccadic performance and fixation stability. Fixation stability was quantified by the bivariate contour ellipse area for short tasks (BCEA), which measures (in deg²) the area of the ellipse enclosing a specified percentage of fixation positions—smaller BCEA values indicate greater fixation stability. We performed a cluster analysis on these oculomotor metrics to identify distinct oculomotor control patterns. Results: Preterm children exhibited significantly poorer fixation stability than controls (mean BCEA 0.21 vs. 0.09 logdeg², p = 0.004), alongside shorter fixation durations and longer saccadic reaction times. Early preterm children showed more unstable fixations compared to late-preterm and control groups (0.26 vs. 0.12 and 0.09 logdeg², respectively, p = 0.001). Cluster analysis revealed three distinct OMC (oculomotor control) patterns: “good,” “impulsive,” and “poor.” Children classified in the “good OMC” cluster demonstrated stable fixations and appropriate saccadic reaction times. In contrast, those in the “impulsive OMC” and “poor OMC” clusters exhibited more unstable fixations and abnormal saccadic times, with the “poor” cluster being significantly associated with extreme prematurity, lower birth weights, and a higher incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Conclusions: Preterm birth is associated with measurable oculomotor deficits, most pronounced in early preterm infants, affecting their fixation and saccadic abilities. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to support the development of preterm children, particularly those with “poor” oculomotor control behavior. Full article

This study investigates how perceived value influences user satisfaction and usage intention toward AI Digital Human Advisors in digital finance, drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework. Perceived value is conceptualized as comprising functional, cognitive, and emotional dimensions, reflecting users’ utilitarian, intellectual, and affective evaluations of AI advisors. To empirically test the proposed model, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted with 524 adult users of digital financial applications in mainland China, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that cognitive and emotional value significantly enhance both satisfaction and usage intention, whereas functional value shows no significant effect. Satisfaction fully mediates the effect of cognitive value and partially mediates that of emotional value. Moreover, switching barriers negatively moderate the satisfaction–intention link, indicating that high friction weakens the behavioral impact of satisfaction. The findings extend perceived value theory to AI-mediated financial contexts by demonstrating that emotional and cognitive engagement—rather than functional efficiency—drives sustained behavioral intention. Practically, the study highlights the importance of designing emotionally intelligent and cognitively transparent AI advisors. As the data were collected from urban users in China, where digital finance is relatively advanced, future research should validate these findings in other cultural and institutional contexts. Full article

Although antiviral therapy has improved quality of life, around 50% of people with HIV (PWH) experience neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. This is prompted in part by the migration of HIV-infected monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to the brain, leading to neuronal death. Previous studies in our lab have shown that HIV-infected MDMs secrete cathepsin B (CATB), which is a pro-inflammatory neurotoxic enzyme that is reduced by the addition of cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB2R) agonist JWH-133 to cell cultures. In this study, we aimed to identify the proteins secreted (secretome) by HIV-infected macrophages exposed to JWH-133 and quantify them using tandem mass tag (TMT) mass spectrometry. Frozen 13-day MDM supernatants from (1) an MDM negative control; (2) HIV+MDM, and (3) HIV+MDM-JWH-133 were compared in triplicate by mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and analyzed for protein identification. Subsequently, the same samples were labeled by TMT labeling and quantified by LC/MS/MS. After a database search, 528 proteins were identified from all groups. Thereafter, proteins with more than three unique peptides and more than 10% coverage were selected for protein identification. Venn diagrams revealed one unique protein secreted by MDM-HIV, 10 unique proteins in HIV+MDM-JWH-133, and 15 common proteins in the three groups. CATB was unique to HIV+MDM. HIV+MDM exposed to JWH-133 showed proteins related to metabolism, cell organization, antiviral activity, and stress response. TMT analysis revealed 1454 proteins with abundance for statistical analysis based on FC ≥ |1.5| and p-value ≤ 0.05, of which Ruvb-like 1 and Hornerin decreased significantly with JWH-133 treatment. Both proteins stimulate HIV replication. In addition, HIV infection upregulated proteins associated with pathways of viral latency that were inhibited by JWH-133. In conclusion, JWH-133 treatment in HIV-infected macrophages leads to the secretion of antiviral host factors and decreases the secretion of proviral, inflammatory, and neurotoxic host factors. Full article

This study investigated factors predicting cognitive flexibility in Chinese–English bilinguals, with a comprehensive focus on demographic and language-related variables. Cognitive flexibility was assessed using reaction times (RTs) and maximum absolute deviation (MAD) in a mouse-tracking nonverbal task-switching paradigm, capturing both mix and switch costs. Regression analyses revealed that bilingual experience explained a larger proportion of variance in mix costs than in switch costs, with stronger effects for MAD than RTs. Higher composite factor scores (CFS) were positively associated with mix costs, whereas balanced language use across life stages, activities, and interlocutors predicted smaller mix costs, suggesting a move to multi-dimensional, experience-based approaches. In contrast, switch costs were largely unrelated to CFS, but balanced language use across situational contexts, which predicted reduced switch costs in MAD, indicating enhanced reactive control. Moreover, bilingual experiences in the home environment appeared to be positively associated with cognitive flexibility. These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of bilingual experience and underscore the value of movement trajectory measures in capturing subtle effects on sustained and transient cognitive control. Full article