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Forgotten Boundaries in Law: On AI and Neurotechnology
No full textThis article focuses on the intersection of private law, science and technology studies (STS) and frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and neurotechnology to demonstrate how myths and narratives shape sociotechnical developments. It examines how private law traditionally relies on the concept of the ‘natural person’, with clear boundaries between inner and outer realms – a myth that influences law and technology scholarship. The article first analyses different narratives applicable to AI and neurotechnology that challenge established legal concepts such as persons and things. Then, through narrative analysis, it demonstrates how private law has been transformed by, and simultaneously transforms, various technoscientific practices. The perspective deployed in this article aims to contribute to law and technology scholarship by introducing a comparative and pluralistic methodology that combines historical and comparative legal analysis with STS to understand the mutual shaping of law and technology.</p
Demarcation problems in law and neurotechnology: persons, cyborgs and neurohackers
No full textTechnology creates demarcation problems for law, with legal agents existing in a constant state of in-betweenness. Digital and biotechnologies challenge legal definitions by changing our understanding of what constitutes a 'person' and what constitutes a 'thing'. This similarly affects the boundaries between inner–outer, personhood–property, and subject–object distinctions. The result is a plethora of legal problems, as modern European private law theories are built upon these dualisms. For instance, the integration of technology with human minds disturbs the liberal foundations of personhood. Human–machine interactions challenge our concept of self, as technology becomes integral to both personal identity and how individuals experience the world. Traditional understandings of personality, property, privacy, and freedom prove inadequate when confronted with liminal categories such as human–machine symbioses and the figure of the ‘hacker’. However, this challenge is not unprecedented; European legal history offers numerous examples demonstrating that these boundaries were never truly stable. A key illustration is found in Roman law, where jurists developed a hybrid conception of subjectivity to address the practical legal problems of their era. This paper therefore examines neurotechnology, with particular attention to the figure of the hacker, to analyse the ontology of modern boundaries in private law.</p
Olfactory system vulnerability in Alzheimer’s disease:a multidisciplinary study. "Decoding Alzheimer’s through the nose-brain axis"
Get PDFThe regime governing unfair terms - does it also apply to terms that have not been accepted?
No full textShort-term outcomes of the digital combined lifestyle intervention CooL-MiGuide:a descriptive case series study
No full textBackground The objective of this study is to investigate the changes over time in anthropometrics, behaviours and health perceptions over eight months of participation in the Combined Lifestyle Intervention (CLI) CooL-MiGuide. This intervention is a digital version of the Coaching on Lifestyle (CooL) intervention with the add-on of a digital platform and an app. Longitudinal data were collected between January 2022 and December 2023 from adults, mainly in the South-Western area of the Netherlands. All participants met the inclusion criteria for the CLI, which include being obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30) or being overweight (25 < BMI < 30) with comorbidity and/or increased waist circumference; and being sufficiently motivated. We collected comprehensive data at baseline (T0) and after eight months of participation (T1) on anthropometrics, control and support, physical activity, diet attentiveness, alcohol consumption, smoking, perceived fitness, sleep and stress. Changes over time were analyzed using paired t-tests comparing T1 to baseline and effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Results The results indicate positive changes after eight months in anthropometrics, sedentary time, diet attentiveness, sleep, stress, fitness, and perceived health of in total 129 participants. The largest effect sizes were observed for weight (Cohen's d = 0.62, average weight loss of 3.82 kg), perceived health (Cohen's d = 0.58) and perceived fitness of the participants when waking up and during daytime (Cohen's d = 0.41 and 0.52 respectively). Conclusions CooL-MiGuide participants exhibited improvements in perceived health and weight. The digital version of CooL can be a valuable alternative for people who prefer to participate from a location of their choice
An extensive generative framework and multiphasic verification strategy for synthesising CT images of diverse anatomies:towards the utilisation for <i>in silico</i> clinical trials
No full textThe conventional approach of testing the safety and efficacy of medical devices/drugs is done through clinical trials. These trials are time-consuming, expensive and pose ethical issues. In Silico Clinical Trials (ISCTs) leverage computer simulations to assess medical devices or drugs by replicating physiological processes. Acquiring large datasets for ISCTs is challenging due to legal and ethical constraints, but synthetic data generation offers a solution. In this study, we present a widely applicable generative framework which has the capability to synthesise CT images of visceral organs and hard tissues, thereby demonstrating its extensiveness across various anatomical structures. In addition to data synthesis, we show that synthesised images are comparable to real images in terms of quality metrics and expert evaluations (data-level verification). Hence, this research shows the feasibility to use generative frameworks' for clinically realistic data synthesis. Furthermore, we introduce a multiphasic verification strategy with an additional verification step (model-level verification) for prospective utilisation for ISCTs
Advancements in noninvasive visualization of the immune environment in glioblastoma:A systematic review
No full textBackground Glioblastoma is known for its highly immunosuppressive microenvironment, hindering the efficacy of immunotherapies. Noninvasive imaging like immuno-positron emission tomography (PET) offers the potential for visualizing immune dynamics within glioblastoma, potentially aiding in patient selection and treatment monitoring. This systematic review evaluates immuno-PET tracers currently under investigation for the noninvasive visualization of the immune environment in glioblastoma.Methods A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science up to March 2025, using keywords related to glioblastoma, immuno-PET, immune compartments, and specific tracers. Studies were screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing on the development, characterization, or application of immuno-PET tracers targeting immune cells or immune checkpoint molecules in glioblastoma.Results Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria, exploring tracers targeting immune checkpoints and immune cell populations. Full-length antibodies demonstrated higher tumor specificity and retention compared to smaller fragments but showed longer circulation times. Peptide-based tracers and affibodies offered improved pharmacokinetics with rapid clearance and lower nonspecific uptake but encountered hurdles in ensuring adequate tumor targeting and retention. Advancements included dual-modal tracers combining PET and near-infrared fluorescence imaging for enhanced diagnostic and intraoperative applications.Conclusions Significant progress has been made in developing immuno-PET tracers for noninvasive visualization of immune reactions in glioblastoma. Challenges persist in clinical translation due to issues like blood-brain barrier permeability and safety profiles. Continued research and clinical evaluations are essential to harness the potential of immuno-PET in improving glioblastoma diagnosis, assessment of treatment response, and guiding personalized immunotherapy strategies, ultimately aiming to enhance patient outcomes
Real-world challenges in conducting lifestyle intervention research in mental healthcare:reflections from the MULTI plus trial
No full textBackground Real-world effectiveness studies that account for contextual complexities and implementation are essential to bridge the research-to-practice gap. In mental healthcare, this is especially important for lifestyle interventions, which can reduce physical health disparities and support mental health in people with mental illness yet remain insufficiently embedded in routine care. Purpose This commentary reflects on our experiences conducting research within routine clinical care. It aims to inform future real-world studies, support others doing similar work, and help the field move towards practical, transparent, and useful real-world research. Methods We use the implementation of MUltidisciplinary Lifestyle-focused approach in the Treatment of Inpatients with mental illness (MULTI+) as a case example to explore broader challenges in conducting effectiveness-implementation research in real-world clinical settings. Lifestyle interventions are particularly illustrative of such challenges, as they are intertwined with the context in which they are delivered and rely on sustained behavior change across all key actors. Results Through continuous dialogue, we identified ways to generate actionable data for clinical decision-making and navigated challenges such as data fragmentation and missing values. In addition, we refined data collection strategies to enhance inclusivity, for example, by incorporating a visual informed consent to improve participant understanding and engagement. Conclusions Our findings highlight the need for research approaches that are responsive to clinical contexts, enhance real-world applicability, and maintain scientific integrity. We discuss how pragmatic adaptations can strengthen the integration of research within mental healthcare practice, ultimately improving the impact of lifestyle interventions
Minimized PRFs from Public Permutations
No full textThe sum of permutations is a popular way to turn a PRP (like a block cipher) into a PRF. However, with the rise of permutation based cryptography, it makes sense to investigate the possibility to design a PRF as the sum of externally keyed public permutations. This challenge was initiated by Chen et al. (CRYPTO 2019) who presented the Sum of Even-Mansours (SoEM) construction. Sibleyras and Todo (CT-RSA 2023) later minimized the amount of key maskings in this construction with their Keyed Sum of Permutations (KSoP). However, both constructions have in common that their security proofs require two independent keys and two independent public random permutations. In this work, we investigate the possibilities to reduce this amount of randomness, by introducing three constructions: sirP, that uses two independent permutations but one key, sirK, that uses two independent keys but one permutation, and sirX, that uses a single permutation and a single key. The constructions are further generalized by having a parameter prescribing the data input size compared to the permutation size. We present general security results for all three variants, and demonstrate that, for certain parameter choices, the security bounds match those of SoEM and KSoP, but with reduced randomness
Perceptions of shorter radical cure <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> treatment regimens and their implementation:a qualitative study among stakeholders in Cambodia
No full textBackgroundPlasmodium vivax malaria remains a significant public health concern in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and the Horn of Africa. Shorter, more effective treatment options for P. vivax malaria, including 7-day-high-dose primaquine and single-dose tafenoquine, are available and now included in global recommendations. However, the implementation of these options requires an understanding of their acceptability to inform implementation strategies and mitigate potential challenges.MethodsPerceptions of policymakers, healthcare providers, and malaria service recipients regarding 7-day-high-dose primaquine and tafenoquine were explored through qualitative methods (interviews and focus group discussions) in the context of a pre-elimination setting in Cambodia. Data from 142 participants were analysed thematically through deductive and inductive coding and memo writing.ResultsPolicymakers, programme officials, and healthcare providers identified the need for shorter treatment regimens in view of the low adherence and reduced effectiveness of longer treatment regimens. They attributed added value to these new interventions, associating better quality, increased effectiveness, and a decreased burden on the healthcare workers. For patients, the main purpose and value of shorter treatment options were reduced opportunity costs through faster recovery and being able to return to work sooner. The value attributed was contingent on the treatment options' adverse event profile, with some stakeholders being concerned about patients potentially experiencing more adverse events. However, patients themselves were willing to endure increased adverse events, provided they were for a shorter period and the shortened treatment enabled them to return to work more quickly. Policymakers were supportive but additional confidence-building through evidence generation is likely required.ConclusionAcceptance of 7-day-high-dose primaquine and tafenoquine was high in the pre-elimination context of Cambodia. Based on this study's findings, the uptake of these new treatment options is likely but will require confidence-building through evidence generation for policymakers and enhanced monitoring of adverse events to increase acceptability