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Neuromodulating the rhythms of cognition
No full textRhythmic non-invasive brain stimulation (rh-NIBS) allows to modulate neural oscillations and study the functional role of these brain rhythms for cognition. We hope to draw attention to often neglected aspects of this field that limit the interpretations of the findings and their translational potential. We here review current rh-NIBS trends and propose to conceptually differentiate oscillatory synchronization, aimed at enhancing an intrinsic oscillatory amplitude, from frequency-shifting, designed to speed-up or slow-down a given oscillatory rhythm. At the same time, we offer a precise mechanistic account of these two rh-NIBS protocols that accounts for inter-individual differences in stimulation outcomes. Finally, we gap the bridge between entrainment, understood as an online manipulation of neural oscillations via rh-NIBS, versus plasticity, defined as the aftereffects of the TMS offline protocols. Specifically, we bring forward a promising possibility that the aftereffects of rh-NIBS protocols, preferably tuned to the dominant oscillatory frequency, might produce the desired outcome through a successful online oscillatory tuning, understood as a prerequisite for the generation of synaptic plasticity reflecting enduring aftereffects. This conceptual and mechanistic framework aims to provide a deeper theoretical understanding of recommended rh-NIBS best practices for noninvasively studying dynamic oscillation-cognition relationships in cognitive and clinical research
Don't check after a snack:body checking increases eating-related threat perception
No full textOBJECTIVE: Engaging in safety behaviours might exacerbate eating-related threat perception and fear in individuals with eating disorders. The present study tested this mechanism by manipulating eating disorder-related safety behaviours (i.e., body checking) in non-clinical women. It is expected that body checking after food intake increases eating-related threat perception and fear, reduces eating desires and lowers calorie consumption compared with control activities. METHOD: Ninety-nine non-clinical women had to eat two high-caloric snacks and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: In the safety behaviour condition they measured body parts related to eating disorder concerns, in the body control condition participants measured body parts unrelated to eating disorder concerns and in the general control condition they measured pieces of furniture. After the manipulation, participants were again presented with (similar) high-calorie snacks, rated their fear, threat perception and eating desires, and completed a bogus taste test (ad-libitum intake). RESULTS: Participants in the safety behaviour and body control condition perceived food intake as more threatening after the manipulation than before. There was no significant change in the general control condition. Conditions did not significantly differ in fear, eating desires and calorie consumption. DISCUSSION: Checking body parts - even if it is only once and unrelated to eating disorder concerns - can increase eating-related threat perception in non-clinical women; to also affect fear, eating desires and calorie consumption, more persistent or intense safety behaviours might be necessary
Public attitudes towards police use of AI-driven face recognition technology
No full textThis study examined public attitudes toward police use of AI-driven facial recognition technology (FRT) for face detection, identification, verification, tracking, kinship verification, and masked perpetrator recognition. In a scenario-based survey with N = 507 participants, we investigated how perceptions of trust, fairness, accuracy, and support for specific FRT applications were influenced by general AI knowledge, trust in law enforcement, and application type. Masked face identification and kinship verification consistently received the lowest trust, fairness, accuracy, and support ratings, while face verification gathered the highest levels of acceptance. Contrary to expectations, deeper general AI knowledge was linked with decreased trust and support for FRTs in policing contexts. This suggests that technological literacy enhanced critical awareness of algorithmic limitations and ethical concerns. Participants expressed significant concerns about algorithmic bias, privacy implications, and surveillance capabilities. Trust in law enforcement emerged as the strongest predictor of FRT acceptance, indicating that acceptance of AI is embedded in broader socio-political relationships rather than determined by technological concerns alone. These findings contribute to our understanding of the social embeddedness of AI technologies and emphasize the need for governance frameworks that address not only technical performance but also institutional accountability and transparency in algorithmic systems deployed within law enforcement contexts
N1 and N2 neutrophil phenotypes may play differential roles in stimulating the endochondral ossification behaviors of ATDC5 cells
No full textOBJECTIVE: Endochondral ossification is vital for bone healing, with neutrophils playing a crucial role in the osteoimmune system. While N1 (pro-inflammatory) and N2 (regenerative) neutrophils are documented in other contexts, their role in endochondral ossification remains unclear. This study investigates their effects on ATDC5 cells.METHODS: Neutrophils from five healthy volunteers were isolated and polarized into N0 (unstimulated), N1, or N2 phenotypes. After culturing for 4 h, neutrophil-conditioned media was mixed (20 % v/v) with chondrogenic differentiation media (DM). ATDC5 cells were cultured with mixture or DM alone for 24 h, followed by continued DM culturing. On days 7 and 14, several gene expressions, ALP activity, and TGF-β3 levels were assessed.RESULTS: SOX9 peaked in the ATDC5 (A)/N2 group on day 7, while the A/N1 group showed the highest levels on day 14. COL2A1 was elevated in the A/N0 group on day 7. RUNX2 was higher in A/N1 and A/N2 on day 7, with A/N1 remaining elevated on day 14. MMP-13 was significantly higher in A/N1 on day 7. COL10A1 expression showed no significant changes. COL1A1 and COX2 were continually elevated in the A/N1 group. ALP activity was consistently enhanced in the A/N1 group, and TGF-β3 was lower in both A/N1 and A/N2 on day 14.CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that N1 neutrophils may promote chondrocyte maturation and osteogenic differentiation, while N2 neutrophils may support proliferation, hypertrophy, and maturation, providing a cell reservoir for ossification. These findings highlight their distinct roles in directing chondrogenic progenitors toward bone rather than cartilage formation.</p
Placenta accreta spectrum disorders using standardised magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) descriptors; interobserver agreement and diagnostic accuracy
No full textAIM: Accurate antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders is essential for improving maternal outcomes. To address variability in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) interpretation for suspected PAS, the International Society for Placenta Accreta Spectrum (IS-PAS) proposed nine standardised PAS-MRI descriptors. This study evaluates their interobserver agreement and diagnostic value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using MRI scans of pregnancies suspected of PAS at Maastricht University Medical Center (2010-2024). Two radiologists independently assessed the MRI scans for IS-PAS descriptors, and interobserver agreement and diagnostic performance of each descriptor were evaluated. Ultrasound (US) reports leading to MRI referral were analysed for US PAS descriptors. Histopathological or intraoperative findings served as the reference standard. RESULTS: Among 32 cases, 53% had no PAS, 37% had placenta accreta/increta, and 10% had placenta percreta. Interobserver agreement was highest for MRI descriptors 'bladder wall interruption' (kappa = 0.52) and 'focal exophytic mass' (kappa = 0.46), while 'heterogeneous placenta' (kappa = 0.12) and 'dark intraplacental bands' (kappa =-0.09) showed the lowest agreement. Sensitivity was highest for MRI descriptors 'loss of retroplacental dark zone' (100%) and 'myometrial thinning' (93%), while specificity was highest for 'bladder wall interruption' (94%) and 'focal exophytic mass' (10 0%). There were no significant differences in sensitivity and specificity between US and MRI for diagnosing PAS. CONCLUSION: IS-PAS MRI descriptors show suboptimal interobserver agreement and limited diagnostic value. Prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta/increta remains especially challenging. Future studies should focus on validating current MRI descriptors and investigate the use of newer imaging modalities. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Royal College of Radiologists. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/)
Administrative integration through agency governance:The role of Frontex, the EUAA and Europol
No full textConnecting online criminal behavior with machine learning:Using authorship attribution to analyze and link potential online traffickers
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TOF-SIMS spectra of gallic acid, ellagic acid, castalin, and quercetin in negative polarity
No full textInitially used for fermentation or storage, oak wood barrels were found to enhance the organoleptic properties of spirits. Over time, wood extractives like ellagitanins and aromatic precursors have been linked to the quality of the spirits. TOF-SIMS being an ionization technique produces intense fragmentation patterns that are not fully understood, and reference spectra are required to confidently analyze wood samples. Here, negative polarity TOF-SIMS reference spectra of important oak wood compounds being involved in spirit maturation, using a Bi-3(+) primary ion species, are presented
Trp1250, Lys1252 and Arg1367 of ADAMTS13 comprise a hot-spot for anti-CUB domain antibodies in patients with iTTP
No full textImmune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a rare life-threatening thrombotic disorder, which results from the development of autoantibodies targeting ADAMTS13. Most patients (>90%) with iTTP display antibodies against a shared epitope in the spacer domain of ADAMTS13. Nevertheless, a smaller population of patients (20%-40%) also has antibodies directed toward the CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domains of ADAMTS13. Here, we explored whether anti-CUB antibodies have a shared epitope located on CUB domains of ADAMTS13 that overlaps with the spacer-CUB domain interface. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry revealed that a panel of patient-derived human monoclonal anti–CUB domain antibodies specifically targeted peptides 1248-1253 and 1359-1377 in the CUB1 and CUB2 domains, respectively. A parallel alanine screen showed that residues W1250, K1252, and R1367 are crucially involved in binding of anti–CUB domain antibodies. A triple alanine variant containing W1250A/K1252A/R1367A ameliorated the binding of all patient-derived monoclonal antibodies. This triple-alanine variant also showed greatly reduced binding of anti-CUB antibodies upon analysis of plasma samples of a panel of 27 patients with iTTP. Functional analysis of the anti-CUB antibodies showed that all antibodies were able to induce an open conformation but did not inhibit activity toward either peptide substrates or von Willebrand factor multimers under flow conditions. Collectively, our findings show that anti-CUB antibodies target residues W1250/K1252 and R1367. Binding of pathogenic antibodies disrupt the spacer-CUB domain interface, thereby inducing an open conformation in ADAMTS13.</p