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When males and females have distinct behaviour, learning may vary between the sexes. Polistes fuscatus wasps provide an interesting model to study sex differences in learning because males and females have different social behaviour. Female wasps have highly variable facial patterns used for individual face recognition, live in cooperative groups where interactions depend on individual face recognition and excel at learning female faces. In contrast, male wasps lack the type of variable facial patterns necessary for individual face recognition and do not participate in the type of social interactions known to favour individual recognition in females. Instead, males leave the nest soon after adulthood and devote their energy to mating. Given the behavioural differences between males and females, females may be more adept at learning wasp faces than males. Here, we train male and female P. fuscatus to discriminate between pairs of female P. fuscatus face images and pairs of colours. Females learned to discriminate between pairs of face images more accurately than males. However, males and females were equally adept at colour learning, indicating that there are no generalized sex differences in learning. The sex differences in face, but not colour, learning are consistent with the adaptive specialization hypothesis, which posits that cognitive abilities are selected to solve particular social or ecological problems. Overall, general learning capacity is similar across male and female wasps, but face learning is shaped by sex-specific recognition behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering plastic exposure patterns in modern society, the effects of exposure to leachate from boiled-water treated plastic products on cognitive function was probed in mice through changes in gut microbiota diversity. In this study, Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice were used to establish drinking water exposure models of three popular kinds of plastic products, including non-woven tea bags, food-grade plastic bags and disposable paper cups. 16S rRNA was used to detect changes in the gut microbiota of mice. Behavioral, histopathology, biochemistry, and molecular biology experiments were used to evaluate cognitive function in mice. Our results showed that the diversity and composition of gut microbiota changed at genus level compared to control group. Nonwoven tea bags-treated mice were proved an increase in Lachnospiraceae and a decreased in Muribaculaceae in gut. Alistipes was increased under the intervention of food grade plastic bags. Muribaculaceae decreased and Clostridium increased in disposable paper cups group. The new object recognition index of mice in the non-woven tea bag and disposable paper cup groups decreased, and amyloid β-protein (Aβ) and tau phosphorylation (P-tau) protein deposition. Cell damage and neuroinflammation were observed in the three intervention groups. Totally speaking, oral exposure to leachate from boiled-water treated plastic results in cognitive decline and neuroinflammation in mammals, which is likely related to MGBA and changes in gut microbiota. [Display omitted] • Long-term plastic oral heat exposure causes gut microbiota imbalance in mice. • Long-term plastic oral heat exposure decreases cognitive function in mice. • Decline in cognitive function likely mediated by gut bacteria. • Microbial gut-brain axis and neuroinflammation play a role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is part of a Special 15th Anniversary Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In their paper: “Learning of Predictive Relations Between Events Depends on Attention, Not on Awareness” Custers & Aarts demonstrate that when one is first exposed to a clear predictive relationship – a consequent predictive relationship will be represented as a unidirectional association (“predictor” to “predicted”) in the percievers’ minds regardless of their awareness of that relationship. Furthermore, a conscious intention to learn the relationship leads to the formation of a bidirectional (non-predictive) association. While these findings may prove to be a significant step in understanding other forms of implicit learning such as implicit artificial grammar learning and implicit sequence learning and why they are affected by intentional learning; Custers & Aarts’ postulation that “top-down” regulation is at work here is debatable as their experimental manipulation can be understood as “bottom-up” activation of implicit learning processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mental disorders among children and adolescents pose a significant global challenge. The exposome framework covering the totality of internal, social and physical exposures over a lifetime provides opportunities to better understand the causes of and processes related to mental health, and cognitive functioning. The paper presents a conceptual framework on exposome, mental health, and cognitive development in children and adolescents, with potential mediating pathways, providing a possibility for interventions along the life course. The paper underscores the significance of adopting a child perspective to the exposome, acknowledging children's specific vulnerability, including differential exposures, susceptibility of effects and capacity to respond; their susceptibility during development and growth, highlighting neurodevelopmental processes from conception to young adulthood that are highly sensitive to external exposures. Further, critical periods when exposures may have significant effects on a child's development and future health are addressed. The paper stresses that children's behaviour, physiology, activity pattern and place for activities make them differently vulnerable to environmental pollutants, and calls for child-specific assessment methods, currently lacking within today's health frameworks. The importance of understanding the interplay between structure and agency is emphasized, where agency is guided by social structures and practices and vice-versa. An intersectional approach that acknowledges the interplay of social and physical exposures as well as a global and rural perspective on exposome is further pointed out. To advance the exposome field, interdisciplinary efforts that involve multiple scientific disciplines are crucial. By adopting a child perspective and incorporating an exposome approach, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of how exposures impact children's mental health and cognitive development leading to better outcomes. • Conceptual framework of a child perspective for the exposome and mental health. • Framework combines child development, life-course perspective and vulnerability. • Social practice theory integrates multiple exposures articulating relevant concepts. • Mediating pathways provides the base for interventions. • Framework based on interdisciplinary efforts for comprehensive understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Recent behavioral studies and meta -analyses have called into question whether bilingualism leads to changes in domain-general executive functions in children. • The present paper provides an updated quantitative analysis of recent failed replications comparing bilingual and monolingual children on executive functioning. • When group differences do appear on EF tasks, performance favors bilinguals far more often than monolinguals. • A Bayesian analysis of 147 studies supports bilingual children outperforming monolingual children, with a Bayes Factor classified as "extreme" evidence for the alternative (BF10 = 4.08 × 108). • Our findings highlight the need to measure and identify the specific characteristics that lead to differences between bilingual and monolingual children on EF tasks. The ongoing debate regarding the effects of bilingualism on executive functions warrants a deeper investigation into sample characteristics, and the likelihood of performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals despite the variability in samples. The present paper provides an updated quantitative analysis of studies comparing bilingual and monolingual children on executive function tasks. We report a Bayesian analysis of 147 studies that provides evidence that bilingual children outperform monolinguals on tests of executive functions (e.g., attention, inhibition, working memory, shifting) far more often than chance, with a Bayes Factor classified as "extreme" evidence for the alternative (BF 10 = 4.08 × 108). This effect is even larger than previously reported with younger adults. These effects are independent of task, publication bias, publication year, and sample size. Furthermore, we uncovered a great deal of heterogeneity and missingness of bilingual sample characteristics across studies. Our findings highlight the need to measure and report bilingualism more consistently across studies which will allow future researchers to identify the specific characteristics and circumstances that predict changes in executive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Words and Faces tests are self-administered, computerized recognition memory tasks. • The Words and Faces tests show good convergent and divergent validity with gold standard neuropsychological testing in epilepsy. • The Words and Faces tests show excellent predictive accuracy in identifying patients with impairments on traditional memory measures. • Patients with epilepsy have lower scores on these automated memory measures than healthy controls. • Scores on the Words and Faces tests are associated with AED burden and seizure localization. • The Words and Faces tests are valid, computerized tools that can be used to screen for memory and other cognitive impairment in epilepsy. Cognitive impairment is prevalent in epilepsy and often presents at the time of initial diagnosis. This study sought to validate brief, self-administered, iPad-based recognition memory tasks in a sample of patients with epilepsy and to examine their screening utility in identifying patients with cognitive impairment. The Words and Faces tests were administered to 145 adult patients with epilepsy along with a neuropsychological battery. Correlation analyses examined the convergent and divergent validity of the Words and Faces tests, and a series of logistic regression analyses examined discriminative ability in identifying patients with and without cognitive impairments on neuropsychological measures. Patient performance was compared to that of a healthy control group (n = 223), and the relationship between the Words and Faces test performance and disease-related variables (i.e., antiepileptic medication burden, seizure lateralization/localization) was examined. The Words and Faces tests were positively correlated with traditional paper-and-pencil neuropsychological measures of episodic memory, with generally moderate to large effect sizes (r >.40), while correlations between the Words and Faces tests and non-memory measures were generally small in magnitude (r <.30). Patients with epilepsy had significantly lower scores on Words and Faces tests compared to healthy controls, and performance was associated with antiepileptic medication burden and seizure localization. The Words and Faces tests demonstrated good predictive accuracy in identifying any cognitive impairment (concordance (c) statistic =.77) and excellent predictive accuracy (c =.85) in identifying patients with impairments on traditional memory measures. The Words and Faces tests also demonstrated reasonable discrimination for impairments in non-memory domains including executive function, language, attention, processing speed, and visuospatial ability (c =.62 −.70). Importantly, the Words and Faces Immediate Index performed just as well as the Total Score (which included delayed memory performance), suggesting a short version of this measure is sufficient for identifying patients with cognitive impairment. The Words and Faces tests are valid, computerized tools that can be used to screen for memory and other cognitive impairment in adults with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crime of endangering rare and endangered wild animals has gradually become frequent crimes in China, but the legal cognitive error in such cases has not been resolved. In this crime, the scope of the objects, wild animals, depends on prepositive laws such as "the List of Wild Animals under the State Key Protection Plan", which leads to the separation between the social meaning of "rare and endangered" and the legal meaning of "under the State Key Protection Plan". Since the structure of basic facts and normative values has been broken, the perpetrator's understanding of the precondition laws should be regarded as pure legal cognition. Considering the specific cognitive difficulty of administrative laws, the level of this mens rea should be raised to clear awareness. This paper examines judicial and prosecutorial cases in China from 2021 to 2022, aimed at determining whether the lack of illegal perception can serve as a defence and what type of evidence is required to prove it. The empirical findings indicate that the clarity of legal cognition differs significantly between cases of guilt and innocence, and that the most crucial proof relies on the perpetrator's comprehension of the scope of protected wildlife, which is a purely legal matter instead of a social one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Comparative research on the origins of human language often focuses on a limited number of language-related cognitive functions or anatomical structures that are compared across species. The underlying assumption of this approach is that a single or a limited number of factors may crucially explain how language appeared in the human lineage. Another potentially fruitful approach is to consider human language as the result of a (unique) assemblage of multiple cognitive and anatomical components, some of which are present in other species. This paper is a first step in that direction. It focuses on the baboon, a non-human primate that has been studied extensively for years, including several brain, anatomical, cognitive and cultural dimensions that are involved in human language. This paper presents recent data collected on baboons regarding (1) a selection of domain-general cognitive functions that are core functions for language, (2) vocal production, (3) gestural production and cerebral lateralization, and (4) cumulative culture. In all these domains, it shows that the baboons share with humans many cognitive or brain mechanisms which are central for language. Because of the multidimensionality of the knowledge accumulated on the baboon, that species is an excellent nonhuman primate model for the study of the evolutionary origins of language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recent technological and analytical progress in brain imaging has enabled the examination of brain organization and connectivity at unprecedented levels of detail. The Human Connectome Project in Development (HCP-D) is exploiting these tools to chart developmental changes in brain connectivity. When complete, the HCP-D will comprise approximately ∼1750 open access datasets from 1300 + healthy human participants, ages 5–21 years, acquired at four sites across the USA. The participants are from diverse geographical, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. While most participants are tested once, others take part in a three-wave longitudinal component focused on the pubertal period (ages 9–17 years). Brain imaging sessions are acquired on a 3 T Siemens Prisma platform and include structural, functional (resting state and task-based), diffusion, and perfusion imaging, physiological monitoring, and a battery of cognitive tasks and self-reports. For minors, parents additionally complete a battery of instruments to characterize cognitive and emotional development, and environmental variables relevant to development. Participants provide biological samples of blood, saliva, and hair, enabling assays of pubertal hormones, health markers, and banked DNA samples. This paper outlines the overarching aims of the project, the approach taken to acquire maximally informative data while minimizing participant burden, preliminary analyses, and discussion of the intended uses and limitations of the dataset. Highlights • The HCP-D aims to chart the development of human brain connectivity. • N = 1300+ 5–21 year olds complete multimodal brain imaging and behavioral assessments. • This paper describes the primary aims and scientific approach of the project. • Data can address a wide range of questions concerning healthy neurodevelopment. • These data will be publicly released to the scientific community in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Humans unintentionally copy other people's gestures, postures and speech patterns. This behaviour has been termed 'automatic imitation', and is thought to play a crucial role in the development of social relationships by building affiliation and rapport between interaction partners. The current paper critically evaluates reaction time measures of automatic imitation and demonstrates that it is currently unclear what reaction time indices measure, due to a lack of research assessing dimensions of validity and domain-specificity. Based on this assessment of the literature, three suggestions are made for future research. First, studies that assess the validity of reaction time paradigms as an index of automatic imitation are required. That is, the extent that processes involved in reaction time measures of automatic imitation also operate in real-world copying behaviours needs firmly establishing. Second, the extent that component processes of automatic imitation rely on domain-specific, domain-general or a combination of both types of cognitive system needs establishing. Moreover, theories of imitation that move beyond neat divisions between domain-specific and domain-general systems should be prioritised. Third, a case is made for why methodological rigour requires far more emphasis in order to support the development of a cumulative science of automatic imitation. In sum, by providing a critical review of the current literature, as well as suggesting new directions for research questions, theories and methods, this paper aims to stimulate discussion regarding optimal approaches to studying automatic imitation. Moreover, the analysis and recommendations presented here generalise to other domains of social cognition, such as gaze perception and perspective taking, which also rely on similar reaction time paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many signalling systems, intraspecific variation in recognition abilities is based on developmental stage, experience or caste. However, the occurrence of intraspecific variation in recognition has not been thoroughly examined in species with individual recognition. For example, previous work has shown that individual recognition is an important aspect of the social life of Polistes fuscatus (paper wasp) nest-founding queens, as individual recognition stabilizes dominance interactions and reduces aggression. To date, the potential for individual recognition among P. fuscatus workers has been largely ignored. Here, we explore whether there is intraspecific variation in individual recognition by testing P. fuscatus worker recognition abilities in a series of staged contests. The results indicate that P. fuscatus workers are capable of individual recognition: focal workers paired with previously encountered partners experienced significantly less aggression and more nonaggressive bodily contact than focal workers paired with unknown social partners. We propose two potential explanations for individual recognition among workers: (1) worker individual recognition may be favoured because it provides social benefits to workers, or (2) worker individual recognition may be a byproduct of selection for individual recognition in foundresses. Individual recognition is often considered a cognitively challenging form of recognition, so future studies that compare the sophistication of recognition across castes will be useful to assess whether there are more subtle differences in cognitive abilities or recognition behaviour between P. fuscatus nest-founding queens and workers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• How visual statistics of the world explain the cognitive apprehension of materiality A positive interaction between cognition and a materialised human world • Examination of theoretical and interpretive implications of ETA analysis of the visual response to prehistoric pottery • Cognitive and physiological results as proof for coevolution between cognitive processes, materialities and social complexity • A positive interaction between cognition and a materialised human world • The human visual cognition system actively internalizes the observed, showing a perceptual coupling The paper examines how materializations of human practices relate to human cognition and to socio-cultural contexts. By combining evidence on the relationship between material culture and perceptual behaviour, we aim to understand the interactions between the mind, objects, and the world. The research is based on data regarding the visual perception of prehistoric pottery that was analyzed using Eye-Tracking techniques in a way that has not been applied previously to archaeological material culture. The datasets come from Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) and range from the Middle Neolithic until the end of the Iron Age (6000–200 BP). They belong to very different contexts that comprise a long-term history through diverse socio-cultural formations. A rigorous methodology makes it possible to unveil cross- and intra-cultural patterns of visual response to materiality, while avoiding presentism and subjective bias. The results provide new insights into the agency of material culture, which contribute to our understanding of the relationship between the mind and the material world, and account for the transitive engagement between the way of thinking, seeing, and making things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On a traditional view of cognition, we see the agent acquiring stimuli, interpreting these in some way, and producing behavior in response. An increasingly popular alternative is the predictive processing framework. This sees the agent as continually generating predictions about the world, and responding productively to any errors made. Partly because of its heritage in the Bayesian brain theory, predictive processing has generally been seen as an inherently Bayesian process. The 'hierarchical prediction machine' which mediates it is envisaged to be a specifically Bayesian device. But as this paper shows, a specification for this machine can also be derived directly from information theory, using the metric of predictive payoff as an organizing concept. Hierarchical prediction machines can be built along purely information-theoretic lines, without referencing Bayesian theory in any way; this simplifies the account to some degree. The present paper describes what is involved and presents a series of working models. An experiment involving the conversion of a Braitenberg vehicle to use a controller of this type is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent issue of Consciousness and Cognition, Filbrich, Torta, Vanderclausen, Azanon, and Legrain (2016) commented on a paper in which we used a tactile Temporal Order Judgment (TOJ) task to show that expecting pain on a specific body location biased attention to that location (Vanden Bulcke, Crombez, Durnez, & Van Damme, 2015). Their main criticism is that the effects are likely to reflect response bias rather than genuine attentional bias. We agree that the TOJ task used may be susceptible to response bias, and welcome the authors’ methodological suggestions to control for such bias. However, we feel that certain aspects of our work are misrepresented in their paper. Most importantly, we contest their argument that our instructions made the threat location task-relevant, thereby increasing risk of response bias. Further, we reply to other methodological and theoretical issues raised by these authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision makers are often unable to choose between the options that they are offered. In these settings they typically defer their decision, that is, delay the decision to a later point in time or avoid the decision altogether. In this paper, we outline eight behavioral findings regarding the causes and consequences of choice deferral that cognitive theories of decision making should be able to capture. We show that these findings can be accounted for by a deferral-based time limit applied to existing sequential sampling models of preferential choice. Our approach to modeling deferral as a time limit in a sequential sampling model also makes a number of novel predictions regarding the interactions between choice probabilities, deferral probabilities, and decision times, and we confirm these predictions in an experiment. Choice deferral is a key feature of everyday decision making, and our paper illustrates how established theoretical approaches can be used to understand the cognitive underpinnings of this important behavioral phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a systematic review of shared visualisation based on fifteen papers from 2000 to 2013. The findings identified five shared visualisation strategies that represent the ways implemented to process data sharing and knowledge to arrive at the desired level of understanding. Four visualisation techniques were also identified to show how shared cognition is made possible in designing tools for mediating data or knowledge among the users involved. These findings provide research opportunities in integrating rich interactive data visualisation for mobile-based technologies as an effective mean in supporting collaborative work. Finally, social, task and cognitive elements which can be significantly supported by shared visualisation and a guideline for future researchers seeking to design shared visualisation-based systems are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the problem of multitasking, it is necessary to examine the brain's attention networks that underlie the ability to switch attention between stimuli and tasks and to maintain a single focus among distractors. In this paper we discuss the development of brain networks related to the functions of achieving the alert state, orienting to sensory events, and developing self-control. These brain networks are common to everyone, but their efficiency varies among individuals and reflects both genes and experience. Training can alter brain networks. We consider two forms of training: (1) practice in tasks that involve particular networks, and (2) changes in brain state through such practices as meditation that may influence many networks. Playing action video games and multitasking are themselves methods of training the brain that can lead to improved performance but also to overdependence on media activity. We consider both of these outcomes and ideas about how to resist overdependence on media. Overall, our paper seeks to inform the reader about what has been learned about attention that can influence multitasking over the course of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an experimental investigation of Schelling's theory of focal points that compares group and individual behaviour. We find that, when players' interests are perfectly aligned, groups more often choose the salient option and achieve higher coordination success than individuals. However, in games with conflicts of interest, groups do not always perform better than individuals, especially when the degree of conflict is substantial. We also find that groups outperform individuals when identifying the solution to the coordination problem requires some level of cognitive sophistication. Finally, players that successfully identify the solution to this game also achieve greater coordination rates than other players in games with a low degree of conflict. This result raises the question of whether finding the focal point is more a matter of logic rather than imagination as Schelling argued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main neurological, cognitive, and behavioural consequences of phenylketonuria have been eradicated thanks to new-born screening and Phe-restricted diet therapy. However, the effects of high phenylalanine levels during adolescence and adulthood on neurocognitive functions remain a concern. This systematic review aimed at collecting clinical data suggesting the safest metabolic target for early treated PKU during the second decade of life. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria for full-text review. Relevant studies included papers that (a) examined the relationship between metabolic control and neurocognitive functions during adolescence or (b) investigated the impact of metabolic control in adolescence on adult outcomes. Most studies showed a positive correlation between metabolic control during adolescence and neurocognitive outcomes across ages. This was true both for IQ and executive functions, although data on executive functions were less clear, and it remains to be established whether they are more vulnerable to Phe than IQ. Taken together present evidence confirm brain vulnerability to Phe during adolescence and suggests that low average Phe levels and low Phe fluctuations should be maintained throughout life. While results are fully compatible with current European recommendations, clinical and methodological limitations coupled with remarkable interindividual variability prevented a clear identification of a safe threshold for Phe blood levels during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neural simulation involves high-level sensorimotor and multimodal representations. • Grounding comes in degrees. • The semantic system relies on hierarchical representations. • Abstraction is a design feature of concepts. Research on semantic memory has a problem. On the one hand, a robust body of evidence implicates sensorimotor regions in conceptual processing. On the other hand, a different body of evidence implicates a modality independent semantic system. The standard solution to this tension is to posit a hub-and-spoke system with modality independent hubs and modality specific spokes. In this paper, I argue in support of an alternative view of grounding which remains committed to neural reenactment but emphasizes the multimodal and multilevel nature of the semantic system. This view is built upon the recognition that abstraction is a design feature of concepts. Semantic memory employs hierarchically structured representations to capture different degrees of abstraction. Grounding does not work the way that many embodied approaches have assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a classic animal model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the 3 × Tg-AD mouse not only recapitulates most of anatomical hallmarks observed in AD pathology but also displays cognitive alterations in memory and learning tasks. The 3 × Tg-AD can better show the two characteristics of AD, amyloid β (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Therefore, 3 × Tg-AD strain is widely used in AD pathogenesis research and new drug development of AD. In this paper, the construction methods, pathological changes, and treatment characteristics of 3 × Tg-AD mouse models commonly used in AD research are summarized and commented, hoping to provide reference for researchers to choose and establish experimental patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The exposome approach can be a powerful tool for understanding the intertwining of social, physical, and internal influences that shape mental health and cognitive development throughout childhood. To distil conceptual models for subsequent analyses, the EU-funded project Early Environmental quality and Life-course mental health effects (Equal-Life) has conducted literature reviews on potential mediators linking the exposome to these outcomes. We report on a scoping review and a conceptual model of the role of restorative possibilities and physical activity. Methods Peer-reviewed studies published since the year 2000 in English, on the association between the exposome and mental health/cognition in children/adolescents, and quantitatively investigating restoration/restorative quality as a mediating variable were considered. Database searches were last updated in December 2022. We used an unstructured expert-driven approach to fill in gaps in the reviewed literature. Results Five records of three distinct studies were identified, indicating a scarcity of empirical evidence in this newly developing research area. Not only were these studies few in numbers, but also cross-sectional, lending only tentative support to the idea that perceived restorative quality of adolescent's living environment might mediate the association between greenspace and mental health. Physical activity emerged as a mediator leading to better psychological outcomes in restorative environments. We provide a critical discussion of potential caveats when investigating the restoration mechanism in children and propose a hierarchical model including restoration, physical activity, and relational dynamics between children and their environment, including social context, as well as restorative environments other than nature. Conclusions It is justified to further explore the role of restoration and physical activity as mediators in the association between early-life exposome and mental health/cognitive development. It is important to consider the child perspective and specific methodological caveats. Given the evolving conceptual definitions/operationalizations, Equal-Life will attempt to fill in a critical gap in the literature. • We report on a review of children/adolescent mental health/cognition. • This paper was produced in the Equal-Life exposome project. • We investigate restoration and physical activity as mechanistic pathways. • Limited body of evidence suggesting that exploring these mediators is justified. • We propose a conceptual model for empirical testing in the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Presenting a model relative account of functional segregation under the free energy principle. • Models are indispensable to scientific practice , so is modularity to predictive architecture. • Addressing Hipolito and Kirchhoff's replies to the intransitivity argument and Markovian formalism. The paper presents a model-based defence of the partial functional/informational segregation of cognition in the context of the predictive architecture. The paper argues that the model-relativeness of modularity does not need to undermine its tenability. In fact, it holds that using models is indispensable to scientific practice, and it builds its argument about the indispensability of modularity to predictive architecture on the indispensability of scientific models. More specifically to defend the modularity thesis, the paper confutes two counterarguments that lie at the centre of Hipolito and Kirchhoff's (2019) recent confutation of the modularity thesis. The main insight of the paper is that Hipolito and Kirchhoff's counterarguments miss the mark because they dismiss a few rudimentary facts about the model-based nature of dynamical causal models and Markov blankets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the theory behind and some examples of the relationships between gender, language, cognition and perception in the context of the criminal justice system. In particular, we consider the language of domestic violence and sexual assault and how words and communication styles can affect and are affected by what we think and believe to be 'reality'. The paper illustrates how the language used to describe violence against women may operate to minimise these acts, and the dominant conversational style and female violence victims' genderlect may collide to produce evidentiary issues and a credibility gap. We argue that there is an inherent dilemma in engaging with legal constructs which continue to negate women's understandings of reality, and that the voices of female rape and domestic violence victims remain muted by the baritone 'voice' of the legal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several studies have shown that mere social presence reduces Stroop interference but processes underlying such effect are still poorly understood. Given that the standard Stroop task used in those studies confounds semantic and response competition, it remains unclear whether Stroop words are processed normally (Sharma, Booth, Brown, & Huguet, 2010) or whether the processing of their semantic representations is altered (Huguet, Galvaing, Monteil, & Dumas, 1999, Exp. 1). The direct evidence from the semantically-based Stroop task (i.e., a task that is free of response competition and thus isolates the semantic component of the Stroop interference, Neely & Kahan, 2001) provided in this paper attests normal semantic processing. Such result refutes the idea that semantic activation can be prevented or controlled by social presence and thus adds to the growing body of evidence showing that semantic activation is indeed automatic. Also importantly, this paper offers an alternative explanation of past findings, which holds that social presence simply reduces the response competition that occurs in the standard Stroop task and sheds some light on the processes that underlie social-facilitating effects of mere presence in the Stroop task. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper argues that humans possess unique cognitive abilities due to the presence of a functional system that exists in the human brain that is absent in the non-human brain. This system, the frontal feedback system, was born in the hominin brain when the great phylogenetic expansion of the prefrontal cortex relative to posterior sensory regions surpassed a critical threshold. Surpassing that threshold effectively reversed the preferred direction of information flow in the highest association regions of the neocortex, producing the frontal feedback system. This reversal was from the caudo-rostral bias characteristic of non-human, or pre-human, brain dynamics to a rostro-caudal bias characteristic of modern human brain dynamics. The frontal feedback system works through frontal motor routines, or action schemes, manipulating the release and reconstruction of stored sensory memories in posterior sensory areas. As an obligatory feature of frontal feedback, a central character, or self, emerges within this cortical network that manifests itself as agent in these reconstructions as well as in the experience of sensory perceptions. Dynamical-systems modeling of cortical interactions is combined in the paper with recent neuroimaging studies of “resting-state” brain activity to bridge the gap between microscopic and macroscopic levels of cortical behavior. This synthesis is used to support the proposal of an information flow reversal occurring in the hominin brain and also to explain how such a reversal generates the wide variety of cognitive and experiential phenomena that many consider to be uniquely human. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to design computer systems that are intuitive to use, the way humans reason about their “real world” surroundings needs to be taken into consideration. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) focus on spatial reasoning. Over the last decades, many advances have been made in GIS interfaces and functionality; however the concept of proximity or nearness, which is essential in many forms of human reasoning, is still being addressed insufficiently. This paper provides a thorough and comprehensive synthesis of the disparate literature that pertains to the subject of proximity. It offers insights into why existing methods for reasoning with proximity work, or do not work, and analyses their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the paper provides the derivation of new proximity measures, and their evaluation, backed by experiments and reflections. New measures are formally described in a unifying and compelling framework. This framework acknowledges that while distance is one factor that influences proximity perception, proximity is much more than just a distance measure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Both language and music are universal and characteristic for humans. The evolution of the cognitive abilities underlying language and music are widely debated. A core question is whether these abilities find their origins in a modification or extension of general cognitive abilities for processing auditory input also present in other species. If so, comparative studies of nonhuman animals should reveal similarities in processing abilities. In this paper, we review some examples of such studies. We focus on whether birds (in particular zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata , and budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulates) can detect structural patterns based on relational rather than on physical similarities among auditory stimuli – an essential ability for processing and producing language and music. We briefly discuss why birds are suitable model species. Next, we discuss three domains of pattern detection: the ability to (1) detect 'grammatical rules' underlying sound strings; (2) perceive regular rhythms and (3) spontaneously group separate sounds into a larger pattern. In all of these there is evidence that birds show some ability to detect relational patterns. However, there is also variation between species: while budgerigars show relational rule learning, zebra finches attend to local physical similarities between sound strings used for training and testing. For rhythm detection, zebra finches and budgerigars show no clear differences. However, a broader comparison indicates that here too differences are present in the extent to which different bird species attend to relational patterns or to local features. Finally, spontaneous grouping of sounds was shown in zebra finches. The clear variation among bird species in their perceptual and cognitive abilities, in combination with their accessibility for experimental studies, provides opportunities to study the variation in auditory processing mechanisms and how these evolved. This may also provide hypotheses for the evolution of these abilities in humans. • The evolution of the cognitive mechanisms underlying music and language is debated. • Comparative studies in birds provide insights in the evolution of these mechanisms. • Some species can learn grammatic rules, perceive rhythm and show perceptual grouping. • Interspecific variation provides a tool to study how mechanisms and variation evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Exploration of cognitive load estimation techniques on real-world dataset. • Cognitive load classifiers built from speech that was self-labelled during tasks. • Exploration of speaker dependence for addressing speaker variability within tasks. • Demonstration of technique robustness by evaluating benchmarked lab-based dataset. Abstract Speech-enabled applications are becoming prevalent, providing opportunities for real-time detection of speaker characteristics. Estimation of cognitive load from speech is one type of speaker characteristic that can provide insight into the human state in complex, highly dynamic human-machine teaming scenarios and be used to adapt interaction with the user to their current cognitive state. Cognitive load estimation from speech experiments are typically performed on speech gathered in laboratory settings. By contrast, this research is performed on a real-life dataset that was not created for the purpose of cognitive load assessment. Speech was extracted from recordings of a military simulation exercise in which air battle managers communicated with pilots flying simulated aircraft. This paper assesses whether cognitive load can be estimated from speech self-labelled by exercise participants and collected in a realistic setting, and examines how well cognitive load estimation methods translate from the laboratory setting to the real-world. Analysis suggests that participants' self-assessment of workload at periodic intervals can be used to label speech to create 2-class cognitive load classifiers. The analysis also shows that including some target speaker speech in speaker independent training data results in higher classification accuracy than when classifiers are built solely from speaker dependent data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Radical views on heuristics and biases, and more generally, non-optimal patterns of human judgement, construe them either as an unwelcome mental handicap or a great evolution-based advantage. A more moderate position recognizes both sides, depending on the context and the situation at hand. This paper suggests that at least in some cases, apparently unsound human judgment may be viewed as a hallmark of true intelligence, enabling its major insights while also making it so hard to analyze and fully comprehend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The histone methyltransferase G9a/GLP mediates bidirectional synaptic plasticity. • The role of G9a/GLP in neuronal plasticity is cell type- and stimuli-specific. • G9a/GLP regulates plasticity-related product expression depending on the context. Abstract Various epigenetic modifications, including histone lysine methylation, play an integral role in learning and memory. The importance of the histone lysine methyltransferase complex G9a/GLP and its associated histone H3 lysine K9 dimethylation in memory formation and cognition, has garnered the attention of researchers in the past decade. Recent studies feature G9a/GLP as the 'bidirectional regulator of synaptic plasticity', the neural correlate of memory. As the 'title' suggests, G9a/GLP participates in the maintenance of both long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). This complex is demonstrated to mostly suppress LTP-related plasticity-related products (PRPs). Notably, our recent paper also shows that G9a/GLP facilitates LTD maintenance in intact hippocampal slices – shedding light on the overlooked influence of epigenetics on LTD. Although the exact mechanisms of G9a/GLP activity regulation in cognition remain elusive, pharmacological inhibition of G9a/GLP presents a new avenue of therapeutic intervention in epigenetic dysfunction-related cognitive deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While neurocognitive data provide clear evidence for the involvement of the motor system in speech perception, its precise role and the way motor information is involved in perceptual decision remain unclear. In this paper, we discuss some recent experimental results in light of COSMO, a Bayesian perceptuo-motor model of speech communication. COSMO enables us to model both speech perception and speech production with probability distributions relating phonological units with sensory and motor variables. Speech perception is conceived as a sensory-motor architecture combining an auditory and a motor decoder thanks to a Bayesian fusion process. We propose the sketch of a neuroanatomical architecture for COSMO, and we capitalize on properties of the auditory vs. motor decoders to address three neurocognitive studies of the literature. Altogether, this computational study reinforces functional arguments supporting the role of a motor decoding branch in the speech perception process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper exposes a methodological dilemma arising for the research program of finding the neural correlate of consciousness (NCC), the minimal set of brain processes sufficient for a particular percept. The main claim is that it is doubtful that the right kind of correlations will ever be obtained because the foregoing conceptual decisions regarding the relations between consciousness, attention, cognitive access, report, and other cognitive functions determine the interpretation of the correlation data that can be obtained. Relying on subjective reports likely leads to confounding the NCC with neural mechanisms for cognitive functions because reports presuppose cognitive access. No-report paradigms are in danger of confounding the NCC with neural mechanisms underlying unconscious processes. So there does not seem to be a way of making sure to have isolated the neural correlate of conscious experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The ketogenic diet (KD) has been found to be effective in reducing seizures in patients with treatment-refractory epilepsy. Less attention has been paid to additional cognitive benefits of KD. The aim of the present paper was to provide a comprehensive overview of the studies reporting effects on cognition after KD treatment in adults and children with epilepsy. To address this aim, the clinical literature on cognitive effects of KD in patients with epilepsy was reviewed using a systematic approach. We conclude that using subjective assessments of the patient's experience, cognitive improvements are frequently reported during KD treatment in the domains of alertness, attention, and global cognition. Studies that used objective neuropsychological tests confirmed benefits on alertness but found no improvement in global cognition. There are indications that these improvements are caused by both seizure reduction and direct effects of KD on cognition. The improvements appear to be unrelated to medication reduction, age when KD is started, type of KD, and sleep improvement. The findings in the present overview contribute to a better understanding of the beneficial effects of KD in patients with epilepsy. Highlights • Patients on diet report improvements in alertness, attention, and global cognition. • Cognitive tests confirm diet benefits on alertness, but not global cognition. • Improvements are unrelated to medication use, type of diet, or age of a patient. • Cognitive improvements with ketogenic diet are seen across epilepsy subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Neuropsychology plays a vital role in the treatment of epilepsy, providing information on the effects of seizures on higher cortical functions through the measurement of behavioral abilities and disabilities. This is accomplished through the design, administration and interpretation of neuropsychological tests, including those used in functional neuroimaging or cortical mapping and in intracarotid anesthetic procedures. The objective of this paper is to define and summarize in some detail the role and methods of neuropsychologists in specialized epilepsy centers. Included are information and recommendations regarding basic ingredients of a thorough neuropsychological assessment in the epilepsy setting, as well as suggestions for an abbreviated alternative exam when needed, with emphasis on functions associated with specific brain regions. The paper is intended for novice and experienced neuropsychologists to enable them to develop or evaluate their current practices, and also for other clinicians, who seek a better understanding of the methodology underlying the neuropsychological input to their work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the concept of distributed cognition is used to inform the design, development and trialling of technologies to support Crime Scene Examination is reported. A user trial, with trainee Crime Scene Examiners, was conducted to compare the ways in which evidence search and recovery could be combined with the production of a crime scene report (that must be written at the scene). Participants completed the crime scene report using either the conventional paper form, an electronic form on a tablet computer (to represent the current trend in digitisation of crime scene reports), or a wearable computer (with speech input). While both computer conditions (tablet and wearable) led to faster performance, when compared with the paper condition, there was no difference in content or quality of the reports produced in any of the three conditions; thus, the computer conditions produced acceptable reports in much faster time when compared to conventional practice. Furthermore, activity sampling analysis showed that participants found it much easier to integrate the wearable computer (than either paper forms or tablet computer) into their search and recovery activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the possibility of finding evidence that phenomenal consciousness is independent of access. The suggestion reviewed is that we should look for isomorphisms between phenomenal and neural activation spaces. It is argued that the fact that phenomenal spaces are mapped via verbal report is no problem for this methodology. The fact that activation and phenomenal space are mapped via different means does not mean that they cannot be identified. The paper finishes by examining how data addressing this theoretical question could be obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is a review of the work that has been carried out on machine consciousness. A clear overview of this diverse field is achieved by breaking machine consciousness down into four different areas, which are used to understand its aims, discuss its relationship with other subjects and outline the work that has been carried out so far. The criticisms that have been made against machine consciousness are also covered, along with its potential benefits, and the work that has been done on analysing systems for signs of consciousness. Some of the social and ethical issues raised by machine consciousness are examined at the end of the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper, in opposition to the standard theories of social cognition found in psychology and cognitive science, defends the idea that direct perception plays an important role in social cognition. The two dominant theories, theory theory (TT) and simulation theory (ST), both posit something more than a perceptual element as necessary for our ability to understand others, i.e., to “mindread” or “mentalize.” In contrast, certain phenomenological approaches depend heavily on the concept of perception and the idea that we have a direct perceptual grasp of the other person’s intentions, feelings, etc. This paper explains precisely what the notion of direct perception means, offers evidence from developmental studies, and proposes a non-simulationist interpretation of the neuroscience of mirror systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this review, we report on studies that have assessed the effects of exogenous and endogenous increases in stress hormones on human cognitive performance. We first describe the history of the studies on the effects of using exogenous stress hormones such as glucocorticoids as anti-inflammatory medications on human cognition and mental health. Here, we summarize the cases that led to the diagnosis of glucocorticoid-induced ‘steroid psychosis’ in human populations and which demonstrated that these stress hormones could thus cross the blood–brain barrier and access the brain where they could influence cognition and mental health. We then summarize studies that assessed the effects of the exogenous administration of glucocorticoids on cognitive performance supported by the hippocampus, the frontal lobes and amygdala. In the second section of the paper, we summarize the effects of the endogenous release of glucocorticoids induced by exposure to a stressful situation on human cognition and we further dissociate the effects of emotion from those of stress on human learning and memory. Finally, in the last section of the paper, we discuss the potential impact that the environmental context to which we expose participants when assessing their memory could have on their reactivity to stress and subsequent cognitive performance. In order to make our point, we discuss the field of memory and aging and we suggest that some of the ‘age-related memory impairments’ observed in the literature could be partly due to increased stress reactivity in older adults to the environmental context of testing. We also discuss the inverse negative correlations reported between hippocampal volume and memory for young and older adults and suggest that these inverse correlations could be partly due to the effects of contextual stress in young and older adults, as a function of age-related differences in hippocampal volume. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Visualization can largely improve biomedical data analysis. It plays a crucial role in explorative data analysis and may support various data mining tasks. The paper presents FreeViz, an optimization method that finds linear projection and associated scatterplot that best separates instances of different class. In a single graph, the resulting FreeViz visualization can provide a global view of the classification problem being studied, reveal interesting relations between classes and features, uncover feature interactions, and provide information about intra-class similarities. The paper gives mathematical foundations of FreeViz, and presents its utility on various biomedical data sets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The initiating points of the current paper are the axiomatic characterizations, in terms of consistency, of the equal allocation of nonseparable cost value (by Moulin), the Shapley value (by Hart and Mas-Colell), and the prenucleolus (by Orshan). The basic axioms are the same, but three different reduced games can be used to distinguish these three solutions. The main purpose of the paper is to illustrate that besides the definitions of reduced games are different, the axiom converse consistency also plays an important role to distinguish these three solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper addresses the spatial and temporal dimensions of knapping routines through analysis of refit data. Many reconstructions of lithic tool production utilising refit data concentrate upon ‘how’ a piece of stone is taken apart, and less often consider the ‘when’ and ‘where’. Lower Palaeolithic artefacts are frequently viewed as belonging to simplistic technical systems in which tools were made and used as and when required, showing little temporal depth. Modern knappers can replicate the components of the Acheulean toolkit, such as a biface, in around 15 minutes. The predominant use of local raw materials and the relatively simple reduction sequences observed on many Middle Pleistocene sites has given rise to the view that Acheulean hominins possessed an immediate approach to technology, and that artefacts did not stay in the technological system very long. In contrast, other researchers have stressed the increased planning abilities of hominins in relation to their stone tool-making and using routines. Increased planning abilities are often cited as a diagnostic feature of modern human cognition. As such, tracing the emergence of these abilities is an important avenue of research in human evolution. The aim of this paper is to investigate how the process of lithic production was organised on several Middle Pleistocene sites in northwest Europe. By comparing refitting sequences from several primary context sites, the different stages of reduction present at these locations can be reconstructed. Since refit sets record the work carried out in one place and time by an individual, they can be used to reconstruct the spatial and temporal dimension of these past technological activities. The analysis shows fragmentation of reduction sequences was a common occurrence, suggesting a more dynamic approach to tool-making and using activities than has previously been recognised. The analysis provides a description of these artefact dynamics, and discusses the underlying cognitive mechanisms of this behaviour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An electronic book is a new means of presenting text, allowing downloading of documents and multiple readings on a portable computer. On the basis of an ecological and functional analysis of paper and electronic books with the Abstraction Hierarchy method, we tested the ability of a mobile e-book device to be an external memory trigger, assisting the recall of information content through its presence as a contextual index. In contrast to the classical experimental approach for research on reading and comprehension, we consider screen and paper as relevant cognitive tools per se. Specifically, we compare a book on a pocket computer and a paper book. Hypothesising that the physical reading support could serve as a contextual cue for memory, we experimented with groups of participants who could or could not see the support during recall. We measured the reading time, and the material later recalled was classified according to its cognitive nature. After recall, participants had to assess the sensory–motor properties of the reading support with the Osgood semantic differential and to note the humour level of the text. Results show that the e-book presence hinders recall of assimilated information whilst the presence of the paper support tends to facilitate it. Finally, we observed some correlation between sensory–motor assessment of the support and certain aspects of text cognitive processing: humour scoring, reading time and recall performance. These results lead us to conclude there is a critical relation between the sensory–motor experience of the support and the cognitive processing of the text content. This relationship might explain the positive or negative contextual effect of the support on recall performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Animal learning researchers have argued that one example of a linearly nonseparable problem is negative patterning, and therefore they have used more complicated multilayer networks to study this kind of discriminant learning. However, it is shown in this paper that previous attempts to define negative patterning problems to artificial neural networks have specified the problem in such a way that it is much simpler than intended. The simulations described in this paper correct this problem by adding a “null” pattern to the training sets to make negative patterning problems truly nonseparable, and thus requiring a more complicated network than a perceptron. We show that with the elaborated training set, a hybrid multilayer network that treats reinforced patterns differently than nonreinforced patterns generates results more similar to those observed by Dalamater, Sosa, and Katz in animal experiments than do traditional multilayer networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A recent article in this journal proposed a naturalistic approach to decision making that overcomes problems intrinsic to classical decision theory. The approach emphasizes cognitive and multi-level processes, the development of expert reasoning, and the role of decision support in individual and organizational decision making. The current paper builds on this effort by suggesting a naturalistic, multi-level, theory that can facilitate the dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs). The paper presents “Image Theory,” a theory that has been extensively investigated in other disciplines, but has yet to be utilized in medical decision research. It is suggested that its rich, empirically tested, distinctions among kinds of cognitive and organizational processes and types of decisions and tasks make Image Theory especially valuable in describing impediments to implementing EBPs. The paper discusses how naturalistic theory can assist clinicians, administrators, researchers, and policy makers in achieving a balance between evidence-based medicine and patient-centered practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The neuropsychological effects of seizures, including an accumulation of single attacks, on mental abilities are explored through a selective review of the world’s literature. Each paper included in this review was longitudinal in nature, and in each case, formal psychological testing was accomplished both at the beginning and at the end of the study. Of the 22 investigations meeting all requirements for inclusion, 9 focused on children and 13 on adolescents and adults. Some difficulties were encountered in that the types and numbers of seizures occurring during the studies were rarely included. Except in three studies where there were very few seizures of any kind, it appears justifiable to assume that the patients in all other studies had active seizure disorders. Assuming this to be true, in 12 of the remaining 20 papers, a relationship was found between seizures and changes in mental abilities, in 5 cases the results were mixed or uncertain, and in 3 cases the available evidence was against such a relationship. Mild but definite relationships between seizures and mental decline are supported by this literature review, but these relationships require much more study, particularly with a clearer understanding of the types and frequencies of seizures experienced. Suggestions for future research are offered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although for a long time environmental psychologists have been concerned with the nature and process of environmental perception and its representation in map forms, global sketch maps have not been popular in mainstream research. Further, conceptual and theoretical insights into the subject are yet to be fully achieved; and quite significantly, comparative analysis has been limited by the concentration of research efforts in the developed countries of Europe and America. In the same vein, the challenge of clarifying the psychological, spatial and social underpinnings of cognitive maps and their contributory role in day-to-day space-related problem solving and decision-making brings to the fore the need for cross-disciplinary and across-regional studies. This paper examines the world''s image from an African perspective, exploring those countries of the world that are best known to Africans and the factors responsible for the pattern of recall and representation in the maps drawn by them. Some 656 maps were collected from 13 sites in 11 countries. Analysis of the frequency of inclusion of countries was first carried out; chi-square analysis was then performed on the frequency of inclusion by level of a country''s economic development, population, geographical size and relative location from Nigeria and Africa. The results from qualitative interpretation show that while images of countries may have been influenced by composite and multifaceted factors, embracing historical and cultural associations, media images and invocations, Africans, nevertheless, tended to recall nations following some descending hierarchy, with ‘developed/geographically prominent countries’, ‘we’ (i.e. Africa), ‘others’ and ‘unknown’ countries as discernible clusters. From statistical test, population and spatial size of countries, the proximity of countries to the assessors and to some extent, level of economic development, were found to be significant in accounting for the pattern of recall and representation in cognitive maps. The paper shows that in spite of the evident limitations of mental sketches they hold some promise for our understanding of cross-regional variations in the images of the world, which could be important to the building of relevant social and geographical education to foster global understanding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]