An apparent motion color illusion.

We introduce a new illusory color phenomenon. The illusion is evoked by two alternating displays comprising various colored disks. Although the colors in the alternating displays are the same, the color appearance of the two displays are quite different.

Amodal completion across the brain: The impact of structure and knowledge.

This study investigates the phenomenon of amodal completion within the context of naturalistic objects, employing a repetition suppression paradigm to disentangle the influence of structure and knowledge cues on how objects are completed. The research focuses on early visual cortex (EVC) and lateral occipital complex (LOC), shedding light on how these brain regions respond to different completion scenarios. In LOC, we observed suppressed responses to structure and knowledge-compatible stimuli, providing evidence that both cues influence neural processing in higher-level visual areas.

Multiple object tracking in the presence of a goal: Attentional anticipation and suppression.

In previous studies, we found that tracking multiple objects involves anticipatory attention, especially in the linear direction, even when a target bounced against a wall. We also showed that active involvement, in which the wall was replaced by a controllable paddle, resulted in increased allocation of attention to the bounce direction. In the current experiments, we wanted to further investigate the potential influence of the valence of the heading of an object.

Probe particles in odd active viscoelastic fluids: How activity and dissipation determine linear stability.

Odd viscoelastic materials are constrained by fewer symmetries than their even counterparts. The breaking of these symmetries allows these materials to exhibit different features, which have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Immersing a bead in such complex fluids allows for probing their physical properties, highlighting signatures of their oddity and exploring the consequences of these broken symmetries.

Magic for the mind's eye: A promising avenue for more universal design in the art of magic.

In the art of conjuring, as well as in cognitive science, possibilities for designing magic tricks that are suitable for people who are blind or visually impaired have only rarely been considered. In this article, we argue that many magic tricks which are normally presented in a visual way, are not inherently based on visual processes, but instead on systematic illusions and limitations in visual imagery and mental simulations. Accordingly, it should be possible to adapt these tricks for presentation in a non-visual format, which should be suitable for people who are blind or visually impaired.

NKp44/HLA-DP-dependent regulation of CD8 effector T cells by NK cells.

Although natural killer (NK) cells are recognized for their modulation of immune responses, the mechanisms by which human NK cells mediate immune regulation are unclear. Here, we report that expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DP, a ligand for the activating NK cell receptor NKp44, is significantly upregulated on CD8 effector T cells, in particular in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) individuals. HLA-DP CD8 T cells expressing NKp44-binding HLA-DP antigens activate NKp44 NK cells, while HLA-DP CD8 T cells not expressing NKp44-binding HLA-DP antigens do not.

Lift force in odd compressible fluids.

When a body moves through a fluid, it can experience a force orthogonal to its movement called lift force. Odd viscous fluids break parity and time-reversal symmetry, suggesting the existence of an odd lift force on tracer particles, even at vanishing Reynolds numbers and for symmetric geometries. It was previously found that an incompressible odd fluid cannot induce lift force on a tracer particle with no-slip boundary conditions, making signatures of odd viscosity in the two-dimensional bulk elusive.

Passive odd viscoelasticity.

Active chiral viscoelastic materials exhibit elastic responses perpendicular to the applied stresses, referred to as odd elasticity. We use a covariant formulation of viscoelasticity combined with an entropy production analysis to show that odd elasticity is not only present in active systems but also in broad classes of passive chiral viscoelastic fluids. In addition, we demonstrate that linear viscoelastic chiral solids require activity in order to manifest odd elastic responses.

Two sides of the same coin: Protective versus pathogenic CD4 resident memory T cells.

The ability of the adaptive immune system to form memory is key to providing protection against secondary infections. Resident memory T cells (T) are specialized T cell populations that reside within tissue sites where they await reencounter with their cognate antigen. T are distinct from circulating memory cells, including central and effector memory T cells, both functionally and transcriptionally.

Hobit and Blimp-1 regulate T abundance after LCMV infection by suppressing tissue exit pathways of T precursors.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) are retained in peripheral tissues after infection for enhanced protection against secondary encounter with the same pathogen. We have previously shown that the transcription factor Hobit and its homolog Blimp-1 drive Trm development after viral infection, but how and when these transcription factors mediate Trm formation remains poorly understood. In particular, the major impact of Blimp-1 in regulating several aspects of effector T-cell differentiation impairs study of its specific role in Trm development.

Allo-reactive tissue-resident T cells causing damage: An inside job.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM cells) reside in the epithelium and contribute to the first line defense against invading pathogens. Snyder et al. (2022.

Influences of active control on attention allocation in MOT.

We investigated the influence of active involvement on the way visual attention is distributed during multiple-object tracking (MOT), specifically when objects bounce, using two experiments modeled after the videogame Pong. In both experiments, participants were either assigned to an active group or a passive group. The active groups were instructed to move a virtual paddle in order to bounce target objects as often as possible.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Discrete Steps in Regulatory T Cell Development in the Human Thymus.

CD4CD25FOXP3 regulatory T (Treg) cells control immunological tolerance. Treg cells are generated in the thymus (tTreg) or in the periphery. Their superior lineage fidelity makes tTregs the preferred cell type for adoptive cell therapy (ACT).

Hobit and Blimp-1 instruct the differentiation of iNKT cells into resident-phenotype lymphocytes after lineage commitment.

iNKT cells are CD1d-restricted T cells that play a pro-inflammatory or regulatory role in infectious and autoimmune diseases. Thymic precursors of iNKT cells eventually develop into distinct iNKT1, iNKT2, and iNKT17 lineages in the periphery. It remains unclear whether iNKT cells retain developmental potential after lineage commitment.

Hobit identifies tissue-resident memory T cell precursors that are regulated by Eomes.

Tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (T) constitute a noncirculating memory T cell subset that provides early protection against reinfection. However, how T arise from antigen-triggered T cells has remained unclear. Exploiting the T-restricted expression of Hobit, we used T reporter/deleter mice to study T differentiation.

How to Reliably Define Human CD8 T-Cell Subsets: Markers Playing Tricks.

In recent years, our understanding about the functional complexity of CD8 T-cell populations has increased tremendously. The immunology field is now facing challenges to translate these insights into phenotypic definitions that correlate reliably with distinct functional traits. This is key to adequately monitor and understand compound immune responses including vaccination and immunotherapy regimens.

The illusion of absence: how a common feature of magic shows can explain a class of road accidents.

The purpose of the present note is to draw attention to the potential role of a recently discovered visual illusion in creating traffic accidents. The illusion consists in a compelling and immediate experience that the space behind an occluding object in the foreground is empty. Although the illusion refers to a region of space, which is invisible due to occlusion (a blind spot), there is evidence to suggest that it is nevertheless driven by visual mechanisms and that it can be just as deceptive and powerful as ordinary visual illusions.

CD8 and CD4 T Cell Populations in Human Kidneys.

Background: At border sites, and in internal organs, tissue resident memory T cells (T contribute to the immune barrier against pathogens like viruses, bacteria, fungi, and cancer. However, information on the presence and function of these cells in the human kidney is scant. In order to better understand the T cell-mediated immunological defense in this organ, we aimed to determine phenotypic and functional aspects of CD8 and CD4 T cells present in healthy and allograft kidney tissue.

How Visual Perception of the Inside of Things Creates the Impossible Dovetail.

Here, we consider a well-known wooden puzzle known as the impossible dovetail. We argue that an intriguing form of amodal completion, dealing with spontaneous interpretations of the inside of objects is the key to understanding why people find it difficult to see how the impossible dovetail is indeed possible.

Low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in blood donors in the early COVID-19 epidemic in the Netherlands.

The world is combating an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with health-care systems, society and economies impacted in an unprecedented way. It is unclear how many people have contracted the causative coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) unknowingly and are asymptomatic. Therefore, reported COVID-19 cases do not reflect the true scale of outbreak.

Divergent SARS-CoV-2-specific T- and B-cell responses in severe but not mild COVID-19 patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Understanding the immune response that provides specific immunity but may also lead to immunopathology is crucial for the design of potential preventive and therapeutic strategies. Here, we characterized and quantified SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses in patients with different clinical courses.

A Water-Soluble Iridium Photocatalyst for Chemical Modification of Dehydroalanines in Peptides and Proteins.

Dehydroalanine (Dha) residues are attractive noncanonical amino acids that occur naturally in ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Dha residues are attractive targets for selective late-stage modification of these complex biomolecules. In this work, we show the selective photocatalytic modification of dehydroalanine residues in the antimicrobial peptide nisin and in the proteins small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) and superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP).

Tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells shape local and systemic secondary T cell responses.

Tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (T cells) are crucial in protecting against reinvading pathogens, but the impact of reinfection on their tissue confinement and contribution to recall responses is unclear. We developed a unique lineage tracer mouse model exploiting the T-defining transcription factor homolog of Blimp-1 in T cells (Hobit) to fate map the T progeny in secondary responses. After reinfection, a sizeable fraction of secondary memory T cells in the circulation developed downstream of T cells.