Quick minds don't blink: electrophysiological correlates of individual differences in attentional selection.

A well-established phenomenon in the study of attention is the attentional blink-a deficit in reporting the second of two targets when it occurs 200-500 msec after the first. Although the effect has been shown to be robust in a variety of task conditions, not every individual participant shows the effect. We measured electroencephalographic activity for "nonblinkers" and "blinkers" during execution of a task in which two letters had to be detected in an sequential stream of digit distractors. Nonblinkers showed an earlier P3 peak, suggesting that they are quicker to consolidate information than are blinkers. Differences in frontal selection positivity were also found, such that nonblinkers showed a larger difference between target and distractor activation than did blinkers. Nonblinkers seem to extract target information better than blinkers do, allowing them to reject distractors; more easily and leaving sufficient resources available to report both targets

Repositioning drugs for rare immune diseases: Hopes and challenges for a precision medicine

Human primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are a large group of rare diseases and are characterized by a great genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. A large subset of PIDs is genetically defined, which has a crucial impact for the understanding of the molecular basis of disease and the development of precision medicine. Discovery and development of new therapies for rare diseases has long been de-privileged due to the length and cost of the processes involved. Interest has increased due to stimulatory regulatory and supportive reimbursement environments enabling viable business models. Advancements in biomedical and computational sciences enable the development of rational, designed approaches for identification of novel indications of already approved drugs allowing faster delivery of new medicines. Drug repositioning is based either on clinical analogies of diseases or on understanding of the molecular mode of drug action and mechanisms of the disease. All of these are the basis for the development of precision medicine

Responding to the new International Classification of Diseases-11 prolonged grief disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: a new bereavement network and three-tiered model of care

The field of bereavement research and care is at a tipping point. The introduction of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) has ignited clinical interest in this new disorder, along with debate over challenges in validating and implementing these new criteria. At the same time, the global COVID-19 pandemic has launched several local and international efforts to provide urgent support and comfort for individuals and communities suffering from grief. Recently, grief experts have called for a collective response to these complicated bereavements and possible increase in PGD due to COVID-19. Here we outline a new European network that aims to unite a community of grief researchers and clinicians to provide accessible, evidence-based support particularly during times of unprecedent crisis. The Bereavement Network Europe (BNE) has been developed with two main aims. Firstly, to develop expert agreed, internationally acceptable guidelines for bereavement care through a three-tiered approach. Secondly, to provide a platform for researchers and clinicians to share knowledge, collaborate, and develop consensus protocols to facilitate the introduction of PGD to diverse stakeholders. This article outlines the current status and aims of the BNE along with the plans for upcoming network initiatives and the three-tiered bereavement care guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: Bereavement network Europe; COVID-19; ICD-11; Prolonged grief disorder; Three-tiered bereavement care

Cognitive therapy and EMDR for reducing psychopathology in bereaved people after the MH17 plane crash:Findings from a randomized controlled trial

Experiencing a sudden/violent loss of a significant other is a risk factor for developing persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD), depression, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive therapy (CT) combined with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) might be an effective treatment for bereaved people with PCBD, depression, and/or PTSD symptoms after sudden/violent loss. We tested the effects of CT + EMDR versus waitlist controls in disaster-bereaved people. In a multicenter randomized controlled trial, changes in self-rated PCBD, depression, and PTSD levels were compared between an immediate treatment and waitlist control group in 39 Dutch people who experienced loss(es) in the disaster with flight MH17, using multilevel modeling. Associations between reductions in symptom levels and reductions in maladaptive cognitive- behavioral variables were examined using regression analyses. The immediate treatment group showed a significantly stronger decline in depression (Hedges' g = 0.61) compared with waitlist controls (Hedges' g = 0.15). No significant between-groups differences were found in PCBD and PTSD levels. Symptom reductions were correlated with reductions in maladaptive cognitive- behavioral variables. Although CT + EMDR coincided with symptom reductions associated with reductions in negative cognitions and avoidance behaviors, more research with larger samples is needed to further examine the effectiveness of CT + EMDR in bereaved people after sudden/violent loss

Acute grief after deaths due to COVID-19, natural causes and unnatural causes:An empirical comparison

Background: There are now over 800,000 registered deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. Researchers have suggested that COVID-19 death characteristics (e.g., intensive care admission, unexpected death) and circumstances (e.g., secondary stressors, social isolation) will precipitate a worldwide increase of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD). Yet, no study has investigated this. Since acute grief is a strong predictor of future pathological grief, we compared grief levels among people recently bereaved due to COVID-19, natural, and unnatural causes. Methods: People bereaved through COVID-19 (n = 49), natural causes (n = 1182), and unnatural causes (n = 210), completed self-report measures of demographic and loss-related characteristics and PGD and PCBD symptoms. Results: COVID-19 bereavement yielded higher symptom levels of PGD (d = 0.42) and PCBD (d = 0.35) than natural bereavement (but not unnatural bereavement). Effects held when limiting analyses to recent losses and those who participated during the pandemic. Expectedness of the death explained this effect. Limitations: Limitations include using a convenience sample and self-report measures. Conclusions: Higher grief levels occur among people bereaved due to COVID-19 compared to people bereaved due to natural loss. We predict that pandemic-related increases in pathological grief will become a worldwide public health concern

Treatment gap in bereavement care:(Online) bereavement support needs and use after traumatic loss

People bereaved through road traffic accidents (RTAs) are at risk for severe and disabling grief (i.e., pathological grief). Knowledge about needs and use of bereavement care, including psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and support groups, is limited. This study charted (correlates of) the needs and use of bereavement care in RTA bereaved people. Furthermore, although online grief treatment seems effective, it is unknown whether it is perceived as acceptable. Accordingly, we examined the acceptability of online treatment. Dutch RTA bereaved adults (N = 273) completed self‐report measures about needs and use of bereavement care, acceptability of online grief treatment, and pathological grief. Regression analyses were used to identify correlates of care needs and use and acceptability of online treatment. The majority (63%) had received help from psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and/or support groups. One in five participants had not used bereavement care services, despite reporting elevated pathological grief levels and/or expressing a need for care, pointing to a treatment gap. Use of psychological support before the loss was the strongest predictor of bereavement care needs and use following the loss. A minority (35%) reported being inclined to use online grief treatment if in need of support. More openness towards online services was related to greater acceptability of online treatment. In conclusion, 20% of RTA bereaved people with pathological grief or care needs had not received care. This treatment gap may be reduced by improving accessibility of online treatments. However, as only 35% was open to using online treatments, increasing the acceptability of (online) treatments appears important

A kilobit hidden SNFS discrete logarithm computation

We perform a special number field sieve discrete logarithm computation in a 1024-bit prime field. To our knowledge, this is the first kilobit-sized discrete logarithm computation ever reported for prime fields. This computation took a little over two months of calendar time on an academic cluster using the open-source CADO-NFS software. Our chosen prime $p$ looks random, and $p--1$ has a 160-bit prime factor, in line with recommended parameters for the Digital Signature Algorithm. However, our p has been trapdoored in such a way that the special number field sieve can be used to compute discrete logarithms in $\mathbb{F}\_p^*$ , yet detecting that p has this trapdoor seems out of reach. Twenty-five years ago, there was considerable controversy around the possibility of back-doored parameters for DSA. Our computations show that trapdoored primes are entirely feasible with current computing technology. We also describe special number field sieve discrete log computations carried out for multiple weak primes found in use in the wild. As can be expected from a trapdoor mechanism which we say is hard to detect, our research did not reveal any trapdoored prime in wide use. The only way for a user to defend against a hypothetical trapdoor of this kind is to require verifiably random primes