Improving the reliability and accuracy of population receptive field measures using a logarithmically warped stimulus.

The population receptive field (pRF) method, which measures the region in visual space that elicits a blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in a voxel in retinotopic cortex, is a powerful tool for investigating the functional organization of human visual cortex with fMRI (Dumoulin & Wandell, 2008). However, recent work has shown that pRF estimates for early retinotopic visual areas can be biased and unreliable, especially for voxels representing the fovea. Here, we show that a log-bar stimulus that is logarithmically warped along the eccentricity dimension produces more reliable estimates of pRF size and location than the traditional moving bar stimulus.

Terahertz Wave Desensitizes Ferroptosis by Inhibiting the Binding of Ferric Ions to the Transferrin.

Ferroptosis is a classic type of programmed cell death characterized by iron dependence, which is closely associated with many diseases such as cancer, intestinal ischemic diseases, and nervous system diseases. Transferrin (Tf) is responsible for ferric-ion delivery owing to its natural Fe binding ability and plays a crucial role in ferroptosis. However, Tf is not considered as a classic druggable target for ferroptosis-associated diseases since systemic perturbation of Tf would dramatically disrupt blood iron homeostasis.

Survival and immune microenvironment prediction of glioma based on MRI imaging genomics method: a retrospective observational study.

Glioma is characterized by high heterogeneity and poor prognosis. Attempts have been made to understand its diversity in both genetic expressions and radiomic characteristics, while few integrated the two omics in predicting survival of glioma. This study was intended to investigate the connection between glioma imaging and genome, and examine its predictive value in glioma mortality risk and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).

The correlation between LAG-3 expression and the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy in advanced biliary tract cancer.

In our previous phase II T1219 trial for advanced biliary tract cancer (ABTC), the combination of nivolumab with modified gemcitabine and S-1 exhibited promising efficacy, while the programmed-death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression did not predict chemoimmunotherapy efficacy. Lymphocyte-activation-gene-3 (LAG-3), a negative immune checkpoint, is frequently co-expressed with PD-L1. This study assessed the predictive value of LAG-3 expression in ABTC patients who received chemoimmunotherapy.

Accuracy of robot-assisted implant surgery versus freehand placement: a retrospective clinical study.

Purpose: This study evaluated the accuracy of implant placement using a robotic system (Remebot) compared to freehand surgery and explored factors influencing accuracy.

Methods: This retrospective study included 95 implants placed in 65 patients, divided into robot-assisted (50 implants) and freehand (45 implants) groups. Platform, apical, and angular deviations were measured by superimposing preoperative plans and the postoperative CBCT images.

Impact of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Colonization on Clinical Characteristics, Antibiotic Treatment, and Clinical Outcomes of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: To determine effects of colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) in general wards on characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients with HAP admitted to 16 tertiary or university hospitals in Korea from July 2019 to December 2019. From the entire cohort, patients who developed pneumonia in general wards with known colonization status before the onset of pneumonia were included in this study.

Rewritable wavelength-selective hydrogel actuators grafted with fluorophores.

Recent efforts have focused on developing stimuli-responsive soft actuators that mimic the adaptive, complex, and reversible movements found in natural species. However, most hydrogel actuators are limited by their inability to combine wavelength-selectivity with reprogrammable shape changes, thereby reducing their degree of freedom in motion. To address this challenge, we present a novel strategy that integrates these capabilities by grafting fluorophores onto temperature-responsive hydrogels.

Resisting High-Energy Impact Events through Gap Engineering in Superconducting Qubit Arrays.

Quantum error correction (QEC) provides a practical path to fault-tolerant quantum computing through scaling to large qubit numbers, assuming that physical errors are sufficiently uncorrelated in time and space. In superconducting qubit arrays, high-energy impact events can produce correlated errors, violating this key assumption. Following such an event, phonons with energy above the superconducting gap propagate throughout the device substrate, which in turn generate a temporary surge in quasiparticle (QP) density throughout the array.

R(3780) Resonance Interpreted as the 1^{3}D_{1}-Wave Dominant State of Charmonium from Precise Measurements of the Cross Section of e^{+}e^{-}→Hadrons.

We report the precise measurements of the cross section of e^{+}e^{-}→hadrons at center-of-mass energies from 3.645 to 3.871 GeV.

Examination of the Bioavailability and Bioconversion of Wheat Bran-Bound Ferulic Acid: Insights into Gastrointestinal Processing and Colonic Metabolites.

The postingestion journey and bioconversion of wheat bran-bound ferulic acid, a known beneficial phytochemical, remain insufficiently understood. This study aims to systematically investigate its bioaccessibility, bioavailability, excretion, and colonic metabolism, both and . Initial analysis confirmed the abundance and bioactivity of ferulic acid in wheat bran.

Exploring Rehabilitation Protocols for Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair: Insights from a Scoping Review.

Objectives: The primary repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has re-emerged as a treatment for acute ruptures. While numerous studies have investigated rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction, few have focused on primary repair. We aimed to describe the rehabilitation protocols for primary ACL repair, and to identify knowledge gaps and differences between primary ACL repair and reconstruction.

pH-Responsive Polyethylene Glycol Engagers for Enhanced Brain Delivery of PEGylated Nanomedicine to Treat Glioblastoma.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a major obstacle for effective delivery of therapeutics to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Although transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis is widely employed for brain drug delivery, the inefficient release of therapeutic payload hinders their efficacy from crossing the BBB. Here, we developed a pH-responsive anti-polyethylene glycol (PEG) × anti-TfR bispecific antibody (pH-PEG engager) that can complex with PEGylated nanomedicine at physiological pH to trigger TfR-mediated transcytosis in the brain microvascular endothelial cells, while rapidly dissociating from PEGylated nanomedicine at acidic endosomes for efficient release of PEGylated nanomedicine to cross the BBB.

Nontyphoidal Salmonellosis Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Stroke: Insights from Multinational Real-World Data.

Background: Stroke is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, contributing substantially to the global burden of disease. In low- and middle-income countries, stroke tends to occur at younger ages, with infection being one of the notable contributing factors. Previous studies have explored the impact of nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) on vascular and blood-related diseases, with animal experiments confirming related mechanisms.

Advancing precision medicine: the transformative role of artificial intelligence in immunogenomics, radiomics, and pathomics for biomarker discovery and immunotherapy optimization.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly advancing precision medicine, particularly in the fields of immunogenomics, radiomics, and pathomics. In immunogenomics, AI can process vast amounts of genomic and multi-omic data to identify biomarkers associated with immunotherapy responses and disease prognosis, thus providing strong support for personalized treatments. In radiomics, AI can analyze high-dimensional features from computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images to discover imaging biomarkers associated with tumor heterogeneity, treatment response, and disease progression, thereby enabling non-invasive, real-time assessments for personalized therapy.

On the Limits of Anonymization for Promoting Diversity in Organizations.

Anonymization of job applicant resumes is a recommended strategy to increase diversity in organizations, but large-scale tests have shown mixed results. We consider decision-makers' social dominance orientation (SDO), a measure of anti-egalitarianism/endorsement of group-based hierarchy, to illustrate the limits of anonymization. Across four pre-registered studies ( = 3,150), we show that (a) lower SDO individuals are less likely to hire individuals from underrepresented groups when job materials are anonymized and (b) they are more likely to opt into using anonymization.

Production of the adjective and possessive markers in Chinese post-stroke aphasia.

Research has shown that patients with post-stroke aphasia may encounter difficulties in producing inflectional morphemes. Interestingly, they also show distinct challenges with the inflectional morphemes of homophones, such as the plural marker and the possessive marker in English. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on morphemes in European languages.

Predicting persistent SARS-CoV-2 shedding in immunocompromised patients: a probability-based approach.

Background: Although recommended isolation periods for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been shortened as the pandemic has subsided, prolonged Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) shedding remains common in immunocompromised patients. This study estimated the probability of viral clearance in these patients based on elapsed days and specific risk factors.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled immunocompromised patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis from January 2022 to May 2023 during the Omicron variant era.

Determinants of seeking or foregoing allopathic treatment after snakebite: a population-based study from rural Sri Lanka.

Background: Despite the availability of antivenom, not all snakebite victims choose to seek allopathic care. This choice of care is likely to be determined by unexplored personal and external factors. We studied the factors influencing the choice of treatment and first aid measures among snakebite victims.

Effects of heparin on venom-induced consumption coagulopathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC) is a serious complication of snakebites, potentially leading to life-threatening bleeding. Despite efforts to determine effective treatments other than antivenom, such as heparin, the evidence supporting their use remains insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a systematic review, meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) to examine the effects of heparin on VICC.

Rural patients' satisfaction with humanistic nursing care in Chinese Public Tertiary Hospitals: a national cross-sectional study.

Background: The provision of high-quality healthcare services and patient satisfaction are fundamental objectives in modern healthcare. Humanistic nursing care, which emphasizes empathy, respect for individuality, and cultural sensitivity, aims to build trust and improve the overall experience for patients. This approach is especially relevant for rural patients in China, who often face additional challenges in accessing care in large tertiary hospitals.

Dual-Driven Activation of High-Valence States in Prussian Blue Analogues Via Graphene-Quantum Dots and Ozone-Induced Surface Restructuring for Superior Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst.

Electrochemical water splitting is a pivotal process for sustainable hydrogen energy production, relying on efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts, particularly in acidic environments, where both high activity and durability are crucial. Despite the favorable kinetics of platinum (Pt)-based materials, their performance is hindered under harsh conditions, driving the search for alternatives. Due to their unique structural characteristic, Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) emerge as attractive candidates for designing efficient HER electrocatalysts.

Sex Differences, Menses-Related Symptoms and Menopause in Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction.

Background: Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) predominate in women, but little is known about sex differences in menses-related or menopause symptoms.

Methods: Using data from the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Survey, we assessed Rome IV DGBI symptoms in individuals in 26 countries who met criteria for ≥ 1 of 5 DGBI: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia (FD), functional constipation (FC), functional diarrhea (FDr), or functional bloating (FB). Participants included pre- and post-menopausal women with DGBI and age-matched men.

Downregulation of PAX1 in OSCC Enhances Stemness and Immunosuppression via IFIT1 and PD-L1 Pathways.

Objective: Our study investigated how arecoline-induced extracellular vesicle (EV) secretion suppresses PAX1 protein production through DNA hypermethylation and examined whether PAX1 downregulation enhances cancer stemness and immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment.

Materials And Methods: EVs were isolated from SAS/TW2.6 cancer cell lines using ultracentrifugation and identified using transmission electron microscopy.