Measuring Speech Discrimination Ability in Sleeping Infants Using fNIRS-A Proof of Principle.

This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure aspects of the speech discrimination ability of sleeping infants. We examined the morphology of the fNIRS response to three different speech contrasts, namely "Tea/Ba," "Bee/Ba," and "Ga/Ba." Sixteen infants aged between 3 and 13 months old were included in this study and their fNIRS data were recorded during natural sleep.

Timing for a surgically safe and oncologically prompt pancreatoduodenectomy after preoperative biliary drainage in patients with bile duct cancer.

Background: Preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) is commonly performed in patients with bile duct cancer (BDC). However, data regarding the timing of pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) after PBD are insufficient. This study aimed to investigate the optimal timing for surgically and oncologically safe PD after PBD.

Noise-matched total-likelihood-based bilateral filter: Experimental feasibility in a benchtop photon-counting CBCT system.

Purpose: Material decomposition induces substantial noise in basis images and their synthesized computed tomography (CT) images. A likelihood-based bilateral filter was previously developed as a neighborhood filter that effectively reduces noise. However, this method is sensitive to image contrast, and the noise texture needs improvement.

The percentage of sacroiliac fusions done in the U.S. by non-surgical specialties has increased.

Background: Surgical fusion of the sacroiliac (SI) joint is often performed to manage chronic lower back or buttock pain. When Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were introduced, SI joint fusion procedures were done primarily by orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of SI joint fusion CPT codes by physician specialty over time.

Production of polyhydroxybutyrate with high cell density cultivation using thermophile Caldimonas thermodepolymerans.

This study investigates the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) using the thermophilic bacterium Caldimonas thermodepolymerans in fed-batch fermentation. This research highlights the potential of thermophilic bacteria in biopolymer production due to their ability to operate at high temperatures, which reduces contamination risks and enhances energy efficiency. Optimal fermentation conditions were identified at a temperature of 50 °C, with the strain achieving a maximum specific growth rate (μ) of 0.