Seeing in crowds: Averaging first, then max.

Crowding, a fundamental limit in object recognition, is believed to result from excessive integration of nearby items in peripheral vision. To understand its pooling mechanisms, we measured subjects' internal response distributions in an orientation crowding task. Contrary to the prediction of an averaging model, we observed a pattern suggesting that the perceptual judgement is made based on choosing the largest response across the noise-perturbed items.

Visual statistical learning of naturalistic textures.

The visual system continuously adapts to the statistical properties of the environment. In this study, we demonstrated that training significantly enhanced subjects' perceptual sensitivity to co-occurrence statistics in naturalistic textures. The learning effect was specific to the statistical component and spatial location.

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on post-stroke depression.

Background: In patients with post-stroke depression (PSD) in diabetes, the situation may be more complex, requiring simultaneous treatment of blood glucose, depressive symptoms, and neurological dysfunction. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy can improve tissue oxygen content and improve the situation of ischemia and hypoxia, thus playing a role in protecting brain cells and restoring the function of brain cells. However, there are few studies on HBO therapy for patients with PSD.

Using a Multiple-Case Study Design to Explore the Worship Experiences of Black Families Affected by Dementia.

Objectives: The purpose of this multiple-case study was to report on the worship experiences of Black families affected by dementia.

Methods: Data were collected through participant observations of family caregivers (n = 4) and persons living with dementia (n = 4) during worship services and semi-structured interviews with the family caregivers over six months. Data were initially analyzed case-by-case, then across-cases.

Discovery of the First Potent IDO1/IDO2 Dual Inhibitors: A Promising Strategy for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) plays an important role in tumor immune escape. However, unsatisfactory clinical efficacies of selective IDO1 inhibitors have impeded their further development, suggesting that they do not exert sufficient antitumor effects by selectively inhibiting IDO1. IDO2, an isoenzyme of IDO1, is overexpressed in some human tumors, and emerging evidence suggests that concomitant inhibition of IDO1/2 may have synergistic effects in cancer treatment, revealing a promising cancer immunotherapeutic strategy.

Curcumin Complex Analogues as Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes for Monitoring all Aβ Species in the Early Alzheimer's Disease Model.

Aggregation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) is closely related to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this pathology, the beginning stage is characterized by excessive accumulation of Aβ monomers due to imbalanced Aβ in the process of clearance. The Aβ peptide exists in many forms such as soluble and insoluble Aβ species, both of which coexist during the progression of AD and contribute to AD pathology.

"Everything is Either Sent by God or Used by God": An Exploratory Study on the Impact of COVID-19 Upon the Religious Lives of Black Families Living with Dementia.

The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on church engagement for Black families affected by dementia in the USA. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with current caregivers, church leaders, and persons with dementia (n = 16). The following themes emerged: (a) Ability to continue religious practices, (b) Increased church engagement, (c) Importance of fellowship, (d) Role of technology, and (e) New normal.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel molecules as potent PARP-1 inhibitors.

Two series of novel compounds with inhibition activity against PARP-1 were designed and synthesized. All target compounds were evaluated for their PARP-1 inhibition activity, and compounds with high PARP-1 inhibition activity were selected to assess for cellular assays in vitro. Among them, compound II-4 displayed impressive results in both PARP-1 enzyme inhibition with IC value of 0.

Discovery of novel PARP/PI3K dual inhibitors with high efficiency against BRCA-proficient triple negative breast cancer.

Co-targeting PARP and PI3K by PARP/PI3K dual inhibitors has been recognized as a promising chemotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in our previous work. To further explore novel and more potent PARP/PI3K dual inhibitors, a series of compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their pharmacological properties, resulting in the candidate compound 12, a potent and highly selective PARP/PI3K dual inhibitor. Compared to Olaparib, compound 12 exhibits a superior antiproliferative profile against BRCA-proficient MDA-MB-468 cells.

Discovery of Novel Dual Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase and Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Inhibitors as a Promising Strategy for Cancer Therapy.

Concomitant inhibition of PARP and PI3K pathways has been recognized as a promising strategy for cancer therapy, which may expand the clinical utility of PARP inhibitors. Herein, we report the discovery of dual PARP/PI3K inhibitors that merge the pharmacophores of PARP and PI3K inhibitors. Among them, compound stands out as the most promising candidate with potent inhibitory activities against both PARP-1/2 and PI3Kα/δ with pIC values greater than 8.

Development of Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes for Use in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, there are no available treatments that can effectively stop or reverse the progression of the disease, and existing therapeutics can only alleviate the symptoms. Thus, it remains urgent to develop effective early-stage AD diagnostic methods.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 3H-imidazole [4,5-b] pyridine derivatives as selective mTOR inhibitors.

A series of 3H-imidazo [4,5-b] pyridines derivatives were designed and synthesized as selective mTOR inhibitors. The systematic optimization of the molecules resulted in the identification of two compounds 10d and 10n with nanomolar mTOR inhibitory activity and selectivity over PI3Kα. Besides, compounds 10d and 10n demonstrated attractive potency against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human ovarian cancer cell (A2780).