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Correction: Prediction of the functional outcome of intensive inpatient rehabilitation after stroke using machine learning methods
Improving attachment style clustering with ROCKET and CatBoost: Insights from EEG analysis
Understanding attachment styles is essential in psychology and neuroscience, yet predicting them using objective neural data remains challenging. This study explores the use of machine learning (ML) models and EEG analysis to improve attachment style classification. We analyzed EEG data from 27 university students (ages 20–35) with attachment styles categorized as secure, avoidant, anxious, or fearful-avoidant, assessed using the ECR-R questionnaire. EEG features were extracted using the ROCKET algorithm, followed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction. The CatBoost algorithm was used for prediction, with a two-stage data pruning approach to enhance accuracy. Our model showed a strong relationship between the number of EEG epochs and predictive accuracy, with Secure and Fearful-Avoidant attachment styles being predicted most reliably. Anxious and Avoidant styles exhibited greater variability, reflecting their complex neural signatures. These findings support the idea that attachment exists on a spectrum rather than as fixed categories, influenced by life experiences, emotional regulation, and social context. The results reinforce the dimensional nature of attachment and highlight the trade-off between model accuracy and computational efficiency. This study demonstrates the potential of ML-driven EEG analysis in predicting attachment styles, offering new possibilities for psychological assessment. By identifying overlapping neural signatures, our findings highlight attachment as a dynamic rather than static process, which could inform clinical interventions and future research on neural markers of attachment.
SHP2 genetic variants in NSML-associated RASopathies disrupt the PZR–IRX transcription factor signaling axis
Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in PTPN11 (protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 11) which encodes for the protein tyrosine phosphatase, SHP2. Approximately 85% of NSML patients develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Here, we show that SHP2 is recruited to tyrosyl phosphorylated protein-zero related (PZR) in NSML mice. This recruitment is required for the Iroquois homeobox (IRX) transcription factors 3 and 5 to suppress BMP10 which negatively regulates postnatal cardiac growth. The protein expression of IRX3 and IRX5 was elevated in hypertrophied NSML hearts. IRX3 and IRX5 upregulation was rescued in NSML mice harboring a knock-in mutation of PZR that fails to become tyrosyl phosphorylated and recruit SHP2. NSML mice treated with low-dose dasatinib also exhibited normalized IRX3 and IRX5 expression levels. Consistent with this, BMP10 expression levels were reduced in NSML mice and rescued in PZR tyrosyl phosphorylation-deficient and low-dose dasatinib-treated NSML mice. A crystal structure of the tandem SH2 domains of SHP2 bound to tyrosyl phosphorylated PZR reveals that recruitment constrains the open SHP2 conformation to facilitate cellular-Src (c-Src) binding. Disruption of c-Src binding to SHP2 abolished IRX activation and failure to suppress BMP10. Hence, NSML-associated SHP2 genetic variants disrupt IRX transcription factor signaling to BMP10, implicating this axis as a target for RASopathy-associated HCM.
Nanofiber-interwoven gel membranes with tunable 3D-interconnected transport channels for efficient CO2 separation
Abstract Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) capable of breaking the permeability-selectivity trade-off suffer from the inefficient and disconnected bulky transport channels as well as inferior interfacial compatibility between nanomaterials and polymers. Herein, we propose an original photothermal-triggered in-situ gelation approach to elaborate an original class of MMMs, termed nanofiber-interwoven gel membranes (NIGMs) that feature tunable 3D-interconnected ultrafast transport channels and highly-selective CO2-philic gel for boosting CO2 separation performance. The key design of NIGMs lies in leveraging dual functions of CNT-interwoven skeleton: (1) serving as a photothermal confined reactor that rapidly triggers in-situ gelation of highly-selective CO2-philic gel without phase separation-induced interfacial defects to construct defect-free and thickness-controllable NIGMs; (2) functioning as a 3D-interconnected continuous skeleton for providing ultrafast CO2 transport channels. By orchestrating the distribution and configuration of interwoven nanofibers, the NIGMs possess a boosted CO2 permeance of 211.0 GPU increased by 1558% over polymeric gel counterparts and an ultrahigh CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivity of up to 151 and 47 respectively. Our work offers a paradigm shift in developing advanced MMMs beyond gas separation.
Mortality risk factors in chest trauma patients in a level one trauma center in southern Iran
Research on the U-shaped relationship between marketization process and corporate capital structure: Evidence from Chinese listed companies
This paper explores the U-shaped relationship between marketization and corporate capital structure using panel data from Chinese listed firms (2012–2021). Applying fixed effects and nonlinear regressions, we find that as marketization increases, leverage first declines and then rises, confirming a robust U-shaped pattern. In early reforms, improved institutions reduce debt reliance; in advanced stages, enhanced capital markets facilitate debt access. Additionally, state-owned equity weakens this relationship, while fixed asset proportion strengthens it. The findings enrich capital structure theory under institutional transition and offer policy and strategic insights for emerging markets.
Broad neutralizing antibody response of a monomeric spike–based SARS-CoV-2 bivalent vaccine against diverse variants
severeacute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) bivalent vaccines show potential against variants but lack a full understanding of the immunological mechanisms that drive broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). This study explored the immunogenicity of a bivalent vaccine in rhesus macaques, containing spike (S) proteins from the prototype (S prototype ) and chimeric S protein (S 1628x ). The vaccine induced bnAbs against multiple variants, including challenging subvariants like EG.1, BA.2.86, and JN.1. The monomeric S protein exposed less accessible regions within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) “inner face” and “NTD face” and subdomains 1, eliciting a diverse array of bnAbs against various Omicron subvariants. Notably, antibodies targeting the conserved RBD inner face, such as 4A5, showed potent neutralization across all tested variants. Structural analyses provide insights into the broad protectiveness of these vaccine-elicited nAbs. This study underscores the potential of bivalent vaccines with monomeric spike proteins to confer broad-spectrum immunity, offering a promising direction for future SARS-CoV-2 universal vaccine design.
Ataluren improves hematopoietic and pancreatic disorders in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome patients: a compassionate program case-series
Design and application of species-specific primers to Quercus cerris roots’ identification in urban forests
Effects of mentoring on self-reflection and competence in Final year medical students’ internal medicine rotation
Background Final year medical students (FYMS) in Germany transfer theoretical knowledge to clinical practice. However, there is a deficiency in structured guidance and feedback and self-reflective practices are often neglected. This study aims to investigate the impact of three mentoring strategies on cultivating self-reflection and introspection in FYMS and to assess competence during routine activities. Methods Final year medical students (n = 46) completing a mandatory internal medicine rotation at Heidelberg University Hospital were randomized to either passive mentoring or active mentoring (split into structured and unstructured sessions). Across an 8-week rotation, we assessed the influence of mentoring styles on self-reflection and introspection (SRIS) at the beginning and at the end of the rotation. Changes in SRIS were compared by Mann Whitney U tests. Translated, adapted and newly generated questionnaires were analysed calculating cronbach’s alpha and optimized using an item-drop analysis. Results Key findings include: a general reluctance to initiate mentor-mentee relationships (1 out of 15 in the passive group sought meetings, p < 0.0001), a propensity for FYMS to undervalue their competence compared to external evaluations (3.6 vs. 4.5 p < 0.0001), a tendency for female FYMS to have higher perceived competence (PCS) than males, with means of 3.8 vs. 3.3 (p = 0.0021), and a measurable improvement in introspection (SRIS-IN) across all participants by the program’s end, regardless of the mentoring style received (median change on scale: 0.25, p = 0.0016). However, the mentoring intervention itself revealed no significant impact on self-reflection. Conclusions Active mentoring had little to no effect on self-reflection and insight of final year medical students in Germany in the setting of an 8-week rotation. Interventional learning studies were well accepted, and participation rate was high. However, form completion rates were low. Future studies should focus on increasing form completion rates through additional incentives.
Feeding state-dependent neuropeptidergic modulation of reciprocally interconnected inhibitory neurons biases sensorimotor decisions in Drosophila
Abstract An animal’s feeding state changes its behavioral priorities and thus influences even nonfeeding-related decisions. How the feeding state information is transmitted to nonfeeding-related circuits and what circuit mechanisms are involved in biasing nonfeeding-related decisions remain open questions. By combining calcium imaging, neuronal manipulations, behavioral analysis and computational modeling, we determined that the competition between different aversive responses to mechanical cues is biased by changes in the feeding state. We found that this effect is achieved by the differential modulation of two different types of reciprocally connected inhibitory neurons promoting opposing actions. This modulation results in a more frequent active type of response and, less frequently, a protective type of response if larvae are fed sugar than when they are fed a balanced diet. Information about the internal state is conveyed to inhibitory neurons through homologs of the vertebrate neuropeptide Y, which is known to be involved in regulating feeding behavior.
Comparative analysis of supervised and self-supervised learning with small and imbalanced medical imaging datasets
Abstract Self-supervised learning (SSL) in computer vision has shown its potential to reduce reliance on labeled data. However, most studies focused on balanced, large, broad-domain datasets like ImageNet, whereas, in real-world medical applications, dataset size is typically limited. This study compares the performance of SSL versus supervised learning (SL) on small, imbalanced medical imaging datasets. We experimented with four binary classification tasks: age prediction and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease from brain magnetic resonance imaging scans, pneumonia from chest radiograms, and retinal diseases associated with choroidal neovascularization from optical coherence tomography with a mean size of training sets of 843 images, 771 images, 1,214 images, and 33,484 images, respectively. We tested various combinations of label availability and class frequency distribution, repeating the training with different random seeds to assess result uncertainty. In most experiments involving small training sets, SL outperformed the selected SSL paradigms, even when a limited portion of labeled data was available. Our findings highlight the importance of carefully selecting learning paradigms based on specific application requirements, which are influenced by factors such as training set size, label availability, and class frequency distribution.
A cytotoxic peptide-drug conjugate for tumor-specific delivery of co-injected molecules
An ideal cancer therapy enhances anti-tumor effects while minimizing side effects. iRGD, a non-cytotoxic peptide that activates a tumor-specific molecular transport machinery, promotes the penetration of co-injected drugs into tumor tissues. Clinical trials have demonstrated its potential as a tumor-specific delivery scaffold and potentiator of anti-cancer agents. In this study, we synthesized an iRGD conjugate containing monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF), a highly toxic antimitotic agent, and characterized its dual function as a tumor-specific cytotoxic agent and co-injected drug delivery scaffold. The iRGD-MMAF conjugate internalized and killed cultured tumor cells in an αv integrin-dependent manner. When injected systemically, iRGD-MMAF homed selectively to tumors in mice, and extensively spread in the extravascular tumor tissue in line with the tumor-penetrating capacity of iRGD. iRGD-MMAF also significantly enhanced tumor-specific entry of a co-injected molecule by serving as an effective drug delivery scaffold. The results indicate that a chemically modified iRGD peptide with an added therapeutic benefit retains its ability to deliver co-injected agents to tumors.
Quantum metric–induced giant and reversible nonreciprocal transport phenomena in chiral loop-current phases of kagome metals
Emergence of quantum orders with nontrivial quantum geometric properties in metals represent central issues in condensed matter physics. In this context, recently discovered chiral loop-current order in kagome metals has garnered significant attention. Particularly noteworthy is the giant electrical magnetochiral anisotropy (eMChA) observed in CsV 3 Sb 5 , which provides compelling evidence for the simultaneous breaking of time-reversal and inversion symmetries. However, the origin of the eMChA and its fundamental connection to the loop-current remain highly elusive, as the loop-current itself preserves inversion symmetry. Here, we demonstrate that the loop-current phase breaks inversion symmetry in the presence of the experimentally observed stripe charge-density wave, leading to finite eMChA coefficient γ eM . In this mechanism, γ eM is proportional to the product of the loop-current-induced orbital magnetization, M orb 0 , and the lifetime of conduction electrons, τ . Therefore, γ eM is reversible by the magnetic fields, and it takes large value in kagome metals with τ v Fermi ≫ a 0 (=lattice constant). Surprisingly, the quantum metric, which defines a fundamental geometric aspect of Bloch wavefunctions, acquires significant momentum dependence in the loop-current phase, resulting in a dramatic enhancement of eMChA by ∼100 times. This research not only clarifies the fundamental symmetry-breaking states in kagome metals but also opens a path for exploring quantum metric–induced phenomena arising from exotic quantum phase transitions in various metals.
Defective neutrophil-derived exosomes facilitate macrophage activation through miR-122-5p in Behçet’s disease
Advanced power structure for enhanced optical performance of AMOLED displays at low luminance levels
Effect of sensory art therapies on root canal treatment anxiety and high dental anxiety in adults: A systematic review with meta-analysis
Objective Root canal treatment is one of the most anxiety-provoking procedures in dental practice. Sensory art therapies can help control patient anxiety during the procedure. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the state of knowledge in this field and to examine whether sensory art therapies can reduce state anxiety during endodontics and in patients with high levels of dental anxiety. Methods Six electronic databases, including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCOhost, were searched for articles published before January 2025. According to the PICOS strategy, the inclusion criteria were as follows: (P) adult patients with root canal treatment-related symptoms, high dental anxiety or dental phobia; (I) exposure to sensory art (including art therapy targeting the five senses); (C) control group receiving conventional treatment or placebo; (O) improved clinical or psychological health outcomes; and (S) randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RoB 2). The strength of evidence of the included studies was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Meta-analysis of the extracted data was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software, and a fixed effects inverse variance model was used for sensitivity analysis. Results Thirteen RCTs were included in the current review. Six studies had low risk of bias, six were rated as “some concerns,” and one had a high risk of bias. Descriptive analysis showed that sensory art therapies had an effect on relieving patients’ anxiety index, heart rate and blood pressure. The outcome indicators STAI-S, VAS, HR, SBP and SC were significantly improved in both the random and fixed effect models (P < 0.05), and the results of MDAS and DBP were significant in the fixed effect model (P = 0.002 for both), which demonstrates the effectiveness of SAT in reducing state anxiety and physiological stress responses. GRADE analysis presented a very low to high certainty of evidence. Conclusion Given the quality of evidence ranging from very low to high, sensory art therapies (SAT)—which includes modalities such as audiovisual resources, music, yoga, aromatherapy, and virtual reality—may offer a cost-effective and non-invasive method to alleviate physiological stress responses and reduce state anxiety during dental treatment. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to determine its clinical efficacy. Clinical relevance This systematic review and meta-analysis included 13 studies, providing low-quality evidence. Dental care professionals may consider using sensory art therapies to help reduce patients’ anxiety during dental procedures.
Symbiosis with and mimicry of corals were facilitated by immune gene loss and body remodeling in the pygmy seahorse
A remarkable example of symbiosis involves the pygmy seahorse ( Hippocampus bargibanti ). It lives obligatorily on gorgonian corals, mimicking their polyps with pink coloration and skin protuberances. Unique for seahorses, pygmy seahorses retain juvenile paedomorphic stunted snouts, resembling the coral’s polyps. We analyzed the tiny seahorse’s genome revealing the genomic bases of several adaptations to their mutualistic life including substantial reductions in conserved noncoding elements that are associated with genes in the vicinity of those CNEs that are known to play a role in growth and metamorphosis-related pathways. Comparative RNA- and ATAC-Seq analyses during their ontogeny suggest that their stunted snout might result from craniofacial remodeling associated with hoxa2b defunctionalization. This is consistent also with findings from in situ hybridization and CRISPR experiments. Their immune system shows extremely low numbers of MHC genes and additional considerable losses of other immune-related genes. This is likely facilitated by the host coral’s antimicrobial metabolites and by the earlier evolution of male pregnancy that requires immunotolerance.