King University

Continuous flash suppression (CFS), in which a dynamic masker presented to one eye suppresses awareness of a stimulus in the other eye, is widely used to study visual subconsciousness. Although some studies report preserved high-level processing under CFS, these effects have been increasingly questioned and may partly reflect residual low-level feature processing. A key unresolved issue is how strongly neuronal responses in V1, where inputs from the two eyes first converge, are affected by CFS, and how much the remaining signals can support downstream processing. Here, we used two-photon calcium imaging to record large populations of V1 neurons in awake, fixating macaques while presenting grating stimuli under CFS. CFS strongly suppressed V1 orientation responses in an ocular-dominance-dependent manner, nearly abolishing responses in neurons preferring the masker eye or both eyes, and significantly reducing responses in neurons preferring the grating eye. Modeling analyses further indicated that V1 population activity under CFS may still support coarse orientation classification but not accurate stimulus reconstruction. These results suggest that CFS substantially degrades orientation information in V1. The residual signals may support limited low-level processing but are likely insufficient for downstream higher-level visual and cognitive tasks.

Clinical management of periodontitis requires addressing both bacterial infection and the deficient osteogenic microenvironment to optimize tissue regeneration. Electroactive biomaterials have demonstrated promise in bone regeneration, but are insufficient to enduringly synergize antibacterial properties with optimal immunomodulatory and tissue remodeling effects within the complex inflammatory microenvironment. Here, this study proposes an efficient, dynamic magnetoelectric conversion-based therapeutic strategy, which integrates antibacterial activity and immunomodulation to optimize periodontal tissue regeneration. Magnetic field-sensitive CoFe2O4-BiFeO3 nanoparticles (CFO-BFO NPs) are developed as a pioneering magnetoelectric biomaterial for periodontitis therapy. Magnetoelectric CFO-BFO NPs significantly enhance osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and exhibit potent antibacterial activity in vitro. Crucially, magnetoelectric coupling stimulation can program macrophage from the M1 to M2 phenotype via the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, thereby enhancing osteogenesis. Moreover, magnetoelectric CFO-BFO NPs can also alleviate tissue inflammation and accelerate infected periodontal bone regeneration in Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis)-mediated periodontitis mice models. After 4 weeks of treatment, the bone volume fraction (BV/TV) in the magnetoelectric CFO-BFO NPs group approached healthy levels. This study pioneers the application of magnetoelectric coupling materials for periodontitis treatment and provides a novel strategy for enhancing the therapeutic effects of electroactive biomaterials on periodontitis.

Evaluating the potential toxicity of pharmaceuticals and biomaterials to ectodermal epithelia, such as the oral mucosa and skin, is indispensable in pre-clinical assessments. However, this remains a challenge primarily owing to the lack of physiologically relevant and accurate screening models. To address this need, we referred to developmental patterns of the ectodermal epithelium in vivo and adopted the strategic downregulation of the TGF-β signaling pathway in organoid fabrication. Our novel ectodermal epithelial organoids (EEOs) recapitulate the cellular and histological complexities of native epithelial tissues and improve fabrication efficiency. EEOs can accurately capture essential barrier components, including the stratum corneum and intercellular junctions, which are crucial for maintaining epithelial barrier integrity. Validation studies revealed that EEOs are capable of modeling the dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of pharmaceuticals on the oral mucosa and identifying previously undetectable nanomaterial-induced damage to intercellular junctions. These findings indicate that the model system is a robust platform for epithelial barrier stimulation tests, and that this technology is poised to transform pre-clinical assessment paradigms by enabling more accurate toxicity prediction and accelerating the development of safer pharmaceuticals and biomaterials.

Atherosclerosis (AS), the pathological basis of cardiovascular diseases, is a major cause of global mortality. Gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to AS progression via trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), inflammation, and vascular dysfunction. Probiotics have emerged as a potential strategy against AS. To systematically review the mechanisms, efficacy, and future perspectives of probiotics in atherosclerosis. Preclinical and clinical evidence was summarized, focusing on gut microbiota, TMAO, short-chain fatty acids, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and vascular function. Probiotics exert anti-atherosclerotic effects by restoring gut microbiota composition, reducing TMAO, increasing short-chain fatty acids, improving lipid profiles, alleviating inflammation, and protecting endothelial function. Clinical trials support beneficial effects on metabolic and vascular risk factors but are limited by small sample sizes and short durations. Probiotics are a promising and safe approach for AS intervention. Future large-scale, long-term trials and optimized probiotic designs are required to facilitate clinical application.

Abstract Background This study aimed to compare the efficacy and procedural performance of pressure microcatheters and pressure guidewires for fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) undergoing balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). Methods This prospective observational study enrolled patients with CTEPH undergoing BPA between April 2022 and December 2025. FFR was sequentially measured using a pressure microcatheter (PMC) followed by a pressure guidewire (PW). Agreement between methods was evaluated using Bland–Altman analysis. Diagnostic performance of FFR (PMC) was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis, with FFR(PW) ≤ 0.80 as the reference standard. Results Seventy-five vessels were included. The mean FFR (PW) was 0.60 ± 0.17; the mean FFR (PMC) was 0.59 ± 0.18. The mean bias between methods was − 0.010, with 95% limits of agreement from − 0.071 to 0.052. FFR (PMC) demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.4% and specificity of 90.9%, with an area under the curve of 0.992 (p < 0.001). Conclusion FFR (PMC) shows excellent agreement and diagnostic accuracy compared with FFR (PW), supporting its use as an alternative physiological assessment during BPA in CTEPH.

Abstract By applying the theory of the minimal model program for adjoint foliated structures, we establish the Sarkisov program for algebraically integrable foliations on klt varieties: any two Mori fiber spaces of such structure are connected by a sequence of Sarkisov links. Combining with a result of R. Mascharak, we establish the Sarkisov program for foliations in dimension at most $3$ with mild singularities. Log version and adjoint foliated version of the aforementioned Sarkisov programs are also established.

Clinical therapy of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative (GN) ESKAPE pathogens-induced pneumonia remains a serious challenge. Antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) are a promising alternative for treating MDR bacterial infections, but their effectiveness is limited by instability, narrow-spectrum activity, and poor pharmacokinetics. Although conjugated or complexed cationic polymers can enhance the antimicrobial spectrum and potency of AMPs, they also cause AMPs to interact excessively with biomacromolecules in vivo, potentially reducing their therapeutic efficacy. Herein, screening of an ultra-acid-sensitive diblock copolymer-lysozyme conjugate to self-assemble into LPOBE micelle with enhanced stability. In acidic conditions, protonated LPOBE with low positive charge showed great serum protein-nonfouling ability and yielded highly effective bactericidal activity, achieving a 99.9% reduction in three MDR GN ESKAPE strains. Inhalation delivery can achieve high local concentrations of AMPs, but mucus in the lower respiratory tract impedes their penetration into infected areas due to the positive charge of AMPs. Furthermore, bacterial pneumonia is often accompanied by excessive inflammation. Therefore, we further developed a 'One-Stone-Two-Birds' strategy by loading sodium butyrate (NaBu), a small molecule immunomodulator, to form negatively charged LPOBEN, which improves both mucus penetration and anti-inflammatory effects of LPOBE. This system offers a novel theoretical foundation to develop high-performance AMP-based nanomedicines for clinical therapy.

Under the global imperative for energy conservation and emission reduction, a critical yet underexplored question is how environmental regulation (ER) specifically affects carbon emission efficiency (CEE). In this paper, the Super-Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model with undesirable outputs is used to measure the CEE of 30 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2022. Based on the results, the Tobit model is used to study the impact of ER on CEE empirically. The results show that (1) China’s CEE is low, and the eastern region has the highest CEE, followed by the central and northeastern regions, and the lowest is the western region. (2) There is a U-shaped curve relationship between ER and CEE, namely, the impacts of ER on CEE are first inhibitory and then promotive; Currently, ER is having a negative effect on CEE, and the inflection point has yet to emerge. (3) Opening up level and population density have positive influences on CEE, while industrial structure exerts a negative impact. This research provides a reference for improving the CEEs of China and other developing countries. Policy implications include the need to strengthen and optimise the regulations to promote the high-quality development of the Chinese economy. The results offer a reference for policymakers.

Purpose This study attempts to explore the strategies of fitness discourse. Design/methodology/approach It employs a multimodal discourse analysis approach to examine the communication strategies of influencers who own personal brands on new media platforms and their short video content. Findings The findings reveal that fitness influencers on Douyin leverage the appeal of fluid and everyday penetration of new media to craft a personal brand identity as “professional knowledge educators”. Through discourse construction strategies such as spatial mobility and visibility, temporal linearity and rhythmicity and the authority of knowledge, these influencers emphasize the professionalism of the fitness knowledge they disseminate. By positioning their audience as passive recipients of knowledge and education, they reinforce an upgraded form of external discipline over their audience’s bodies. Originality/value First, this study explores the interactive relationship between body, health and society, provides a new perspective for the research in the field of sports health and reveals the disciplinary mechanism (especially self-discipline) behind health consumption in the context of mobile Internet and consumer society. Second, the conclusions of this study have certain reference significance in improving the personal brand building ability of fitness practitioners, promoting the development of digital marketing in the fitness industry and promoting the innovation and optimization of short-form fitness videos.