Activation of fluoride anion as nucleophile in water with data-guided surfactant selection.

A principal component surfactant_map was developed for 91 commonly accessible surfactants for use in surfactant-enabled organic reactions in water, an important approach for sustainable chemical processes. This map was built using 22 experimental and theoretical descriptors relevant to the physicochemical nature of these surfactant-enabled reactions, and advanced principal component analysis algorithms. It is comprised of all classes of surfactants, i.e. cationic, anionic, zwitterionic and neutral surfactants, including designer surfactants. The value of this surfactant_map was demonstrated in activating simple inorganic fluoride salts as effective nucleophiles in water, with the right surfactant. This led to the rapid development (screening 13-15 surfactants) of two fluorination reactions for ß-bromosulfides and sulfonyl chlorides in water. The latter was demonstrated in generating a sulfonyl fluoride with sufficient purity for direct use in labelling of chymotrypsin, under physiological conditions.

Altered Outer Retinal Structure, Electrophysiology and Visual Perception in Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Visual biomarkers of Parkinson's disease (PD) are attractive as the retina is an outpouching of the brain. Although inner retinal neurodegeneration in PD is well-established this has overlap with other neurodegenerative diseases and thus outer retinal (photoreceptor) measures warrant further investigation. OBJECTIVE: To examine in a cross-sectional study whether clinically implementable measures targeting outer retinal function and structure can differentiate PD from healthy ageing and whether these are sensitive to intraday levodopa (L-DOPA) dosing. METHODS: Centre-surround perceptual contrast suppression, macular visual field sensitivity, colour discrimination, light-adapted electroretinography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were tested in PD participants (n = 16) and controls (n = 21). Electroretinography and OCT were conducted before and after midday L-DOPA in PD participants, or repeated after ∼2 hours in controls. RESULTS: PD participants had decreased center-surround contrast suppression (p < 0.01), reduced macular visual field sensitivity (p < 0.05), color vision impairment (p < 0.01) photoreceptor dysfunction (a-wave, p < 0.01) and photoreceptor neurodegeneration (outer nuclear layer thinning, p < 0.05), relative to controls. Effect size comparison between inner and outer retinal parameters showed that photoreceptor metrics were similarly robust in differentiating the PD group from age-matched controls as inner retinal changes. Electroretinography and OCT were unaffected by L-DOPA treatment or time. CONCLUSIONS: We show that outer retinal outcomes of photoreceptoral dysfunction (decreased cone function and impaired color vision) and degeneration (i.e., outer nuclear layer thinning) were equivalent to inner retinal metrics at differentiating PD from healthy age-matched adults. These findings suggest outer retinal metrics may serve as useful biomarkers for PD.

Improving optometry student interpersonal skills through online patient, clinician and student evaluation and feedback.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Interpersonal skills are crucial for successful clinician-patient interactions. To prepare future optometrists for clinical practice, pedagogical evaluation is important to support the implementation of new strategies for teaching and evaluating interpersonal skills. BACKGROUND: Optometry students largely develop their interpersonal skills through in-person patient interactions. Telehealth is increasing, yet strategies to develop the interpersonal skills of students for teleconsulting have not been explored. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, effectiveness and perceived usefulness of an online, multisource (patients, clinicians and students) evaluation and feedback program for developing interpersonal skills. METHODS: Via an online teleconferencing platform, optometry students (n = 40) interacted with a volunteer patient, observed by a teaching clinician. Patients and clinicians evaluated the interpersonal skills of the student in two ways: (1) qualitative written feedback, and (2) quantitative rating (Doctors' Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire). All students received written patient and clinician feedback after the session, but not their quantitative ratings. A subset of students (n = 19) completed two sessions, self-ratings, and were provided with their written feedback and an audiovisual recording from their first interaction before completing the second session. All participants were invited to complete an anonymous survey at program completion. RESULTS: Patient and clinician overall interpersonal skills ratings were positively correlated (Spearman's r = 0.35, p = 0.03) and showed moderate agreement (Lin's concordance coefficient = 0.34). Student self-ratings did not match patient ratings (r = 0.01, p = 0.98), whereas there was moderate agreement between clinician and student ratings (Lin's concordance coefficient = 0.30). Ratings improved at the second visit (p = 0.01). Patient ratings were higher than clinicians (p = 0.01) and students (p = 0.03). All participants agreed that the program was feasible, useful and effective at fostering good interpersonal skills. CONCLUSION: Multisource feedback about interpersonal skills contributes to improvement in student performance. Patients and clinicians can evaluate and provide useful feedback to optometry students about their interpersonal skills using online methods.

Short-term homeostatic visual neuroplasticity in adolescents after two hours of monocular deprivation.

In healthy adults with normal vision, temporary deprivation of one eye's visual experience produces transient yet robust homeostatic plasticity effects, where the deprived eye becomes more dominant. This shift in ocular dominance is short-lived and compensatory. Previous work shows that monocular deprivation decreases resting state gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA; inhibitory neurotransmitter) levels in visual cortex, and that those with the greatest reduction in GABA have stronger shifts due to monocular deprivation. Components of the GABAergic system in visual cortex vary with age (early childhood, early teen years, ageing); hence if GABA is critical to homeostatic plasticity within the visual system, adolescence may be a key developmental period where differences in plasticity manifest. Here we measured short-term visual deprivation effects on binocular rivalry in 24 adolescents (aged 10-15 years) and 23 young adults (aged 20-25 years). Despite differences in baseline features of binocular rivalry (adolescents showed more mixed percept p < 0.001 and a tendency for faster switching p = 0.06 compared to adults), deprived eye dominance increased (p = 0.01) similarly for adolescents and adults after two hours of patching. Other aspects of binocular rivalry - time to first switch (heralding the onset of rivalry) and mixed percept - were unaltered by patching. These findings suggest that binocular rivalry after patching can be used as a behavioral proxy for experience-dependent visual cortical plasticity in adolescents in the same way as adults, and that homeostatic plasticity to compensate for temporarily reduced visual input is established and effective by adolescence.

Rationalizing and Adapting Water-Accelerated Reactions for Sustainable Flow Organic Processes.

Water-accelerated reactions, wherein at least one organic reactant is not soluble in water, are an important class of organic reactions, with a potentially pivotal impact on sustainability of chemical manufacturing processes. However, mechanistic understanding of the factors controlling the acceleration effect has been limited, due to the complex and varied physical and chemical nature of these processes. In this study, a theoretical framework has been established to calculate the rate acceleration of known water-accelerated reactions, giving computational estimations of the change to ΔG‡ which correlate with experimental data. In-depth study of a Henry reaction between N-methylisatin and nitromethane using our framework led to rationalization of the reaction kinetics, its lack of dependence on mixing, kinetic isotope effect, and different salt effects with NaCl and Na2SO4. Based on these findings, a multiphase flow process which includes continuous phase separation and recycling of the aqueous phase was developed, and its superior green metrics (PMI-reaction = 4 and STY = 0.64 kg L-1 h-1) were demonstrated. These findings form the essential basis for further in silico discovery and development of water-accelerated reactions for sustainable manufacturing.

Perceptual Center-Surround Contrast Suppression in Adolescence.

Purpose: Center-surround contrast suppression-typically induced when a center pattern is surrounded by another pattern with similar spatial features-is considered a perceptual analogue of center-surround neurophysiology in the visual system. Surround suppression strength is altered in a range of brain conditions affecting young people (e.g., schizophrenia, depression, migraine) and is modulated by various neurotransmitters. The early teen years are associated with neurotransmitter changes in the human visual cortex, which could impact on excitation-inhibition balance and center-surround antagonistic effects. Hence, we predict that early adolescence is associated with perceptual changes in center-surround suppression. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we tested 196 students at every age from 10 to 17 years and 30 adults (aged 21-34 years) to capture the preteen, adolescent, and adult periods. Contrast discrimination thresholds were measured for a central, circular, vertical sinusoidal grating pattern (0.67° radius, 2 cyc/deg spatial frequency, 2 deg/s drift rate) with and without the surround (4° radius, otherwise same spatial properties as the center). Individual suppression strength was determined by comparing the perceived contrast of the target with and without the surround. Results: After excluding unreliable data (7% of total), we found an effect of age on perceptual center-surround contrast suppression strength, F(8,201) = 2.30, P = 0.02, with weaker suppression in the youngest adolescents relative to adults (Bonferroni pairwise comparisons between adults vs 12-year-olds P = 0.01; adults vs 13-year-olds P = 0.002). Conclusions: Our data demonstrate different center-surround interactions in the visual system-a key building block for visual perception-in early adolescence relative to adulthood.

Primary eyecare provision for people living with dementia: what do we need to know?

Dementia comprises a group of brain disorders characterised by loss of cognitive function. Sensory loss, predominantly vision (the focus of this review) and hearing, is a significant problem for people living with dementia. Eyecare practitioners such as optometrists therefore play an important role in identifying and addressing vision-related care needs. To support provision of high quality "dementia-friendly" eyecare, this scoping review summarises recent primary research findings and available clinical practice guidelines, to identify research gaps relating to vision and dementia, and make recommendations for future research and clinical practice. The review set a priori guidelines for the population, concept and context based on the review questions. Primary research papers (2016-2021) were included via 3-step search strategy: preliminary search to index terms, full search, search reference lists of included articles for further inclusions. Additionally, websites of eyecare professional bodies in English-speaking countries were searched to identify current clinical eyecare practice guidelines relating to dementia. Study characteristics (e.g. country, study design) were reported descriptively. Patterns within findings/recommendations from included sources were identified using thematic analysis and reported as themes. 1651 titles/abstracts and 161 full-text articles were screened for eligibility. Three clinical practice guidelines were also identified. The final review included 21 sources: 18 primary research papers and 3 clinical practice guidelines. The thematic analysis reported five key themes: Diagnosis/Screening, dementia progression, findings on clinical visual testing, tailored approach to care, improving care. This scoping review demonstrated limited information about current practices of optometrists working with people living with dementia. Recent evidence reinforces the continuing need for improved eyecare for people living with dementia, taking into account their specific needs with an individualised approach. Up-to-date practical recommendations are synthesised for eyecare providers before, during and after a consultation with a person living with dementia, to better support their care.

The eye in migraine: a review of retinal imaging findings in migraine.

Migraine is a common headache disorder with neurovascular involvement. Because eyecare practitioners are likely to encounter people with migraine in their everyday practice, it is important to understand how migraine might impact on ocular health. In this narrative review, we provide an update on the latest ophthalmic imaging evidence for retinal involvement in migraine, derived from studies of retinal structure and retinal vascular perfusion using spectral domain and swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography. Combined structural OCT evidence from a recent meta-analysis indicates subtle and non-specific thinning of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in people with migraine, whereas there is little consistent evidence for structural abnormalities of the macular region. Recent advances in OCT angiography technology have also provided an opportunity to visualise microstructural damage and vascular dysregulation in the eyes of people with migraine. However, given that OCT and OCT angiography studies have been exclusively cross-sectional, it is not possible to demonstrate the causal effect of migraine events. Furthermore, the lack of common methodology (different ophthalmic imaging devices and analysis algorithms), and very limited datasets (small samples, heterogenous migraine groups), lead to an inability to make strong conclusions regarding the nature of altered retinal structure and vascular perfusion in migraine. Nevertheless, we discuss the clinical implications of such observations for eyecare practitioners and provide practical advice for the monitoring and management of patients with a history of migraine.

Patients' Views of Visual Field Testing and Priorities for Research Development and Translation into Practice.

PURPOSE: Information regarding the views of patients, on visual field testing is limited, and no information exists regarding their preferences for test developments. This study aimed to increase knowledge of patients' experiences of visual field assessment and to explore their opinions and priorities regarding current areas of research and development. DESIGN: Online questionnaire with purposive sampling design. PARTICIPANTS: Adults who regularly undergo visual field tests in Australia who report having glaucoma or being at glaucomatous risk. METHODS: An anonymous survey, implemented using the Qualtrics webtool, with both closed- and-open ended questions designed to explore opinions regarding visual field testing, visit attendance for perimetry, as well as priorities for developments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The survey assessed 3 domains: (1) opinions regarding test duration and visit frequency, (2) subjective experience, and (3) perspectives on future developments. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-two complete survey responses were obtained. The median age of participants was 66 years (interquartile range [IQR], 60-72 years). Most participants (70%) had experience of undergoing more than 11 visual field tests. Participants recalled that they completed visual field tests in median of 6 minutes (IQR, 5-8 minutes) and were willing to accept additional time (median, 5 minutes; IQR, 3-6 minutes) to obtain more information. Participants were prepared to increase both the number of visual field tests per eye and the frequency of visual field tests (median, 3 visits per year; IQR, 2-4 visits per year) to gain more information about their visual status. Regarding future developments, the most preferred option was "similar test times but an increase in the level of information about my visual field," which ranked significantly higher than all other options, including "shorter test times that maintain the currently available level of information about my visual field." CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms, in a different population and health care system, previous research reporting patient perspectives on visual field assessment. We further revealed that health care consumers show a strong preference for accurate information about their vision and report being prepared to undergo longer visual field tests or more visual field tests to achieve that outcome.

Increased Depth, Reduced Extent, and Sharpened Edges of Visual Field Defects Measured by Compass Fundus Perimeter Compared to Humphrey Field Analyzer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare visual field results of the COMPASS fundus perimeter (CMP) and the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) in the same eyes; to compare structure-function concordance between circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (Cp-RNFL) profiles and the two perimetry results; and to evaluate whether differences between the two results reflect postulated advantages of real-time eye movement compensation during perimetry. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 24-2 visual field data measured with CMP and HFA together with Cp-RNFL optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan data from 95 eyes of 65 people with glaucoma. We defined visual field locations with total deviation (TD) less than -5 dB as defective. The CMP and HFA fields were compared on measures of: spatial extent (number of defective locations); depth (TD values); and sharpness of scotomata edges (maximum TD difference between defective locations and their neighbors). Structure-function concordance between Cp-RNFL profile and respective visual field was also compared. Results: Compared to the HFA, scotomata measured by CMP were of reduced spatial extent (mean difference = -3.14 locations, p < 0.001), greater depth (median TD of CMP = -17 dB versus HFA = -13 dB, p = 0.029) and steeper edges (median of maximum TD difference of CMP = 10.6 dB versus HFA = 6 dB, p < 0.001). Structure-function concordance between Cp-RNFL profile and either visual field were comparable despite the reduced scotoma spatial extent measured by CMP. Conclusions: Glaucomatous visual fields measured by CMP displayed characteristics consistent with expected effects of using real-time eye movement compensation technology compared to the widely used HFA. Translational Relevance: Glaucomatous visual field defects measured by the CMP are more localized, deeper, and steeper than those of the HFA.

Exercise alone impacts short-term adult visual neuroplasticity in a monocular deprivation paradigm.

Adult homeostatic visual plasticity can be induced by short-term patching, heralded by a shift in ocular dominance in favor of the deprived eye after monocular occlusion. The potential to boost visual neuroplasticity with environmental enrichment such as exercise has also been explored; however, the results are inconsistent, with some studies finding no additive effect of exercise. Studies to date have only considered the effect of patching alone or in combination with exercise. Whether exercise alone affects typical outcome measures of experimental estimates of short-term visual neuroplasticity is unknown. We therefore measured binocular rivalry in 20 healthy young adults (20-34 years old) at baseline and after three 2-hour interventions: patching (of the dominant eye) only, patching with exercise, and exercise only. Consistent with previous work, the patching interventions produced a shift in ocular dominance toward the deprived (dominant) eye. Mild- to moderate-intensity exercise in the absence of patching had several effects on binocular rivalry metrics, including a reduction in the dominant eye percept. The proportion of mixed percept and the time to first switch (onset rivalry) did not change from baseline across all interventions. Thus, we demonstrate that exercise alone can impact binocular rivalry outcomes measures. We did not observe a synergistic effect between patching and exercise in our data.

Predicting Solvent-Dependent Nucleophilicity Parameter with a Causal Structure Property Relationship.

Solvent-dependent reactivity is a key aspect of synthetic science, which controls reaction selectivity. The contemporary focus on new, sustainable solvents highlights a need for reactivity predictions in different solvents. Herein, we report the excellent machine learning prediction of the nucleophilicity parameter N in the four most-common solvents for nucleophiles in the Mayr's reactivity parameter database (R2 = 0.93 and 81.6% of predictions within ±2.0 of the experimental values with Extra Trees algorithm). A Causal Structure Property Relationship (CSPR) approach was utilized, with focus on the physicochemical relationships between the descriptors and the predicted parameters, and on rational improvements of the prediction models. The nucleophiles were represented with a series of electronic and steric descriptors and the solvents were represented with principal component analysis (PCA) descriptors based on the ACS Solvent Tool. The models indicated that steric factors do not contribute significantly, because of bias in the experimental database. The most important descriptors are solvent-dependent HOMO energy and Hirshfeld charge of the nucleophilic atom. Replacing DFT descriptors with Parameterization Method 6 (PM6) descriptors for the nucleophiles led to an 8.7-fold decrease in computational time, and an ∼10% decrease in the percentage of predictions within ±2.0 and ±1.0 of the experimental values.

Neuroplasticity in older adults revealed by temporary occlusion of one eye.

Occluding one eye for several hours alters visual experience. Specifically, occluding one eye shifts the balance of ocular dominance to favour the recently deprived eye, which can be measured using binocular rivalry. This ocular dominance shift demonstrates homeostatic neuroplasticity within the visual system and has been explored in detail in younger adults. Here we measure whether the strength and general features of neuroplasticity revealed by monocular patching are maintained in older adults. Thirty younger (18-35 years) and 30 older adults (60-81 years) participated. Binocular rivalry features were measured before and after 2 h of occlusion. Post-patching, perceptual dominance of the non-patched eye decreased (p < .001) in both age groups. The effect of occlusion on all features of binocular rivalry did not significantly differ between groups. The older visual system maintains the ability to rapidly adjust to changes in perceptual experience induced by eye occlusion. This preservation of neuroplasticity suggests that visual training methods designed to improve visual performance based on eye occlusion should maintain effectiveness into older age.

Ultra-High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Retrobulbar Optic Nerve, Subarachnoid Space, and Optic Nerve Sheath in Emmetropic and Myopic Eyes.

Purpose: We aimed to image the optic nerve, subarachnoid space and optic nerve sheath in emmetropes and myopes ultra-high field (7-Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We targeted the retrobulbar distance of approximately 3 mm behind the eyeball, an area of clinical interest because of optic nerve sheath distensibility and pressure-related enlargement. Methods: Eleven emmetropes (+0.75 to -0.50D, aged 20-41 years) and 10 myopes (-4.5 to -12D, aged 21-37 years) participated. Cross-sectional area of the optic nerve, subarachnoid space and optic nerve sheath at approximately 3 mm behind the eye were measured from two-dimensional T2-weighted coronal oblique MRI images obtained through the left optic nerve. Axial length of the left eye was measured from T2-weighted axial MRI images. In nine emmetropes and seven myopes, the optic nerve head was imaged with optical coherence tomography to compare retrobulbar and intraocular measures. Results: Retrobulbar optic nerve, subarachnoid space and optic nerve sheath dimensions differed between myopes and emmetropes. Myopes tended to have smaller optic nerve and subarachnoid space. Longer MRI-derived axial length was associated with smaller optic nerve area (P = 0.03). Bruch's membrane opening area did not predict retrobulbar optic nerve area (P = 0.48). Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of using 7-Tesla MRI to measure optic nerve, subarachnoid space, and optic nerve sheath dimensions behind the eye. In healthy adults, the retrobulbar optic nerve and subarachnoid space size are influenced by the degree of myopia. Translational Relevance: ultra-high field MRI is a practical tool for assessing the morphometry of the optic nerve and surrounding anatomy behind the eye.

On-Demand Electrochemical Synthesis of Tetrakisacetonitrile Copper(I) Triflate and Its Application in the Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols.

An on-demand electrochemical synthesis of copper(I) triflate under both batch and continuous flow conditions has been developed. A major benefit of the electrochemical methodology is that the only byproduct of the reaction is hydrogen gas, which obviates the need for workup and purification, and water is not incorporated into the product. Upon completion of the electrochemical synthesis, solutions are directly transferred or dispensed into reaction mixtures for the catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol with no requirement for workup or purification.

Visual search efficiency and functional visual cortical size in children with and without dyslexia.

Dyslexia is characterised by poor reading ability. Its aetiology is probably multifactorial, with abnormal visual processing playing an important role. Among adults with normal reading ability, there is a larger representation of central visual field in the primary visual cortex (V1) in those with more efficient visuospatial attention. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that poor reading ability in school-aged children (17 children with dyslexia, 14 control children with normal reading ability) is associated with deficits in visuospatial attention using a visual search task. We corroborated the psychophysical findings with neuroimaging, by measuring the functional size of V1 in response to a central 12° visual stimulus. Consistent with other literature, visual search was impaired and less efficient in the dyslexic children, particularly with more distractor elements in the search array (p = 0.04). We also found atypical interhemispheric asymmetry in functional V1 size in the dyslexia group (p = 0.02). Reading impaired children showed poorer visual search efficiency (p = 0.01), needing more time per unit distractor (higher ms/item). Reading ability was also correlated with V1 size asymmetry (p = 0.03), such that poorer readers showed less left hemisphere bias relative to the right hemisphere. Our findings support the view that dyslexic children have abnormal visuospatial attention and interhemispheric V1 asymmetry, relative to chronological age-matched peers, and that these factors may contribute to inter-individual variation in reading performance in children.

MR-EYE: High-Resolution MRI of the Human Eye and Orbit at Ultrahigh Field (7T).

Ultrahigh-field (7T) MRI provides improved contrast and a signal-to-noise gain compared with lower magnetic field strengths. Here, we demonstrate feasibility and optimization of anatomic imaging of the eye and orbit using a dedicated commercial multichannel transmit and receive eye coil. Optimization of participant setup techniques and MRI sequence parameters allowed for improvements in the image resolution and contrast, and the eye and orbit coverage with minimal susceptibility and motion artifacts in a clinically feasible protocol.

Increasing the Spatial Resolution of Visual Field Tests Without Increasing Test Duration: An Evaluation of ARREST.

Purpose: The Australian Reduced Range Extended Spatial Test (ARREST) approach was designed to improve visual field spatial resolution while maintaining a similar test duration to clinically used testing algorithms. ARREST does not completely threshold visual field locations with sensitivity < 17 dB, and uses the presentations saved to test new locations in areas of steep gradient within the visual field. Previous assessments of ARREST's performance have used computer simulation. In this study, we cross-sectionally assessed the performance of ARREST in people with visual field loss. Methods: We tested 23 people with glaucoma (mean age: 71 ± 8 years) with established visual field loss. Three visual field procedures were performed using the Open Perimetry Interface: cZEST and ARREST on the Octopus 900 perimeter (Haag-Streit AG, Switzerland), and a reference standard (best available estimate [BAE]) on the Compass perimeter (CenterVue SpA, Italy). ARREST was compared against the cZEST and the BAE. Results: On average, ARREST added seven new locations (range = 0-15) to a visual field test. There was no significant difference in the number of stimulus presentations between procedures (mean = 259 ± 25 [ARREST] vs. 261 ± 25 [cZEST], P = 0.78). In classifying threshold values < 17 dB, ARREST performed similarly when compared against BAE. Conclusions: This study provides empirical evidence to support conclusions from previous computer simulations that ARREST can be used to increase spatial sampling in regions of interest without increasing test time. Translational Relevance: ARREST is a new approach that augments current visual field testing procedures to provide better spatial description of visual field defects without increasing test duration.

Machine learning with physicochemical relationships: solubility prediction in organic solvents and water.

Solubility prediction remains a critical challenge in drug development, synthetic route and chemical process design, extraction and crystallisation. Here we report a successful approach to solubility prediction in organic solvents and water using a combination of machine learning (ANN, SVM, RF, ExtraTrees, Bagging and GP) and computational chemistry. Rational interpretation of dissolution process into a numerical problem led to a small set of selected descriptors and subsequent predictions which are independent of the applied machine learning method. These models gave significantly more accurate predictions compared to benchmarked open-access and commercial tools, achieving accuracy close to the expected level of noise in training data (LogS ± 0.7). Finally, they reproduced physicochemical relationship between solubility and molecular properties in different solvents, which led to rational approaches to improve the accuracy of each models.

Orientation-dependency of perceptual surround suppression and orientation decoding of centre-surround stimuli are preserved with healthy ageing.

A key visual neuronal property that is mirrored in human behaviour is centre-surround contrast suppression, which is orientation-dependent. When a target is embedded in a high-contrast surround, the centre appears reduced in contrast, the magnitude of which depends on the relative orientation between centre and surround. Previous reports demonstrate changes in perceptual surround suppression with ageing; however, whether the orientation-dependency of surround suppression is impacted by ageing has not been explored. Here, we tested 18 younger (aged 19-33) and 18 older (aged 60-77) adults. Perceptual surround suppression was stronger for parallel than orthogonal stimuli; however contrary to previous work, here we found no difference in perceptual suppression strength between age-groups. In the same participants, we measured event-related potentials (ERPs) and conducted multivariate pattern analysis to confirm that parallel and orthogonal centre-surround stimuli elicit distinguishable brain activity, predominantly over occipital areas. Despite a delay in the first prominent ERP component (P1) in response to each pattern, older adults showed similar decoding of orientation information (i.e. distinguish between parallel and orthogonal centre-surround stimuli from 70 ms post-stimulus onset) as younger adults. This suggests that sufficient information to distinguish orientation in centre-surround stimuli becomes available to the older human brain as early as in younger adults.