The Privileges We Do and Do Not See: The Relative Salience of Interpersonal and Circumstantial Benefits.

People attend more to disadvantages in their lives than to advantages, a phenomenon known as the Headwinds/Tailwinds Asymmetry. In seven studies (N = 1,526), we present an important caveat to this pattern: When people do notice and acknowledge their advantages, they mostly focus on the benefits they receive from other people (i.e., interpersonal benefits), as opposed to benefits they receive because of their demographics, personal traits, and life circumstances (i.e., circumstantial benefits). We demonstrate that people notice and remember others who helped them rather than hurt them and that they notice the help they receive from people more than from favorable, non-interpersonal factors. Finally, we find that the tendency to notice interpersonal advantages is related to a social norm requiring people to acknowledge helpful others (but not other advantages) and that changing the salience of this norm affects people's likelihood of acknowledging the support they have received from others.

Sling-bridge technique: new technique in extracorporeal septorhinoplasty.

Introduction: Extensive septal deviations requiring advanced correction beyond conventional methods. Extracorporeal rhinoplasty technique, involving complete septum removal, reshaping, and reinsertion. While this technique possesses unacceptable risks, the current study aims to introduce a new approach, the sling-bridge technique to enhance and simplify extracorporeal septorhinoplasty, with more tip control and better integrity within the keystone area. Methods: This prospective analytical study included 50 patients with crooked nasal septum who underwent extracorporeal septorhinoplasty between 2021 and 2023 with the new technique. Patients underwent a full clinical examination, consultation and facial analysis to examine the nose shape and identify any abnormalities and asymmetries in the face. Results: In the study involving 50 patients, 41 (82%) were males, and with no history of prior rhinoplasty, primarily seeking aesthetic improvements in 44(88%) of participants. Facial asymmetry was observed in 35(70%) of the patients, with 42(84%) individuals exhibiting reduced nasal projection index, nasolabial angle, or nasofrontal angle. The novel technique achieved a straight nose outcome in 45(90%) of patients out of 50, while 5(10%) patients experienced mild deviation linked to extensive preoperative facial asymmetry. Conclusion: The surgery yielded highly satisfactory results in most patients, with straight nose outcomes being almost 10 times more likely than mild nose deviation outcomes, and no frank deviations. Throughout the follow-up period, none of the patients had complications, especially those that are common in other techniques attributed with extracorporeal septorhinoplasty, such as dorsal irregularities, septal perforation/deviation or abscesses.

Effects of ankle-foot orthoses on gait parameters in post-stroke patients with different Brunnstrom stages of the lower limb: a single-center crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) can improve gait posture and walking ability in post-stroke patients. However, the effect of AFO on gait parameters in post-stroke patients according to the Brunnstrom stage of stroke recovery of the lower limbs remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate whether stroke patients with different Brunnstrom stages benefit from wearing AFO. METHODS: Twenty-five post-stroke participants included 18 men (50 ± 13 years) and 7 women (60 ± 15 years). The patients were divided based on Brunnstrom stage III or IV of the lower limbs. All patients underwent the gait and timed up and go (TUG) test using a gait analysis system while walking barefoot or with an AFO. The spatiotemporal and asymmetric parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: All 25 patients completed the study. Significant differences were observed between barefoot and AFO use in TUG time (P < 0.001) but not walking velocity (P > 0.05). The main effect of the swing time ratio was significant in both groups (P < 0.05); however, the main effects of stride length, stance time, and gait asymmetry ratio were nonsignificant (P > 0.05). For barefoot versus AFO, the main effects of stride length (P < 0.05) and swing time (P < 0.01) ratios were significant, whereas those of stance time and gait asymmetry ratio were nonsignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Post-stroke patients with lower Brunnstrom stages benefitted more from AFO, particularly in gait asymmetry.

Inter-limb differences in upper quarter mobility/stability are not associated with performance in competitive swimmers.

Background: The Y Balance Test-Upper Quarter (YBT-UQ) is a cost-effective, well-established, closed kinetic chain test to assess inter-limb asymmetries in the upper quarter that could negatively affect swimming performance. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine YBT-UQ performances and inter-limb differences as well as its association with swimming performance in athletes with diverging levels of expertise. Methods: Forty female and male competitive swimmers (age range: 10-22 years) with different expertise levels (A-squad: n = 9, B-squad: n = 12, C-squad: n = 19) were tested (reach distances for the YBT-UQ) and swimming performance was calculated using the ratio of individual to world best time. Results: YBT-UQ performances (i.e., inferolateral reach direction for the dominant arm: p = .027, ηp2 = .12 and the non-dominant arm: p = .031, ηp2 = .17) but not YBT-UQ inter-limb differences significantly differed between groups and were largest in swimmers with the lowest expertise level (i.e., C-squad). Further, YBT-UQ performances (i.e., inferolateral reach direction [r = -.68 to -.70, both p < .05] and composite score [r = -.65 to -.67, both p < .05] for both arms and medial reach direction for the non-dominant arm [r = -.64, p < .05]) but not inter-limb differences were significantly and negatively correlated with swimming performance among B-squad swimmers. Conclusions: Our results suggest that inter-limb differences in upper quarter mobility/stability are not influenced by the level of expertise and have no significant associations with swimming performance. However, greater reach distances were correlated with lower swimming performance for the B-squad swimmers indicating that a training-related increase in upper quarter mobility/stability could worsen swimming performance in those athletes.

Addressing a Critical Voice in Clinical Practice: Experiences of Nursing Students, Teachers, and Supervisors-A Qualitative Study.

AIM: Our goal was to explore how power asymmetry manifests within the relationships between students, teachers, and supervisors, and how it influences students' ability for critical reflection. DESIGN: This study has an explorative qualitative design. METHODS: Thirty in-depth interviews with nursing students (15), teachers (9), and supervisors (6) were conducted in addition to 16 observations of mid-term assessments during clinical practice. The analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. RESULTS: The students described being a student as a balancing act between humility, conforming to the supervisor's expectations, and speaking their minds. The view expressed by the teachers and supervisors is that training for the nursing profession is closely linked to the students' ability to act independently. Due to the supervisors' hierarchical position, however, students are hesitant to voice any criticism regarding insufficient supervision or unsatisfactory performance of clinical tasks while at the same time being evaluated on their ability to critically reflect on their own and others' clinical performance. This study was prospectively registered with the Norwegian Centre for Research Data on the 15th of August 2017 with the registration number 54821.

Functional lateralization in the medial prefrontal cortex control of contextual conditioned emotional responses in rats.

A functional lateralization has been reported in control of emotional responses by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, a hemisphere asymmetry in involvement of the mPFC in expression of fear conditioning responses has never been reported. Therefore, we investigated whether control by mPFC of freezing and cardiovascular responses during re-exposure to an aversively conditioned context is lateralized. For this, rats had guide cannulas directed to the mPFC implanted bilaterally or unilaterally in the right or left hemispheres. Vehicle or the non-selective synaptic inhibitor CoCl2 was microinjected into the mPFC 10 min before re-exposure to a chamber where the animals had previously received footshocks. A catheter was implanted into the femoral artery before the fear retrieval test for cardiovascular recordings. We observed that bilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the mPFC reduced both the freezing behavior (enhancing locomotion and rearing) and arterial pressure and heart rate increases during re-exposure to the aversively conditioned context. Unilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the right hemisphere of the mPFC also decreased the freezing behavior (enhancing locomotion and rearing), but without affecting the cardiovascular changes. Conversely, unilateral synaptic inhibition in the left mPFC did not affect either behavioral or cardiovascular responses during fear retrieval test. Taken together, these results suggest that the right hemisphere of the mPFC is necessary and sufficient for expression of freezing behavior to contextual fear conditioning. However, the control of cardiovascular responses and freezing behavior during fear retrieval test is somehow dissociated in the mPFC, being the former bilaterally processed.

The Asymmetry Observed between the Effects of Photon-Phonon Coupling and Crystal Field on the Fine Structure of Fluorescence and Spontaneous Four-Wave Mixing in Ion-Doped Microcrystals.

In this paper, we explore the asymmetry observed between the effects of photon-phonon coupling (nested-dressing) and a crystal field (CF) on the fine structure of fluorescence (FL) and spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in Eu3+: BiPO4 and Eu3+: NaYF4. The competition between the CF and the strong photon-phonon dressing leads to dynamic splitting in two directions. The CF leads to static splitting in one direction under weak phonon dressing. The evolution from strong dressing to weak dressing results in spectral asymmetry. This spectral asymmetry includes out-of-phase FL and in-phase SFWM. Further, the large ratio between the dressing Rabi frequency and the de-phase rate leads to strong FL and SFWM asymmetry due to photon-phonon constructive dressing. Moreover, the experimental results suggest the analogy of a spectra asymmetry router with a channel equalization ratio of 96.6%.

Frontal alpha asymmetry is associated with chronic stress and depression, but not with somatoform disorders.

Cardinal characteristics of somatoform disorders (SFDs) are worry of illness, and impaired affective processing. We used relative frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), a method to measure functional lateralization of affective processing, to investigate psychobiological correlates of SFDs. With alpha activity being inversely related to cortical network activity, relative FAA refers to alpha activity on the right frontal lobe minus alpha activity on the left frontal lobe. Less relative left frontal activity, reflected by negative FAA scores, is associated with lower positive and greater negative affectivity, such as observed in depression. Due to its negative affective component (illness anxiety), we expected to find less relative left frontal activity pattern in SFDs, and positive associations with self-reported chronic stress and depression symptoms. We recorded resting-state EEG activity with 64 electrodes, placed in a 10-10 system in 26 patients with a primary SFD, 23 patients with a major depressive disorder and 25 healthy control participants. The groups did not differ in FAA. Nevertheless, across all participants, less relative left frontal activity was associated with chronic stress and depression symptoms. We concluded that FAA may not serve as an indicator of SFDs. As the relationship of FAA and depressive symptoms was fully mediated by chronic stress, future studies have to clarify whether the association between FAA and chronic stress may represent a shared underlying factor for the manifestation of mental health complaints, such as depression.

Is there evidence for the asymmetrical transfer of strength to an untrained limb?

PURPOSE: The literature predominantly addresses cross-education of strength in the dominant limb rather than the non-dominant limb, guided by the hypothesis of an asymmetrical transfer of strength from unilateral training protocols. The purpose of the study was to review the literature and determine how much evidence was available to support this claim. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the magnitude of this hypothesized asymmetrical transfer of strength. METHODS: A literature search of all possible records was implemented using Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Scopus from February 2022 to May 2022. Comparison of randomized controlled trials was computed. The change scores and standard deviations of those change scores were extracted for each group. Only three studies met the criteria, from which a total of five effect sizes were extracted and further analyzed. RESULTS: The overall effect of resistance training of the dominant limb on strength transfer to the non-dominant limb relative to the effects of resistance training the non-dominant limb on strength transfer to the dominant (non-training) limb was 0.46 (SE 0.42). The analysis from this study resulted in minimal support for the asymmetry hypothesis. Given the small number of studies available, we provide the effect but note that the estimate is unlikely to be stable. CONCLUSION: Although it is repeatedly stated that there is an asymmetrical transfer of strength, our results find little support for that claim. This is not to say that it does not exist, but additional research implementing a control group and a direct comparison between limbs is needed to better understand this question.

Otolith morphogenesis during the early life stages of fish is temperature-dependent: Validation by experimental approach applied to European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

Otolith shape is often used as a tool in fish stock identification. The goal of this study was to experimentally assess the influence of changing temperature and ontogenic evolution on the shape component of the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) otolith during early-life stages. A total of 1079 individuals were reared in a water temperature of 16°C up to 232 days post hatch (dph). During this experiment, several specimens were transferred into tanks with a water temperature of 21°C to obtain at the end of this study four different temperature treatments, each with varying ratios between the number of days at 16 and 21°C. To evaluate the otolith morphogenesis, samples were examined at 43, 72, 86 and 100 dph. The evolution of normalized otolith shape from hatching up to 100 dph showed that there were two main successive changes. First, faster growth in the antero-posterior axis than in the dorso-ventral axis changed the circular-shaped otolith from that observed at hatching and, second, increasing the complexity relating to the area between the rostrum and the anti-rostrum. To test the effect of changing temperature, growing degree-day was used in three linear mixed-effect models. Otolith morphogenesis was positively correlated to growing degree-day, but was also dependent on temperature level. Otolith shape is influenced by environmental factors, particularly temperature, making it an efficient tool for fish stock identification.

Novel patient-specific helical maxillary distractor: an in vitro feasibility study.

At present, stock linear distractors are used for internal maxillary distraction osteogenesis. However, the authors' research group has demonstrated, through an in silico analysis, that linear distraction leads to bone deformities and malocclusion, whereas helical distraction can yield ideal outcomes. A system for designing and manufacturing custom helical distractors has recently been developed, and the feasibility of these appliances now needs to be assessed. This study was, therefore, conducted to gain an initial insight into their feasibility. The study had two goals. First, it aimed to demonstrate, in an in vitro model, that the novel system of custom helical distraction can produce appropriate clinical outcomes. The second aim was to compare the performance of custom helical distractors with that of stock devices and hybrid devices (i.e., linear appliances that feature patient-specific footplates). Interpreting the results as trends, this study showed that the system of custom helical distraction resulted in in vitro outcomes that were superior to those obtained with stock and hybrid devices.

Frontal P300 asymmetry and congruence judgment: Retroactive switching is impaired during school day mornings in female adolescents.

Investigating frontal EEG asymmetry as a possible biomarker of cognitive control abilities is especially important in ecological contexts such as school and work. We used a novel approach combining judgment performance and hemispheric frontal event-related potential (ERP) P300 asymmetry (fP3As) to evaluate aspects of cognitive control (i.e., repetition and switching) in adolescent females over a two-week ordinary school period. While undergoing electroencephalographic recording, students performed a word-colour "Stroop-like" congruence judgment task during morning and afternoon sessions, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Proportion of incongruence and congruence trials was 75% and 25%, respectively. ERP analysis revealed larger "novelty" right hemispheric fP3As amplitude for infrequent congruence but equivalent or significantly smaller than left hemispheric fP3As amplitude for frequent incongruence. RTs increased with extent of right fP3As shift. Behaviorally, repeat trial pairs (i.e., congruent followed by congruent, incongruent followed by incongruent) generally did not differ by time or day and were associated with near-ceiling accuracy. In contrast, switch trial pairs (i.e., congruent followed by incongruent, incongruent followed by congruent) in the afternoon were slower and associated with lower accuracy at the expected 75% criterion rate (i.e., judging incongruence by default), dropping significantly below 75% in the mornings. Crucially, compared to afternoon, morning fP3As patterns did not change adaptively with switch trial pairs. Although retroactive switching during congruence judgment was affected at all testing times, we conclude it was most impaired in the mornings of both early and mid school weeks, supporting misalignment between adolescent circadian cycle and school start time. We discuss some implications for optimal learning of adolescents at school.

Frontal facial analysis of female celebrity attractiveness standards through artificial intelligence.

The contemporary significance of celebrities' facial aesthetics underscores their heightened importance in shaping attractiveness standards. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of patterns on aesthetic canons in the profile views of female celebrities, using artificial intelligence. The study sought to compare different races and propose standards for attractive faces. In this retrospective cohort study, a Python-based algorithm was used to analyze frontal patterns and evaluate their influence on aesthetic norms in publicly accessible images of female global celebrities. Ten ideal angular or proportional measures were gathered from the literature, and were trained to serve as a benchmark for the analysis of facial attractiveness. Demographic characteristics were described statistically. A one-way ANOVA test was employed to assess data distribution. Differences in means between groups were evaluated using nonparametric independent-sample tests, with statistical significance set at < 0.05. The study involved facial analyses for 115 female celebrities. It revealed variations in facial features among races. The mean golden ratio differed, with African and Asian individuals showing lower ratios. Symmetry varied, with Latin and Caucasian faces considered the most symmetrical. The zygomatic-to-mandibular width ratio was similar across races, with a ratio close to 80% being associated with more attractive faces. Differences in nose-to-mouth ratio, lips, alar base width, and chin angle were noted among race groups. The study concluded that, regardless of race, an attractive female face is characterized by specific ratios and angles. Facial symmetry, though desirable, is not strictly necessary. Irrespective of race background, an appealing female face is characterized by a zygomatic-to-mandibular width ratio nearing 80%, a mid-facial third that is slightly larger than the lower third, and a distinctive chin angle of approximately 138°, contributing to a trapezoidal facial shape. The findings contribute valuable insights into attractiveness standards and the impact of frontal patterns on aesthetic canons in female celebrities.

Congenital Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis: A Rare Cause of Facial Asymmetry in Infants.

Congenital facial infiltrating lipomatosis (CFIL) is a rare condition that typically affects the trunk and limbs, but can also occur in the face. Managing CFIL is a significant challenge due to its diffuse involvement in important facial structures. This case report aims to describe a rare form of lipomatosis and discuss the clinical and therapeutic aspects of this entity. The patient was a 5-year-old girl who was admitted to our department due to a right paralateronasal swelling that had been present for 5 months. During the physical examination, a swelling of the right nasolabial was observed. A computed tomography scan of the facial bone revealed an extra bony soft tissue mass near the vestibule of the right nostril in contact with the frontal process of the maxillary bone and the anterior wall of the right maxillary sinus. The patient underwent excision under general anesthesia. The histological report indicated congenital focal lipomatosis. There was no recurrence of swelling a year after initial surgery. Facial infiltrating lipomatosis is a rare congenital disorder in which mature lipocytes invade adjacent tissue. Due to its diffuse infiltration and involvement of important facial structures, complete surgical excision is often impossible. Specific management of this condition requires insight into its pathogenesis as surgical removal of the mass is usually unsuccessful.

Establishment of a pMCAO model in SD rats and screening for behavioral indicators suitable for long-term monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) model in rats to simulate the pathological process of stroke patients with no reperfusion. And screen highly sensitive items that could be used to detect long-term behavioral abilities in rat of intraluminal suture models. METHOD: Established the pMCAO model then tested the rats for the bilateral asymmetry, modified neurological severity score, grid-walking, cylinder, rotating, and water maze test from week 1 to week 16. RESULTS: The infarct volume of the model rats was stable (26.72% ±1.86%). The sensorimotor test of bilateral asymmetry, grid-walking, cylinder, and mNSS test showed significant differences from week 1 to week 16 after injury. The water maze test at week 16 showed significant differences in spatial exploration and learning ability between the two groups. We confirmed that there was no significant difference between MRI and TTC staining in detecting the degree of brain injury, which facilitated the diversity of subsequent detection methods. We also confirmed that at multiple time points, grid, cylinder and water maze test were significantly positively correlated with rat brain infarct volume. CONCLUSION: They are suitable for the long-term observation of behaviors in the sequela stage of stroke in rat.

Can the digital economy empower urban energy resource transition? A natural gas perspective.

The diffusion effect of the digital economy (DEN) has become increasingly prominent, but few scholars have investigated the energy transition effect of China's DEN. To this end, this study takes 207 cities in China as the research object to explore the potential role of DEN development in boosting energy resource transition (ERT). The endogeneity and asymmetry between variables are also analyzed. We find that (i) China's urban DEN and ERT show a synchronized fluctuating upward trend from 2006 to 2019; (ii) both DEN and ERT show significant positive nexus; put differently, the rapid evolution of DEN can significantly help enhance the strength of ERT; and (iii) substantial heterogeneity exists at different quantiles. In 10th and 90th quantiles, the impacts of DEN on ERT are insignificant, and both DEN and ERT exhibit significant positive linkage in 25th, 50th, and 75th quantiles. To this end, we put forward corresponding policy recommendations to boost ERT from the perspective of DEN.

Identification of a de novo PUF60 variant associated with craniofacial microsomia.

Craniofacial microsomia (CFM), also known as the oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum, is a congenital disorder characterized by hypoplasia of the mandible and external ear due to tissue malformations originating from the first and second branchial arches. However, distinguishing it from other syndromes of branchial arch abnormalities is difficult, and causal variants remain unidentified in many cases. In this report, we performed an exome sequencing analysis of a Brazilian family with CFM. The proband was a 12-month-old boy with clinical findings consistent with the diagnostic criteria for CFM, including unilateral mandibular hypoplasia, microtia, and external auditory canal abnormalities. A heterozygous de novo nonsense variant (c.713C>G, p.S238*) in PUF60 was identified, which was predicted to be pathogenic in silico. PUF60 has been reported as a causal gene in Verheij syndrome, but not in CFM. Although the boy showed craniofacial abnormalities and developmental delay that overlapped with Verheij syndrome, the facial asymmetry with unilateral hypoplasia of the mandible observed in this case did not match the previously reported phenotypes of PUF60 variants. Our findings expand the phenotypic range of PUF60 variants that cover CFM and Verheij syndrome.

Gait asymmetry and symptom laterality in Parkinson's disease: two of a kind?

BACKGROUND: The laterality of motor symptoms is considered a key feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we investigated whether gait and turning asymmetry coincided with symptom laterality as determined by the MDS-UPRDS part III and whether it was increased compared to healthy controls (HC). METHODS: We analyzed the asymmetry of gait and turning with and without a cognitive dual task (DT) using motion capture systems and wearable sensors in 97 PD patients mostly from Hoehn & Yahr stage II and III and 36 age-matched HC. We also assessed motor symptom asymmetry using the bilateral sub-items of the MDS-UPDRS-III. Finally, we examined the strength of the association between gait asymmetry and symptom laterality. RESULTS: Participants with PD had increased gait but not more turning asymmetry compared to HC (p < 0.05). Only 53.7% of patients had a shorter step length on the more affected body side as determined by the MDS-UPDRS-III. Also, 54% took more time and 29% more steps during turns toward the more affected side. The degree of asymmetry in the different domains did not correlate with each other and was not influenced by DT-load. CONCLUSIONS: We found a striking mismatch between the side and the degree of asymmetry in different motor domains, i.e., in gait, turning, and distal symptom severity in individuals with PD. We speculate that motor execution in different body parts relies on different neural control mechanisms. Our findings warrant further investigation to understand the complexity of gait asymmetry in PD.

Frontal Theta Asymmetry may be a new target for reducing the severity of depression and improving cognitive function in depressed patients.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of depressive disorder is increasing due to a variety of factors, which brings a huge strain on individuals, families and society. This study aims to investigate whether there is Frontal Theta Asymmetry (FTA) in depressed patients, and whether FTAs are related to depression severity and cognitive function changes in depressed patients. METHODS: Participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Socio-demographic data of each participant were recorded. Zung's self-rating Depression Scale was used to assess the depression status of participants. P300 was used to evaluate the cognitive function of participants. EEG data from participants were collected by the NeuroScan SynAmps RT EEG system. t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Chi-square test were used to detect the differences of different variables between the two groups. Multiple linear regression analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to analyze relationships between FTAs in different regions and participants' depression status and cognitive function. RESULTS: A total of 66 depressed participants and 47 healthy control participants were included in this study. The theta spectral power of the left frontal lobe was slightly stronger than that of the right frontal lobe in the depression group, while the opposite was true in the healthy control group. The FTA in F3/F4 had certain effects on the emergence of depression in participants, the emergence of depression in participants and Changes in cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS: FTAs are helpful to assess the severity of depression and early identify cognitive impairment in patients with depression.

Sparse Asymmetry in Locus Coeruleus Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease.

 Tau accumulation in and neurodegeneration of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons is observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated whether tangle and neuronal density in the rostral and caudal LC is characterized by an asymmetric pattern in 77 autopsy cases of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. We found left-right equivalence for tangle density across individuals with and without AD pathology. However, neuronal density, particularly in the caudal-rostral axis of the LC, is asymmetric among individuals with AD pathology. Asymmetry in LC neuronal density may signal advanced disease progression and should be considered in AD neuroimaging studies of LC neurodegeneration.