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Abstract Stereotypes are not only pervasive, they can also lead to discrimination against negatively-stereotyped groups. A gender-intelligence stereotype holds that men and boys are smarter than women and girls, despite no such evidence. Developmental research suggests that even children endorse this stereotype, and negative perceptions about self-worth in girls may be a consequence. Here we tested whether the stereotype about intelligence may, instead, be rooted in facial dominance, such that faces higher in dominance are considered smarter than faces lower in dominance. Across two studies, we found that 6- to 10-year-olds used facial dominance to make intelligence judgments (Experiment 1), even under divided attention (Experiment 2). Children judged more dominant faces as smarter than less dominant faces, whether the two faces were male or female. They did not, however, judge men as smarter than women when selecting between male and female faces that were matched in dominance. What is more, there was some evidence that children considered dominant female faces to be smarter than less dominant male faces, suggesting that dominance in faces may be prioritized over face gender when intuiting intelligence. These findings contrasted with children’s judgments of niceness where both dominance, and a gender stereotype, were used to infer prosociality. Altogether, our findings provide novel evidence for an association between dominance and intelligence, which appears to predate a gender-intelligence stereotype.

Stereotypes are not only pervasive, they can also lead to discrimination against negatively-stereotyped groups. A gender-intelligence stereotype holds that men and boys are smarter than women and girls, despite no such evidence. Developmental research suggests that even children endorse this stereotype, and negative perceptions about self-worth in girls may be a consequence. Here we tested whether the stereotype about intelligence may, instead, be rooted in facial dominance, such that faces higher in dominance are considered smarter than faces lower in dominance. Across two studies, we found that 6- to 10-year-olds used facial dominance to make intelligence judgments (Experiment 1), even under divided attention (Experiment 2). Children judged more dominant faces as smarter than less dominant faces, whether the two faces were male or female. They did not, however, judge men as smarter than women when selecting between male and female faces that were matched in dominance. What is more, there was some evidence that children considered dominant female faces to be smarter than less dominant male faces, suggesting that dominance in faces may be prioritized over face gender when intuiting intelligence. These findings contrasted with children's judgments of niceness where both dominance, and a gender stereotype, were used to infer prosociality. Altogether, our findings provide novel evidence for an association between dominance and intelligence, which appears to predate a gender-intelligence stereotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We examine the energetic and neuromuscular effects of running on even (E-T) and uneven terrains (UE-T) by creating smooth and rough conditions on a standardized circuit., Methods: Ten adults (age 32.1 ± 7.6 years, body mass 62.2 ± 7 kg, height 167.5 ± 4.2 cm) ran on an 'iterative-8-shaped' path. For UE-T, solid hemispheres were fixed to a perforated mat, while for E-T, visible marks guided foot placement. Participants performed two 6-min trials on both terrains in a counterbalanced order, maintaining consistent running patterns and low-intensity speed with a metronome to guide step frequency. This ensured consistency in the timing and positioning of foot placement between the two conditions. Cardio-metabolic parameters were measured continuously, and muscle activation was recorded from six leg muscles using surface EMG., Results: The analysis showed significantly higher cardio-metabolic responses in UE-T compared to E-T, with increases in oxygen cost (+18 %), energy cost (+23 %), respiratory frequency (+7%), ventilation (+19 %), heart rate (+10 %), and RPE (+50 %) (all p < 0.05). Electromyographic activation of the tibialis anterior (+22 %) and peroneus longus (+10 %) also increased in UE-T., Conclusions: These findings indicate that running on uneven terrain demands more energy and greater activation of ankle stabilizers, as required in off-road and trail running., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Brexucabtagene autoleucel (brexu-cel) has revolutionized the treatment of patients affected by mantle cell lymphomas. In this prospective, observational multicentre study, we evaluated 106 patients, with longitudinal brexu-cel kinetics in peripheral blood monitored in 61 of them. Clinical outcomes and toxicities are consistent with previous real-world evidence studies. Notably, beyond established poor prognostic factors-such as blastoid variant and elevated lactate dehydrogenase-Bruton tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (BTKi) refractoriness and platelet count emerged as significant predictors of survival. Specifically, the 1-year overall survival was 56% in BTKi-refractory patients compared to 92% in BTKi-relapsed patients (p = 0.0001). Our study also demonstrated that in-vivo monitoring of brexu-cel expansion is feasible and correlates with progression-free survival and toxicities. Progression-free survival at 1 year was 74% in patients categorized as strong expanders, based on brexu-cel peak concentration, versus 54% in poor expanders (p = 0.02). Furthermore, in-vivo expansion helped identify a high-risk group of non-responders, those with progressive or stable disease at the 90-day post-infusion evaluation (OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.1-34, p = 0.04) characterized by dismal outcomes. When integrated with other clinical factors, monitoring brexu-cel expansion could assist in recognizing patients at high risk of early relapse., (© 2024 The Author(s). British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Anti-CD19 CAR T-cells have revolutionized outcomes in relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphomas. Long-term follow-up underscored the role of hematological toxicity in nonrelapse mortality, largely driven by infections, leading to the development of the CAR-HEMATOTOX (HT) score for predicting neutropenia. The European scientific community (EHA/EBMT) later reached a consensus, defining a new entity: immune effector cell-associated hematotoxicity (ICAHT)., Aims: To validate the ability of the HT score to predict ICAHT and survival., Methods: The CART-SIE is an ongoing multicenter prospective observational study collecting data on patients affected by B-cell lymphoma treated with commercial anti-CD19 CAR T-cells (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06339255)., Results: Since 2019 to 2024, 1002 consecutive patients were enrolled. Out of 746 patients infused, the HT score at infusion was evaluable in 389. Median age was 59 years (48-66). Patients with high HT score had greater disease burden and a greater need for bridge therapy. Patients with a HT HIGH score had a 4-fold higher risk of experiencing late ICAHT of grade≥3 (OR = 3.99, 95% CI = 1.16-13.77, P = .03). Patients with a HT HIGH score also showed lower overall response rates (ORR) and complete response rates (CRR) at 90 days (CRR at 90 days: 59% HT LOW versus 38% HT HIGH , OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.27-0.66, P = .0002; ORR at 90 days: 67% HT LOW versus 49% HT HIGH , OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.29-0.74, P = .001). Adjusted logistic models confirmed that the effect of HT score was independent from baseline characteristics. With a median follow-up of 18 months, patients with a HT HIGH score have lower OS and PFS (1-year OS: 78% HT LOW versus 62% HT HIGH , P = .0002; 1-year PFS: 49% versus 39%, P = .003). Adjusted Cox models confirmed that HT was an independent prognostic factor for OS. A high HT-score was found to be associated with higher risk of secondary primary malignancy (HR=2.8, 95% CI = 1.03-7.8, P = .04). A simplified version of HT (simpleHT), based solely on the platelet count and C-reactive protein at infusion, was calculated for 560 patients and proved significant in predicting both OS and PFS (1-year was 72% simpleHT LOW versus 37% simpleHT HIGH , P < .0001, 1-year PFS was 48% simpleHT LOW versus 22% simpleHT HIGH , P < .0001)., Conclusion: In our prospective real-world study, we validated the ability of the HT score to predict ICAHT and survival. SimpleHT identified a population at very high risk with an impaired progression free and overall survival., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

B cells have emerged as central players in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, although there is clear evidence for their involvement in cancer immunity, scanty data exist on the characterization of B cell phenotypes, bioenergetic profiles and possible interactions with T cells in the context of NSCLC. In this study, using polychromatic flow cytometry, mass cytometry, and spatial transcriptomics we explored the intricate landscape of B cell phenotypes, bioenergetics, and their interaction with T cells in NSCLC. Our analysis revealed that TME contains diverse B cell clusters, including VISTA + Bregs, with distinct metabolic and functional profiles. Target liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry confirmed the expression of VISTA on B cells. VISTA + Bregs displayed high metabolic demand and were able to produce different cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Spatial analysis showed colocalization of B cells with CD4 + /CD8 + T lymphocytes in TME. The computational analysis of intercellular communications that links ligands to target genes, performed by NicheNet, predicted B-T interactions via VISTA-PSGL-1 axis. Colocalization analyses revealed that PSGL-1 T cells and VISTA + B cells are adjacent in the TME. Notably, tumor infiltrating CD8 + T cells expressing PSGL-1 exhibited enhanced metabolism and cytotoxicity. In NSCLC patients, prediction analysis performed by PENCIL revealed the presence of an association between PSGL-1 + CD8 + T cells and VISTA + Bregs with lung recurrence. Our findings suggest a potential interaction between Bregs and T cells through the VISTA-PSGL-1 axis, that could influence NSCLC recurrence., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol was approved by the local Ethical Committes (“Area Vasta Emilia Nord”, protocol number 0018007/21; “Comitato Etico della Romagna”, protocol number 7043/2021). All participants involved in this study provided written informed consent for both sample collection and data analyses. Detailed clinical information and the analysis methods employed for each sample are reported in Supplementary Table 1. Competing interests: All authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)