Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a diagnostic imaging technique for cancer and cardiovascular diseases that detects magnetization signals generated by magnetic nanoparticles injected into a living body. Specifically, it detects the spatial distribution of the injected magnetic nanoparticles by forming a magnetic spatial region, termed the field-free point (FFP), where the magnetic field intensity is locally almost zero, and scans this FFP within a field of view. However, if the gradient magnetic field strength used to form the FFP and the alternative magnetic field strength applied to detect the magnetization signals are insufficient in a general MPI system, the magnetization signals detected from the magnetic nanoparticles present around the FFP will result in a decrease in the image quality. Therefore, steep-gradient magnetic fields and large-amplitude alternative magnetic fields must be formed;however, concerns exist about the large size of the equipment required and the effects of the applied magnetic field on a living body. In this study, we proposed an original“vibrating MPI system”that detects magnetization signals generated by vibrating magnetic nanoparticles without using an alternative magnetic field and measured (1) vibrating displacement using focused ultrasound and (2) magnetization signals associated with the vibrating displacement using a shaker to predict the magnitude of magnetization signals. After predicting such the magnitude of the magnetization signal, the feasibility of the proposed method was evaluated by constructing a fundamental system of vibrating MPI using focused ultrasound. The experimental results conducted using a phantom revealed that the proposed system could detect magnetization signals that could be used for image reconstruction, thereby proving the feasibility of the proposed vibrational MPI system.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive brain imaging method that measures hemodynamic responses associated with neural activity. Originating from near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), fNIRS utilizes the 700-1000 nm wavelength range to penetrate biological tissue and detect changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb). This technique is grounded in the modified Beer-Lambert law, which accounts for light scattering in tissue. fNIRS is considered safe for all age groups due to minimal thermal effects and has proven effective in both research and clinical settings. Optical Topography (OT), developed to visualize brain activation in two dimensions, allows for multichannel, real-time mapping of cerebral function. The combination of optical engineering and psychological experimental design is crucial, particularly in isolating cognitive functions using task-control paradigms. An example includes the study of language-related brain activity during word retrieval and writing tasks. Clinically, fNIRS has been approved for use in diagnosing language-dominant hemispheres and epileptic foci and is now applied to the differential diagnosis of depressive symptoms. Recent studies have also explored its potential in personalized medicine, including the assessment of developmental disorders and drug efficacy. Notably, fNIRS has been successfully applied in neonatal research. A landmark study demonstrated that even newborns show significant left-hemisphere activation in response to forward-played native language speech, as opposed to reversed speech or silence. This suggests an innate neural basis for language perception. These findings provide foundational evidence supporting the role of biological predispositions in language acquisition and contribute to the broader understanding of neurodevelopment.

This article provides an overview of the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). It also discusses the specific points important towards inclusion in PubMed Central (PMC), and outlines recent revisions to the ICMJE recommendations along with the broader trends in scholarly publishing that underlie those changes.