Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sung melody enhances verbal learning and recall after stroke

Coupling novel verbal material with a musical melody can potentially aid in its learning and recall in healthy subjects, but this has never been systematically studied in stroke patients with cognitive deficits. In a counterbalanced design, we presented novel verbal material (short narrative stories) in both spoken and sung formats to stroke patients at the acute poststroke stage and 6 months poststroke. The task comprised three learning trials and a delayed recall trial. Memory performance on the spoken and sung tasks did not differ at the acute stage, whereas sung stories were learned and recalled significantly better compared with spoken stories at the 6 months poststroke stage. Interestingly, this pattern of results was evident especially in patients with mild aphasia, in whom the learning of sung versus spoken stories improved more from the acute to the 6‐month stages compared with nonaphasic patients. Overall, these findings suggest that singing could be used as a mnemonic aid in the learning of novel verbal material in later stages of recovery after stroke.
Lateral Load Response of Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beam-to-Column Joints

Two test series were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Manual guidelines for the repair and strengthening of beam column joints damaged by severe earthquakes. Two exterior reinforced concrete subassemblages (M1 and M2) were subjected to a series of cyclic lateral loads to simulate severe earthquake damage. The specimens were then repaired and strengthened by jacketing according to UNIDO Manual guidelines. The strengthened specimens RM1 and RM2 were then subjected to the same load history as was imposed on the original test specimens M1 and M2.The repaired and strengthened specimens exhibited higher strength, greater stiffness, and better energy dissipation capacity than the original specimens.
Pair-Rule Gene Orthologues Have Unexpected Maternal Roles in the Honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Pair-rule genes are a class of segmentation genes first identified in Drosophila melanogaster. In Drosophila, these genes act to translate non-periodic information produced by the overlapping patterns of gap gene expression into patterns of gene expression in every other segment. While pair-rule genes are, for the most part, conserved in metazoans, their function in pair-rule patterning is not. Many of these genes do, however, regulate segmentation in arthropods and do so with dual-segment periodicity. Here we examine the expression and function of honeybee orthologues of Drosophila pair-rule genes. Knockdown of the expression of these genes leads to extensive patterning defects, implying that they act in early patterning, as well as segmentation in honeybee embryos. We show that these pair-rule gene orthologues indeed regulate the expression of honeybee maternal and gap genes implying roles in maternal patterning of the honeybee embryo.
Synovial Fluid Profile at the Time of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Its Association With Cartilage Matrix Composition 3 Years After Surgery

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament tears can lead to posttraumatic osteoarthritis. In addition to biomechanical factors, changes in biochemical profiles within the knee joint after injury and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) may play a role in accelerating joint degeneration. Hypothesis/Purpose: It was hypothesized that cartilage matrix composition after ACLR is associated with the degree of inflammatory response after initial injury. This study evaluated the association between the inflammatory response after injury—as indicated by cytokine, metalloproteinase, and cartilage degradation marker concentrations in synovial fluid—and articular cartilage degeneration, measured by T1ρ and T2 quantitative magnetic resonance imaging up to 3 years after ACLR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Twenty-six subjects from a longitudinal cohort study who underwent ACLR at a mean 8.5 weeks after injury (range, 4-19 weeks) had synovial fluid aspirated at the time of surgery. Immunoassays quantified biomarkers in synovial fluid. T1ρ and T2 values of articular cartilage were calculated with magnetic resonance scans acquired prior to surgery and at 6 months and 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated among the various biomarkers. K-means clustering was used to group subjects with similar biomarker profiles. Generalized estimating equations were used to find the overall differences in T1ρ and T2 values throughout these first 3 years after surgery between the clusters while controlling for other factors. Results: Significant and strong correlations were observed between several cytokines (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor α) and 2 matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and MMP-3) (P < .05). Moderate correlations were found among combinations of C-terminal crosslinked telopeptide type II collagen, N-terminal telopeptide, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (P < .05). Two clusters were generated, 1 of which was characterized by lower concentrations of cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor α) and MMP-1 and MMP-3 and higher sulfated glycosaminoglycan. This cluster was associated with significantly higher T1ρ and T2 values in the medial tibial and patellar cartilage over the first 3 years after ACLR. Conclusion: At the time of ACLR surgery, profiles of synovial fluid inflammatory cytokines, degradative enzymes, and cartilage breakdown products show promise as predictors of abnormal cartilage tissue integrity (increased T1ρ and T2 values) throughout the first 3 years after surgery. Clinical Relevance: The results suggest an intricate relationship between inflammation and cartilage turnover, which can in turn be influenced by timing after injury and patient factors.
Comparision of Gingival and Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Based on Its Modulus and Neuronal Differentiation

The availability of Human Umbilical Cord‐derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HUCMSCs) from a single sex being a major limitation for the utilization of a potential stem cell, it is highly desirable to utilize, an autogenous pluripotent cell with desirable biological and mechanical properties in clinical situations. Comparison of Human Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HGMSCs) with HUCMSCs demonstrates; MSCs derived from gingiva have higher proliferation rate and higher population doubling time than Umbilical Cord. Unlike HUCMSCs, immunofluorescence studies showed the presence of pluripotency markers OCT‐4 and NANOG predominantly in the cytoplasm of HGMSCs which was confirmed by Western blot. The mechanical property, such as modulus of elasticity of HGMSCs, is on par with HUCMSCs, but the surface roughness found to be lesser in HGMSCs, which may suggest HGMSCs greater adhesive property to the extracellular matrix. There is a marginal difference in the neuronal differentiation rate between HGMSCs and HUCMSCs; both the cells expressed positivity for several neuronal lineage markers. Hence, HGMSCs represent an autogenous source of mesenchymal stem cells, which are easy to procure with least morbidity, multipotent in nature with desirable biological, and mechanical properties, probably an ideal candidate for clinical applications. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2000–2008, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Dose and Dose-Rate Effects of Paternal Irradiation on Transgenerational Instability in Mice: A Radiotherapy Connection

The non-targeted effects of human exposure to ionising radiation, including transgenerational instability manifesting in the children of irradiated parents, remains poorly understood. Employing a mouse model, we have analysed whether low-dose acute or low-dose-rate chronic paternal γ-irradiation can destabilise the genomes of their first-generation offspring. Using single-molecule PCR, the frequency of mutation at the mouse expanded simple tandem repeat (ESTR) locus Ms6-hm was established in DNA samples extracted from sperm of directly exposed BALB/c male mice, as well as from sperm and the brain of their first-generation offspring. For acute γ-irradiation from 10–100 cGy a linear dose-response for ESTR mutation induction was found in the germ line of directly exposed mice, with a doubling dose of 57 cGy. The mutagenicity of acute exposure to 100 cGy was more pronounced than that for chronic low-dose-rate irradiation. The analysis of transgenerational effects of paternal irradiation revealed that ESTR mutation frequencies were equally elevated in the germ line (sperm) and brain of the offspring of fathers exposed to 50 and 100 cGy of acute γ-rays. In contrast, neither paternal acute irradiation at lower doses (10–25 cGy), nor low-dose-rate exposure to 100 cGy affected stability of their offspring. Our data imply that the manifestation of transgenerational instability is triggered by a threshold dose of acute paternal irradiation. The results of our study also suggest that most doses of human exposure to ionising radiation, including radiotherapy regimens, may be unlikely to result in transgenerational instability in the offspring children of irradiated fathers.
Hippocampal activation of microglia may underlie the shared neurobiology of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain

The high comorbidity rates of posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain have been widely reported, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Emerging evidence suggested that an excess of inflammatory immune activities in the hippocampus involved in the progression of both posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. Considering that microglia are substrates underlying the initiation and propagation of the neuroimmune response, we hypothesized that stress-induced activation of hippocampal microglia may contribute to the pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder-pain comorbidity. We showed that rats exposed to single prolonged stress, an established posttraumatic stress disorder model, exhibited persistent mechanical allodynia and anxiety-like behavior, which were accompanied by increased activation of microglia and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus. Correlation analyses showed that hippocampal activation of microglia was significantly correlated with mechanical allodynia and anxiety-like behavior. Our data also showed that both intraperitoneal and intra-hippocampal injection of minocycline suppressed single prolonged stress-induced microglia activation and inflammatory cytokines accumulation in the hippocampus, and attenuated both single prolonged stress-induced mechanical allodynia and anxiety-like behavior. Taken together, the present study suggests that stress-induced microglia activation in the hippocampus may serve as a critical mechanistic link in the comorbid relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. The novel concept introduces the possibility of cotreating chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Flowtaxis of osteoblast migration under fluid shear and the effect of RhoA kinase silencing

Despite the important role of mechanical signals in bone remodeling, relatively little is known about how fluid shear affects osteoblastic cell migration behavior. Here we demonstrated that MC3T3-E1 osteoblast migration could be activated by physiologically-relevant levels of fluid shear in a shear stress-dependent manner. Interestingly, shear-sensitive osteoblast migration behavior was prominent only during the initial period after the onset of the steady flow (for about 30 min), exhibiting shear stress-dependent migration speed, displacement, arrest coefficient, and motility coefficient. For example, cell speed at 1 min was 0.28, 0.47, 0.51, and 0.84 μm min-1 for static, 2, 15, and 25 dyne cm-2 shear stress, respectively. Arrest coefficient (measuring how often cells are paused during migration) assessed for the first 30 min was 0.40, 0.26, 0.24, and 0.12 respectively for static, 2, 15, and 25 dyne cm-2. After this initial period, osteoblasts under steady flow showed decreased migration capacity and diminished shear stress dependency. Molecular interference of RhoA kinase (ROCK), a regulator of cytoskeletal tension signaling, was found to increase the shear-sensitive window beyond the initial period. Cells with ROCK-shRNA had increased migration in the flow direction and continued shear sensitivity, resulting in greater root mean square displacement at the end of 120 min of measurement. It is notable that the transient osteoblast migration behavior was in sharp contrast to mesenchymal stem cells that exhibited sustained shear sensitivity (as we recently reported, J. R. Soc. Interface. 2015; 12:20141351). The study of fluid shear as a driving force for cell migration, i.e., “flowtaxis”, and investigation of molecular mechanosensors governing such behavior (e.g., ROCK as tested in this study) may provide new and improved insights into the fundamental understanding of cell migration-based homeostasis.
In vitro synergistic activities of cefazolin and nisin A against mastitis pathogens

First-generation cephalosporins such as cefazolin (CEZ) have been widely used for mastitis treatment in dairy cattle. However, the use of antibiotics results in the presence of antibiotic residues in milk, which is used for human consumption. Nisin A, a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis, has been used as a broad-spectrum food preservative for over 50 years. Therefore, a combination of CEZ and nisin A might provide an extended activity spectrum against mastitis pathogens and reduce the antibiotic dose for mastitis treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the combined effect of CEZ and nisin A against mastitis pathogens using the checkerboard and time-kill assays. In the checkerboard assay, the CEZ-nisin A combination exhibited a synergistic effect against Staphylococcus aureus (n=20/20) and Enterococcus faecalis (n=13/18), and meanwhile exhibited a mostly additive effect against Staphylococcus intermedius (n=12/20), Streptococcus agalactiae (n=10/10), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (n=18/18), and Escherichia coli (n=14/18). There were no indifferent or antagonistic effects between CEZ and nisin A. In the time-kill assay, the CEZ-nisin A combination at 0.5 × or 1 × minimum inhibitory concentration exhibited synergistic reduction of bacterial growth by over 3 log10 colony forming units per ml relative to that observed with either antimicrobial substance alone. These results suggest that the CEZ-nisin A combination can be used for developing an intramammary infusion for mastitis treatment, with lower antibiotic concentrations than normal.
Treatment redirection from cure to palliation, then cure again?-a cautious, but urgent matter.

In general, advanced lung cancers that have been either diagnosed initially as systemic metastatic disease or recurrent after curative-intended surgical resection are regarded as palliative conditions with low probabilities of long-term survival. However, post-recurrence survival (PRS) for patients has gained recent attention, because encouraging new treatments, such as target-directed therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, have provided better long-term survival and quality of life in selected patients with recurrent or metastatic diseases (1-3). There have been several studies of PRS after curative resection in patients with early stage lung cancer. A series of studies from Taiwan were examples, which claimed that both complete surgical resection for local recurrent disease and systemic treatment for distant failure significantly prolong PRS (4,5). However, in these investigations, the cumulative probability of PRS was less than 10%, regardless of the recurrence pattern, and thus the radical local control has generally not been recommended, except for very uncommon cases.
Why Do Children Abuse Robots?

We found that children sometimes abuse a social robot in a hallway of a shopping mall. They spoke bad words, repeatedly obstructed the robot's path, and sometimes even kicked and punched the robot. To investigate why they abused it, we conducted a field study, in which we let visiting children freely interact with the robot, and interviewed when they engaged in a serious abusive behavior including physical contacts. In total, we obtained valid interviews from twenty-three children over 13 days of observations. They are aged between five and nine. Adults and older children were rarely involved. We interviewed them to know whether they perceived the robot as human-like others, why they abused it, and whether they thought that the robot would suffer from their abusive behavior. We found that 1) the majority of the children abused because they were curious about the robot's reactions or enjoyed abusing it while considering it as human-like, and 2) about half of the children believed in the capability of the robot to perceive their abusive behaviors.
HNO Detection by Nanosized B12N12 Cage: A DFT/TDDFT Study

The interaction of a nitrosyl hydride (HNO) molecule with B12N12 nanocage was explored by means of density functional calculations. It was found that HNO prefers to be adsorbing on a boron atom of the cage with adsorption energy of -0.65 eV. This adsorption process significantly shifts the HOMO-LUMO gap (Eg) of the cage to lower energies, thereby reducing Eg of the cage from 6.84 to 2.45 eV. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations show a high intensity peak in 381.38 nm in the most stable complexes of HNO with B12N12. The change in electronic properties of the B12N12 nanocage on HNO adsorption is significant enough to consider it a potential sensor for HNO detection.
First trimester uterine artery Doppler, sFlt-1 and PlGF to predict preeclampsia in a high-risk population

Abstract Objective: The study aims to evaluate the accuracy of combining uterine artery Doppler (UAD), PlGF and sFlt-1 in the first trimester for preeclampsia screening. Methods: Prospectively enrolled women at high risk of preeclampsia were included. Transabdominal UAD measurements and serum biomarkers were collected between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation in three university hospitals and in one general hospital. The main outcome was preeclampsia. UAD parameters and biomarker levels among women with preeclampsia were compared with those of women in the unaffected group in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Out of 226 women included from May 2007 to January 2011, 27 (11.9%) women developed preeclampsia. Among women affected by preeclampsia, the lowest pulsatility index was higher (p = 0.02), bilateral notching was more frequent (p = 0.01), and PlGF was lower (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed for other indicators. The multivariate model, adjusted for laboratory and sonographic indicators, had an area under the curve (AUC) estimated at 0.76, which was not significantly different from the AUC of the univariate model adjusted only for PlGF (p = 0.7). Conclusion: In a high-risk population, PlGF in the first trimester is useful for predicting preeclampsia, but neither sFlt-1 nor any UAD indices improved the prediction of preeclampsia.
Enteroviruses in Patients with Acute Encephalitis, Uttar Pradesh, India

An outbreak of viral encephalitis occurred in northern India in 2006. Attempts to identify an etiologic agent in cerebrospinal fluid by using reverse transcription–PCR showed positivity to enterovirus (EV) in 66 (21.6%) of 306 patients. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of PCR products from 59 (89.3%) of 66 specimens showed similarity with EV-89 and EV-76 sequences.
What 'form' does informal assessment take? A scoping review of the informal assessment literature for aphasia.

BACKGROUND Aphasia assessment is traditionally divided into formal and informal approaches. Informal assessment is useful in developing a rich understanding of the person with aphasia's performance, e.g., describing performance in the context of real-world activities, and exploring the impact of environmental and/or partner supports upon communication. However, defining 'informal assessment' is problematic and can result in clinical issues including idiosyncratic practices regarding why, when and how to apply informal assessment. AIMS To examine the extent to which the informal assessment literature can guide speech and language therapists (SLTs) in their clinical application of informal assessment for post-stroke aphasia. METHODS & PROCEDURES A scoping review methodology was used. A systematic search of electronic databases (Scopus, Embase, PyscInfo, CINAHL, Ovid Medline and AMED) gave informal assessment references between 2000 and 2017 to which title/abstract and full-text screening against inclusion criteria were applied. Data were extracted from 28 resulting documents using an extraction template with fields based on the review's purpose. MAIN CONTRIBUTION This review examines the informal assessment guidance regarding: rationale; areas of interest for informal assessment; available methods; procedural guidance; documentation; and analytical frameworks. The rationale for using informal assessment included several aspects such as gaining a 'representative' sample of the individual's language. Ten communication areas of interest were found with 13 different assessment methods. The procedural guidance for these methods varied considerably, with the exception of conversation and semi-structured interviewing. Overall, documentation guidance was limited but numerous analytical frameworks were found. CONCLUSIONS Several informal assessment methods are available to SLTs. However, information is mixed regarding when they might be used or how they might be applied in terms of their administration, documentation and analysis.
Learning Temporal Patterns of Risk in a Predator-Diverse Environment

Predation plays a major role in shaping prey behaviour. Temporal patterns of predation risk have been shown to drive daily activity and foraging patterns in prey. Yet the ability to respond to temporal patterns of predation risk in environments inhabited by highly diverse predator communities, such as rainforests and coral reefs, has received surprisingly little attention. In this study, we investigated whether juvenile marine fish, Pomacentrus moluccensis (lemon damselfish), have the ability to learn to adjust the intensity of their antipredator response to match the daily temporal patterns of predation risk they experience. Groups of lemon damselfish were exposed to one of two predictable temporal risk patterns for six days. “Morning risk” treatment prey were exposed to the odour of Cephalopholis cyanostigma (rockcod) paired with conspecific chemical alarm cues (simulating a rockcod present and feeding) during the morning, and rockcod odour only in the evening (simulating a rockcod present but not feeding). “Evening risk” treatment prey had the two stimuli presented to them in the opposite order. When tested individually for their response to rockcod odour alone, lemon damselfish from the morning risk treatment responded with a greater antipredator response intensity in the morning than in the evening. In contrast, those lemon damselfish previously exposed to the evening risk treatment subsequently responded with a greater antipredator response when tested in the evening. The results of this experiment demonstrate that P. moluccensis have the ability to learn temporal patterns of predation risk and can adjust their foraging patterns to match the threat posed by predators at a given time of day. Our results provide the first experimental demonstration of a mechanism by which prey in a complex, multi-predator environment can learn and respond to daily patterns of predation risk.