Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sentence context guides phonetic retuning to speaker idiosyncrasies.

Speakers vary in their pronunciations of the sounds in their native language. Listeners use lexical knowledge to adjust their phonetic categories to speakers' idiosyncratic pronunciations. Lexical information can, however, be inconclusive or become available too late to guide this phonetic retuning. Sentence context is known to affect lexical processing, and listeners are typically more likely to categorize steps of a phonetic continuum in line with the semantic content of a sentence. In a series of experiments, we tested whether preceding sentence context can guide phonetic retuning. During a passive-listening exposure phase, English listeners heard a sound ambiguous between /s/ and /f/ spliced into the onset position of minimal word pairs (e.g., sin vs. fin). Sentence context disambiguated these minimal pairs as /s/-initial for 1 group of listeners and as /f/-initial for another group. At subsequent test, listeners categorized more steps on a /sa/-/fa/ continuum in line with their prior exposure; that is, when sentence context had disambiguated the ambiguous sound during exposure as /s/, listeners gave more /s/ responses than /f/ responses at test. These aftereffects occurred independently of whether contrastive phonemes from the respective other category were provided. No phonetic retuning was found when the disambiguating sentence contexts were replaced with neutral ones. Overall, these results provide evidence that sentence context can guide phonetic retuning, therefore expanding the usefulness of phonetic retuning as a tool for listeners to accommodate speakers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Fast-Seq: A Simple Method for Rapid and Inexpensive Validation of Packaged Single-Stranded Adeno-Associated Viral Genomes in Academic Settings

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors have shown great promise in gene delivery as evidenced by recent FDA approvals. Despite efforts to optimize manufacturing for good manufacturing practice (GMP) productions, few academic laboratories have the resources to assess vector composition. One critical component of vector quality is packaged genome fidelity. Errors in viral genome replication and packaging can result in the incorporation of faulty genomes with mutations, truncations, or rearrangements, compromising vector potency. Thus, sequence validation of packaged genome composition is an important quality control (QC), even in academic settings. We developed Fast-Seq, an end-to-end method for extraction, purification, sequencing, and data analysis of packaged single-stranded AAV (ssAAV) genomes intended for non-GMP preclinical environments. We validated Fast-Seq on ssAAV vectors with three different genome compositions (CAG-GFP, CAG-tdTomato, EF1α-FLuc), three different genome sizes (2.9, 3.6, 4.4 kb), packaged in four different capsid serotypes (AAV1, AAV2, AAV5, and AAV8), and produced using the two most common production methods (Baculovirus-Sf9 and human HEK293), from both common commercial vendors and academic core facilities supplying academic laboratories. We achieved an average genome coverage of >1,400 × and an average inverted terminal repeat coverage of >280 × , despite the many differences in composition of each ssAAV sample. When compared with other ssAAV next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for GMP settings, Fast-Seq has several unique advantages: Tn5 transposase-based fragmentation rather than sonication, 125 × less input DNA, simpler adapter ligation, compatibility with commonly available inexpensive sequencing instruments, and free open-source data analysis code in a preassembled customizable Docker container designed for novices. Fast-Seq can be completed in 18 h, is more cost-effective than other NGS methods, and is more accurate than Sanger sequencing, which is generally only applied at 1–2 × sequencing depth. Fast-Seq is a rapid, simple, and inexpensive methodology to validate packaged ssAAV genomes in academic settings.
The Fml1-MHF complex suppresses inter-fork strand annealing in fission yeast

Previously we reported that a process called inter-fork strand annealing (IFSA) causes genomic deletions during the termination of DNA replication when an active replication fork converges on a collapsed fork (Morrow et al., 2017). We also identified the FANCM-related DNA helicase Fml1 as a potential suppressor of IFSA. Here, we confirm that Fml1 does indeed suppress IFSA, and show that this function depends on its catalytic activity and ability to interact with Mhf1-Mhf2 via its C-terminal domain. Finally, a plausible mechanism of IFSA suppression is demonstrated by the finding that Fml1 can catalyse regressed fork restoration in vitro.
In vitro thermal adaptation of mesophilic Acetobacter pasteurianus NBRC 3283 generates thermotolerant strains with evolutionary trade-offs

ABSTRACT Thermotolerant strains are critical for low-cost high temperature fermentation. In this study, we carried out the thermal adaptation of A. pasteurianus IFO 3283–32 under acetic acid fermentation conditions using an experimental evolution approach from 37ºC to 40ºC. The adapted strain exhibited an increased growth and acetic acid fermentation ability at high temperatures, however, with the trade-off response of the opposite phenotype at low temperatures. Genome analysis followed by PCR sequencing showed that the most adapted strain had 11 mutations, a single 64-kb large deletion, and a single plasmid loss. Comparative phenotypic analysis showed that at least the large deletion (containing many ribosomal RNAs and tRNAs genes) and a mutation of DNA polymerase (one of the 11 mutations) critically contributed to this thermotolerance. The relationship between the phenotypic changes and the gene mutations are discussed, comparing with another thermally adapted A. pasteurianus strains obtained previously. Graphic abstract In vitro thermal adaption of mesophilic Acetic Acid Bacteria generates thermally adapted strains exhibiting both thermotolerance and trade-off response
A comes before B, like 1 comes before 2. Is the parietal cortex sensitive to ordinal relationships in both numbers and letters? An fMRI‐adaptation study

How are number symbols (e.g., Arabic digits) represented in the brain? Functional resonance imaging adaptation (fMRI‐A) research has indicated that the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) exhibits a decrease in activation with the repeated presentation of the same number, that is followed by a rebound effect with the presentation of a new number. This rebound effect is modulated by the numerical ratio or difference between presented numbers. It has been suggested that this ratio‐dependent rebound effect is reflective of a link between the symbolic numerical representation system and an approximate magnitude system. Experiment 1 used fMRI‐A to investigate an alternative hypothesis: that the rebound effect observed in the IPS is related to the ordinal relationships between symbols (e.g., 3 comes before 4; C after B). In Experiment 1, adult participants exhibited the predicted distance‐dependent parametric rebound effect bilaterally in the IPS for number symbols during a number adaptation task, however, the same effect was not found anywhere in the brain in response to letters. When numbers were contrasted with letters (numbers > letters), the left intraparietal lobule remained significant. Experiment 2 demonstrated that letter stimuli used in Experiment 1 generated a behavioral distance effect during an active ordinality task, despite the lack of a neural distance effect using fMRI‐A. The current study does not support the hypothesis that general ordinal mechanisms underpin the neural parametric recovery effect in the IPS in response to number symbols. Additional research is needed to further our understanding of mechanisms underlying symbolic numerical representation in the brain.
Real-world experience with the IUB Ballerine MIDI copper IUD: an observational, single-centre study in Israel

Abstract Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the acceptability of the intrauterine ball IUB Ballerine MIDI copper intrauterine device (IUD), using real-world data collected from users and physicians in Israel. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, conducted in a single clinic in Israel, healthy women (n = 175) who had had the device inserted ≥12 months prior to enrolment, and their physician, completed questionnaires relating to device insertion, user experience and performance. Results: The mean age at insertion was 32.8 ± 6.7 years; most women were married (80.6%) and multigravid (89.1%). At the time of the study, 131 (74.9%) women were still using the device; in 13 cases (7.4%), premature removal was due to desire to conceive. The 12 month continuation rate, excluding the women seeking to conceive, was 90.1%. The expulsion rate was 3.4% (n = 6) and the pregnancy rate was 0.57% (n = 1). Most of the women still using the device reported no to moderate pain or cramps (90.0%) and moderate to high (72.6%) satisfaction with the device; 76.3% said they would recommend it to friends and relatives. Most of the insertion procedures (86.9%) were uneventful and none required cervical dilation. Conclusion: The IUB Ballerine MIDI raised no major safety concerns and was both effective and highly accepted in a cohort of women, covering a broad age range, treated in a gynaecology clinic in Israel.
Predictive value of immunohistochemical markers of invasive breast cancer, such as estrogen, progesterone receptors, HER-2, and CK5/6, in young Egyptian women with BRCA1 mutation

Background Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death in women and is increasing in incidence. Although this tumor generally appears in sporadic form, between 5 and 10% of cases can be considered hereditary, attributable to inherited mutations in several susceptibility genes. However, evidence on the effect of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) or BRCA2 mutation on prognosis is inconsistent. Materials and methods Sixty Egyptian women under the age of 40 years were studied. Archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues were obtained from pathology files. The histopathology and grade of the tumor were assessed. Immunohistochemical study and RNA extraction were also performed. Cells from the MCF-7 cell line grown in Roswell medium and known to express BRCA1 were processed in paraffin and used as positive controls for both immunohistochemical analysis and real-time reverse transcription-PCR. A study was performed to compare the expression of prognostically meaningful immunohistochemical markers such as estrogen receptors, progesterone receptor, HER-2, and CK5/6 in tumor cells of young female patients with breast cancer with or without mutation in the BRCA1 gene. Results Alteration in BRCA1 mRNA expression was found in 40% of cases. A positive relationship was demonstrated between lack of BRCA1 expression and high histological grade, negative estrogen and progesterone receptor status, and overexpression of HER-2 in breast cancer tissues. Conclusion The study demonstrated an inverse relationship between BRCA1 expression and parameters that determine poor prognosis in breast cancer.
Examining the Occupational Therapy Definition of Self-Care: A Scoping Review

Abstract Self-care practices such as exercise and meditation are commonly identified as strategies to address stress and chronic disease. However, in occupational therapy, the term self-care has traditionally referred to basic activities of daily living (ADL), potentially limiting the profession’s ability to promote wellness among clients. This scoping review aimed to clarify how the term self-care has been used in select occupational therapy literature. We found that of 1,254 included articles, 54.9% use the term self-care ambiguously and that authors primarily apply the term to basic ADL. This understanding contrasts with the evidence from the wellness literature and the concept’s use by the general population and other health professions. Findings serve as a call to redefine the term self-care to articulate clearly the profession’s value in promoting population health and well-being.
Melatonin does not produce sedation in rats: A chronobiological study

ABSTRACT Background: Melatonin has been associated with a wide variety of cellular, neuroendocrine, and neurophysiological processes. Clinical studies have reported the use of melatonin as an agent that exerts sedative-hypnotic effects. However, evidence of the sedative-hypnotic effects of different doses of melatonin is inconsistent, and available data regarding its night/day-time sedative effects are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of melatonin administered at different times of day on the magnitude of the sedative-hypnotic activity of different melatonin doses (5, 10, 30, and 50 mg/kg) in rats. Methods: Sedation was assessed in Wistar rats behaviorally, using rota-rod, spontaneous locomotor activity, and fixed-bar tests at different times of day (ZT4, ZT10, ZT16, and ZT22). Results: Our results showed that, compared to trazodone, acute and chronic dosing of ≤5 mg melatonin produced mild, transient sedative effects, mainly in the light period. Nevertheless, doses of ≥10 mg/kg did not cause sustained sedative effects. Conclusion: These results suggest that melatonin may be used for sedation induction, mainly in preoperative patients.
Age differences in cancer-related stress, spontaneous emotion regulation, and emotional distress

Abstract Objectives Cancer risk increases with age, cancer-related stress is common and devastating to mental health of patients, yet little work has explored age differences in cancer-related stress. This study investigated sources of stress related to cancer diagnosis and treatment and its association with age and emotional health. Though not an a priori aim of the study, adaptive strategies mentioned within discussions of stress—which we classify as spontaneous emotion regulation (ER) — were also investigated. Method Participants (N = 147, aged 27–88) recruited from the VA (98% male) with oral-digestive cancers participated in semi-structured interviews regarding sources of stress 6-months post-diagnosis (T1) and treatment-related stress at 12-months post-diagnosis (T2). Patients also reported their emotional distress at T2 via the PROMIS-29. Inductive content analysis was used to classify sources of stress and ER into semantic themes and relative frequencies. Results The greatest source of stress at diagnosis was psychological; physical symptoms were the greatest source of stress at treatment. Older adults less frequently reported psychological uncertainty, social stress, and situational stress, whereas age groups reported similar rates of physical stress. When describing stress, older adults more often made spontaneous references to emotion regulation (ER). Across age groups, those who reported stress without ER in qualitative comments had higher emotional distress on the PROMIS-29 than those reporting stress with ER or no stress. Conclusion ER may be key to psychological adjustment to cancer, especially in later-life. implications for assessment of stress at pivotal visits and mental health referral are discussed.
Life in the lumen: The multivesicular endosome

The late endosomes/endo‐lysosomes of vertebrates contain an atypical phospholipid, lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA) (also termed bis[monoacylglycero]phosphate [BMP]), which is not detected elsewhere in the cell. LBPA is abundant in the membrane system present in the lumen of this compartment, including intralumenal vesicles (ILVs). In this review, the current knowledge on LBPA and LBPA‐containing membranes will be summarized, and their role in the control of endosomal cholesterol will be outlined. Some speculations will also be made on how this system may be overwhelmed in the cholesterol storage disorder Niemann‐Pick C. Then, the roles of intralumenal membranes in endo‐lysosomal dynamics and functions will be discussed in broader terms. Likewise, the mechanisms that drive the biogenesis of intralumenal membranes, including ESCRTs, will also be discussed, as well as their diverse composition and fate, including degradation in lysosomes and secretion as exosomes. This review will also discuss how intralumenal membranes are hijacked by pathogenic agents during intoxication and infection, and what is the biochemical composition and function of the intra‐endosomal lumenal milieu. Finally, this review will allude to the size limitations imposed on intralumenal vesicle functions and speculate on the possible role of LBPA as calcium chelator in the acidic calcium stores of endo‐lysosomes.
Effect of vasti morphology on peak sprint cycling power of a human musculoskeletal simulation model.

Fascicle length of m. vastus lateralis in cyclists has been shown to correlate positively with peak sprint cycling power normalized for lean body mass. We investigated whether vasti morphology affects sprint cycling power via the force‑length and force‑velocity relationships. We simulated isokinetic sprint cycling at pedaling rates ranging from 40 to 150 rpm with a forward dynamic model of the human musculoskeletal system actuated by eight leg muscles. Input of the model was muscle stimulation over time, which was optimized to maximize the average power output over a pedal cycle. This was done for a reference model and for models in which the vasti had equal volume but different morphology. It was found that models with longer muscle fibers but reduced physiological cross-sectional area of the vasti produced a higher sprint cycling power. This was partly explained by better alignment of the peak power - pedaling rate curve of the vasti with the corresponding curves of the other leg muscles. The highest sprint cycling power was achieved in a model in which the increase in muscle fiber length of the vasti was accompanied by a concomitant shift in optimum knee angle. It was concluded that muscle mechanics can partly explain the positive correlations between fascicle length of m. vastus lateralis and normalized peak sprint cycling power. It should be investigated whether muscle fiber length of the vasti and optimum knee angle are suitable training targets for athletes who want to concurrently improve their sprint and endurance cycling performance.
Formation of volatile organic compounds during the fermentation of maize as affected by sealing time and silage additive use

ABSTRACT The study investigated the production of volatile organic compounds during the fermentation of maize containing 26.8% dry matter (DM). Forage was ensiled without additive or treated with 2 ml/kg of a chemical silage additive (SA) containing per litre 257 g sodium benzoate, 134 g potassium sorbate and 57 g ammonium propionate, and either sealed immediately or with a delay of 24 h. During the fermentation process, DM-losses, fermentation pattern (including ethyl lactate [EL] and ethyl acetate [EA]) and yeast numbers were determined. Delayed sealing and no SA resulted in highest DM losses with significant interactions between sealing time (ST) and SA on all sampling days (p < 0.001). The effects on organic acid production were variable depending on storage length. Ethanol production was affected by ST and SA, but promptly sealed silage treated with SA had consistently the lowest concentrations. Higher ethanol content during fermentation was associated with higher DM losses, as reflected by a strongly linear, positive relationship (R2 = 0.70, p < 0.001). Compared with promptly sealed silage, the counts of yeasts were higher after delayed sealing during the first 7 d of storage (p < 0.001). Moreover, SA reduced yeast numbers compared with untreated silage (p < 0.01). EL concentrations increased throughout storage, whereas EA acetate accumulation was very rapid and intense already during the early stages of fermentation and peaked on d 34. The differences in concentrations and accumulation pattern between EL and EA, especially during the early fermentation phases, make evident that their synthesis was facilitated by different pathways and reactions, respectively.
Pharmaceutical interventions in parenteral nutrition in a tertiary hospital

Background The clinical pharmacist's main functions in parenteral nutrition (PN) in the present clinical context are to ensure the quality and safety of the solutions prepared and to verify that the composition of the nutrition is the appropriate according to the type of patient and his/her clinical situation. Pharmaceutical interventions (PIs) are made to perform these checks. Purpose The objective is to describe and to analyse the PIs made regarding the prescriptions for parenteral nutrition (PN) in a tertiary hospital. Materials and methods A prospective study of the interventions in PN was conducted (January-June 2011). The PIs were classified into five categories: time of the intervention, type of patient (adult/paediatric, beginning/continuation), sufficiency of data on the application, accuracy in the reception/shipping of the request, problems of formulation and/or compatibility and departure from the clinical recommendations. Results 1420 prescriptions for PN (780 adults and 640 children) were recorded for 250 patients (191 adults and 59 children). 99 interventions were recorded for 65 patients. 35.2% were made at the beginning of the prescription. 55.3% of the PIs were made about paediatric prescriptions corresponding to 33 patients. Regarding the kind of pharmaceutical intervention, 26.5% were made due to lack of information in the request for PN, 35% were about failures in the reception/shipping, 23.9% were to solve formulation problems and compatibility in the mixtures and in 15% departures from the clinical recommendations were detected, 11% corresponding to the detection of deviations in the composition of the formula with respect to the previous day without any justification and 4% to the detection of deviations in the maximum permitted levels of some nutrients. Conclusions Pharmaceutical interventions detected a higher frequency of prescription errors in the use of paediatric PN (55.35%). A high percentage (23.9%) of the PIs were made to solve problems in the ordering and delivery of PN solutions to the wards.