Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual reading is item specific

Abstract The grain size of orthographic representations prompted by a consistent orthography (like Spanish or Basque) increases if reading is simultaneously learned in another language with an inconsistent orthography (like French). Here, we aimed to identify item properties that trigger this grain-size accommodation in bilingual reading. Twenty-five French–Basque and 25 Spanish–Basque bilingual children attending Grade 3 read Basque words and pseudowords containing “complex” letter clusters mapping to one sound in French but several sounds in Basque or Spanish, and “simple” letter clusters mapping to the same sound structure in all three languages. Only French speaking children read “complex” Basque words faster than “simple” ones, suggesting that they accessed multi-letter “French” units to boost lexical processing. A negative complexity effect was found for pseudowords across groups. We discuss the existence of flexible cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual reading, proposing that the grain size of orthographic representations adjusts to item-specific characteristics during reading.
Trace element assessment in Neoechinorhynchus agilis (Rudolphi, 1918) (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) and its fish hosts, Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Chelon ramada (Risso, 1827) from Ichkeul Lagoon, Tunisia

Abstract Acanthocephalans belonging to the species Neoechinorhynchus agilis were collected from two mullets, Mugil cephalus and Chelon ramada from Ichkeul Lagoon in northern Tunisia. Collected parasites, as well as tissues of their hosts (muscle, liver and intestine), were analysed for trace elements (silver, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium, vanadium (V), zinc) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our results showed different accumulation patterns of trace elements in fish tissues and parasites. Among the host tissues, liver accumulated the highest metal amounts. Acanthocephalans showed Ni, Pb and V in significantly higher concentrations compared to their host's tissues. Further, the calculated bioconcentration factors demonstrated a 390-fold higher Pb accumulation in the parasite compared to fish muscle. This study is the first field survey in Tunisia dealing with elements’ uptake in parasites and their hosts. Our results corroborate the usefulness of the acanthocephalans for biomonitoring of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems and promote more research in order to understand host–parasite systems in brackish waters of the Mediterranean area.
Optimizing allogeneic grafts in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is widely used in the treatment of hematological diseases. It is well known that allogeneic grafts play a key role in predicting transplantation prognosis. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a functional part of grafts and are capable of reconstructing hematopoiesis and immunity, but purified HSCs have not been identified or isolated to date. In clinical practice, allogeneic grafts have been optimized to improve transplantation outcomes. The optimized grafts are considered to engraft successfully, reconstruct immunity rapidly, and exert a graft‐vs‐leukemia (GVL) effect without causing severe graft‐vs‐host disease (GvHD). In the last several decades, considerable efforts have been made in searching for optimized grafts based on different graft manipulation approaches and different graft sources. Currently, there is no uniform standard for optimized grafts in allogeneic transplantation. In the future, sorting out the cellular elements responsible for the effects of allo‐HSCT might be a research direction for further optimization of grafts. In this review, we propose the concept of optimized grafts and summarize the recent advances made in the process of optimizing grafts.
Deployment of a change‐level software defect prediction solution into an industrial setting

Applying change‐level software defect prediction (SDP) in practice has several challenges regarding model validation techniques, data accuracy, and prediction performance consistency. A few studies report on these challenges in an industrial context. We share our experience in integrating an SDP into an industrial context. We investigate whether an “offline” SDP could reflect its “online” (real‐life) performance, and other deployment decisions: the model re‐training process and update period. We employ an online prediction strategy by considering the actual labels of training commits at the time of prediction and compare its performance against an offline prediction. We empirically assess the online SDP's performance with various lengths of the time gap between the train and test set and model update periods. Our online SDP's performance could successfully reach its offline performance. The time gap between the train and test commits, and model update period significantly impacts the online performance by 37% and 18% in terms of probability of detection (pd), respectively. We deploy the best SDP solution (73% pd) with an 8‐month time gap and a 3‐day update period. Contextual factors may determine the model performance in practice, its consistency, and trustworthiness. As future work, we plan to investigate the reasons for fluctuations in model performance over time.
Corrigendum

Cowen SL, Davis GA, Nitz DA. Anterior cingulate neurons in the rat map anticipated effort and reward to their associated action sequences. J Neurophysiol 107: 2393–2407, 2012. First published February 8, 2012; doi:10.1152/jn.01012. 2011; http://jn.physiology. org/content/107/9/2393.full. We now publish corrections to an error identified in the original Fig. 9. We substitute the original incorrect Fig. 9 and legend with the corrected figure and legend, together with an explanation of the error, the revised conclusion, and relevant references.
An Evaluation of Current Preventative Measures Used in Equine Practice to Maintain Distal Forelimb Functionality: A Mini Review

Horses are used in a variety of equestrian disciplines predisposing them to musculoskeletal injury or disease including osteoarthritis and tendinopathy. As a result, a number of preventative measures are used within equine medicine and husbandry, ranging from therapeutic shoeing to the use of nutraceuticals. Despite their popularity and routine use evidence base and clinical outcomes are variable, bringing into question the efficacy of these prophylactic measures. In recent years a small number of studies have been performed examining the effect of specific strategies in order to quantify the preventative and protective claims such modalities have on joint and forelimb health. Few have robustly demonstrated a capacity to protect the limb by reducing inflammation, or promoting regenerative pathways. This review focusses on performance horses specifically, and the resounding theme that emerges in current research is the need for longitudinal studies to inform scientific conclusions surrounding single and multi-modal use. Furthermore, there is a requirement to prioritise evidence-based medicine to inform optimal clinical practice.
Anlotinib in Chinese Patients With Recurrent Advanced Cervical Cancer: A Prospective Single-Arm, Open-Label Phase II Trial

Objective This phase II, single-arm, prospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib in Chinese patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer (CC). Methods Patients with histologically proven recurrent or metastatic advanced CC were enrolled at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Patients received 12 mg of oral anlotinib daily before breakfast for 2 weeks of each 3-week (21 days) cycle separated by a 1-week interval. Anlotinib was administered orally until disease progression, patient withdrawal, intolerant toxicity, or death. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, and the secondary endpoints included the disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results Between September 2018 and November 2019, 41 patients were recruited. The median age was 53 years old. The histological results revealed that 82.9% of the recruited patients had squamous cell carcinoma, 14.6% had adenocarcinoma, and 2.4% had other types. At the data cutoff date, six patients were still being treated, and 35 patients had discontinued treatment. Forty (40/41, 97.5%) patients were evaluated for treatment response. The median PFS and OS was 3.2 and 9.9 months, respectively, in patients who received anlotinib treatment. The ORR was 24.4%. In addition, 34.2% (14/41) of patients were confirmed to have stable disease, and 39.0% (16/41) of patients were confirmed to have progressive disease. The DCR was 58.5%. Ten patients (10/41) had a confirmed response during the follow-up period. Most adverse events (AEs) were grade 1 or 2. High-grade AEs (grade 3) included urinary leukocyte positivity (9.8%), hematuria (4.9%), and hypertension (2.4%). Conclusion This is the first study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib in Chinese patients with recurrent or metastatic CC. Anlotinib produced durable clinical responses with manageable safety in these patients.
Infection and Immunometabolism in the Central Nervous System: A Possible Mechanistic Link Between Metabolic Imbalance and Dementia

Metabolic syndromes are frequently associated with dementia, suggesting that the dysregulation of energy metabolism can increase the risk of neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment. In addition, growing evidence suggests the link between infections and brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. The immune system and energy metabolism are in an intricate relationship. Infection triggers immune responses, which are accompanied by imbalance in cellular and organismal energy metabolism, while metabolic disorders can lead to immune dysregulation and higher infection susceptibility. In the brain, the activities of brain-resident immune cells, including microglia, are associated with their metabolic signatures, which may be affected by central nervous system (CNS) infection. Conversely, metabolic dysregulation can compromise innate immunity in the brain, leading to enhanced CNS infection susceptibility. Thus, infection and metabolic imbalance can be intertwined to each other in the etiology of brain disorders, including dementia. Insulin and leptin play pivotal roles in the regulation of immunometabolism in the CNS and periphery, and dysfunction of these signaling pathways are associated with cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, infectious complications are often comorbid with diabetes and obesity, which are characterized by insulin resistance and leptin signaling deficiency. Examples include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and periodontal disease caused by an oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. This review explores potential interactions between infectious agents and insulin and leptin signaling pathways, and discuss possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between infection, metabolic dysregulation, and brain disorders, particularly focusing on the roles of insulin and leptin.
Serotypes, Virulence-Associated Factors, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Streptococcus suis Isolates Recovered From Sick and Healthy Pigs Determined by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Streptococcus suis is ubiquitous in swine, and yet, only a small percentage of pigs become clinically ill. The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of serotypes, virulence-associated factor (VAF), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in S. suis isolates recovered from systemic (blood, meninges, spleen, and lymph node) and non-systemic (tonsil, nasal cavities, ileum, and rectum) sites of sick and healthy pigs using whole-genome sequencing. In total, 273 S. suis isolates recovered from 112 pigs (47 isolates from systemic and 136 from non-systemic sites of 65 sick pigs; 90 isolates from non-systemic sites of 47 healthy pigs) on 17 Ontario farms were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Using in silico typing, 21 serotypes were identified with serotypes 9 (13.9%) and 2 (8.4%) as the most frequent serotypes, whereas 53 (19.4%) isolates remained untypable. The relative frequency of VAF genes in isolates from systemic (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001) and non-systemic (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001) sites in sick pigs was higher compared with isolates from non-systemic sites in healthy pigs. Although many VAF genes were abundant in all isolates, three genes, including dltA [Fisher's test (FT), p < 0.001], luxS (FT, p = 0.01), and troA (FT, p = 0.02), were more prevalent in isolates recovered from systemic sites compared with non-systemic sites of pigs. Among the isolates, 98% had at least one AMR gene, and 79% had genes associated with at least four drug classes. The most frequently detected AMR genes were tetO conferring resistance to tetracycline and ermB conferring resistance to macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin. The wide distribution of VAFs genes in S. suis isolates in this study suggests that other host and environmental factors may contribute to S. suis disease development.
Addressing Patients’ Alcohol Consumption–A Population-Based Survey of Patient Experiences

Objectives: To identify the proportion of the population that had experienced that alcohol was addressed in health care the previous year, to explore experiences and perceived effects of addressing alcohol, and to investigate the proportion of risky drinkers in the population. Methods: Cross-sectional national web-based survey with 1,208 participants. Socio-demographic data, alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C), and experiences with alcohol conversations were investigated. Results: Approximately four in five respondents had visited health care the past 12 months, and one in six reported having experienced addressing alcohol. Women and older respondents were less likely to report having experienced alcohol conversations compared to other groups. Risky drinkers were not more likely to have experienced an alcohol conversation, but reported longer duration of alcohol conversations and more frequently perceived addressing alcohol as awkward or judgmental. Almost a third of respondents were classified as risky drinkers. Conclusion: The proportion experiencing addressing alcohol in routine health care is low, also among risky drinkers, and risky drinkers more frequently experienced the conversations as judgmental. More sensitive and relevant ways of addressing alcohol in health care is needed.
Runners Employ Different Strategies to Cope With Increased Speeds Based on Their Initial Strike Patterns

In this paper we examined how runners with different initial foot strike pattern (FSP) develop their pattern over increasing speeds. The foot strike index (FSI) of 47 runners [66% initially rearfoot strikers (RFS)] was measured in six speeds (2.5–5.0 ms−1), with the hypotheses that the FSI would increase (i.e., move toward the fore of the foot) in RFS strikers, but remain similar in mid- or forefoot strikers (MFS) runners. The majority of runners (77%) maintained their original FSP by increasing speed. However, we detected a significant (16.8%) decrease in the FSI in the MFS group as a function of running speed, showing changes in the running strategy, despite the absence of a shift from one FSP to another. Further, while both groups showed a decrease in contact times, we found a group by speed interaction (p < 0.001) and specifically that this decrease was lower in the MFS group with increasing running speeds. This could have implications in the metabolic energy consumption for MFS-runners, typically measured at low speeds for the assessment of running economy.
Neuromuscular Fatigue in Unimanual Handgrip Does Not Completely Affect Simultaneous Bimanual Handgrip

Simultaneous bimanual movements are not merely the sum of two unimanual movements. Here, we considered the unimanual/bimanual motor system as comprising three components: unimanual-specific, bimanual-specific, and overlapping (mobilized during both unimanual and bimanual movements). If the force-generating system controlling the same limb differs between unimanual and bimanual movements, unimanual exercise would be expected to fatigue the unimanual-specific and overlapping parts in the force-generating system but not the bimanual-specific part. Therefore, we predicted that the decrease in bimanual force generation induced by unimanual neuromuscular fatigue would be smaller than the decrease in unimanual force generation. Sixteen healthy right-handed adults performed unimanual and bimanual maximal handgrip measurements before and after a submaximal fatiguing handgrip task. In the fatigue task, participants were instructed to maintain unimanual handgrip force at 50% of their maximal handgrip force until the time to task failure. Each participant performed this task in a left-hand fatigue (LF) condition and a right-hand fatigue (RF) condition, in a random order. Although the degree of neuromuscular fatigue was comparable in both conditions, as expected, the decrease in bimanual right handgrip force was significantly smaller than those during unimanual right performance in the RF condition, but not in the LF condition. These results indicate that for the right-hand, neuromuscular fatigue in unimanual handgrip does not completely affect simultaneous bimanual handgrip. Regarding the underlying mechanisms, we propose that although neuromuscular fatigue caused by unimanual handgrip reduces the motor output of unimanual-specific and overlapping parts in the force-generating system, when simultaneous bimanual handgrip is performed, the overlapping part (which is partially fatigued) and the bimanual-specific part (which is not yet fatigued) generate motor output, thus decreasing the force reduction.
COVID-19 Mechanisms in the Human Body—What We Know So Far

More than one and a half years have elapsed since the commencement of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the world is struggling to contain it. Being caused by a previously unknown virus, in the initial period, there had been an extreme paucity of knowledge about the disease mechanisms, which hampered preventive and therapeutic measures against COVID-19. In an endeavor to understand the pathogenic mechanisms, extensive experimental studies have been conducted across the globe involving cell culture-based experiments, human tissue organoids, and animal models, targeted to various aspects of the disease, viz., viral properties, tissue tropism and organ-specific pathogenesis, involvement of physiological systems, and the human immune response against the infection. The vastly accumulated scientific knowledge on all aspects of COVID-19 has currently changed the scenario from great despair to hope. Even though spectacular progress has been made in all of these aspects, multiple knowledge gaps are remaining that need to be addressed in future studies. Moreover, multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have emerged across the globe since the onset of the first COVID-19 wave, with seemingly greater transmissibility/virulence and immune escape capabilities than the wild-type strain. In this review, we narrate the progress made since the commencement of the pandemic regarding the knowledge on COVID-19 mechanisms in the human body, including virus–host interactions, pulmonary and other systemic manifestations, immunological dysregulations, complications, host-specific vulnerability, and long-term health consequences in the survivors. Additionally, we provide a brief review of the current evidence explaining molecular mechanisms imparting greater transmissibility and virulence and immune escape capabilities to the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Prevalence and Demographic Risk Factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infections in Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) Based on Serological Assays

To address putative TB statuses of elephants and to identify and quantify potential demographic risk factors for TB, three ELISAs specific for different mycobacterial antigens (ESAT6, CFP10, MPB83) and the TB Stat-Pak assay were used as surrogate serological markers for TB infection in elephants. In view of the low number of animals of which the infected status could be confirmed (4 out of 708) Latent Class Analyses of TB serology test outcomes was used to predict the putative TB status of each of 708 elephants as positive (17.3%), inconclusive (48.7%), or negative (34%) when assessed on a population basis. Correlation between test performance of the individual assays was high between the ELISAs, but low with that of the TB Stat-Pak assay. Risk factors, assessed based on cut off values for each of the ELISAs determined by ROC analysis, included sex, BCS, age, working time, feed type, management system, camp size and region. Old age elephants were more likely to show a positive TB serology test outcome, than younger ones. Elephants working 7 h per day and the ones in good condition BCS (7–11) were less likely to be positive in TB serology testing. In addition, fewer animals in the large camp size (31–50 elephants) were found to be positive in ELISA tests, compared to elephants in the other camp sizes. In this study, the North region had the lowest percentages of elephants with positive TB test outcome, the West region and to a lesser extend the other regions showed clearly higher percentages of positive animals. Even though assays used in the present study have not been validated yet, results obtained showed promise as diagnostic or screening tests. For the diagnosis of animals suspected to be infected, the ELISA tests, once further optimized for the individual antigens, can be used in parallel. For screening of complete camps for presence or absence of infection, a single optimized ELISA test can be utilized.