搜索结果：reading

Informed consent forms (ICFs) for clinical trials are often written above the recommended eighth-grade level. We aimed to compare the readability of original ICFs used for National Institutes of Health-funded stroke-related clinical trials with ICFs edited for readability using artificial intelligence. Publicly available ICFs associated with National Institutes of Health-funded stroke-related clinical trials were accessed through ClinicalTrials.gov (search period: inception to August 12, 2025). Using ChatGPT-4o, we created a customized Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) designed to lower the reading level to eighth grade or below while maintaining ICF content. We processed each ICF using this GPT to create edited ICFs. Standard readability metrics, including the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (primary outcome), were compared between original and edited ICFs using paired t tests or the McNemar test (cross-sectional design). We also assessed semantic similarity using the MPNet language model, which produced continuous scores from 0 (no similarity) to 1 (perfect similarity). ICFs were available for 46 stroke trials, including behavioral (n=21), device (n=15), drug (n=5), and other (n=5) intervention types. Mean reading levels were 11.52 for the original and 9.47 for the GPT-edited ICFs using the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (P<0.001). Only 1 (2%) of the original ICFs and 18 (39%) of the GPT-edited ICFs had a Flesch-Kincaid reading level at or below eighth grade (P<0.001). Both the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Gunning Fog Index favored the GPT-edited ICFs by 1 to 2 grade levels. The Flesch Reading Ease score favored the GPT-edited ICFs by about 8 points. The mean similarity score was 0.85 (SD=0.04). GPT-edited ICFs achieved a readability reduction of approximately 2 grade levels compared with the original ICFs while preserving high semantic similarity. Customized GPTs may be a useful tool to improve the readability of clinical trial ICFs.

This study investigates whether short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) are distinguishable constructs in a heterogeneous sample (N&#xa0;=&#xa0;649) of elementary school children who vary in math and reading skills. Children in grades 1, 2, and 3 (ages 6-10) were administered STM and WM tasks as well as an array of criterion (fluid intelligence, reading, and math) and process measures (naming speed, phonological coding, inhibition) at years 1 and 2. A confirmatory factor analysis and Schmid-Leiman transformation of WM and STM measures supported a combined domain general factor and specific factor model. The results also found that (1) the domain-general factor drew upon several cognitive and LTM activities besides controlled attention, (2) specific memory factors contributed independent and unique variance to the criterion measures as well as improved predictions over the common factor, and (3) measures without the interleaving processes (i.e. backward digit span, updating) share variance on a domain general factor, but not on a complex WM span factor. The results show that specific WM and STM factors each contribute significant and unique variance to children's performance on measures of fluid intelligence, reading, and math.

Informed consent (IC) documents in spine surgery frequently lack procedure-specific risk data, quantitative complication rates, and discussion of alternative treatments. These deficiencies impair patient comprehension and constitute a leading basis for malpractice litigation, with failure to obtain adequate consent frequently cited among the most common allegations in spine surgery claims. Large language models (LLM) have shown promise in generating readable consent forms, yet their output may include inaccurate statements. Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), which ground model output in a user-defined knowledge base may overcome this limitation, but have not been applied to IC document production. This study aimed to generate RAG-based personalized IC documents for elective spinal surgery and to compare their quality with standard consent forms. Standard consent forms for eight spinal procedures obtained from the national neurosurgical society served as the control group. For the study group, consent documents for the same procedures were generated using NotebookLM, a RAG platform that grounds output in user-defined sources with automatic citation. Three strategies ensured the documents were evidence-based, personalized, and readable: (1) a knowledge base combining North American Spine Society guidelines with procedure-specific literature retrieved from PubMed; (2) three patient archetypes per procedure whose clinical variables were incorporated into generation prompt; and (3) a prompt instruction targeting sixth-grade reading level. Quality was compared using the Spatz instrument, scored by three blinded evaluators. AI documents were further assessed for personalization using a four-domain rubric, content accuracy through hierarchical verification of all factual claims, and readability using Flesch indices. AI-generated documents scored significantly higher than standard forms on the modified Spatz instrument (14.75&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.35 vs. 10.17&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.69 out of 15; p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001), with 75% achieving the maximum score. Mean personalization score was 7.44/8 (93.1%). Across 661 verified factual claims, 89.0% carried automatic citations; citation accuracy was 98.1%, reporting accuracy was 99.7%, and the fabrication rate was 0.76%. Mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 7.76, with 95.8% of documents meeting the recommended reading level threshold. Inter-rater reliability was good (ICC&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.844). When grounded in a curated evidence base and guided by a structured prompt, a RAG-based system produced consent documents that were superior in content quality to standard forms, personalized to individual patient profiles, traceable to their cited sources, and written at an appropriate reading level. This workflow may reduce the effort needed to prepare appropriate IC documents while providing a verifiable disclosure record for medicolegal documentation.

We have learned much about the brain regions that support reading by measuring neuronal responses to single words, but we know little about how the brain processes multiple words simultaneously. This fMRI study fills that gap by varying the number of English words presented while holding the amount of visual stimulation constant. We adapted the "simultaneous suppression" paradigm, which has demonstrated that the response to multiple stimuli presented simultaneously is typically smaller than the sum of responses to the same stimuli presented sequentially. On each trial, participants viewed a rapid sequence of three frames. Each frame contained two character strings, most of which were pseudo-letters with visual features matched to familiar letters. The experimental conditions differed in the number of words in the sequence: zero words; one word; two words sequentially; or two words simultaneously. Behavioral task accuracy was worse for detecting two words presented simultaneously than sequentially. BOLD responses increased linearly with the number of words presented in several reading-related regions of the left hemisphere: text-selective occipito-temporal regions, the superior temporal sulcus, the intraparietal sulcus, and the inferior frontal sulcus. In all of those regions, responses did not differ between sequential and simultaneous presentation of two words. Nonetheless, the sensitivity of ventral temporal text-selective regions to the lexical frequencies of two words was attenuated by simultaneous presentation. To account for these patterns of activity and task performance, we suggest that the reading network can detect two strings of letters simultaneously, but there is interference during lexical access.

Composite health scores are useful in public health research, but components must be operationalised to be feasible in community settings. This paper compared multiple methods to calculate the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) 2018 Cancer Prevention Recommendations Adherence Score, which scores recommendations to: (1) be a healthy weight; (2) be physically active (PA); (3) eat whole grains, fruit and vegetables (FV) and beans; (4) limit fast/processed foods; (5) limit red/processed meat; (6) limit sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and (7) limit alcohol. We conducted cross-sectional comparisons of validated surveys and alternate measurements (pedometer readings, 24-hour diet recall) for 181 US adults. Across measurement approaches, we calculated percentage agreement and linear weighted kappa statistics for component classifications, and compared composite scores using Spearman's rank-order correlations (rs), paired t-tests and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Survey and alternate measures had slight agreement for adherence scoring of FV and alcohol (p<0.001), red/processed meat and fast/processed foods (p<0.01) and fibre and PA (p<0.05), and no agreement for SSBs. WCRF/AICR composite scores using alternate measures were moderately or strongly correlated (rs=0.44-0.87)&#x2009;to a survey-only composite. Mean WCRF/AICR composite score was 3.34 based on survey data, but lower when substituting pedometer readings (-0.36, p<0.001) and higher with the 24-hour diet recall (+0.54, p<0.001). Reliability of composite scores was moderate to excellent (ICC=0.63-0.94), with no evidence of systematic bias. In this sample, measurement approach influenced WCRF/AICR component adherence classifications substantially and composite scores somewhat. Self-reported data are a cornerstone of community-based research, but unequal units and reference periods and biases in self-reported data all likely contributed to observed discordance in component adherence and composite scores. Future research is needed to identify feasible and accurate approaches to collecting data for composite health metrics.

Ded1 is an essential DEAD-box helicase in yeast that broadly stimulates translation initiation and is critical for messenger RNAs (mRNAs) with structured 5' untranslated regions (UTRs). We have evaluated the proposal that Ded1 stimulates translation primarily by preventing initiation at upstream open-reading-frames (uORFs) associated with stable secondary structures. By Ribo-seq analysis under experimental conditions designed to suppress artifactual 5'UTR translation, we found that reduced translation of the main open-reading-frames (mORFs) in native mRNAs is generally not accompanied by increased 5'UTR translation in ded1 mutant cells, and that the presence of translated uORFs in yeast mRNAs generally does not confer heightened dependence on Ded1 for efficient translation of mORFs. Results from a high-throughput reporter assay examining native 5'UTRs reinforce the importance of Ded1 in initiation from structured 5' UTRs and show that impairing Ded1 has minimal effects on translational repression by uORFs. Our results demonstrate that, in cells growing vegetatively in rich medium, translational stimulation by suppression of inhibitory uORFs is restricted to a minority of Ded1 targets, and that unwinding of 5' UTR secondary structures per se is the principal mechanism for Ded1 stimulation of translation initiation.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jordanian women. Breast self-examination (BSE) plays a vital role in the early detection of breast cancer, improving survival rates. Despite its proven benefits, BSE remains underutilized in Jordan. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing BSE practices among married Jordanian women aged 20-49 years, utilizing data from the Jordan Population and Family Health Survey (JPFHS). The study analyzed data from the 2023 JPFHS, encompassing a representative sample of 12,595 Jordanian women aged 15-49. The study examined various socioeconomic, demographic, behavioral, and geographic variables. Socioeconomic and demographic factors included age, education level, wealth index, employment status, marital status, parity, and current pregnancy status. Behavioral factors encompassed smoking frequency and media consumption habits, such as internet use, the frequency of watching television, listening to the radio, and reading newspapers or magazines. Geographic variables included the type of residence (urban or rural) and the governorates where participants lived. Associations between these variables and BSE were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Among the 12,304 married women included in the analysis, 9,851 women reported not performing BSE, while 2,453 women indicated that they had. Multivariate analysis revealed that significantly better BSE practice was observed among older women (e.g., age 45-49 vs 20-24: AOR 3.08, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), those with higher education levels (e.g., secondary vs no education: AOR 2.41, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.027), and wealthier women (e.g., richest vs poorest: AOR 1.54, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.023). Additionally, multiparous women, daily smokers, and women with frequent internet use and frequent reading of newspapers or magazines were also more likely to practice BSE. Regional differences showed that women in Ajloun, Aqaba, and Balqa were more likely to perform BSE, while women in Irbid and Mafraq had lower rates of BSE practice. To improve BSE rates among married women in Jordan, targeted health campaigns should focus on younger, less educated, and economically disadvantaged women, particularly in Irbid and Mafraq. Culturally sensitive education, digital platforms, and community outreach can raise awareness and address barriers like stigma and misconceptions, promoting proactive breast health practices nationwide. Future researchers are encouraged to further investigate cultural barriers toward BSE.

Recognizing fine-grained hand and arm gestures, especially those that occur naturally in daily activities, remains a challenge in wearable-based human activity recognition. This dataset supports fine-grained gesture recognition using wearable inertial sensors, with a focus on distinguishing subtle daily activities such as liquid ingestion and similar upper-body gestures. Fifty volunteers participated in controlled recording sessions, each performing predefined gestures including answering a phone call, scratching the head, adjusting glasses, passing the hand over the face, holding the chin, and stretching the arms behind the neck. Data were collected from a WT901BLECL5 sensor placed on the dominant wrist, capturing tri-axial accelerometer and gyroscope readings at 200 Hz. Real-time annotations were performed via a custom mobile application synchronized with sensor acquisition. The dataset is provided as CSV files, structured both by segmented gesture occurrences and by continuous recordings, with each sample labeled using standardized gesture identifiers. This structure facilitates straightforward reuse for machine learning tasks such as gesture classification, activity recognition, and sequence modeling. The dataset is expected to support the development of robust models for real-world wearable gesture recognition applications.

A major scientific drive is to characterize the protein-coding genome, which is a primary basis for studying human health. But the fundamental question remains of what has been missed in previous analyses. Over the past decade, the translation of non-canonical open reading frames (ncORFs) has been observed across human cell types and disease states1-3, with major implications for biomedical science. However, a key gap in knowledge has been which ncORFs produce small microproteins or alternative protein molecules that contribute to the human proteome. Here we report the collaborative efforts of the TransCODE Consortium4 to produce a consensus landscape of protein-level evidence for ncORFs. We show that about 25% of a set of 7,264 ncORFs gives rise to detectable peptides in a large-scale analysis of 95,520 proteomics experiments. We develop an annotation framework for ncORF-encoded microproteins as human proteins and codify the new conceptual model of 'peptideins' as microproteins that have indeterminate potential as functional proteins. To probe the biological implications of peptideins, we create an evolutionary analysis approach, termed ORF relative branch length (ORBL), and determine that evolutionary constraint is common and associates with observation of ncORF-derived peptides. We then characterize a pan-essential cellular phenotype for one peptidein from the OLMALINC long non-coding RNA. Overall, we generate public research tools supported by GENCODE and PeptideAtlas and advance biomedical discovery for understudied components of the human proteome.

Before the translational machinery came into being, a simpler form of reading RNA sequences to instruct peptide synthesis must have existed. What this earliest form of translation was is unclear. Ribosome-free synthesis, relying solely on Watson-Crick base pairing and chemical reactivity, is a likely candidate. The established version of this process involves chain growth at the C-terminus of N-terminally anchored peptides. Here, we show that ribosome- and enzyme-free translation via chain growth at the N-terminus of C-terminally anchored peptides is also feasible. Yields for the formation of dipeptides via the latter process were between 6% and 46%, though, as compared to 60%-99% for dipeptides with opposite strand growth orientation. Translation fidelity to dipeptides was also lower, with just 55%-84% correct incorporation, versus 64%-92% for N-terminally linked dipeptides. On the tripeptide level, the preference for C-terminal chain growth was smaller, suggesting that only the very first step has a strong bias for N-terminal anchoring. Finally, mixed anhydride pre-activation was found to be an alternative to in situ activation for peptidyl RNAs. This data sheds light on putative early steps in the evolution of translation.

Vibrio alginolyticus is a gram-negative bacterium responsible for mass mortality in cultured groupers, leading to significant economic losses in the aquaculture industry. Although preventive measures such as chemical treatments, antibiotics, and pesticides have been employed, these methods have been reported to be toxic to the environment and contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in treated fish. In this study, a giant Myoviridae phage strain (ValKK1-20) was isolated from the sandy area of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The purified phage was characterized based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and its genomic DNA. The adsorption assay and one-step growth analyses were conducted to predict the critical phase of ValKK3 infection. TEM analysis revealed that the phage possessed an elongated head with a sheathed tail, resembling members of the T4-like Myoviridae group. The genome characterization revealed that the phage belongs to T4 phage with a genome size 248,088&#x2009;bp with 41.2% G + C content and 390 predicted open reading frames. Additionally, it demonstrated a short eclipse period of 36&#x2009;min and a latent period of 48&#x2009;min, with a large burst size of approximately 174 plaque-forming units (PFU) per cell. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of selected phage ValKK3 as a biocontrol agent against V. alginolyticus, offering a promising alternative for sustainable aquaculture management.

The immune system is essential for protection against invading pathogens. However, if it fails to distinguish between non-self (pathogens) and self, autoimmunity can result. B cells recognise pathogens using their B-cell antigen receptor (BCR), a membrane-bound antibody. The variable region of the BCR contacts antigens via complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). This region is encoded by immunoglobulin (Ig) V(D)J gene segments, which are randomly recombined during B-cell development. Failure to counter-select unfavourable H-CDR3s is considered an underlying feature of autoimmunity. Here, we examined the effect of impaired pre-BCR selection on plasma cells (PCs) using a model of autoimmunity characterised by elevated serum autoantibody levels. Our results demonstrate that the absence of a pre-BCR leads to an increase in H-CDR3s that are translated into unfavourable reading frames, encoding highly hydrophobic and/or basic amino acid residues, including a subset with extremely short H-CDR3s. These features are not fully corrected by Ig light chains and persist in mature B cells. Ultimately resulting in the massive clonal expansion of PCs expressing a repertoire skewed towards extremely short H-CDR3s that contain highly hydrophobic and/or positively charged residues. Consequently, preB cells with unfavourable H-CDR3 features lead to the expansion of autoreactive PCs with the same features.

This essay investigates the reception of William Gilbert's foundational work on magnetism, De Magnete, through a comprehensive analysis of extant copies of its early modern printed editions (1600, 1628, 1629, 1633). By employing a hybrid methodology combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to readers' annotations, this study charts patterns of engagement with Gilbert's text across diverse contexts and intellectual traditions. While celebrated for its experimental innovations and practical applications in navigation, it also elicited cosmological and humanist interests. Statistical analyses of readers' marks demonstrate a skewed distribution of engagement, with the majority of annotations concentrated in a small fraction of extant copies. This study moreover contributes to the historiography of early modern science by illustrating the methodological potential of combining large-scale digital datasets with close textual analysis, advocating for more systematic, collaborative approaches to the history of reading and book culture. In addition, a near-complete census of copies of De magnete is provided.

The poly(A) tail is a key structural element found in almost all mammalian messenger RNAs, required for stabilizing the transcript and enhancing translation. Here, we evaluate poly(A) replacement strategies based on sequence elements derived from the long non-coding RNA Malat1. Malat1 undergoes RNase P processing to generate a 3' end protected by a conserved triple helix. Importantly, this triple helix structure was shown to enhance translation when placed downstream of an open reading frame. We compared Malat1-derived 3' end motifs with canonical poly(A) tails incorporated into a synthetic reporter RNA encoding a green fluorescent protein. Our results corroborate the central role of the poly(A) tail for efficient expression, showing that the tested Malat1-derived motifs can generally support translation of the reporter mRNA, although they consistently underperform compared to canonical poly(A) tails. Future work should optimize triplex sequence and folding to enhance translation capacity, test additional triplex structures, and explore small molecule to regulate stability and translation of triplex-containing RNAs for applications in synthetic biology and RNA-based therapeutics.