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Children with developmental dyslexia (DD) display partially preserved morphology skills which they rely upon for reading and spelling. Therefore, we conducted explicit and intensive training of derivational morphology in French and Swiss individuals with DD, ages 9 to 14 years, in order to assess its effect on: morphological awareness, reading (speed and accuracy), and spelling. Our pre-posttest design included a group trained in derivational morphology and a group of children who continued their business-as-usual rehabilitation program with their speech-language therapist. Results showed effects on morphological awareness and on the spelling of complex words, with a large between-group effect size for trained items and a large to moderate effect size for untrained items. All these gains tended to be maintained over time on the delayed posttest, 2 months later. For reading, the results were more contrasted, with large between-group effect sizes for accuracy and speed for trained items, reducing to a small effect for accuracy on the delayed posttest. For untrained items, small effects were observed on accuracy (at both posttests) but not on speed. These results are very promising and argue in favor of using derivational morphology as a medium to improve literacy skills in French-speaking children and adolescents with DD.

Morphological awareness has been shown to contribute to the acquisition of literacy in various languages. The current study focuses on an explicit derivational morphology training program in French-speaking fourth graders with the aim of measuring direct effects on morphological awareness and transfer effects on spelling and reading. The intensive training given in class consisted of (1) learning how to segment words into smaller units and (2) understanding the meaning of affixes in relation to words. Thirty-six children received the morphology training and 34 age-matched participants followed an alternative visuo-semantic training matched for intensity. The results of this pre-post group comparison study show a significant Group by Time interaction: Substantial progress in morphological awareness is observed for the group trained in morphology, on both trained as well as on untrained items. A similar gain was observed for the spelling of morphologically derived words, for trained and untrained words. Both roots and affixes were spelled more accurately. For reading however, we found a learning effect in speed and accuracy on trained words, but no generalization to untrained words. All effects were maintained four months after training. These results highlight the role that morphology plays in children's literacy development.

Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber, grafted with maleic anhydride functions (EPDM-g-MA) was organically reinforced by reactive extrusion from the in situ synthesis of a polyimide (PI) phase. The blends were reactively processed at 200[degrees]C in a twin-screw extruder, with the PI content varying from 5 to 40 wt%. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed a very fine nodular dispersion of the PI phase with diameters ranging from 130 to 240 nm depending on the PI concentration. The reinforcement of the elastomer was evidenced with a sharp increase of the Young's modulus and the tensile strength, and the stiffness of the material was further increased with the PI content. The linear viscoelastic regime, as measured by the variation in storage modulus as a function of strain, was unaffected by this organic reinforcement, thus opening up an original way of controlling the Payne effect. Additionally, the cross-linking of the blend with 20 wt% of PI with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) showed that the PI phase did not impact the creation of the cross-linked network. The decrease of the swelling ratio and the improvement of the elastic recovery suggested that EPDM-g-PI copolymers can create a second network in the material, resulting in a higher apparent cross-linking density. The mechanical properties of the cured blend showed a doubling of the Young's modulus and maximal stress values compared to those obtained for the pure matrix as well as a constant strain at break. Highlights * Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber, grafted with maleic anhydride functions (EPDM-g-MA) was organically reinforced by reactive extrusion. * The reinforcement was obtained from the in situ synthesis of a polyimide (PI) phase. * The Young's modulus of cross-linked EPDM containing 20 wt% PI was doubled. * The linear viscoelastic regime was unaffected by this organic reinforcement. * This original way of reinforcement opens the control of the Payne effect. KEYWORDS EPDM, in situ polymerization, polyimide, reactive extrusion, reinforcement, 1 | INTRODUCTION Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM) is one of the most widely used synthetic rubbers. The presence of diene enables sulfur vulcanization or peroxide cross-linking with a high efficiency. [...]

In Western France, rapeseed (Brassica napus) cultivation faces substantial yield losses due to the root holoparasitic plant Phelipanche ramosa. However, recent observations have shown a reduction in parasitism within previously heavily infested fields. This study investigates two neighboring rapeseed soils with distinct levels of parasitic infestation, considered suppressive and conducive. Using a cocultivation system of Brassica napus and P. ramosa, we comprehensively examined rhizosphere exudates, parasitic plant attachment, and rhizosphere soil microbiota. Our findings revealed that the suppressive soil effectively reduced parasitism by impeding broomrape attachment and development, as well as inducing necrosis of tubercles. This suppressive effect was specific to postattachment stages, leaving germination and haustoriogenesis preattachment stages unaffected. Analysis of microbial structures suggested that the suppression of parasitism is predominantly of fungal rather than bacterial origin. Correlation network analyses identified three groups of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) associated with suppression. Notably, seven ASVs were inversely correlated with parasitic attachments, and only one ASV, identified as Berkeleyomyces, a necrotrophic fungus responsible for black root rot, was positively correlated with necrosis and was more abundant in the suppressive soil. This study demonstrates the contrasting parasitic plant development on two physicochemically similar soils, highlighting the central role of fungal dynamics in the rhizosphere. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying soil-mediated suppression of P. ramosa, offering potential strategies for mitigating the impact of this root holoparasite on rapeseed yields in the region.

Abstract Background Brown algae belong to the Stramenopiles phylum and are phylogenetically distant from plants and other multicellular organisms. This independent evolutionary history has shaped brown algae with numerous metabolic characteristics specific to this group, including the synthesis of peculiar polysaccharides contained in their extracellular matrix (ECM). Alginates and fucose-containing sulphated polysaccharides (FCSPs), the latter including fucans, are the main components of ECMs. However, the metabolic pathways of these polysaccharides remain poorly described due to a lack of genomic data. Results An extensive genomic dataset has been recently released for brown algae and their close sister species, for which we previously performed an expert annotation of key genes involved in ECM-carbohydrate metabolisms. Here we provide a deeper analysis of this set of genes using comparative genomics, phylogenetics analyses, and protein modelling. Two key gene families involved in both the synthesis and degradation of alginate were suggested to have been acquired by the common ancestor of brown algae and their closest sister species Schizocladia ischiensis. Our analysis indicates that this assumption can be extended to additional metabolic steps, and thus to the whole alginate metabolic pathway. The pathway for the biosynthesis of fucans still remains biochemically unresolved and we also investigate putative fucosyltransferase genes that may harbour a fucan synthase activity in brown algae. Conclusions Our analysis is the first extensive survey of carbohydrate-related enzymes in brown algae, and provides a valuable resource for future research into the glycome and ECM of brown algae. The expansion of specific families related to alginate metabolism may have represented an important prerequisite for the evolution of developmental complexity in brown algae. Our analysis questions the possible occurrence of FCSPs outside brown algae, notably within their closest sister taxon and in other Stramenopiles such as diatoms. Filling this knowledge gap in the future will help determine the origin and evolutionary history of fucan synthesis in eukaryotes.

Purpose: Typically developing (TD) bilingual children usually produce narratives with preserved macrostructure (i.e., narrative scheme) but with impaired microstructure (i.e., language complexity). As for monolingual and bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD), they usually produce narratives with both impaired macro- and microstructure. It is therefore difficult to differentiate TD from DLD, on the basis of narrative production, especially in bilingual children. In this study, we examine whether a dynamic assessment (DA) task of narratives, using a pretest-teaching-posttest design, can differentiate TD from DLD, without disadvantaging bilinguals over monolinguals. Method: We recruited 118 French-speaking children (M[subscript age] = 8;5 [years;months]), with one experimental condition in which children benefited from a teaching phase (30 TD, 18 monolinguals and 12 bilinguals; 30 DLD, 15 monolinguals and 15 bilinguals) and one control condition (58 TD, 31 monolinguals and 27 bilinguals), in which children participated in another activity. In the pre- and posttest, children were asked to tell a story based on a series of pictures. During the teaching phase, an examiner asked children 12 specific questions about the story, targeting macro- and microstructural elements. Scores were attributed to the number of macro- and microstructural elements correctly produced and to the number of specific trained elements (TE) that were produced as a result of training. Results: Scores improved on macrostructure and on the number of TE following teaching for all groups of the experimental condition (TD and DLD), whereas there was no progress in children of the control condition. TD participants and participants with DLD differed on all measures in both pre- and posttest, with no differences between monolinguals and bilinguals. Conclusions: Our dynamic task led to both improved narrative skills and TD/DLD differentiation, with bilinguals not being disadvantaged. Our study thus supports the existing literature indicating that DA can be used to diagnose narrative deficits in children with DLD.

Many children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have a vocabulary deficit. One of the most effective interventions for increasing children's lexicon size is the semantic and phonological approach, an approach that has been used mainly with adolescents. The goals of our study are (1) to test whether the semantic-phonological approach coupled with rich vocabulary instruction is effective with younger children with DLD on words learned during the training and (2) to check whether the gains can be maintained over the long term. A group of eight French-speaking children (aged 6 to 10), with a diagnosis of DLD, underwent a phonological-semantic group intervention over 5 months. Four lists (vegetables, animals, school materials, and sports) of words were trained, each category involving 3-hour sessions. Five-word lists (L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5) corresponded to the four trained categories and one served as control. When L1 words were trained, L2 served as the control list; then when L2 words were trained, L3 was the control list, and so on. The group results indicated significant improvement on the four trained lists once intervention was introduced, and no improvement on the control lists. All effects were maintained over the long term at the delayed posttest. Individual outcomes were dependent on children's cognitive and language profiles. Vocabulary training thus allowed young French-speaking children with DLD to enrich their vocabulary on specific measures. The implications of the results are discussed at the group and individual level.

El periodo pandémico supuso un catalizador en la adaptación de los museos, llevándolos a abrazar la innovación, la colaboración y la resiliencia. A medida que emergieron de la crisis del covid-19, dichas entidades se encontraron en una posición única para desempeñar un papel vital en la reconstrucción de la sociedad y en la preservación del patrimonio cultural en un mundo en constante cambio. El artículo busca conocer cuáles fueron las principales medidas adoptadas, conocer la literatura científica al respecto, reseñar algunos casos relevantes en museos europeos, asiáticos y americanos, y señalar los retos y las dinámicas impulsadas en el periodo postpandémico. El texto nace de una atenta revisión bibliográfica para delimitar de qué modo el ámbito museístico debe reconfigurar su presencia atendiendo a tres factores: tecnología, patrimonio y público. Un panorama en que la presencia de las redes sociales, el auge de las exposiciones en línea y otros recursos digitales se consideran fundamentales.

Next-generation sequencing has substantially transformed the genomic diagnosis of individuals affected by inherited renal disorders. Indeed, accurate and rapid diagnostic for patients with suspected genetic kidney diseases is not only important for prognosis and patient management but also for family counseling. Alport syndrome, a genetic disease primarily affecting the basement membrane, is characterized by hematuria, progressive kidney failure, hearing impairment, as well as ocular abnormalities and stems from mutations in genes encoding type IV collagen. In this study, we show the benefit of whole-genome sequencing for the molecular diagnosis of a dominant form of Alport syndrome by identifying a novel heterozygous pathogenic structural variant in a family with three affected members. This case underscores the potential of whole-genome sequencing as a frontline diagnostic approach for inherited kidney diseases and further indicates that structural variations represent an important cause of monogenic disorders.

Three small-scale mock-up tests were carried out on artificially fractured Opalinus Clay samples from the lower sandy facies of Mont Terri site: the first with the synthetic water of neutral pH and at an osmotic suction of 1 MPa, the second with a highly NaN[O.sub.3] saline solution with a neutral pH and at osmotic suction of 34 MPa, and the third with a hyperalkaline solution at pH = 13.5 and at osmotic suction of 1.16 MPa. The radial swelling pressure was monitored using a total pressure sensor along with the fracture opening using a displacement transducer. The tests ran for over 290 days. After that, the three tests were dismantled. A detailed petrophysical characterization of 45 subsamples was conducted, and the pore size distribution was determined at different positions. X-ray diffractometry measurements were also conducted to identify any mineralogical changes. Results show that, in the case of the synthetic water and the alkaline solution, the friction forces exerted by the lid and the base on the sample were significant and probably hampered the self- sealing of the fracture. Saline solutions affect the self-sealing process of claystones. Indeed, even though increasing the salinity caused the contraction of the diffuse double layer and generated additional fractures within the sample, which increased the permeability and thus accelerated the hydration process, a complete self-sealing of the fracture opening was not observed. Key words: self-sealing, salinity, alkalinity, Opalinus Clay, swelling, mineralogy, pore size distribution, 1. Introduction In Switzerland, the Opalinus Clay is considered as potential host rock for deep geological radioactive waste disposal (Andra 1999, 2005; Nagra 2002). A Damaged Zone can be created [...]

Éloïse Cardinal,1,2 Karine Bilodeau,2,3 Julie Lebeau,2,3 Maryse Aubin,2 Joséphine Guiné,2 Odile Dutey-Harispe,2 Julie Delage,1,2 Rémi Caron-trahan,1,2 Jade Véronneau,2 Mathieu Landry,1,2 David Ogez2,4 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; 2Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; 3Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; 4Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaCorrespondence: David Ogez, Tel +1 (514) 252-3400 X 4443, Email david.ogez@umontreal.caContext: One in four Canadians experiences chronic pain, yet insufficient services and restrictions surrounding prevailing treatments result in inadequate management and significant negative consequences for these individuals. Previous work indicates that hypnotic communication represents a promising complementary treatment; however, training protocols for healthcare professionals are underdeveloped and understudied.Aim: To evaluate the level of satisfaction for a training program on hypnotic communication in pain management clinics.Design: Qualitative study.Methods: Six health professionals who first completed the hypnotic communication training participated in 30 minutes virtual semi-structured interviews. These testimonials allowed them to elaborate on their user experience and potential areas for improvement. Thematic analysis using qualitative data management software NVIVO was conducted on the interview data.Results: Two themes emerged from the interviews. 1) Satisfaction: Participants expressed satisfaction on various structural aspects of the training, including the provided materials, atmosphere, training structure, presentation modalities, practical workshops, acquired knowledge, trainer quality, and training duration. 2) Areas for Improvement: Five main improvement suggestions were identified (providing more material; more practical workshops, more concrete and adapted; testimonials from former patients; follow-up training meeting; and continuing education).Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care and Conclusion: The results improved the training program to help minimized inherent biases related to this technique, cut associated costs, and identify reasons that would explain its underutilization among medical professionals in Quebec. Our work highlights that healthcare professionals in chronic pain management clinics (eg, respiratory therapists, nurses) can incorporate this simple hypnotic communication technique into their usual care and contribute to the well-being of patients.Impact: This study aimed to address the lack of training protocols for healthcare professionals, that are underdeveloped and understudied. The main findings on participant’ satisfaction and the areas of improvement for the training will help the refinement of the training to better suit healthcare professional’s needs in hospitals and chronic pain facilities.Keywords: chronic pain, non-pharmacological treatment, hypnosis, communication, training, qualitative research, satisfaction

The demand for earth construction, primarily driven by environmental considerations, is currently growing. Earth, as a building material, has a very low carbon footprint and is easily recyclable, promoting a circular economy. It is also valued for its intrinsic qualities such as hygrothermal properties, air quality, acoustic performance, and esthetics. To meet this demand and promote earth construction, a better understanding of the local resources is essential. However, not all soils are suitable for earth construction, and their properties can significantly influence the final material performance. The assessment of soil suitability for earth construction requires both scientific rigor and practical field applicability. This study evaluates the correlation between traditional field-testing methods and standardized laboratory analyses through a comprehensive characterization of 39 soils from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France. The research methodology integrated different field tests commonly used by practitioners, including sensory evaluations, plasticity tests, and cohesion assessments, with five standardized geotechnical tests covering particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, methylene blue value, organic matter content, and density measurements. The particle size distribution analysis revealed diverse soil compositions, with clay-sized particle content (2 = 0.8863), and between ring test scores and clay-sized particle content percentages, validating the reliability of traditional testing methods. Plasticity indices varied from 0% to 50%, indicating different soil behaviors and potential applications. These correlations demonstrate that while traditional field tests provide reliable preliminary assessment tools, laboratory testing remains essential for final material validation. The results demonstrate that while several soils are directly suitable for various earth construction techniques, other soils falling outside conventional recommendation envelopes may still be suitable for specific construction techniques when appropriately evaluated and may require modification through sieving, mixing, or stabilization.

Metabolic rewiring is essential for tumor growth and progression to metastatic disease, yet little is known regarding how cancer cells modify their acquired metabolic programs in response to different metastatic microenvironments. We have previously shown that liver-metastatic breast cancer cells adopt an intrinsic metabolic program characterized by increased HIF-1α activity and dependence on glycolysis. Here, we confirm by in vivo stable isotope tracing analysis (SITA) that liver-metastatic breast cancer cells retain a glycolytic profile when grown as mammary tumors or liver metastases. However, hepatic metastases exhibit unique metabolic adaptations including elevated expression of genes involved in glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification when compared to mammary tumors. Accordingly, breast-cancer-liver-metastases exhibited enhanced de novo GSH synthesis. Confirming their increased capacity to mitigate ROS-mediated damage, liver metastases display reduced levels of 8-Oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine. Depletion of the catalytic subunit of the rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione biosynthesis, glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCLC), strongly reduced the capacity of breast cancer cells to form liver metastases, supporting the importance of these distinct metabolic adaptations.Loss of GCLC also affected the early steps of the metastatic cascade, leading to decreased numbers of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and impaired metastasis to the liver and the lungs. Altogether, our results indicate that GSH metabolism could be targeted to prevent the dissemination of breast cancer cells.

Sulfation plays a critical role in the biosynthesis of small molecules, regulatory mechanisms such as hormone signaling, and detoxification processes (phase II enzymes). The sulfation reaction is catalyzed by a broad family of enzymes known as sulfotransferases (SULTs), which have been extensively studied in animals due to their medical importance, but also in plant key processes. Despite the identification of some sulfated metabolites in fungi, the mechanisms underlying fungal sulfation remain largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a comprehensive search of available genomes, resulting in the identification of 174 putative SULT genes in the Ascomycota phylum. Phylogenetic analysis and structural modeling revealed that these SULTs belong to the aryl sulfotransferase family, and they are divided into two potential distinct clusters of PAPS-dependent SULTs within the fungal kingdom. SULT genes from two marine fungi isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, Hortaea werneckii UBOCC-A-208029 (HwSULT) and Aspergillus sydowii UBOCC-A-108050 SULT (AsSULT), were selected as representatives of each cluster. Recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and biochemically characterized. HwSULT demonstrated high and versatile activity, while AsSULT appeared more substrate-specific. Here, HwSULT was used to sulfate the mycotoxin zearalenone, enhancing its cytotoxicity toward healthy feline intestinal cells.

In addition to deficits in pragmatics, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have weaknesses in complex syntax and working memory (WM). These two deficits may be closely related. Previous work investigated the effects of WM training in developmental language disorders and showed significant improvement in both WM and syntax. The current study tests the impact of 12 h of WM training across 8 weeks in 30 children with ASD, aged 5 to 11. Results showed direct improvements on untrained WM tasks, as well as transfer effects to syntax and processing speed. Stronger WM led to better syntactic abilities. While they must be replicated, these exciting results provide impetus for further studies of WM interventions.

BackgroundChronic pain affects approximately 30% of the general population, severely degrades quality of life and professional life, and leads to additional health care costs. Moreover, the medical follow-up of patients with chronic pain remains complex and provides only fragmentary data on painful daily experiences. This situation makes the management of patients with chronic pain less than optimal and may partly explain the lack of effectiveness of current therapies. Real-life monitoring of subjective and objective markers of chronic pain using mobile health (mHealth) programs could better characterize patients, chronic pain, pain medications, and daily impact to help medical management. ObjectiveThis cohort study aimed to assess the ability of our mHealth tool (eDOL) to collect extensive real-life medical data from chronic pain patients after 1 year of use. The data collected in this way would provide new epidemiological and pathophysiological data on chronic pain. MethodsA French national cohort of patients with chronic pain treated at 18 pain clinics has been established and followed up using mHealth tools. This cohort makes it possible to collect the determinants and repercussions of chronic pain and their evolutions in a real-life context, taking into account all environmental events likely to influence chronic pain. The patients were asked to complete several questionnaires, body schemes, and weekly meters, and were able to interact with a chatbot and use educational modules on chronic pain. Physicians could monitor their patients’ progress in real time via an online platform. ResultsThe cohort study included 1427 patients and analyzed 1178 patients. The eDOL tool was able to collect various sociodemographic data; specific data for characterizing pain disorders, including body scheme; data on comorbidities related to chronic pain and its psychological and overall impact on patients’ quality of life; data on drug and nondrug therapeutics and their benefit-to-risk ratio; and medical or treatment history. Among the patients completing weekly meters, 49.4% (497/1007) continued to complete them after 3 months of follow-up, and the proportion stabilized at 39.3% (108/275) after 12 months of follow-up. Overall, despite a fairly high attrition rate over the follow-up period, the eDOL tool collected extensive data. This amount of data will increase over time and provide a significant volume of health data of interest for future research involving the epidemiology, care pathways, trajectories, medical management, sociodemographic characteristics, and other aspects of patients with chronic pain. ConclusionsThis work demonstrates that the mHealth tool eDOL is able to generate a considerable volume of data concerning the determinants and repercussions of chronic pain and their evolutions in a real-life context. The eDOL tool can incorporate numerous parameters to ensure the detailed characterization of patients with chronic pain for future research and pain management. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04880096; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04880096