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Publisher Correction: Single-cell and bulk transcriptomics uncovers PRKD2-driven tumor stemness and progression in multiple myeloma
CanRisk-GP protocol: A feasibility study of incorporating proactive multifactorial breast cancer risk assessment into general practice
Background CanRisk is a risk assessment tool that implements the BOADICEA multifactorial breast cancer risk model. The BOADICEA model is recommended for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in English, Welsh, and Northern Irish secondary/tertiary care to identify women who may be at moderate or high risk of developing breast cancer. BOADICEA combines information on cancer family history, demographic, lifestyle, hormonal risk factors and mammographic density with polygenic scores (PGS). Offering risk assessment using CanRisk in general practice has the potential to identify more women at moderate or high risk of developing breast cancer and improve their management and the appropriateness of referrals to secondary/tertiary care. Materials and methods In this feasibility study we plan to invite women aged 40–49 years from 5–8 practices across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in England, UK to complete a breast cancer risk assessment using CanRisk via a newly developed public-facing version of the CanRisk tool and provide saliva samples for PGS. The study team will provide a risk report back to both the participants and their GP, with those women at above-population level risk advised to make an appointment with their GP to be referred to the clinical genetics service and subsequently managed in line with current NICE guidelines. This study will provide evidence on (1) whether offering cancer risk assessment including PGS in general practice is feasible and acceptable to women and healthcare professionals; (2) whether this approach can identify women at above-population level risk of breast cancer who would otherwise not have been identified and so not had access to risk-reducing options; and (3) the costs associated with implementing proactive multifactorial breast cancer risk assessment in women under 50 within general practice. Study registration number This study is listed on the ISRCTN registry. The registration number is ISRCTN17376192.
Composite filter-based detection of rock joints from drilling parameters
Correction: Experiences, impacts and mental health functioning during a COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown: Data from a diverse New York City sample of college students
Improving growth traits, phytochemical content, and disease resistance in Basil using the endophytic bacterium Pseudomonas grimontii EBA1
Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)
Ethnohistoric and recent archaeological evidence suggest that Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) was a politically decentralized society organized into small, relatively autonomous kin-based communities across the island. The more than 1,000 monumental statues ( moai ) of Rapa Nui thus raise a critical question: was production at Rano Raraku—the primary moai quarry—centrally controlled or did it mirror the decentralized pattern found elsewhere on the island? Using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry with over 11,000 UAV images, we created the first comprehensive three-dimensional model of the quarry to test these competing hypotheses. Our analysis reveals 30 distinct quarrying foci distributed across the crater, each containing redundant production features and employing varied carving techniques. This spatial organization, combined with evidence for multiple simultaneous workshops constrained by natural boundaries, indicates that moai production followed the same decentralized, clan-based pattern documented for other aspects of Rapa Nui society. These findings challenge assumptions that monumentality requires hierarchical control, instead supporting emerging frameworks that recognize how complex cooperative behaviors can emerge through horizontal social networks. The high-resolution 3D model also establishes a crucial baseline for the cultural heritage management of this UNESCO World Heritage site, while advancing methodological approaches for testing sociopolitical hypotheses through the spatial analysis of archaeological landscapes.
Optimized car parts detection with advanced feature fusion and attention modules
Decreased sound tolerance in a Canadian University Context: Associations with autistic traits, social competence, and gender in an undergraduate sample
Disorders of decreased sound tolerance such as misophonia and hyperacusis cause significant distress through strong negative emotional and physiological reactions to everyday sounds. These conditions have been associated with poor mental and physical health as they impact day to day life. Prior to the recent development of consensus definitions of misophonia and hyperacusis, attempts to determine the prevalence of these conditions have been hindered by the ambiguity and inconsistency of their descriptions. Despite this, certain populations have been suggested to more frequently experience misophonia and hyperacusis, namely younger people and autistic people. Furthermore, there has been conflicting evidence regarding whether these conditions are more prevalent among women. Post-secondary campuses are often sensory-rich. As such, students with misophonia and hyperacusis are likely to experience distress. For this reason, we sought to investigate the prevalence of misophonia and hyperacusis in a Canadian university sample, and explore the relations between these conditions and gender, autistic traits, and overall social competence. As exposure to many everyday sounds can be highly aversive for individuals with misophonia and/or hyperacusis, these individuals often attempt to avoid environments in which distressing sounds are encountered. It is therefore possible that poorer social competence may be a secondary effect of these conditions. To investigate these relations, 2080 students completed an online survey using multiple established self-report measures of decreased sound tolerance. Clinical misophonia was detected in 12–18% of participants, and hyperacusis in 6–17%. Both conditions were significantly more prevalent among women than men. Both conditions were found to be weakly to moderately positively correlated with autistic traits, and weakly to moderately negatively correlated with social competence. These results highlight decreased sound tolerance as a significant issue at Canadian post-secondary institutions, calling for steps to be taken to mitigate its effects.
Independent effects of Metformin and Dapagliflozin on Fetuin-A, hepatic and pancreatic fat, and hepatic fibrosis in Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes
On the performance of uplink D2D-assisted backscatter employing short packet communication
This paper examines the synergistic integration of uplink Device-to-Device (D2D), backscatter, and short-packet communication paradigms, highlighting their collective potential to revolutionize next-generation wireless systems. By enhancing spectral efficiency and supporting massive connectivity through diverse receiver techniques, this approach is undeniably transformative. Then, we analyze the approximation forms of average block error ratio (BLER) across three scenarios: selective combining - random selection (SC-RAN), selective combining - maximal ratio combining (SC-MRC), and full-maximal ratio combining (Full-MRC). Results indicate that the full-MRC scheme consistently outperforms the others in reducing BLER, particularly in low-latency scenarios. The findings serve as a foundation for making strategic design decisions about the system’s core operational parameters. Our numerical results strongly validate our analytical findings, clearly demonstrating that the full-MRC technique significantly outperforms others in improving BLER.
High risk HPV among HIV positive women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology in Bahir Dar, north west Ethiopia
The histone modification regulator, SIN3, plays a role in the cellular response to changes in glycolytic flux
Epigenetic regulation and metabolism are connected. Epigenetic regulators, like the SIN3 complex, affect the expression of a wide range of genes, including those encoding metabolic enzymes essential for central carbon metabolism. The idea that epigenetic modifiers can sense and respond to metabolic flux by regulating gene expression has long been proposed. In support of this cross-talk, we provide data linking SIN3 regulatory action on a subset of metabolic genes with the cellular response to changes in metabolic flux. Furthermore, we show that loss of SIN3 is linked to decreases in mitochondrial respiration and the cellular response to mitochondrial and glycolytic stress. Data presented here provide evidence that SIN3 is important for the cellular response to metabolic flux change.
Attention-guided YOLOv5s-SDF model for accurate detection of strip steel surface defects
Association between shift work and insulin resistance in women: Implications for metabolic health
Shift work has been associated with circadian rhythm disruption and related metabolic disturbances, with women potentially being more vulnerable due to physiological and hormonal characteristics. Research on the correlation between shift work and insulin resistance in women outside hospital nursing settings remains scarce. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between shift work and insulin resistance in working-age women, using the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index as a surrogate marker. Data from 3,780 female participants aged 19–64 years were collected from the 2019–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were classified as day or shift workers, and insulin resistance was categorized as high or low based on the TyG index. The association between work schedule and insulin resistance was evaluated after adjusting for potential confounders. Shift workers had 1.30 times higher odds of elevated insulin resistance than day workers. Stronger associations were observed among women aged 40–50 years, those in pink-collar occupations, and individuals with adverse lifestyle factors, including overweight status, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and smoking. These findings underscore the importance of tailored workplace health interventions and the adoption of personalized, circadian rhythm–aligned strategies to reduce metabolic risk among female shift workers, thereby supporting occupational health policy and preventive care.
Molecular phylogeny and species delimitation unravel climate-driven diversification and cryptic radiation in Iranian steppe Vipers (Vipera ursinii-renardi complex)
Unraveling the herpetofauna diversity in canga and forest ecosystems of the Eastern Amazon
Species inventories are essential for discovering new taxa, improving knowledge of species’ geographic distributions, characterizing local richness, evaluating biodiversity loss, and contributing to the conservation of endangered areas, including those with endemic and rare species. The southeastern region of Pará, Brazil, encompasses a transitional zone between the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, marked by a mosaic of natural environments with high variability in relief, substrates, and geological attributes. We conducted a comprehensive survey of the region’s herpetofauna, combining taxonomic surveys with molecular characterization, with a particular focus on species associated with savanna-like environments known as canga . We selected four sampling sites: one within the Serra dos Carajás mosaic of protected areas and three in the surrounding region, including São Geraldo do Araguaia, Conceição do Araguaia, and Ourilândia do Norte/São Félix do Xingu. Our inventory recorded a total of 242 species (99 amphibians and 143 squamate reptiles), including ten new records for the state of Pará and two notable range extensions. We also generated a DNA barcode reference library of 860 sequences (436 COI and 424 16S rRNA) from 500 specimens. Approximately 58.4% of amphibian species and 32.2% of squamate reptile species were supported by at least one reference barcode. Our dataset includes five novel COI and two novel 16S rRNA records for amphibians, and 25 novel COI and 13 novel 16S rRNA records for squamate reptiles.
Nematocidal activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized using chicken egg albumin in lung and spleen of Parascaris equorum experimentally infected rats
Abstract Weight loss, weakness, coughing, nasal discharge, and neurological problems result from Parascaris equorum infection. However, severe infestations can cause intestinal impaction, colic, unthriftiness, peritonitis, and small intestine rupture, resulting in death. Parasite resistance to conventional drugs is mainly caused by decreased drug absorption and increased metabolism. Nanoparticle-based drugs can be viable alternatives. The study studied the pharmacological effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles( ZnO NPs) on P. equorum , infected rats’ lungs and spleens. Thirty-six male rats were separated into two groups of 18 rats each: infected and uninfected. The two groups were divided into three subgroups that received orally distilled water, 30 mg/kg ZnO NPs, or 60 mg/kg for 10 days. Depending on dosage, ZnO NPs (30, 60 mg/kg) drastically reduced larvae in the lung and spleen. ZnO nanoparticles reduced malondialdehyde and nitric oxide and improved the antioxidant system in sick rats’ spleens and lungs. The infected lung and spleen showed fewer histological changes after ZnO NPs (30, 60 mg/kg) therapy. Compared to rats infected but untreated, ZnO NPs at 30 and 60 mg/kg reduced nuclear factor-kappa B levels in immunohistochemistry. ZnO NPs do not harm animal cells and are harmless to non-infected rats. They can treat P. equorum infection due to their anthelmintic, antioxidant, healing, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Seeing is believing: Understanding the experiences and needs of marginalized communities living through successive disasters using photovoice
Introduction Reports indicate increasing prevalence rates of successive natural disasters, and the negative impact on existing infrastructures are well documented. However, factors impacting outcomes on both communities and individuals remain unclear. For historically underserved communities, the effects of disasters are exacerbated by pre-existing barriers that make efforts to recovery difficult. Thus, understanding the nuance of their circumstances and experience is crucial to helping build resilience in these communities and inform preparedness and response efforts. Objective Through this study, we sought to qualitatively understand the lived experience of historically underserved communities in the context of natural disasters to support the development and/or adoption of resources. Methods Photovoice was used to guide semi-structured interviews with participants recruited from three communities (Kashmere Gardens, Greater Third Ward, Greater Fifth Ward) in Houston, TX. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to generate themes accurately depicting participant experiences. Reflexivity, persistent observation, and triangulation were employed to increase trustworthiness in analysis. Results Five key themes emerged from analysis: 1) Acute and long-term damage from natural disasters requires sustained recovery efforts; 2) Gaps and opportunities exist in city, state, and federal support mechanisms; 3) Strengthening and expanding support networks and community resources after extreme weather events is critical; 4) Need to address structural barriers to disaster preparedness and coping; and 5) Recognizing and mitigating the broad mental health impacts of natural disasters. Conclusion The lived experiences of individuals from historically underserved communities in Houston highlight a complex interaction of psychosocial, structural, and cultural factors that influence both community resilience and vulnerability. Understanding this interplay is crucial to informing policy efforts that prioritize resilience building in these communities. Implications from these findings are discussed.
Correction: Clinical, laboratory, radiological features, and outcome of acute fat embolism syndrome in sickle cell disease
Maternal adverse childhood experiences and perinatal outcomes: A retrospective inceptive cohort study
Introduction Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor health and social outcomes in adulthood. However, research on the relationship between ACEs and perinatal outcomes remains limited, and the effect of cumulative ACEs on perinatal outcomes has not yet been established. This study examines the association between maternal exposure to multiple ACEs and perinatal outcomes. Material and methods The study comprised a cohort study of 1,253 women enrolled in the national prenatal healthcare program in Sweden 2012-2013. In early pregnancy and one year after childbirth the women completed a total of 3 questionnaires that included questions on ACEs, mode of delivery, and birth complications. ACEs were grouped as involving 0, 1-3, or ≥4 categories according to previously defined measures. Multiple ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to compare perinatal outcomes across ACE categories adjusted for a minimal sufficient set of confounders as well as sensitivity analyses. Results The women had an average age of 32, and the majority were multiparous, of Swedish origin, highly educated, non-smokers and in a relationship. The proportions of women with adverse childhood experiences in the 0, 1-3, and ≥4 categories were 42%, 46% and 12%, respectively. On the whole, the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were highest for women exposed to adverse childhood experience in ≥4 categories, with women exposed to 0 as reference, and with aORs for women exposed to 1-3 categories in between. In women with ≥4 ACEs categories, the strongest associations were found for the outcomes emergency Caesarean delivery (aOR 2.02, CI 1.13-3.63), bleeding >1000 ml in connection with Caesarean delivery (aOR 3.54, CI 1.01-12.39), preeclampsia (aOR 4.21, CI 1.73-10.25) and requiring antibiotics (aOR 3.14, CI 1.19-8.32). Conclusions Multiple ACEs were associated with higher rates of adverse perinatal outcomes. The maternal health services need to identify these individuals and provide extra care to mitigate their risks.