Proteogenomic Analysis Identifies Clinically Relevant Subgroups of Collecting Duct Carcinoma.

Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is a rare but aggressive form of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that has limited understanding and an undefined systemic therapeutic regimen. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive proteogenomic analysis of CDC tumors and normal adjacent tissues to elucidate the biology of the disease. CDC exhibited high heterogeneity in tumor mutational burden, and enhanced ribosome biogenesis was the most striking malignant feature of CDC, even compared with other common kidney carcinomas.

Exploring ADHD through the Lens of temperament: The TEMPS-A connection.

Background: Temperament has been increasingly studied in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study examines the association between ADHD and affective temperament traits using the Temperament Scale of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego (TEMPS-A) in a clinical outpatient sample in Beirut, Lebanon.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 2,564 psychiatric outpatients aged 15 or older who completed the TEMPS-A.

Antimicrobial Use and Awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Livestock Sector in the Western Balkans.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to human, animal, and environmental health. To tackle AMR in the livestock sector, there is a need to understand the antimicrobial use (AMU) practices of different stakeholders in order to target the common knowledge gaps and inappropriate practices with tailored interventions. In the Western Balkans, published evidence shows the presence of AMR in both humans and animals.

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity foster high fish biodiversity in an Amazonian floodplain.

The high biodiversity of tropical ecosystems was one of the earliest ecological patterns to be reported, but the ecological processes that maintain this diversity remain unresolved. Here, we revisit Pianka's 1966 hypothesis that spatial heterogeneity contributes to tropical biodiversity. Using a comprehensive survey of a fish community in a central Amazonian floodplain, conducted over the 2003, 2012, and 2022 hydrological cycles, we ask if the high levels of environmental heterogeneity (both temporal and spatial) that characterize this ecosystem constrain the capacity of species to dominate local assemblages.

Admission pattern and outcome of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a retrospective study of admitted cases at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are major contributors to maternal and neonatal mortality, particularly in low-resource settings. Pregnancy-induced hypertension accounted for 16% of maternal deaths in 2016, ranking as the second leading cause of maternal mortality in Sierra Leone. The country faces challenges of HDP management due to limited primary healthcare resources.

Long read whole genome sequencing-based discovery of structural variants and their role in aetiology of non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder in India.

Background: Despite having heritability estimates of 80%, ~ 50% cases of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remain without a genetic diagnosis. Structural variants (SVs) detected using long-read whole genome sequencing (lrWGS) are a relatively new class of variants implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. Short read sequencing (SRS) and chromosomal microarray (CMA) are unable to resolve these SVs due to their inherent technological limitations.

A new dataset of province- and prefecture-level human development index in China.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is widely recognized as a key measure for assessing progress in health, education, and income. China's remarkable advances in human development, coupled with pronounced internal disparities, present a unique context for examining regional development trajectories. Existing HDI datasets, however, often focus on national or provincial scales, leaving finer details at the prefecture level underexplored.

Spatio-temporal learning from molecular dynamics simulations for protein-ligand binding affinity prediction.

Motivation: The field of protein-ligand binding affinity prediction continues to face significant challenges. While deep learning (DL) models can leverage 3D structural information of protein-ligand complexes, they perform well only on heavily biased test sets containing information leaked from training sets. This lack of generalization arises from the limited availability of training data and the models' inability to effectively learn from protein-ligand interactions.

Global map of characterized dust sources using multisource remote sensing data.

The most recent high-resolution global map of dust emission sources is provided by Ginoux et al. (2012), which utilizes an aerosol loading approach based on time series of MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). However, advancements in remote sensing technology and analytical techniques have created a growing need for more accurate and up-to-date maps of global dust sources to enhance the understanding and management of this phenomenon.

Balancing the benefits and risks of social media on adolescent mental health in a post-pandemic world.

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified adolescents reliance on social media for connection, education, and entertainment, presenting both opportunities and risks for mental health. This viewpoint explores the dual nature of social media as a lifeline offering peer support and access to resources, especially for marginalized teens and a stressor, linked to anxiety, depression, and cyberbullying. Drawing on global evidence, including WHO and UNICEF data, it shows disparities in impact across socioeconomic, cultural, and gender contexts, with low-resource settings facing unique challenges like digital poverty amidst persistent post-pandemic effects.

Social norms research in low resource settings: Opportunities ahead.

Including social norms in multi-component sustainable global development interventions can help people break harmful feedback cycles and achieve sustainable intentional social change. To this purpose, we offer here a series of reflections for those embarking on social norms change in low-resource settings. We also highlight several opportunities for future research and programmatic efforts to be deployed in these settings, which can also enhance the field of norm change more generally and support the design of cost-effective programs targeting global development initiatives.

Female breast cancer burden among adolescent and young adults in North Africa.

Introduction: This study examines the growing burden of breast cancer among adolescents and young adults (AYAs, ages 15-39) in North Africa from 1990 to 2021. Despite breast cancer primarily affecting postmenopausal women, its increasing incidence among AYAs presents unique clinical and biological challenges that remain under explored in North Africa.

Methods: Using Global Burden of Disease 2021 data, we analyzed temporal trends in AYA breast cancer incidence and mortality across North Africa compared to other global regions (seven GBD super regions and Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, and Western Africa).

Vulnerable entrepreneurs' preferences for climate risk management: A discrete choice experiment with micro-enterprises in the Philippines.

Small enterprises are important contributors to economic development and local employment in low- and middle-income countries. However, they are often highly vulnerable to climate risks and have limited capacity to adapt to them. This study assesses the preferences of micro-enterprises in the Philippines for risk management strategies in response to climate risks and environmental hazards.

When farmers' knowledge matters: Improving epidemiological understanding of Peste des petits ruminants in northern Nigeria.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an endemic disease of sheep and goats in Nigeria and represents a major threat to the livelihoods of smallholders. Understanding the epidemiology of this disease and its management by livestock farmers is essential for developing appropriate surveillance and control programmes. This study aimed to enhance the knowledge about PPR by conducting a large-scale survey in 52 villages in Plateau, Bauchi and Kano states in the northern part of Nigeria.

Sex-disaggregated analysis of age-standardized human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and sexually transmitted infections prevalence in Sierra Leone: insights from the World Health Organization health equity assessment toolkit data.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and sexually transmitted infections remain critical public health challenges in Sierra Leone, with major implications for morbidity and mortality. Understanding the trends in the prevalence of these infections and identifying sex-based disparities are essential for designing effective, evidence-based interventions. This study examined the trends in age-standardized prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and sexually transmitted infections in Sierra Leone in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2019.

What determines the decline of wasting in the Philippines.

Background: In the past three decades, the prevalence of under-5 wasting in the Philippines has generally fluctuated between 6% and 8%. However, between 2013 and 2018, the decline in the wasting prevalence (-2.3 percentage points) in the Philippines was sharp and statistically significant.

Challenges to Accessing and Utilizing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services in Rwanda.

Background: Adolescents in Rwanda, like in other developing countries in Africa, continue to face challenges in accessing and using sexual and reproductive health and right (SRHR) services despite recent progress. They lack accurate information about sexual health, which increases the risk of unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, premature death, and unsafe abortions. Thus, our study aimed to explore the challenges that adolescents face in accessing and utilizing SRHR services in Rwanda.

Sierra Leone's safe motherhood bill: balancing public health, religious values, and cultural traditions.

Sierra Leone’s safe motherhood and reproductive health care act 2024 represents a pivotal moment in the nation’s efforts to address its maternal health crisis while intersecting religious and cultural heritage. This commentary examines the multifaceted challenges and opportunities presented by this landmark legislation, which aims to transform maternal healthcare delivery in a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. It analyzes the bill’s key provisions and their intersection with strong religious beliefs and cultural traditions.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in the World Mental Health surveys.

Background: National surveys have suggested that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent and impairing condition. However, there are few cross-national data on OCD, with data particularly scarce in low- and middle-income countries. Here we employ data from the World Mental Health surveys to characterize the onset, course, severity, and treatment of OCD across a range of countries in different geographic regions of the world.

A longitudinal study of violent armed conflict and economic health nexus in Nigeria.

Violent armed conflict befell Nigeria in 2009 in form of Boko Haram terrorism and insurgency, and has been extended and sustained in all nooks and crannies of the country by banditry, kidnapping for ransom, herder-farmer clash and unknown gunmen attack or ethnic militia. On the other hand, between 2009 and 2024, Nigeria has suffered two economic recessions. This study interrogated the association between the sustained violent armed conflict with the attendant environmental shock and insecurity with the related deaths and economic health in Nigeria (2004-2020), covering the pre-Boko Haram years (2004-2007) and the Boko Haram operation years (2009-2019).

Cash grants to informal firms after Cyclone Idai: beyond the null.

This study investigates the effects of unconditional cash grants on informal manufacturing firms' recovery after Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique in 2019. Using a novel stratified adaptive cluster sampling approach, we collected representative panel data from firms in Beira (heavily affected) and Chimoio (less affected). Many firms demonstrated rapid initial recovery without financial intervention, but did not sustain this over time.

Depopulation and aging-challenges for Croatia's climate resilience.

Introduction: Climate change and the implementation of mitigation and adaptation policies have significant socioeconomic implications. Conversely, socioeconomic developments shape the capacity to design and enforce climate policies, creating a feedback loop. This paper localizes the impact of Climate change in Croatia and explores the feedback between socio-economic development and climate change.