BACKGROUND: Transportation noise has been linked with breast cancer, but existing literature is conflicting. One proposed mechanism is that transportation noise disrupts sleep and the circadian rhythm. We investigated the relationships between road traffic noise, DNA methylation in circadian rhythm genes, and breast cancer. We selected 610 female participants (318 breast cancer cases and 292 contr

Introduction: Home oxygen therapy is one of the few interventions that can improve survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when administered appropriately, although it may cause side effects and be an unnecessary burden for some patients. Areas covered: This narrative review summarizes the current literature on the assessment of hypoxemia, different types of home oxy

In 2005, an occupied cliff nest of a Common Buzzard was found in a quarry near Geseke in North Rhine-Westphalia, Northwest Germany. Cliff nests are common in Great Britain and parts of the Alps, but in Central Europe tree nests are the rule. The relevant literature describes only a few nests on the ground, but none on cliffs. Despite the breeding of a pair of Eagle Owls Bubo bubo in the same area

The recent increase in the breeding population and the phenology of roosting Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) are well described, but little is known about their migration patterns away from coastal areas. The few published data are based on older investigations, when the Cormorant was a rare breeding bird in Europe and thus a very rare migratory bird in inland parts of Central Europe. As a

Biochemical analyses of blood can decipher physiological conditions of living animals and unravel mechanistic underpinnings of life-history strategies and trade-offs. Yet, researchers in ecology and evolution often face constraints in which methods to apply, not least due to blood volume restrictions or field settings. Here, we test the suitability of a portable biochemical analyser (Zoetis VetSca

The human sex ratio at birth (SRB) undergoes temporary changes around a mean proportion of 0.51 male births. SRB has been well studied for historical, geographical, and secular trends, but until now not linked to health outcomes in the total population, e.g. for cardiovascular disease (CVD) or mortality during follow-up of birth cohorts. We used linkage analysis based on national registers in Swed

Based on two case studies in Germany, this study disentangles development traps by focusing on the role of narratives and imaginaries in peripheral regions. Drawing on 43 interviews and two focus groups, it shows how regions move towards development traps despite putative new opportunities through green transitions. The study highlights different narrative dimensions and how they serve as indicato

The high-frequency capacitive and switching response of ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) is investigated on scaled ferroelectric metal-oxide-semiconductor III-V capacitors. Spanning over six orders of magnitude, the measured frequency response allows for accurate modeling of the capacitance-frequency dispersion. The steady-state ferroelectric behavior is retained even in the mm-wave frequency rang

Previous studies have shown that police assaults reduce trust in the police among the group affected by the incidents. As the phenomenon of plural policing emerges and the actors in policing become intertwined, blurring the boundaries between them, analysis of the impact of security guards’ actions becomes warranted. This paper investigates the impact of two security guard incidents on trust in th

Welcome to the fifth edition of the REWBAH workshop, a satellite event of the IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE). The REWBAH workshop fosters discussion related to requirements engineering resulting from the need to build software systems that not only support healthcare, but also promote well-being, encourage patients and the population in general to live according to hea

The uneven burden of climate-related losses and damages and its implications for equity and social justice are receiving growing attention in science and policy. Smallholder farmers, indigenous groups, and ethnic minorities are often identified as particularly vulnerable and likely to experience a greater burden of climate-related loss and damage. However, limited attention has been paid to experi

Background: In recent years, fighting arts (e.g., Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Boxe) have gained broader attention due to their multiple benefits, involving both physical and psychological enhancements for practitioners. Despite that, studies revolving around specific psychological characteristics such as personality traits are scarce. This study explored potential connections between the personality tr

The integration of functional materials into electronic devices has become a key approach to extending Moore’s law by increasing the functional density of electronic circuits. Here, we present a device technology based on ultrascaled ferroelectric, antiambipolar transistors (ferro-AAT) with robust negative transconductance, enabling a wide range of reconfigurable functionalities with applications

Biological treatment processes at low or neutral pH are ineffective for gold mine wastewater treatment. The aim of this study was to develop a new cyanide-rich gold mine wastewater treatment system using alkaliphilic microbial consortia from the Ethiopian Rift Valley soda lake, Lake Chitu. The treatment setup incorporates aerobic and anoxic reactors connected in series and operated for about 200 t

Background: The management of patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) requires imaging diagnostics of good quality and accurate measurement of the degree of slippage. In Sweden, three different radiological methods are commonly used: the calcar femorale method; the Billing method; and the Head-shaft angle described by Southwick. Purpose: To evaluate whether any of the three most com

Background In adults with serious respiratory illness, breathlessness is prevalent and associated with reduced health-related quality of life. The aim of this review was to assess the impact of breathing techniques on breathlessness in adults with serious respiratory illness. Methods Electronic databases were searched to identify randomised controlled trials testing breathing techniques (technique

The International Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Reference Center launches annual global HPV genotyping proficiency panels to enhance the precision and international standardization of HPV genotyping services. This study aims to assess the proficiency levels achieved in the global HPV genotyping proficiency panels conducted in 2022 and 2023, and to evaluate trends in performance over time. The profici