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Exploring the experiences and wellbeing of competitive women, transgender, and gender diverse gamers
Full text linkVideo gaming offers various benefits, such as social connections and improved wellbeing. However, as competitive video gaming continues to grow, gender-related harassment of women and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) gamers in competitive gaming environments persists. This study explored the experiences of gamers in gaming communities, their mental health, and gaming imposter syndrome. The study also explored women and TGD gamers’ experiences of gender-related harassment. Findings showed that ~87% of women and TGD gamers reported gender-related harassment and employed a range of avoidance action to minimise harassment. They also reported more worries about engaging in gaming communities, more gaming imposter syndrome, and poorer mental health. The findings highlight the pervasiveness of gender-related harassment in competitive video gaming and the reliance of short-term coping strategies among women and TGD gamers. While identity-specific communities may offer support, structural and cultural changes are needed to foster inclusive competitive gaming spaces
Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement in Clinical Trials: A Multi‐Perspective Mixed‐Methods Evaluation of the ROWTATE Programme
Full text linkBackground: Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) has many benefits for the design, delivery and dissemination of health research, but this can be difficult to achieve. Systematic reporting and evaluation of PPIE in multi‐year, multisite and complex clinical trials is very limited. Methodology: This evaluation presents a multi‐perspective description and evaluation of patient and public involvement within a large‐scale, multisite, longitudinal research programme focused on developing and evaluating a vocational rehabilitation and clinical psychology intervention for individuals recovering from traumatic injury. Conducted as part of the NIHR‐funded ROWTATE research programme (2019–2026), the evaluation explores the scope, impact, and lived experiences of PPIE group members across all phases of the study, from development of the intervention, feasibility study and trial design to intervention delivery, data collection, analysis and dissemination. Employing multiple methods, including open‐ended surveys with PPIE group members and researchers, a ‘You Said, We Did’ activity log, and minute taking, the study identifies key patterns related to PPIE group members' motivations, contributions, personal impact and barriers and facilitators to engagement. Results: Findings highlight the significant value of PPIE in enhancing study relevance, improving data collection and communication strategies, informing rehabilitation, clinical psychology and health economics components, and shaping intervention delivery. PPIE group members reported a strong sense of purpose and intellectual engagement, despite challenges including communication gaps and role clarity. Researchers valued PPIE contribution to the research, and the positive and enriching experience of working with PPIE group members. Both groups reflected on the barriers and facilitators to PPIE. Conclusion: The evaluation highlights the importance of inclusive, well‐supported, and transparent PPIE practices and contributes novel insights into the PPIE role in under‐researched domains such as clinical psychology and health economics. Patient or Public Contribution: Traumatic injury survivors were involved in all processes of this evaluation. This includes research design, funding acquisition, data collection, data analysis and interpretation and the write‐up of this manuscript. Five traumatic injury survivors are co‐authors of this manuscript
Offline Reconstruction of Diffusion MRI Acquisitions for Comparison Between Complex PCA-based and AI-based Denoising
Full text linkPurpose: Optimal diffusion MRI (dMRI) data for image denoising is often unavailable from scanner reconstruction. In this work, we make available an offline reconstruction pipeline for GE dMRI acquisitions, giving access to complex dMRI data. Furthermore, we compare the efficacy of GE HealthCare’s AIR-Recon DLTM (ARDL), a proprietary convolutional neural network-based reconstruction and denoising approach, to patch-based MPPCASVS and NORDIC denoising methods on high-resolution dMRI data.Methods: We developed an end-to-end offline dMRI reconstruction pipeline for GE HealthCare acquisitions, augmenting the Orchestra software development kit, and validated its output against scanner reconstruction. We used it to compare MPPCASVS, NORDIC and ARDL denoising approaches, considering underlying metrics reflecting noise variance and bias, such as the signal profiles in highly anisotropic areas, and secondary downstream measurements, such as fiber orientation estimation and white matter tractography.Results: Our validated offline reconstruction supports various in-plane/out-of-plane accelerations and partial Fourier reconstruction methods. Unlike scanner reconstruction, it provides access to complex dMRI data, enabling denoising in the complex domain, which demonstrated superior noise floor suppression compared to magnitude-constrained denoising. PCA-based denoising methods had improved spatial resolution, contrast-to-noise and more robust fiber orientation estimation compared to ARDL.Conclusion: We found significant gains in dMRI data quality when using the proposed offline reconstruction pipeline, allowing complex-domain denoising to obtain high-quality data at high spatial resolution and b-value, using a wide-bore scanner and a standard PGSE EPI sequence. MPPCASVS and NORDIC (4D PCA-based) outperformed ARDL (2D) in terms of spatial resolution and reduction of noise variance
Exercise during 14 days of head down tilt bedrest attenuates motor unit impairments in older humans
Full text linkHead-down tilt bedrest (HDBR) models the effects of mechanical unloading on neuromuscular function. The efficacy of exercise in preserving motor unit (MU) function in older adults during HDBR remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of 14-day HDBR on MU properties in older adults and the protective role of exercise. Fifteen participants aged 55–65 years were randomized to Control group (n = 7, passive mobilization only) or Exercise group (n = 8, daily mixed resistance and aerobic training) during 14 days of strict HDBR. Knee extensor strength and leg lean mass were measured, and intramuscular EMG was used to record MU firing rate (MUFR), MU potential (MUP) area and complexity, and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) transmission instability during contractions normalized to 25% of pre-bedrest strength. Plasma C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) was also measured. Following HDBR, knee extensor strength decreased more in the Control group (−33.4 N m; P < 0.001; ∼18% decrease) than in the Exercise group (−14.5 N m; P = 0.027; ∼8% decrease; interaction P = 0.045). Leg lean mass decreased similarly in both groups (−0.418 kg; P = 0.013). Exercise prevented the decrease in MUP area observed in Controls (−65 mV·ms, P = 0.240 vs. −253 mV·ms, P < 0.001) and led to a reduction in MUFR (−1.05 pulses/s, P < 0.001) not seen in Controls. NMJ transmission stability and CAF levels were unchanged in both groups. HDBR reduced leg lean mass and strength. Exercise attenuated declines in strength and MUP area, likely by preserving muscle fibre size despite reduced MUFR, without evidence of NMJ disruption. Exercise effectively attenuates neuromuscular decrements following HDBR in older adults, with implications for clinical care and spaceflight
Towards primary prevention of multiple sclerosis
No full textMultiple sclerosis (MS) is among the most common causes of disability in the young and, despite the advent of highly effective disease-modifying therapies, remains an incurable disease. Prevention of MS before the onset of demyelination is a feasible, albeit ambitious, goal. Currently, preventive interventions with adequate evidence of efficacy are lacking, and evaluating such interventions with traditional trial designs is challenging. Additionally, the high frequency and low effect sizes of putative MS risk factors, a limited window of opportunity to intervene, and the relatively low incidence of MS in the general population make prevention studies conceptually and practically difficult. Nevertheless, studies in radiologically isolated syndrome have generated momentum within the MS prevention space, and novel trial designs offer the potential for reimagining traditional randomized controlled trials. In this Perspective, we discuss the challenges in developing and testing preventive interventions in MS and, drawing on progress in other diseases, we propose strategies and solutions. We discuss pragmatic approaches to risk stratification and illustrate the importance of considering statistical power and outcome definitions. Prevention studies require careful thought with respect to risk stratification, communication, intervention and outcomes but, given the current knowledge, the time to set up and start MS prediction and prevention studies is now
A decuple crossover scheme in genetic algorithms: a step toward deep evolution
Full text linkGenetic Algorithms (GAs) are widely used for solving complex optimization problems thanks to their ability to explore vast solution spaces and adapt to diverse constraints. Among the key components of GAs, the crossover operator critically influences the balance between exploration and exploitation, by combining promising genetic material and exploring new regions of the solution space. However, traditional crossover operators typically apply a single recombination per parent pair, which limits their ability to deeply exploit high-quality gene patterns and often leads to premature convergence. To address this limitation, we propose the Decuple Crossover Scheme (DCS), a novel hierarchical crossover scheme that intensifies intra-generational recombination. In DCS, a pair of parents initially produce two offspring, which then undergo multiple recombinations with the original parents, resulting in promising candidate offspring. From this pool, the two best individuals are selected for the next generation, enabling deeper exploitation of genetic material and improved population diversity. The effectiveness of DCS is demonstrated through a proof-of-concept application on the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), showcasing its potential for enhancing solution quality and convergence speed. These results highlight the broader applicability of DCS to diverse optimization challenges, making it a promising tool for advancing the field of evolutionary computation
Responsible Generative AI for SMEs in UK and Africa (RAISE) - A Research and Development AI Case Study
Full text linkThis report presents a series of case studies developed under the Responsible Generative AI for SMEs in the UK and Africa (RAISE) project, examining how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand, adopt, and operationalise generative AI in practice. Drawing on in-depth qualitative engagement with participating organisations across diverse sectors, the case studies explore anticipated benefits, technical and organisational challenges, and the ethical, legal, and social considerations shaping AI integration. The RAISE case studies demonstrate how responsible AI principles are interpreted pragmatically by SMEs and illustrate the value of context-sensitive, actionable guidance in supporting responsible adoption. Collectively, the cases provide empirical insight into the realities of generative AI use in resource-constrained environments and inform the development of practical frameworks for responsible AI implementation in SMEs
Distinct T and innate-like lymphocyte reprogramming following lyophilized fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent C. difficile infection
Full text linkFecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly effective in preventing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), yet its immunological mechanisms remain poorly defined. While bacterial engraftment and recovery of microbial diversity are central to FMT efficacy, accumulating evidence suggests that host immune reprogramming is involved. In murine models, regulatory CD4⁺ T cells are indispensable for clearing C. difficile. To address this mechanistic gap, we examined systemic immune reprogramming following FMT by performing flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on a subset of successfully treated participants from a clinical trial comparing lyophilized FMT (LFMT) with lyophilized sterile fecal filtrate (LSFF, no live bacteria) for preventing rCDI. Flow cytometry was performed on peripheral mononuclear cells from 19 LFMT recipients and 18 LSFF recipients, and scRNA-seq analysis was performed on two LFMT recipients. Although flow cytometry results did not show significant changes in the assessed markers after rCDI resolution in either treatment group, exploratory scRNA-seq in the two LFMT recipients revealed distinct LFMT-associated transcriptional signatures across adaptive and innate-like lymphocyte populations. LFMT was associated with upregulated activation and regulatory genes (CD69, STAT1, TOX, RORA, FOXP3) in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, suggesting enhanced immune regulation with reduced cytotoxic gene expression (GZMB, PRF1, GNLY). Innate-like lymphocytes displayed broad activation, with natural killer cells showing increased KLRD1, PRF1, and IL2RB and mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) upregulating STAT1, JUN, and RORA while downregulating KLRB1 and STAT3. These transcriptional programs are consistent with recalibration of T cell homeostasis and innate-like lymphocyte activation, potentially driven by microbial restoration. Collectively, this exploratory study provides the first single-cell immune atlas of LFMT in rCDI, identifying coordinated activation of regulatory, effector, and innate immune pathways. Given the small sample size, these findings should be considered hypothesis-generating, requiring validation in larger cohorts
Mapping compassion in the general adult population: religious and secular compassionate acts in social relationships and organizational culture
Full text linkBackground: Compassion, defined as recognizing suffering and acting to alleviate it, is increasingly acknowledged as a public health asset that enhances resilience, trust, and cooperation. Shown through interpersonal care, ethical leadership, and institutional backing, compassion influences social relationships and organizational culture, although interpretations differ across religious, secular, and cultural contexts. Clarifying how compassion is understood is crucial for fostering inclusive, supportive communities and workplaces, with existing literature linking it to mental health and community-rooted resilience.Objectives: This study examined how religious and secular ethics shape individuals’ perceptions of compassion received from others, and how these experiences inform social relationships and collective activities. It further explored how compassionate behaviors in workplace settings contribute to organizational climate, an area of growing relevance in public health. Rather than measuring health outcomes directly, the study focused on identifying mechanisms and ingredients for cultivating compassion as a key enabler of public health, with its broader link to well-being supported by existing literature.Methods: Three rounds of online surveys were conducted with 877 working-age adults in the United States between January and April 2025. Participants represented diverse religious backgrounds, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and others. To preserve the conceptual breadth of “organization,” no specific profession was defined, ensuring generalizability across public health contexts. Quantitative analyses employed frequency distributions, chi-square tests, and ANOVA, supplemented by path analysis to aggregate results. Qualitative data were examined through thematic narrative analysis and integrated with set theory models to theorize compassion’s broader role.Results: Participants reported that compassion was rarely visible in public discourse, particularly in media (χ2 = 75.30, p < 0.001), despite its perceived importance in healthcare (χ2 = 27.11, p < 0.001), education, and family life. Receiving compassion in workplaces was strongly linked to improved team cohesion, ethical leadership, and support during personal crises (χ2 = 364.32; χ2 = 138.29, both p < 0.001). Qualitative narratives revealed that compassion was interpreted as empathic acknowledgment, shaped by both religious traditions and secular experiences, and embedded in the social fabric of public and professional life.Conclusion: This study identifies receiving compassion as a valuable social and organizational resource, positioning it as a potential public health asset. Compassion strengthens social bonds within communities and workplaces, contributing to trust, cooperation, and resilience. Religious frameworks often interpreted compassion as sacred obligation, while secular frameworks emphasized fairness and civic responsibility, together illuminating compassion’s versatility as both spiritual and civic resource. Limitations include reliance on self-reported data, broad framing of “organization,” and a U.S.-based sample. Future research should employ longitudinal and observational designs to validate findings and explore how cultural contexts and intersecting identities shape interpretations of compassion
Increased cytoplasmic and nuclear S100A6 expression is associated with improved prognosis in ovarian cancer
No full textBackgroundOvarian cancer is one of the most common gynaecological cancers affecting more than 300,000 women worldwide each year. S100 calcium-binding protein A6 (S100A6) is a member of the S100 family of calcium-binding proteins. Upon activation by calcium (Ca2+) signalling, S100A6 regulates numerous cellular processes including cell proliferation and metastasis. The role of S100A6 is well established across multiple tumour types where increased S100A6 expression contributes to tumourigenesis and worse patient outcome. However, the role of S100A6 in ovarian cancer is not well established. MethodsThe impact of cytoplasmic and nuclear S100A6 expression on overall survival and clinicopathological criteria was investigated in 462 ovarian tumours by immunohistochemistry. Additionally, S100A6 expression in an ovarian cancer cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PanCancer dataset (n=299) was evaluated and associations with overall survival and progression-free survival were identified. ResultsImmunohistochemical staining revealed that high cytoplasmic expression of S100A6 was significantly associated with better overall survival (p=0.014). Additionally, high nuclear expression was significantly associated with better overall survival (p=0.036). In contrast, analysis of mRNA S100A6 suggests no significant association of mRNA levels for overall survival (p=0.903) and progression free survival (p=0.278).ConclusionsOur data provides novel insights regarding the clinical implications of S100A6 expression in ovarian cancer, providing strong rationale for functional investigations of S100A6 in ovarian cancer
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