Intercontinental insights into autism spectrum disorder: a synthesis of environmental influences and DNA methylation.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a broad range of symptoms. The etiology of ASD is thought to involve complex gene-environment interactions, which are crucial to understanding its various causes and symptoms. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that potentially links genetic predispositions to environmental factors in the development of ASD.

Sex-specific DNA methylation signatures of autism spectrum disorder in newborn blood.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder comprises a group of neurodevelopmental conditions currently diagnosed by behavioral assessment in childhood, although neuropathology begins during gestation. A poorly understood male bias for ASD diagnosis is thought to be due to both biological sex differences and cultural biases against female diagnosis of ASD. Identification of molecular biomarkers of ASD likelihood in newborns would provide more objective screening and early intervention.

Exploring why European primary care physicians sometimes do not think of, or act on, a possible cancer diagnosis. A qualitative study.

Background: While primary care physicians (PCPs) play a key role in cancer detection, they can find cancer diagnosis challenging, and some patients have considerable delays between presentation and onward referral.

Aim: To explore European PCPs' experiences and views on cases where they considered that they had been slow to think of, or act on, a possible cancer diagnosis.

Design & Setting: A multicentre European qualitative study, based on an online survey with open-ended questions, asking PCPs for their narratives about cases when they had missed a diagnosis of cancer.

Identification and Ranking of Core Values in Family Medicine: A Mixed Methods Study From Ukraine.

The term core value (CV) can be defined as fundamental beliefs or principles, guiding one's behavior in a social context. Though core competencies of family medicine (FM) have been clearly defined by WONCA, there has been an ongoing debate on what the CVs are for family doctors (FDs). Ukraine is a developing country in the middle of Europe with a population of 43 million inhabitants, gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.