Publications by authors named "Metcalfe K"

Modern sequencing technologies allow for the addition of short-sequence tags, known as anchors, to both ends of a captured molecule. Anchors are useful in assembling the full-length sequence of a captured molecule as they can be used to accurately determine the endpoints. One representative of such anchor-enabled technology is LoopSeq Solo, a synthetic long read (SLR) sequencing protocol.

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  • The processes of primary and secondary neurulation, which lead to spinal cord formation, are not fully understood in humans due to difficulties accessing embryos at the relevant stages (3-7 weeks post-conception).
  • Analysis of 108 human embryos reveals that while primary neurulation is similar to that in mice, it has distinct differences; secondary neurulation begins later and forms a single lumen, unlike the multiple lumens seen in chicks.
  • Key differences in neurulation timing between humans and mice were noted, such as the rate of somite formation and the termination of axial elongation associated with apoptosis in the embryonic tailbud; these findings can aid current research on neurulation using stem cell-derived organoids
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  • Duty Sex refers to having sex out of obligation, and is linked to sexual dysfunction and nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) in women.
  • The study surveyed 658 women, comparing those with NSE histories to those without, and found that those with NSEs reported more sexual pain, lower satisfaction, and higher Duty Sex frequency.
  • Clinicians should take sexual motivations like Duty Sex into account when treating women with NSE histories or sexual dysfunction, as these experiences impact sexual boundaries and overall sexual function.
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Understanding species distribution across habitats and environmental variables is important to inform area-based management. However, observational data are often lacking, particularly from developing countries, hindering effective conservation design. One such data-poor area is the Gulf of Guinea, an understudied and biodiverse region where coastal waters play a critical role in coastal livelihoods.

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Habitat loss is one of the primary drivers of large felid decline. The leopard (), a generalist large felid species, has the behavioural and dietary flexibility to exploit different habitat types of varying human influence. Understanding habitat selection in a shared landscape is critical for the development of conservation strategies and managing negative human-leopard interactions.

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  • The study investigates the relationship between hormonal contraceptive use and breast cancer risk in both unaffected women and mutation carriers.
  • Out of the participants, it was found that hormonal contraceptive use was linked to a higher breast cancer risk in mutation carriers, particularly with longer duration of use.
  • The findings suggest that decisions regarding hormonal contraceptive use for women with genetic mutations should consider individual risk factors and benefits.
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  • Randomized trials show intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) is more effective than sham and standard care for improving pain and quality of life in chronic low back pain patients.
  • * The study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of BVNA compared to standard treatment for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain.
  • * Results indicate that BVNA is cost-effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of US$11,376 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) over five years, suggesting over 99% probability of being cost-effective at a $100,000 willingness-to-pay threshold.
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Background: DNA sequencing is a critical tool in modern biology. Over the last two decades, it has been revolutionized by the advent of massively parallel sequencing, leading to significant advances in the genome and transcriptome sequencing of various organisms. Nevertheless, challenges with accuracy, lack of competitive options and prohibitive costs associated with high throughput parallel short-read sequencing persist.

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Background:  Nurses adjust intravenous nitroglycerin infusions to provide acute relief for angina by manually increasing or decreasing the dosage. However, titration can pose challenges, as excessively high doses can lead to hypotension, and low doses may result in inadequate pain relief. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) that predict changes in blood pressure for nitroglycerin dose adjustments may assist nurses with titration.

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Advances in our understanding of the genetic landscape of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) have led to the clinical adoption of multi-gene panel testing. Panel testing introduces new sources of genetic uncertainty secondary to the inclusion of moderate- and low-penetrance genes, as well as the increased likelihood of identifying a variant of uncertain significance (VUS). This cross-sectional study explored the post-test psychological functioning of women who underwent multi-gene panel testing for HBOC susceptibility genes.

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The shift to a genotype-first approach in genetic diagnostics has revolutionized our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, expanding both their molecular and phenotypic spectra. Kleefstra syndrome (KLEFS1) is caused by EHMT1 haploinsufficiency and exhibits broad clinical manifestations. EHMT1 encodes euchromatic histone methyltransferase-1-a pivotal component of the epigenetic machinery.

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  • * The study identifies RNU4-2, a non-coding RNA gene, as a significant contributor to syndromic NDD, revealing a specific 18-base pair region with low variation that includes variants found in 115 individuals with NDD.
  • * RNU4-2 is highly expressed in the developing brain, and its variants disrupt splicing processes, indicating that non-coding genes play a crucial role in rare disorders, potentially aiding in the diagnosis of thousands with NDD worldwide.
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Background: To estimate the incidence of primary peritoneal cancer after preventive bilateral oophorectomy in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

Methods: A total of 6310 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation who underwent a preventive bilateral oophorectomy were followed for a mean of 7.8 years from oophorectomy.

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Objective: To determine timing and risk factors associated with readmission within 30 days of discharge following noncardiac surgery.

Background: Hospital readmission after noncardiac surgery is costly. Data on the drivers of readmission have largely been derived from single-center studies focused on a single surgical procedure with uncertainty regarding generalizability.

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Blepharophimosis with intellectual disability (BIS) is a recently recognized disorder distinct from Nicolaides-Baraister syndrome that presents with distinct facial features of blepharophimosis, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. BIS is caused by pathogenic variants in SMARCA2, that encodes the catalytic subunit of the superfamily II helicase group of the BRG1 and BRM-associated factors (BAF) forming the BAF complex, a chromatin remodeling complex involved in transcriptional regulation. Individuals bearing variants within the bipartite nuclear localization (BNL) signal domain of ADNP present with the neurodevelopmental disorder known as Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa Syndrome (HVDAS).

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High-impact practices (HIPs) are educational practices that foster student success. HIPs have not been widely used in cancer education and research despite the need for students to develop key transferable skills and cultivate social responsibility. Our study addresses this need by implementing four community-based learning HIPs within the context of cancer education and research.

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  • The study investigates the use of genomic DNA methylation analysis, or episignature profiling, in diagnosing neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) by evaluating two cohorts of patients: one with known pathogenic variants and another with uncertain mutations.
  • In the validation group of 59 patients, 90% exhibited expected episignatures, although some variants displayed overlapping profiles due to similar clinical symptoms.
  • In the test cohort of 38 patients, five cases identified novel pathogenic variants and confirmed diagnoses for conditions such as Cornelia de Lange syndrome, highlighting the potential of episignature analysis to tackle complex genetic diagnosis challenges.
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Background: It has not been clearly established if skin cancer or melanoma are manifestations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carrier status. Estimating the risk of skin cancer is an important step towards developing screening recommendations.

Methods: We report the findings of a prospective cohort study of 6,207 women from North America who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

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  • - The study compares the DNA and RNA sequencing capabilities of Element Biosciences' AVITI platform with Illumina's NextSeq 550 and NovaSeq 6000, revealing that AVITI offers significantly higher quality scores and lower error rates in short-read applications.
  • - Specifically, AVITI showed an 89.7% lower error rate for PCR-free DNA libraries and a 32.5% lower error rate for RNA quantification compared to NextSeq 550.
  • - The findings suggest that AVITI has strong potential as a competitive option in high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing, particularly due to its advantages in error rates and mutation detection.
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Objective: To document the outcomes of a dedicated Science Communication Community of Practice (CoP) for increasing prevention-focused knowledge translation (KT) and evidence uptake. Type of program: Shared priorities and a united vision to communicate the value of prevention research led to the formation of a dedicated Science Communication CoP within an Australian public health prevention-focused research collaboration. Members of the CoP included science communication experts and early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) with KT-focused roles.

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Importance: Preventive bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is offered to women at high risk of ovarian cancer who carry a pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2; however, the association of oophorectomy with all-cause mortality has not been clearly defined.

Objective: To evaluate the association between bilateral oophorectomy and all-cause mortality among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 sequence variation.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this international, longitudinal cohort study of women with BRCA sequence variations, information on bilateral oophorectomy was obtained via biennial questionnaire.

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Importance: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance is offered to women with a pathogenic variant in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene who face a high lifetime risk of breast cancer. Surveillance with MRI is effective in downstaging breast cancers, but the association of MRI surveillance with mortality risk has not been well defined.

Objective: To compare breast cancer mortality rates in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 sequence variation who entered an MRI surveillance program with those who did not.

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Objectives: Patients with previously treated microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)/mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) tumours have limited chemotherapeutic treatment options. Pembrolizumab received approval from the EMA in 2022 for the treatment of colorectal, endometrial, gastric, small intestine, and biliary MSI-H/dMMR tumour types. This approval was supported by data from the KEYNOTE-164 and KEYNOTE-158 clinical trials.

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Background: Resistant hypertension (rHTN) is defined as blood pressure (BP) of ≥ 140/90 mmHg despite treatment with at least three antihypertensive medications, including a diuretic. Endovascular ultrasound renal denervation (uRDN) aims to control BP alongside conventional BP treatment with antihypertensive medication. This analysis assesses the cost effectiveness of the addition of the Paradise uRDN System compared with standard of care alone in patients with rHTN from the perspective of the United Kingdom (UK) health care system.

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