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A study conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney examined the presence of wrongly identified nucleotide sequences in high-impact-factor cancer research journals. The study found that 3.8% of nucleotide sequences in Molecular Cancer papers and 4.0% in Oncogene papers were wrongly identified. These wrongly identified sequences were distributed across a significant number of papers, including those from 2020. The study highlights the risks of relying on journal impact factors or citations as indicators of research quality. [Extracted from the article]

A report from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Australia, highlights the influence of dialect on the identification and severity of speech sound disorder (SSD) in Vietnamese-speaking children. The study reviewed five research papers on Vietnamese-speaking children living in Vietnam and Australia and found that the different dialects of Vietnamese affect the production of consonants, vowels, and tones. The researchers recommend considering dialect in diagnostic decision-making by adding dialectal variants to assessment score sheets and calculating accuracy of production based on both the standard form and dialectal form. Speech and language therapists are encouraged to report the percentage of consonants correct-standard (PCC-S) and percentage of consonants correct-dialect (PCC-D) to improve assessments and interventions for Vietnamese-speaking children with SSD. [Extracted from the article]

A scoping review conducted by the University of Queensland in Australia examined open-access online resources related to feeding and nutrition for children under 5 years of age. The review found 1,067 resources that were appraised, with 45% being paper-based, 47% online content, and 8% audio-visual resources. Only 10% of the resources were culturally tailored and 3% were translated into languages other than English. The researchers concluded that creating an open-access resource hub would benefit families and professionals involved in the nutritional care of young children. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted by researchers at La Trobe University in Bundoora, Australia, has highlighted the harmful nature of conversion practices aimed at changing or suppressing the sexual or gender identity of LGBTQA+ individuals. While formal versions of these practices are becoming less common in Western settings, informal versions and the underlying ideology continue to cause psychological and spiritual harm to those subjected to them. The study emphasizes the need for the mental health sector to engage with these issues and support survivors in ways that are effective and affirming of sexual and gender diversity. The research concludes by providing guidance for practitioners in supporting survivors through the recovery process. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted in Australia found that rates of chlamydia retesting among young women remain low, despite guidelines recommending retesting at 3 months post-treatment. The study analyzed data from 62 sites and found that only 16.2% of women were retested within 2-4 months, with 12.6% testing positive again. The odds of retesting were lower during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers concluded that increased efforts are needed to improve timely retesting in order to reduce the risk of reproductive complications and onward transmission. [Extracted from the article]