Egg washing at home is generally discouraged in some regions because it can damage the egg's natural protective cuticle and increase the risk of bacterial penetration. However, little is known about how consumers in Southeast Asia wash and handle eggs in domestic settings. This study aims to investigate egg washing and handling practices among consumers using a mixed-method approach. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with consumers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. This was followed by 24 domestic kitchen observations and semi-structured interviews in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and logistic regression. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. The majority of participants reported washing eggs before cooking. More than half of those who washed eggs indicated that they would still wash eggs even when they appeared visually clean. Eggs were commonly rinsed under tap water, often to remove dirt, faeces, slime, or feathers. Respondents from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and those with greater perceived risk of Salmonella contamination in eggs were more confident in following the message. Observations revealed appropriate handwashing after handling or cracking eggs was rare and cross-contact opportunities were frequently observed. Semi-structured interview findings showed that egg washing was closely linked to perceived beliefs about cleanliness and safety, habitual practice, and uncertainty about how eggs had been handled before purchase. Some participants also described wiping as an alternative cleaning strategy, while informal information sources appeared to influence views on egg washing. Practical guidance should emphasise
Uterine fibroids represent the most common benign gynecological tumors globally, yet management pathways differ substantially across health systems. Observational evidence demonstrates marked divergence between the United Kingdom (UK) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly Nigeria, in treatment access, surgical thresholds, and fertility-preserving strategies. To synthesize biological, structural, and health-system determinants underpinning divergent fibroid management pathways between the UK and SSA, and to construct a multi-domain explanatory framework with equity implications. A comparative narrative analysis was conducted using SANRA quality standards to guide critical appraisal and reporting. Elements of the PRISMA 2020 checklist informed transparent reporting of the search strategy. Databases were searched for epidemiological, clinical, policy, and systems-level literature comparing fibroid prevalence, genetic predisposition, treatment modalities, and institutional frameworks across regions. SSA populations demonstrate earlier age of onset, larger tumor burden at presentation, and higher surgical rates. In contrast, UK management is characterized by guideline-directed conservative pathways, wider access to MRI, uterine artery embolization, minimally invasive surgery, and fertility-preserving pharmacotherapy. Determinants of divergence include genetic susceptibility, delayed presentation, financing constraints, imaging availability, workforce distribution, and national guideline enforcement. The review identifies an emerging pattern of reverse reproductive medical tourism, wherein UK-resident African-ancestry women seek cross-border surgical intervention due to system-level unmet need. Divergent fibroid management reflects not merely biological variation but structural inequities embedded within health systems. Addressing disparities requires integrated policy reform, workforce investment, patient-stratified clinical decision-making, and context-adapted guideline implementation. Future prospective comparative studies are warranted to quantify outcome differentials and inform equity-driven global gynecological practice.
The payload of the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) includes sophisticated in situ instruments to measure solar wind plasma and magnetic fields, suprathermal and energetic particles at 1 au as well as unprecedented remote sensing instruments to observe the energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the outer heliosphere and the ultraviolet glow of the interstellar neutral H interacting with the three-dimensional solar wind. This unique combination of sensors on a single platform allows connections to be made between the inner and outer heliosphere to an extent never before possible. This article focuses on the scientific theme of connecting the physics of particle acceleration and transport throughout the heliosphere. Such studies enabled by IMAP are organized into three broad categories: i) fundamental particle acceleration and transport processes, ii) heliospheric variability that affects those processes, and iii) inner heliospheric science.
The structure of spiral galaxies is essential to understanding the dynamics and evolution of disk galaxies; however, the precise nature of spiral arms remains uncertain. Two challenges in understanding the mechanisms driving spirals are how galactic environment impacts spiral morphology and how they evolve over time. We present a catalog characterizing the properties, dynamics, and evolution of m = 2 spiral structure in 10 Milky Way–mass galaxies from the FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in simulations. Consistent with previous literature, we find that FIRE-2 spirals are transient, recurring features simultaneously present in the disk at varying pattern speeds (Ω _p ) that broadly decrease with radius. These spirals persist on gigayear timescales (mean duration of 1.90 Gyr), but fluctuate in amplitude on timescales of hundreds of millions of years. Tidal interactions and bar episodes impact the resulting m = 2 spiral structure: strong satellite interactions generally produce shorter-lived, stronger spirals with larger radial extent, and bars can increase Ω _p . Galactic environment influences spiral structure, in which kinematically colder disks can support longer-lived, stronger spirals. The properties of identified spirals in FIRE-2 vary widely in radial extent (0.3–10.8 kpc), duration (1.00–6.00 Gyr), and amplitude ( a _2,max = 0.018–0.192). We find the presence of spirals in all age populations, suggesting these are density-wave-driven features. This work represents the first time that spiral structure has been cataloged in this manner in cosmological simulations; the catalog can be leveraged with current and forthcoming observational surveys, enabling systematic comparisons to further our understanding of galaxy evolution.
This study aimed to develop the Psychological Abuse in Intimate Relationships Scale (PAIRS), a psychometrically sound measure capturing the multifaceted nature of psychological abuse, and to examine its dimensions and associations with trauma-related psychological outcomes. An initial item pool was created by reviewing 16 existing scales in the psychological abuse literature. Seventy-one items were generated and tested in a pilot study (n = 337). In the second phase, data were collected online from 1,012 ever-partnered women. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Promax rotation examined the dimensional structure of PAIRS. ANOVAs compared women exposed to psychological abuse alone versus those also exposed to physical and/or sexual violence. Hierarchical regressions examined the associations between psychological abuse and peri-trauma distress and PTSD. The PAIRS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.98), and its subscales showed high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.80–0.95). EFA revealed a dominant unrotated factor, indicating a coherent psychological abuse construct. The rotated solution yielded eight interrelated factors, reflecting its multifaceted structure. Psychological abuse explained the largest proportion of variance in peri-trauma distress and PTSD. While psychological abuse alone was significantly associated with peri- and post-trauma outcomes, the severity of impairment was substantially amplified when it co-occurred with physical and/or sexual violence, consistent with cumulative and multiplicative effects. The PAIRS is a reliable and valid tool for capturing the multidimensional nature of psychological abuse. It offers important clinical and research utility by identifying specific abusive behavior patterns. Future research should validate the PAIRS in more diverse populations.
