Search Results (178,707)

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is an emerging global health concern worldwide, driving the need for innovative solutions. Herbal approaches are gaining attention and acceptance due to safer profiles and very few side effects. In this study, silver nanoparticles (VN-AgNPs) were synthesized using Vitex negundo, a medicinally valuable plant. A methanolic extract was prepared from Vitex negundo and the phytochemical evaluation confirmed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids, with quantitative analysis revealing high total phenolic content (TPC: 23.59 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (TFC: 45.23 mg rutin/g), both maximized under microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The antioxidant activity was also highest (18.77 mg AA/g). Characterization of the optimized extract by GC–MS identified various bioactive compounds. VN-AgNPs were synthesized using the aqueous leaf extract under specified conditions and were structurally characterized using many techniques and evaluated for antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains. VN-AgNPs exhibited significant antibacterial efficacy with inhibition zones measuring 16 ± 0.87 mm against Bacillus (Gram-positive), 15 ± 0.46 mm against E. coli (Gram-negative), 12 ± 0.64 mm against Pseudomonas (Gram-negative), and 11 ± 0.50 mm against Pectobacterium (Gram-negative plant pathogen). These findings highlight the efficacy of green-synthesized VN-AgNPs as a promising alternative to combat MDR pathogens, paving the way for sustainable and effective antimicrobial strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: In Angola, malnutrition contributes each year to the deaths of an estimated 42,000 to 76,000 children under the age of 5. Addressing this issue must stand as a priority and requires providing local residents with access not only to nutritious food but also to adequate and accurate information in order to facilitate informed dietary choices. As part of the “Seigungo—Health, Education and Quality of Maternal and Child Life in Gungo project”, a nutrition-focused study was conducted in Gungo, Angola to evaluate the effectiveness of a training model designed to enhance food literacy among residents. Methods: Data were collected using a 14-item questionnaire developed to assess various key domains of food literacy: information seeking and access; comprehension and thematic knowledge; critical evaluation of information and behaviour; practical application and sound decision-making. Results: Thirty trainees took part in the study, of which 60% were men, with a mean age of 45.6 years. The majority were single (53.3%) and had completed six years of formal education (26.7%). Before attending the training program, 86.7% of the participants demonstrated inadequate or problematic food literacy. Following the intervention, the proportion of participants with adequate food literacy increased significantly from 13.3% to 73.3% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The training program had a statistically significant impact on improving food literacy. Full article

Water quality monitoring is an important step in maintaining environmental sustainability and public health. Water turbidity is one of the main parameters in assessing water quality, because a high level of turbidity can indicate pollution that is harmful to aquatic ecosystems and humans. In the digital era, Internet of Things (IoT) technology has been applied to improve the effectiveness of real-time monitoring of water turbidity. This study aims to examine IoT-based water turbidity monitoring strategies and technologies using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method with the PRISMA protocol. In the process of searching for literature, this study identified 222 articles from the Scopus database, which, after going through the screening stage based on relevance, document type, and accessibility, resulted in seven main articles for further analysis. The results of the review show that the utilization of IoT sensors and wireless communication enables real-time monitoring of water turbidity, improves early detection of pollution, and improves effectiveness in water monitoring. However, challenges such as data security, sensor reliability, and communication network stability still need to be overcome to ensure the system works optimally. This study confirms that IoT can be a more efficient and sustainable solution in monitoring water turbidity. Full article

As the world’s population of older adults continues to grow rapidly, combating loneliness and social isolation has become an emerging health concern for this group. Though there has been increasing interest within the scientific community in exploring digital games as an intervention for loneliness, research on gaming as an intervention is a relatively new field of study. This scoping review examines the current state of research on the impact of digital gaming on loneliness in the older adult population and was conducted in accordance with the 2018 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A total of 317 potentially relevant studies were identified through database searches, and of these, 278 studies were excluded due to failure to meet inclusion criteria. The full texts of 39 articles were assessed for eligibility, resulting in 9 articles being included in this scoping review. Some important findings from our study include the central role of social interaction in addressing loneliness and the potential for interventions targeting both physical and mental well-being to have a more significant impact on alleviating loneliness. We also found that while many studies reported positive effects of gaming interventions, some findings were contradictory, suggesting that the relationship between gaming and loneliness is complex and moderated by multiple factors. Recommendations for future research include expanding investigations to outside of East Asia (where the majority of existing studies were conducted) to the United States, Africa, India, or Europe. Full article

Background and Aim: Mechanical ventilatory support is often required in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, early differences in ventilatory mechanics and severity scores between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 ARDS patients remain unclear. This study aimed to compare respiratory parameters and clinical severity scores in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 ARDS patients managed in the emergency department (ED) and evaluate their association with in-hospital mortality. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, adult patients with ARDS (PaO₂/FiO₂ < 300 mmHg) who received mechanical ventilation in the ED were included. Ventilator parameters and clinical severity scores (SOFA, APACHE II, PSI, and Charlson Comorbidity Index) were recorded at the 120th minute after intubation. Patients were categorized as COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 ARDS, and outcomes were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 70 patients were enrolled (32 COVID-19, 38 non-COVID). Plateau pressure, driving pressure, and PEEP were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients, while compliance was without statistical significance. Overall, in-hospital mortality did not differ significantly between the COVID-19 (53.1%) and non-COVID-19 groups (71.1%, p = 0.12). Mechanical power (21.6 vs. 16.8 J/min, p = 0.01) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (6 vs. 5.5, p = 0.02) were significantly higher in non-survivors across the full cohort. Among clinical scores, SOFA was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group (p = 0.02), and APACHE II was significantly higher in non-survivors within the COVID-19 subgroup (p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, mechanical power and Charlson Comorbidity Index were associated with mortality. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients with ARDS exhibited higher early ventilatory pressures than non-COVID-19 patients, yet early respiratory mechanics were not independently associated with mortality. Mechanical power and Charlson Comorbidity Index were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. These findings underscore the need to consider both ventilatory load and systemic health status in early outcome assessments of ARDS patients. Full article

Nitrate pollution in water bodies has become a global environmental problem, and its excessive presence not only leads to eutrophication of water bodies but also threatens human health through the drinking water pathway. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new adsorbents with high adsorption capacity, good selectivity and excellent regeneration performance to solve the problem of nitrate pollution. In this study, reed straw (RS), trimethylamine-modified reed straw (MRS) and triethylamine-modified reed straw (ERS) were prepared by quaternary amination modification for nitrate removal. The adsorption performance, desorption performance, adsorption characteristics under disturbed environment and dynamic adsorption performance were investigated experimentally, and the adsorption mechanism was analyzed by various characterization means. The adsorption performance followed the order ERS (12.25 mg·g⁻¹) > MRS > RS, demonstrating that quaternary amination modification, particularly with triethylamine, significantly enhanced the NO₃⁻-N adsorption capacity. ERS exhibited excellent regeneration stability (over 80% after nine cycles) and high selectivity towards NO₃⁻-N in the presence of competing anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, humic acid). In the dynamic adsorption experiment, ERS had a breakthrough time of 290 min at a packing height of 3.3 cm, with an adsorption capacity of 10.74 mg·g⁻¹ and good adaptability to flow rate. In the actual wastewater application, the initial NO₃⁻-N removal rate was over 95%, the dynamic desorption rate reached 99.2% and the peak nitrate concentration of the desorbed solution reached 27 times of the initial value, confirming its high efficiency regeneration and enrichment ability. The study shows that the amine-modified reed straw adsorbent has a good potential for application and provides a new way for wastewater treatment plants to solve the problem of nitrate removal 12.25 mg·g⁻¹. Full article

Equine piroplasmosis (EP), caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is a tick-borne disease posing significant threats to equine health and the horse industry worldwide. Other vector-borne blood parasites, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Trypanosoma spp., and Leishmania spp., can also infect horses; however, their prevalence remains poorly characterized in Türkiye. This study aimed to determine the molecular prevalence of T. equi, B. caballi, A. phagocytophilum, Trypanosoma spp., and Leishmania spp. in equids from the Western Aegean Region of Türkiye. Blood samples were collected from 388 clinically healthy equines across İzmir, Aydın, Denizli, and Muğla provinces. Species-specific PCR assays were performed, and T. equi and B. caballi were detected in 24.74% (96/388) and 12.89% (50/388) of samples, respectively, with co-infections in 3.09%. T. equi and B. caballi infections were detected in horses from all four sampled provinces—Aydın, İzmir, Denizli, and Muğla—except for B. caballi, which was not found in any samples from Muğla. No samples tested positive for A. phagocytophilum, Trypanosoma spp., or Leishmania spp. Prevalence significantly varied by province, breed, age, and sex (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates the considerable prevalence of T. equi and B. caballi in Western Türkiye, underlining the need for routine screening and vector control programs. The absence of other parasites suggests limited circulation; however, continued surveillance remains crucial to safeguard equine health and prevent disease spread. Full article

Coral reef ecosystems are home to diverse marine flora and fauna. However, these ecosystems are threatened by an array of environmental and anthropogenic factors. Here, we investigated coral reef diversity, structure, and health status, and identified their key environmental drivers. Coral reef data were collected from Koh Seh Island, located inside the Marine Fisheries Management Area in the Kep archipelago. We found that the reef cover largely comprised live corals (64%, mainly Porites and Tubinaria species), followed by Zoanthids (15%) and sand/rubble (15%). Based on Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis, coral communities were grouped into three zones: East, South, and West zones. Coral diversity was slightly higher in the East zone, though not statistically significant. Zone East showed a positive association with sediment loads and water temperature. Elevated levels of salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH were characteristic of the East and South zones, whereas the West zone was distinguished by deeper water conditions. We also found that Favites was the key indicator for coral communities in the East zone, which features shallow, high-DO, high-pH waters with more sediments, strong currents, and significant human activities like fishing and transportation. Goniastrea species were abundant in the South and East zones, making it the indicator taxon, while the West zone had no indicator, suggesting that coral species are sparse in this zone. Interestingly, only a few dead corals were found, and no signs of diseases were detected around the Koh Seh coral reefs. This may reflect the effectiveness of joint protection efforts by Marine Conservation Cambodia and the Marine Fisheries Department in Kep province. Overall, our study provides a valuable baseline for assessing future changes in benthic reefs and coral communities on Koh Seh island, throughout the Kep Archipelago and its surrounding areas. Full article

This narrative case-based review describes the environmental and public health impacts in Chañaral, a town in northern Chile affected by the accumulation of copper mining tailings for the past 80 years. The review included 34 scientific articles published between 1978 and 2025. The keywords used were “mining tailings” and “Chañaral”, without year limits, and covering disciplines such as ecology, public health, environmental history, and territorial studies. The scientific evidence demonstrates the negative impacts on the ecosystem and the human population exposed to toxic metals and arsenic. Geomorphological and biogeochemical alterations have been found on the Chañaral coast, affecting marine biodiversity and water quality. In addition, epidemiological studies indicate exposure to toxic metals measured in street dust and urine, raising concerns on respiratory health in children and metabolic conditions in adults. According to the social sciences, the lack of environmental monitoring and human exposure data contributes to the high health risk perception in the population, posing the need to strengthen environmental monitoring, raise awareness on the risks of exposure to toxic metals, and promote mitigation and restoration strategies. These measures will contribute to sustainable conditions for the Chañaral community through the improvement of comprehensive public policies. Full article

Background: Diabetes remains a major global health challenge, contributing significantly to premature mortality due to its potential progression to organ failure if not diagnosed early. Traditional diagnostic approaches are subject to human error, highlighting the need for modern computational techniques in clinical decision support systems. Although these systems have successfully integrated deep learning (DL) models, they still encounter several challenges, such as a lack of intricate pattern learning, imbalanced datasets, and poor interpretability of predictions. Methods: To address these issues, the temporal inception perceptron network (TIPNet), a novel DL model, is designed to accurately predict diabetes by capturing complex feature relationships and temporal dynamics. An adaptive synthetic oversampling strategy is utilized to reduce severe class imbalance in an extensive diabetes health indicators dataset consisting of 253,680 instances and 22 features, providing a diverse and representative sample for model evaluation. The model’s performance and generalizability are assessed using a 10-fold cross-validation technique. To enhance interpretability, explainable artificial intelligence techniques are integrated, including local interpretable model-agnostic explanations and Shapley additive explanations, providing insights into the model’s decision-making process. Results: Experimental results demonstrate that TIPNet achieves improvement scores of 3.53% in accuracy, 3.49% in F1-score, 1.14% in recall, and 5.95% in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Conclusion: These findings indicate that TIPNet is a promising tool for early diabetes prediction, offering accurate and interpretable results. The integration of advanced DL modeling with oversampling strategies and explainable AI techniques positions TIPNet as a valuable resource for clinical decision support, paving the way for its future application in healthcare settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: The improvement of sleep quality is unquestionably a critical issue in public health. While numerous factors influence sleep quality, the relative importance of dietary habits remains insufficiently understood. The objective of this study is to evaluate the contribution of dietary habits by quantitatively comparing the effects of various determinants of sleep quality. Methods: Using sleep diary data from healthy males and females residing in a specific region of Japan, we estimated a dynamic multivariate panel model (DMPM) to obtain posterior predictive distributions on a scale that allows for comparisons across factor categories. Three outcome variables were adopted to measure sleep quality: presence or absence of daytime drowsiness, ease of falling asleep, and ease of waking up. The determinants of sleep quality examined in the analysis were categorized into six groups: stress factors, bedtime conditions, weather conditions, physical characteristics, exercise habits, and dietary habits. Results: The analysis revealed that although there were some seasonal and gender differences, dietary habits showed effect sizes that were no smaller than those of other determinants across all outcome variables. Conclusions: These results suggest that improving dietary habits, along with enhancing exercise habits and bedtime conditions, is a valid and equally important strategy for promoting better sleep. Full article

Fermented foods are consumed in several cultures worldwide and their health benefits are being increasingly reported. Fermented soybean products in Asia include soybean paste (doenjang), fermented soybeans (cheonggukjang), red pepper paste (gochujang, GCJ), and natto. These fermented foods are reportedly associated with health benefits, including the alleviation of colitis and improvement of immune function. In this study, we investigated the immune-enhancing effects of GCJs produced in four different regions of Korea (including a commercial brand) in cyclophosphamide-treated immunosuppressed rats. The GCJs-treated group showed prevention of weight loss, increased levels of butyric acid in the cecum, and increased weight of lymphoid organs such as the thymus and spleen. Whole blood and serum analysis revealed increased numbers of white blood cells, including granulocytes and lymphocytes, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, IFN-γ, and TNF-α), and elevated immunoglobulin G levels. Additionally, splenocyte proliferation, splenic natural killer cell activity, and immune-related signal pathways (MAPK and NF-κB) were increased. Histological analysis revealed improved tissue structure in the GCJs group. In conclusion, these findings show that GCJs enhance immune function by promoting the growth of immune organs, increasing cytokine production, and activating immune-related signaling pathways. These results suggested the potential of traditional Korean GCJs as a dietary intervention to improve immune health. Full article

Background: Serum cystatin C is a promising biomarker for vascular risk, yet its nonlinear dose–response relationships and prognostic value in general populations remain unclear, particularly for stroke-specific outcomes. Methods: This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 1999–2002 cycles. A total of 11,610 participants were included in the primary analysis examining the cross-sectional association between cystatin C and stroke morbidity, using multivariate logistic regression models and odds ratios (ORs). Analyses utilized complete-case data (n = 11,610 for morbidity; n = 11,598 for mortality). Subsequently, 11,598 adults were retained for mortality endpoint analyses, which focused on the longitudinal association between cystatin C and stroke mortality, using cause-specific weighted multivariable Cox models and ratios (HRs). Restricted cubic splines identified nonlinear thresholds, and piecewise regression quantified risk gradients. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic/clinical/behavioral confounders. Results: Serum cystatin C exhibited a nonlinear dose–response relationship with stroke morbidity (p for nonlinear < 0.001), with an inflection point at 1.24 mg/L; below this threshold, each 0.1 mg/L increase conferred 13.84-fold higher odds (95% CI: 7.11–27.03, p < 0.001). For mortality, nonlinear thresholds were identified at 1.24 mg/L for all-cause/cause-specific mortality (HR = 6.73–10.60 per 0.1 mg/L increase, p < 0.001) and 1.81 mg/L for stroke-specific mortality. Conversely, cerebrovascular mortality demonstrated a linear association (HR = 1.43 per 1 mg/L increase, p = 0.008), though cystatin C independently predicted risk (HR = 1.38/continuous, p = 0.034 in fully adjusted models). Conclusions: This study identifies serum cystatin C as an independent predictor after full adjustment of stroke morbidity and all-cause and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality. Consequently, cystatin C emerges as a dual-purpose biomarker for early vascular injury detection in subclinical populations and integrated mortality risk stratification. Future research should validate these thresholds in prospective neuroimaging-confirmed cohorts and investigate interventions targeting cystatin C pathways to optimize preventive strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Low semen quality and male infertility are critical global health issues. Emerging research highlights that nutritional factors could play a significant role in determining reproductive outcomes. Understanding and optimizing these dietary influences, including the role of polyphenols, is crucial for developing targeted strategies to improve male fertility. We aimed to explore the relationship between the intake of different classes of polyphenols and semen quality indicators in a cohort of healthy young males. Methods: This is a secondary analysis involving 106 male individuals, aged 18–35 years, from the FERTINUTS trial. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day dietary records, and semen quality parameters were analyzed. Multivariable linear regression analysis was employed to evaluate the associations between dietary polyphenol consumption and semen quality indicators. Results: Our findings revealed both positive and negative associations between polyphenol consumption and sperm morphology parameters. A higher intake of total polyphenols was associated with a lower percentage of abnormalities in sperm heads but a higher rate of abnormalities in the principal piece. Similar results were observed for lignan and flavonoid intake. Additionally, a higher intake of flavonoids was also associated with a greater percentage of normal sperm forms. In contrast, a higher dietary intake of stilbenes was associated with a higher percentage of combined abnormalities. Conclusions: Higher intake of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids and lignans, was associated with improved sperm head morphology but also with increased tail abnormalities, although no associations with motility or vitality were observed. These results suggest that specific polyphenol classes may have both beneficial and adverse effects on sperm structure, warranting consideration of compound type and dosage in dietary recommendations. Further studies are needed to determine whether these morphological changes impact fertilization outcomes and reproductive potential. Full article

Urbanization is a dominant force reshaping human settlements, driving socio-economic development while also causing significant environmental challenges. With over 56% of the world’s population now residing in urban areas—a figure expected to rise to two-thirds by 2050—land use changes are accelerating rapidly. The conversion of natural landscapes into impervious surfaces such as concrete and asphalt intensifies the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, raises urban temperatures, and strains local ecosystems. This study investigates land use and landscape changes in Ceredigion County, UK, utilizing remote sensing and GIS techniques to analyze urbanization impacts over two decades (2003–2023). Results indicate significant urban expansion of approximately 122 km², predominantly at the expense of agricultural and forested areas, leading to vegetation loss and changes in water availability. County-wide mean land surface temperature (LST) increased from 21.4 °C in 2003 to 23.65 °C in 2023, with urban areas recording higher values around 27.1 °C, reflecting a strong UHI effect. Spectral indices (NDVI, NDWI, NDBI, and NDBaI) reveal that urban sprawl adversely affects vegetation health, water resources, and land surfaces. The Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) further highlights areas experiencing thermal discomfort. Additionally, machine learning models, including Linear Regression and Random Forest, were employed to forecast future LST trends, projecting urban LST values to potentially reach approximately 27.4 °C by 2030. These findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable urban planning, reforestation, and climate adaptation strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts of rapid urban growth and ensure the resilience of both human and ecological systems. Full article