Search Results (456)

Objectives: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, a spirochete bacterium responsible for Lyme borreliosis—the most common tick-borne infection in North America and Europe—can trigger the production of antiphospholipid antibodies. These antibodies target host lipids such as cardiolipin (CL), phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylserine (PS), which the spirochete incorporates into its membrane from the surrounding environment. Although antiphospholipid antibodies are typically associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), they may also arise during infections, including Lyme borreliosis. This study aimed to develop and optimize several enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for measuring various antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with Lyme borreliosis. Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with Lyme borreliosis were enrolled: ten with solitary erythema migrans (EM), ten with multiple EM (MEM), and ten with late manifestations known as acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA). Forty healthy blood donors served as controls. Four distinct antiphospholipid antibody ELISAs were developed, each using a different phospholipid coating: CL, PA, PC, and PS. Serum of APS patient was used as a positive control and for standard curve generation. Results: All four ELISAs were successfully established and demonstrated good measurement precision. Significant differences in antiphospholipid antibody levels and positivity rates were observed between Lyme borreliosis patients and healthy blood donors. Notably, levels of antibodies directed against PA (aPA), PC (aPC), and PS (aPS), both IgG and IgM, were significantly higher in patients with late Lyme borreliosis, manifested as ACA, compared to healthy blood donors. In contrast, anti-CL (aCL) levels did not differ significantly between groups. Patients with ACA also showed the highest frequency of multiple antiphospholipid antibody positivity, with 7 out of 10 patients testing positive for three or more antiphospholipid antibodies. Conclusions: Accurate and precise in-house ELISAs for the detection of aCL, aPA, aPC, and aPS using APS sera as standard material were developed and validated for the analysis of samples of patients with Lyme borreliosis. Our data suggest that antiphospholipid antibody levels—specifically aPA, aPC, and aPS—differ across clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis, with the greatest increases observed in patients with ACA. Full article

As the global population continues to age, mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and social isolation among older adults are receiving increasing attention. The built environment is closely associated with older adults’ daily mobility, environmental perception, social participation, and mental health and well-being, but the evidence remains heterogeneous across spatial contexts, environmental indicators, and study designs. Previous umbrella reviews have summarized broad links between the built environment and healthy aging, but less attention has been paid to recent original empirical studies published after the COVID-19 pandemic, the distinction between objective environmental exposure and subjective environmental perception, and the role of social participation as a pathway linking environmental conditions to mental health and well-being. This study employs a systematic literature review approach, searching and screening peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 and January 2026 that focus on the associations between the built environment and older adults’ mental health and well-being. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were used for searching, supplemented by manual searching. After title and abstract screening and full-text evaluation, a total of 60 studies were included. Subsequently, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on aspects such as research design, spatial scale, environmental indicators, types of mental health outcomes, and potential pathways of action. In this review, core mental health and well-being outcomes included negative outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress, loneliness, and social isolation, and positive outcomes, such as life satisfaction, subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and mental well-being. Social participation was examined as a behavioral and psychosocial pathway rather than as a core outcome. Emerging methods, including street-view image analysis, FCN-based semantic segmentation, and XGBoost-SHAP, were examined because they can refine environmental exposure measurement and support variable-importance interpretation, rather than because they provide causal evidence. The main synthesis suggests that several built environment factors are associated with older adults’ mental health and well-being, although the strength and consistency of evidence vary across outcome types, spatial contexts, and study designs. (1) Exposure to green and blue spaces, quality of public open spaces, walkability and accessibility, accessibility of neighborhood facilities and services, housing and living conditions, and positive environmental perception are mostly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness, as well as higher levels of life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and psychological well-being. (2) Conversely, adverse environmental exposures such as proximity to roads, pollution, non-vegetated spaces, and high-intensity urbanization are more likely to exacerbate negative psychological outcomes. Existing evidence also suggests that social participation is one of the important behavioral pathways through which the built environment is linked to the mental health of older adults, but it is not the only mechanism. (3) In addition, the direction and intensity of environmental associations remain heterogeneous under different spatial scales, indicator types, and research methods. Overall, this review contributes by organizing recent empirical evidence into a built environment–social participation–mental health and well-being framework, while emphasizing that most findings should be interpreted primarily as evidence of association rather than as stable or uniform causal effects. Full article

The indoor microbiological contaminants present in the built environment, including residential buildings, can pose significant risks to human health and well-being and the sustainability of indoor environments. Therefore, the total aerobic microbial count (TAMC) and total yeast and mold count (TYMC) are key indicators used to evaluate microbial contamination levels in indoor spaces. This study presents an assessment of TAMC and TYMC in residential indoor environments in two cities in Spain, Pamplona and Seville, which represent different climate zones, with Seville characterized by extensive air conditioning use due to its high summer temperatures. We conducted sampling and analysis in 20 dwellings over two summer campaigns to quantify microbial populations and identify parameters that worsen TAMC and TYMC and promote amplification (I/O, indoor/outdoor). The results show that ventilation type, building design, and climatic conditions significantly influence indoor bacterial amplification. The study indicates that the implementation of the Spanish building code in 2006 has improved microbial Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), even in airtight and energy-efficient dwellings, highlighting the importance of integrating ventilation and health considerations into sustainable building design. Environmental parameters such as temperature and CO₂ concentration were reliable indicators of bacterial proliferation. Kitchen design and the presence of pets also emerged as relevant determinants of microbial loads. Overall, the use of I/O ratios proved effective for identifying indoor microbial amplification, supporting their application in future IAQ assessments, sustainable building evaluations, and healthy housing strategies. Full article

Gloiopeltis tenax is a red seaweed containing diverse polysaccharides and bioactive compounds with potential functional applications in animal nutrition. However, information regarding its physiological and microbiome-associated effects in companion animals remains limited. The present study was designed as an exploratory nutritional intervention to evaluate physiological responses associated with dietary G. tenax supplementation in healthy adult dogs using an integrated framework including nutrient digestibility, glycan-degrading enzyme activity, fecal microbiome profiling, and serum metabolomics. Ten healthy adult dogs were assigned to two dietary groups receiving nutritionally balanced diets containing either Ulva sp. (CON) or G. tenax (GT) at 1% inclusion for 16 weeks under standardized feeding and housing conditions. Nutrient digestibility, fecal glycan-degrading enzyme activities, fecal microbiome composition, predicted microbial functional profiles, and serum metabolomic responses were evaluated. No significant differences were observed in nutrient digestibility, fecal score, or general health-related parameters between groups, suggesting acceptable tolerability of dietary G. tenax under the present experimental conditions. Relative abundances of several bacterial taxa differed between groups, and glycan-degrading enzyme activities showed directional changes associated with dietary treatment. PICRUSt2-based analyses suggested potential differences in predicted carbohydrate- and glycan-associated microbial functional tendencies between groups. Serum metabolomic analysis additionally revealed alterations in several amino acid- and carbohydrate-related metabolites associated with dietary intervention. Collectively, these findings provide preliminary insight into microbiome- and metabolome-associated responses to dietary G. tenax supplementation in dogs. Although limited by the exploratory nature and relatively small sample size of the present study, the integrated multi-omics approach applied here may contribute to the development of functional evaluation frameworks for companion animal dietary ingredients. Further studies with larger cohorts and expanded functional analyses are warranted. Full article

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) in China involves a vast number of resettlers with far-reaching impacts. As a crucial carrier of resettlers’ daily lives, the indoor thermal comfort of resettlement housing directly affects their physical and mental health. However, existing empirical and field studies have paid limited attention to the thermal comfort and thermal adaptation of the resettlers. This study focuses on resettlers of the SNWDP, employing a combination of questionnaires and on-site measurements to analyze thermal benchmarks and thermal adaptation behavior data. The study introduces the concept of relative deprivation theory from social psychology, compares the correlations between vertical and horizontal deprivation and thermal perception across different relocation modes, and validates the predictive performance of commonly used thermal comfort models. The results show that as the relocation distance increases, the summer indoor thermal neutral temperature rises sequentially, and both the sensitivity to temperature changes and the width of the comfort zone also increase. Regarding thermal adaptation behaviors, the short-distance group primarily relies on passive adjustments such as using electric fans and reducing clothing, while the long-distance group significantly shifts toward active mechanical cooling like air conditioning. The sense of relative deprivation has a significant impact on the thermal comfort of medium- and long-distance resettlers, and its correlation even exceeds that of physical factors such as air temperature and black globe temperature. Among all groups, the ePMV and ePTS models modified by the expectancy factor exhibit the best predictive performance, with the smallest average deviation from the actual Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV), making them the optimal evaluation models for indoor thermal comfort of resettlers in the SNWDP. The findings provide theoretical guidance for creating healthy and comfortable indoor thermal environments in resettlement areas and for the sustainable development of subsequent phases of the SNWDP. Full article

The hepatitis B (HBV), C (HCV), and D (HDV) viruses remain a major public health burden. Occult HBV infection (OBI) represents a hidden reservoir with clinical and epidemiological significance, yet its prevalence in Northwest Russia is unknown. We aimed to comprehensively assess the serological and molecular epidemiology of HBV, HCV, and HDV in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 6773 apparently healthy volunteers were enrolled. Plasma samples were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc), antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs), antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV), and antibodies to HDV (anti-HDV) by ELISA. All anti-HCV- and anti-HDV-positive samples were tested for HCV RNA and HDV RNA by real-time PCR. All samples were tested for HBV DNA using a highly sensitive in-house nested real-time PCR assay (detection limit: 5 IU/mL). All “HBV DNA-positive, HBsAg-negative” cases confirmed by two independent extractions were classified as OBI. Vaccination status, self-reported history, and iatrogenic interventions were recorded. Results. Overall seroprevalence values were: HBsAg 1.7%; anti-HBc 11.3%; anti-HBs 43.0%; anti-HCV 1.9%; and anti-HDV 0.6%. Anti-HBc increased sharply with age (3.1% in children to 26.4% in the elderly, p < 0.0001), while anti-HBs declined (69.9% to 29.8%, p < 0.0001). HBV DNA was detected in 118 participants (1.7%). Of these, only 73 individuals (1.1%) were HBsAg-positive, while the remaining 45 participants (0.7%) had undetectable HBsAg, meeting the criteria for OBI. OBI was detected across all age groups, including children. Serological profiling of OBI cases revealed that 57.8% lacked both anti-HBc and anti-HBs, 35.6% had isolated anti-HBs, 2.2% had isolated anti-HBc, and 4.4% had both antibodies. HCV RNA was detected in 15.0% of anti-HCV-positive individuals (all adults). No HDV RNA was detected. Self-reported history underestimated true infection rates: 1.4% of those denying HBV infection were HBsAg-positive and 10.6% were anti-HBc-positive. Among those denying HCV infection, 1.4% were anti-HCV-positive. Vaccination coverage was 70.8%, declining from 90.9% in children to 39.0% in the elderly (p < 0.0001). Among vaccinated individuals, 48.0% lacked protective anti-HBs (<10.0 mIU/mL). Conclusions. This comprehensive serological and molecular study in Northwest Russia is the first to combine population-level serology with molecular detection of HBV, HCV, and HDV, including OBI in this region, and reveals that OBI accounts for a substantial proportion (38%) of all active HBV infections and is strongly associated with a history of iatrogenic interventions. The presence of OBI across all age groups, including children, shows that HBsAg screening alone substantially underestimates the true HBV burden. High rates of unrecognized infection and waning vaccine-induced immunity, highlight critical gaps in current surveillance. These findings provide an evidence-based rationale for integrating molecular testing into screening algorithms and for considering booster vaccination strategies to achieve viral hepatitis elimination goals. Full article

Previous research demonstrates that housing security and quality influence physical and mental health. Despite a rich literature on housing and health, less is known about the processes through which housing mobility programs directly affect family health. We use a single-case design to examine how the health of families with children is impacted by Families Flourish, a mobility program that combines three years of rental assistance with life coaching and placement in safe, well-resourced neighborhoods. Drawing on developmental and formative evaluation data, including longitudinally collected surveys, interviews, and administrative records, we trace families’ experiences over time. Our analysis identifies distinct pathways through which mobility improves mental and physical health—via improved indoor air quality, reduced environmental and parental stress, and enhanced access to resources. Initial health gains are subsequently leveraged to improve educational and economic outcomes. We observe a temporal sequence in outcomes, with early physical health gains and later mental health improvements as stability and safety increase. We conclude by situating these identified pathways within existing scholarship and discussing implications for planning and fair housing practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) comprises genetic subclasses with distinct gene expression profiles. While AML gene expression studies have mainly focused on protein-coding genes, our understanding of expression patterns of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) remains incomplete. This is due to limited sample sizes, as well as incomplete annotation of lncRNAs with context-dependent expression. Methods: To address this gap, we developed the bioinformatic pipeline LIRA (long intergenic noncoding RNA annotator) to identify novel lincRNAs using stringent criteria, including spliced and intergenic transcripts, and algorithms to exclude coding potential. Results: By applying LIRA to RNA-sequencing data from 878 pediatric and adult AML cases and 20 healthy controls, we identified 1560 novel lincRNAs, expanding the GENCODE v38 lincRNA catalog by 27%. Integration of in-house-generated CAGE- and ChIP-sequencing data from KMT2A::MLLT3 samples revealed that 80% of the novel lincRNAs are 5′ capped, and at least 67% harbor activating epigenetic marks at their transcription start sites. Unsupervised analysis of the 1000 most variable known and newly identified lincRNAs uncovered subclass-specific expression patterns, mirroring those observed for protein-coding genes. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis identified 17 lincRNA expression modules associated with AML subclasses. Notably, expression of these modules decreased upon degradation of the leukemogenic onco-fusion proteins KMT2A::MLLT3 and PML::RARA, indicating that lincRNA expression is responsive to oncogenic signaling. Conclusions: This comprehensive analysis shows that lincRNAs exhibit similar subclass-specific expression patterns as protein-coding genes and establishes a valuable resource for future studies on genetically defined AML subclasses, with potential implications for biomarker discovery and therapeutic targeting. Full article

Background: Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in housing plays a critical role in supporting health, comfort, and daily well-being, yet research and practice often address thermal, visual, acoustic, and air quality conditions in isolation. Objective: This systematic review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed studies to examine how residential IEQ is experienced and shaped through interactions among physical building factors, environmental conditions, occupant behaviors, and socio-economic contexts. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, including 110 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025. Data were extracted and coded from 10,838 quotations and corresponding measured environmental parameters, enabling cross-domain thematic synthesis across eight IEQ domains and four analytical themes. Results: The results show persistent perception-to-measurement gaps, particularly in ventilation usability, low-frequency noise, nighttime thermal conditions, and moisture control. Demographic factors, including age, life stage, health sensitivity, and housing tenure, influence how IEQ conditions are perceived. Integrated IEQ assessments indicate that sleep-critical spaces, moisture robustness, and simple, quiet control systems exert disproportionate influence on overall environmental satisfaction. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to prioritize preventive design strategies addressing moisture, thermal comfort, acoustics, and lighting, while improving usability of environmental controls. Future research should expand longitudinal and cross-context studies, particularly in low-income communities, and strengthen links between IEQ performance and health outcomes. Healthy residential environments require understanding IEQ not only as a technical performance metric but as a spatial and social condition. Full article

Background/Objectives: Food and nutritional insecurity (FNI) is a major social determinant of health that disproportionately affects older adults, with significant implications for their health, nutrition, and well-being. In this context, this scoping review aims to map and synthesize the available scientific evidence on the main determinants of FNI among older adults, considering socioeconomic, health-related, functional, psychosocial, and structural factors. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed across eight databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, LILACS, ProQuest, and Google Scholar), up to November 2024. Original studies addressing FNI in individuals aged ≥60 years were included. Study selection and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Results: Of 5897 records identified, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. FNI in older adults was described as a multifactorial phenomenon associated with low income, limited education, social isolation, widowhood, chronic diseases, functional limitations, depressive symptoms, and poor housing conditions. Structural determinants, including institutional racism, gaps in social protection systems, and barriers to accessing food assistance programs, were also reported. Considerable heterogeneity in measurement instruments highlights the complexity of assessing FNI in this population. Conclusions: Addressing FNI in older adults requires moving beyond isolated interventions toward integrated, intersectoral strategies that tackle its underlying social and structural drivers. Strengthening social protection systems, reducing access barriers, and promoting equity-oriented policies are essential to ensure adequate nutrition and support healthy and dignified aging. Full article

Background: Histoplasmosis is a major opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised individuals, particularly people living with HIV in Latin America. Early diagnosis is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality, but commercial urinary Histoplasma antigen assays are not consistently accessible in many endemic settings. Methods: We developed a locally produced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect urinary Histoplasma antigen in urine and performed a preliminary clinical evaluation. The assay is based on a sandwich ELISA format using rabbit polyclonal antibodies raised against whole-killed yeast cells of Histoplasma capsulatum. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed with urine samples from patients with progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) (n = 37) and healthy controls (n = 20). An exploratory disease-control panel (n = 11) was also tested to assess cross-reactivity. Preliminary analytical characterization included blank-based estimation of the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). Results: Using a Youden-derived cutoff of OD₄₉₂ = 0.243, the in-house ELISA showed a sensitivity of 73.0% (27/37; 95% CI: 55.9–86.2%) and a specificity of 100.0% (20/20; 95% CI: 83.2–100.0%) in the main ROC dataset, with an area under the curve of 0.856. In the exploratory disease-control panel, 2 of 11 specimens were reactive (one paracoccidioidomycosis and one cryptococcosis sample). Preliminary LOD and LOQ estimates were 4.46 ng/mL and 8.15 ng/mL, respectively. Conclusions: This locally developed ELISA represents a feasible and cost-effective alternative for urinary antigen detection of Histoplasma, with potential to improve access to early diagnosis in resource-limited settings. However, its current performance should be considered preliminary. Additional optimization and broader validation, including direct comparison with commercial assays, inter-assay precision, reagent stability, and larger multicenter control panels, are required before routine clinical implementation. Full article

Postbiotics are an emerging ingredient class which have promising potential to support canine gut function by delivering beneficial microbial compounds directly to the gut. We tested a canine immune health postbiotic (CIHP) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of twenty colony-housed dogs (ten per group) selected for having consistently loose stools but with no diagnosed gastrointestinal disease. After a 5-day wash-in and 5-day baseline, dogs received 12 mg/kg body weight per day of CIHP or a placebo for 28 days mixed with their normal dry diet. The primary outcome was stool consistency (Waltham fecal score), measured on Days 0, 14, and 28; secondary outcomes included fecal gut-health biomarkers and fecal microbiome composition from 16S rRNA sequencing, measured on Days 0 and 28. CIHP improved stool quality (p-value = 0.03), while placebo did not (p-value = 0.5), and CIHP showed a trend toward increasing the odds of individual dogs showing improved fecal scores by Day 28 compared to placebo (p-value = 0.07). Microbiome profiling revealed broader community remodeling with CIHP than the placebo (16 taxa significantly shifted with CIHP vs. 1 with the placebo), consistent with stool quality being impacted by both gastrointestinal and gut microbiome functions. Fecal biomarkers that reflect gut health (pH, dry matter, short-chain fatty acids, dysbiosis index, calprotectin) were within reference ranges at baseline and remained stable in both groups, indicating benefits occurred within a normal physiological window. Together, these findings show that CIHP can improve stool consistency while reshaping the gut microbiome in otherwise healthy dogs prone to loose stools. Future studies in home-environment dogs across breeds, ages, and living conditions are needed to generalize these findings to the broader canine population. Full article

Background/Objectives: MRI is a non-invasive tool which can be used to assess baseline gonadal anatomy, including changes during puberty. Volumetric characterization offers valuable insights about the reproductive system and gonads, but annotation is cumbersome, and no AI tool is currently available. This study aimed to develop two open-source AI models to segment bilateral gonads at MRI scans in healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: This study uses a longitudinal dataset consisting of 182 MRIs from 22 healthy girls (median age 13) and 266 MRIs from 44 healthy boys (median age 13) from a single institute. MRI acquisition included T2-weighted (T2W) sequence, along with fat-saturated (FS) T2W when indicated. An expert radiologist segmented gonadal anatomy, including ovarian cysts (>3 cm). Three-dimensional nnUnet models were trained for ovary, cyst, and testicle segmentation, respectively. The ovary–cyst segmentation model was applied to an external dataset with 30 adult subjects. Model performance was evaluated on the test set using the Dice similarity coefficient for ovary (DSCOV), cyst (DSCCY), and testicles (DSCTS). Subject-level total volumes for ovaries (TOV), cysts (TCV), and testicles (TTV) were computed. Results: Ovary, cyst, and testicle segmentation models achieved DSCOV of 0.86, DSCCY of 0.69, and DSCTS of 0.90 in the in-house test set, respectively. Average mean difference with 95% confidence intervals for TOV, TCV, and TTV were 0.87 (−5.78, 7.5), −0.41 (−3.3, 2.5), and 0.19 (−1.5, 1.9) cm³, respectively. Conclusions: The developed models show promising and reliable performance in volumetric and morphologic evaluation of gonads during puberty. Full article

Population aging has become a significant global phenomenon, particularly in developing countries where urban systems are not fully prepared to support older adults. Although the concept of age-friendly cities has been widely promoted, many municipalities still lack an integrated database that links health, social, economic, and environmental dimensions to support policymaking and built-environment improvement. This study aims to develop and validate a four-dimensional healthy aging database framework for assessing age-friendly built environments and public facilities at the municipal level. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys, built-environment assessments, and functional ability evaluation using the Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index. The study was conducted in Rangsit Municipality, Thailand, as a case study. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework can systematically integrate multidimensional aging data and identify priority areas for housing improvement, public facility modification, and community services. The framework also supports evidence-based decision-making and place-based policy implementation for age-friendly urban development. This study contributes a practical database framework and assessment tool that can assist local governments in evidence-based, inclusive, and sustainable urban development and aging societies. Full article

As the global population ages rapidly, the built environment has become increasingly critical for the health of older adults. In China, although the government has continuously promoted age-friendly retrofitting of old residential communities, these communities often face low usage rates after renovation. This study evaluated the age-friendliness of eight old residential units in Dalian, China, using the EVOLVE 2010 (Evaluation of Older Adults’ Living Environment) tool and combined semi-structured interviews with older residents. The results analyzed environmental impacts on older adults’ health across three domains: diet, exercise, and emotion. The findings reveal systemic deficiencies in housing units, external spaces, and urban planning, with limited physical accessibility being the predominant concern. Improving spatial functionality or environmental optimization alone is insufficient to enhance health outcomes; instead, expanding the range of activities and improving access to various locations contribute to increased self-esteem, confidence, and engagement in beneficial behaviors such as physical exercise and a healthy diet. The study highlights a gap between current renovation practices and the actual needs of older adults, emphasizing that accessibility should be prioritized in age-friendly design. These findings provide evidence-based policy implications for promoting healthy aging through urban renewal. Full article