Search Results (1,830)

Background: In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the application of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) to enhance and rehabilitate the language abilities in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Objective: The aim of this narrative literature review is to investigate the usefulness of rTMS and tDCS to improve language abilities in people with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). Methods: This narrative literature review was conducted through a search of the PubMed online database to identify studies investigating the effects of multiple sessions of rTMS or tDCS on language abilities in PPA patients, applied either as stand-alone interventions or in combination with language treatment. Results: Thirty-three studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria; five studies employed rTMS without language treatment; two studies applied tDCS as stand-alone intervention; twenty-two studies combined tDCS with language treatment; and four studies assessed the effects of tDCS during verbal task without language treatment. Conclusions: rTMS and tDCS applied with or without concomitant language treatment appear to be promising interventions for enhancing language abilities in PPA, with sustained effects reported over time. Further research is necessary to optimise stimulation protocols and to improve our understanding of their long-term effects. Moreover, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with larger sample sizes are critically needed to clarify the true impact of brain stimulation in PPA, with a focus on changes in cognitive and functional performance, neural activity, and potential molecular correlates. Full article

Background: Transfection is vital for gene therapy, mRNA treatments, CAR-T cell therapy, and regenerative medicine. While viral vectors are effective, non-viral systems like lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) offer safer, more flexible alternatives. This work explores emerging non-viral transfection technologies to improve delivery efficiency and therapeutic outcomes. Methods: This review synthesizes the current literature and recent advancements in non-viral transfection technologies. It focuses on the mechanisms, advantages, and limitations of various delivery systems, including lipid nanoparticles, biodegradable polymers, electroporation, peptide-based carriers, and microfluidic platforms. Comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate their performance in terms of transfection efficiency, cellular uptake, biocompatibility, and potential for clinical translation. Several academic search engines and online resources were utilized for data collection, including Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar Scopus, the National Cancer Institute’s online portal, and other reputable online databases. Results: Non-viral systems demonstrated superior performance in delivering mRNA, siRNA, and antisense oligonucleotides, particularly in clinical applications. Biodegradable polymers and peptide-based systems showed promise in enhancing biocompatibility and targeted delivery. Electroporation and microfluidic systems offered precise control over transfection parameters, improving reproducibility and scalability. Collectively, these innovations address key challenges in gene delivery, such as stability, immune response, and cell-type specificity. Conclusions: The continuous evolution of transfection technologies is pivotal for advancing gene and cell-based therapies. Non-viral delivery systems, particularly LNPs and emerging platforms like microfluidics and biodegradable polymers, offer safer and more adaptable alternatives to viral vectors. These innovations are critical for optimizing therapeutic efficacy and enabling personalized medicine, immunotherapy, and regenerative treatments. Future research should focus on integrating these technologies to develop next-generation transfection platforms with enhanced precision and clinical applicability. Full article

This study examines how teacher–student relationships and school engagement change across online and in-school learning, based on the experiences of 105 cross-regional secondary vocational students in China. Using questionnaire surveys, the study explores students’ perceptions and learning needs in both settings. The findings confirm that teachers play a consistently positive role in promoting student engagement across both online and in-school learning modalities. While affective engagement was higher during online learning, driven by stronger teacher responsiveness and improved student–teacher relationships, students reported increased pride in their schools after returning home, reflecting a renewed appreciation. In-school learning was associated with higher behavioral engagement and greater motivation, despite tensions over intensified academic tasks. Online learning facilitated cognitive engagement through easier vocabulary searches; nevertheless, poor home environments reduced motivation. Enhancing engagement may require offering students autonomy, valuing their input, and clarifying the relevance of the learning content. Full article

The search for the biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may prove essential in the diagnosis and prognosis of the pathology, and the differential expression of key proteins may assist in identifying new therapeutic targets. In this proof-of-concept (POC) study, a new approach of data mining and matching combined with the biochemical analysis of proteins was applied to AD investigation. Three influential online open databases (UniProt, AlzGene, and Allen Human Brain Atlas) were explored to identify the genes and encoded proteins involved in AD linked to mitochondrial and iron dysmetabolism. The databases were searched using specific keywords to collect information about protein composition, and function, and meta-analysis data about their correlation with AD. The extracted datasets were matched to yield a list of relevant proteins in AD. The biochemical analysis of their amino acid content suggested a defective synthesis of these proteins in poorly oxygenated brain tissue, supporting their relevance in AD progression. The result of our POC study revealed several potential new markers of AD that deserve further molecular and clinical investigation. This novel database search approach can be a valuable strategy for biomarker search that can be exploited in many diseases. Full article

Background/Objectives. This manuscript presents an overview of advances in oncological radiotherapy as an effective treatment method for cancerous tumors, focusing on mechanisms of action within metabolite–antimetabolite systems. The urgency of this topic is underscored by the fact that cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide: as of 2022, approximately 20 million new cases were diagnosed globally, accounting for about 0.25% of the total population. Given prognostic models predicting a steady increase in cancer incidence to 35 million cases by 2050, there is an urgent need for the latest developments in physics, chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacy, and strict adherence to oncological vigilance. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the relationship between the nature and mechanisms of past diagnostic and therapeutic oncology approaches, their current improvements, and future prospects. Particular emphasis is placed on isotope technologies in the production of therapeutic nuclides, focusing on the mechanisms of formation of simple and complex theranostic compounds and their classification according to target specificity. Methods. The methodology involved searching, selecting, and analyzing information from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, as well as from available official online sources over the past 20 years. The search was structured around the structure–mechanism–effect relationship of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The manuscript, including graphic materials, was prepared using a narrative synthesis method. Results. The results present a sequential analysis of materials related to isotope technology, particularly nucleus stability and instability. An explanation of theranostic principles enabled a detailed description of the action mechanisms of radiopharmaceuticals on various receptors within the metabolite–antimetabolite system using specific drug models. Attention is also given to radioactive nanotheranostics, exemplified by the mechanisms of action of radioactive nanoparticles such as Tc-99m, AuNPs, wwAgNPs, FeNPs, and others. Conclusions. Radiotheranostics, which combines the diagnostic properties of unstable nuclei with therapeutic effects, serves as an effective adjunctive and/or independent method for treating cancer patients. Despite the emergence of resistance to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, existing nuclide resources provide protection against subsequent tumor metastasis. However, given the unfavorable cancer incidence prognosis over the next 25 years, the development of “preventive” drugs is recommended. Progress in this area will be facilitated by modern medical knowledge and a deeper understanding of ligand–receptor interactions to trigger apoptosis in rapidly proliferating cells. Full article

Background and Objective: Insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) is a novel immunohistochemical marker with potential utility in identifying neuroendocrine differentiation in lung cancer. Unlike conventional neuroendocrine (NE) markers, INSM1 can potentially serve as a standalone diagnostic biomarker. This study presents the first meta-analysis assessing the diagnostic accuracy of using INSM1 to distinguish LCNEC and SCLC from other lung cancer subtypes, addressing the variability across individual studies. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic performance of INSM1 in the pathological classification of lung cancer. The online databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched for data collection. Studies reporting the sensitivity and specificity of INSM1 in diagnosing LCNEC and SCLC were included. Pooled estimates were calculated using two models: the NSCLC model, which distinguishes LCNEC from other non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), and the lung cancer model, which differentiates both LCNEC and SCLC from non-neuroendocrine (non-NE) lung cancer. Results: Fourteen studies comprising 3,218 specimens were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. In the NSCLC model, INSM1 demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.67 (95% CI: 0.61–0.73) and specificity of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96–0.98), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.943. In the lung cancer model, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 (95% CI: 0.84–0.88) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96–0.98), respectively, with an AUC of 0.974. Conclusions: INSM1 demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy and consistently high specificity for pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas, supporting its utility as a reliable standalone immunohistochemical marker with the potential to replace conventional NE markers in the pathological diagnosis of LCNEC and SCLC. Full article

The Generalized Hough Transform (GHT) is a powerful method for rigid shape detection under rotation, scaling, translation, and partial occlusion conditions, but its four-dimensional accumulator incurs prohibitive computational and memory demands that prevent real-time deployment. To address this, we propose a framework that compresses the 4-D search space into a concise 2-D voting scheme by combining two-level sparse point-pair screening with an accelerated lookup. In the offline stage, template edges are extracted using an adaptive Canny operator with Otsu-determined thresholds, and gradient-direction differences for all point pairs are quantized to retain only those in the dominant bin, yielding rotation- and scale-invariant descriptors that populate a compact 2-D reference table. During the online stage, an adaptive grid selects only the highest-gradient pixels per cell as a base points, while a precomputed gradient-direction bucket table enables constant-time retrieval of compatible subpoints. Each valid base–subpoint pair is mapped to indices in the lookup table, and “fuzzy” votes are cast over a 3 × 3 neighborhood in the 2-D accumulator, whose global peak determines the object center. Evaluation on 200 real industrial parts—augmented to 1000 samples with noise, blur, occlusion, and nonlinear illumination—demonstrates that our method maintains over 90% localization accuracy, matches the classical GHT, and achieves a ten-fold speedup, outperforming IGHT and LI-GHT variants by 2–3×, thereby delivering a robust, real-time solution for industrial rigid object localization. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patients with an ileoanal pouch change their diet to manage their symptoms and will often resort to the internet for nutrition advice. Currently, no evidence-based dietary guidelines exist to inform online resources. Hence, this study aims to assess the quality of online nutrition information directed towards patients with an ileoanal pouch. Methods: A systematic Google search was conducted to identify consumer websites including information on nutrition for those with ileoanal pouches. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument, and the readability of written content was assessed using the Flesch–Kincaid score. A summative content analysis was used to identify the frequency of particular topics. Websites were also assessed against standards from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) framework for shared decision-making support tools. Results: A total of 12 websites met the inclusion criteria. Mean total DISCERN scores across all websites are 33 out of 75, indicating that overall, the websites were of poor quality. The mean Flesch–Kincaid score was 57 out of 100, or “fairly difficult” in terms of readability. The main themes according to the content analysis were “general dietary advice for pouch”, “dietary strategies for symptom management”, “addressing risks associated with having a pouch”, and “optimisation of nutritional intake”. Overall, websites did not meet the standards for shared decision-making. Conclusions: Online nutrition information for patients with an ileoanal pouch is of poor quality and difficult to understand. There is a need for higher quality online resources for these patients, ideally co-produced with a multidisciplinary team and patient, to provide patients with good quality, understandable, and accessible nutrition information. Full article

The Online Droplet Inspection system plays a vital role in closed-loop control for OLED inkjet printing. However, generating realistic synthetic droplet images for reliable restoration and precise measurement of droplet parameters remains challenging due to the complex, multi-factor degradation inherent to microscale droplet imaging. To address this, we propose a physics-informed degradation model, Diffraction–Gaussian–Motion–Noise (DGMN), that integrates Fraunhofer diffraction, defocus blur, motion blur, and adaptive noise to replicate real-world degradation in droplet images. To optimize the multi-parameter configuration of DGMN, we introduce the MISABO (Multi-strategy Improved Subtraction-Average-Based Optimizer), which incorporates Sobol sequence initialization for search diversity, lens opposition-based learning (LensOBL) for enhanced accuracy, and dimension learning-based hunting (DLH) for balanced global–local optimization. Benchmark function evaluations demonstrate that MISABO achieves superior convergence speed and accuracy. When applied to generate synthetic droplet images based on real droplet images captured from a self-developed OLED inkjet printer, the proposed MISABO-optimized DGMN framework significantly improves realism, enhancing synthesis quality by 37.7% over traditional manually configured models. This work lays a solid foundation for generating high-quality synthetic data to support droplet image restoration and downstream inkjet printing processes. Full article

Introduction: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children, as well as hospitalizations for respiratory infections in the pediatric population, representing a significant public health concern. Nirsevimab, a long-acting anti-RSV monoclonal antibody, has recently been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The aim of this study is to assess the utility of certain parameters, such as the Number Needed to Immunize (NNI), in supporting decision-makers regarding the introduction of nirsevimab as a universal prophylactic measure. Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify the definition and application of the NNI in the context of infectious disease prevention. The following online databases were consulted: Scopus, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search was restricted to English-language texts published between 1 January 2000 and 30 January 2025. Results: The NNI represents the number of individuals who need to be immunized to prevent clinical outcomes such as medical visits and hospitalizations caused by infectious diseases. Six studies were identified that utilized this parameter to outline the benefits of immunization and describe the advantages of using monoclonal antibodies for RSV disease. Finelli and colleagues report that to prevent one RSV-related hospitalization, 37–85 infants aged 0–5 months and 107–280 infants aged 6–11 months would need to be immunized with long-acting anti-RSV antibodies. A recent study by Mallah et al. on the efficacy of nirsevimab estimates that the NNI required to prevent one RSV-related hospitalization is 25 infants. Studies by Francisco and O’Leary report NNI values of 82 and 128 infants, respectively, to prevent one RSV-related hospitalization with nirsevimab. Mallah et al. describe NNI as a metric useful to quantify the immunization effort needed to prevent a single RSV hospitalization. A recent Italian study reports that 35 infants need to be immunized to prevent one hospitalization due to RSV-LRTI and 3 infants need to be immunized to prevent one primary care visit due to RSV-LRTI. The studies indicate that the NNI for anti-RSV monoclonal antibodies is lower than the corresponding Number Needed to Vaccinate (NNV) for vaccines already included in national immunization programs. The main limitations of using this parameter include the absence of a shared threshold for interpreting results and the lack of consideration for the indirect effects of immunization on the population. Conclusions: The NNI is an easily understandable tool that can be used to convey the value of an immunization intervention to a variety of stakeholders, thereby supporting public health decision-making processes when considered in association with the uptake of the preventative strategy. At the current status, the estimated NNI of monoclonal antibodies against RSV results favourable and confirms the use in the first year of life for the prevention of RSV disease. Full article

In recent studies, public health has been considered a key stakeholder in climate mitigation and adaptation in cities since they are more exposed to the impact of climate change. Nurses represent a vast majority of public health professionals, playing a key role in health promotion that allows them to influence individuals, families, and communities in adopting healthier behaviours and decarbonized lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to map the existing evidence on nursing interventions, which are being led or implemented to reduce the health risks related to climate change in urban areas. The present review follows the JBI methodological framework, including a search on PubMed, MEDLINE complete, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), and RCAAP. Hand searched references were also considered, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies between January 2014 and October 2024, for a more contemporary perspective. A three-step search strategy and data extraction tool were used by two independent reviewers. Twenty-seven studies in English and Portuguese were eligible for inclusion, all targeting a population of professionals with nursing-related roles: two case studies, one Delphi panel, one descriptive study, one historical research paper, two using a methodological design format, four narrative reviews, one observational study, nine review articles, three scoping reviews, and three systematic reviews. Eight categories of nursing interventions that contribute to decarbonized lifestyles, reducing health risks in relation to climate change, were acknowledged. Nurses play a key role in empowering individuals, families, and communities, promoting climate awareness and literacy, supporting health policy change, advocating for the most vulnerable and engaging in environmental activism, using evidence-based research, and taking advantage of marketing strategies and social media. Full article

As part of the post-conflict reconstruction and recovery, the development of Kabul New City aims to bring relief to the existing capital city, Kabul, which has experienced exponential population growth, putting heavy pressure on its existing resources. Kabul New City is divided into four subsectors, and each of them is being developed and is expected to reach a target population by 2025, as defined by the master plan. The study’s objective is to determine which of the four zones are in demand and need to be prioritized for development, as per the model results. The data collection involves an online questionnaire, and the responses are collected from residents of Kabul and Herat. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is an emerging method of simulating urban dynamics. Cities are evolving continuously and are forming unique spatial patterns that result from the movement of residents in search of new locations that accommodate their needs and preferences. An agent-based model is developed using the weighted random selection process based on household size and income levels. The agents are the residents of Kabul and Herat, and the environment is the land use classification image using the Sentinel 2 image of Kabul New City. The barren class is treated as the developable area and is divided into four sub-sectors. The model simulates three alternative growth rate scenarios, i.e., ambitious, moderate, and steady. The results of the simulation reveal that the sub-sector Dehsabz South, being closer to Kabul city, is in higher demand. Barikab is another sub-sector high in demand, which has connectivity through the highway and is an upcoming industrial hub. Full article

This study aimed to provide an overview of the most frequent animal welfare cases documented by the authorities involved in sheep farming in Germany. A questionnaire with 26 questions was developed and sent to all German veterinary offices (supervisory authorities). Furthermore, publicly available court decisions on animal welfare cases over the last 30 years were consulted and analyzed. Approximately 18.1% (n = 71) of all veterinary authorities participated in the survey. The most frequently reported animal welfare cases included inadequate water supply (n = 63) and a lack of weather protection (n = 60). Other common issues were lameness (n = 56) and poor shearing management (n = 52). A total of 52 animal welfare cases presented in courts were found in the online search. The most common problems were nutrition (50%), water supply (34.6%), weather protection (32.7%), and shearing management (21.2%). These results provide information on the areas of sheep farming in which animal welfare violations occur most frequently. Based on these results, conclusions can be drawn regarding the development of preventive measures. Full article

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among pregnant women and children under five years old, remain a significant public health challenge in Nigeria. Despite existing policies and programmes, national data on prevalence and risk factors are fragmented. Objective: To synthesise the current evidence on the prevalence of key micronutrient deficiencies and associated risk factors among pregnant women and children under five years old in Nigeria. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using peer-reviewed studies that were published between 2008 and 2024. The databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, and African Journals Online. After screening 1207 studies, 37 studies were included: 27 were conducted among pregnant women and 10 were among children. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the anaemia prevalence using a random-effects model. A narrative synthesis was conducted to synthesise evidence on other micronutrients (i.e., magnesium, copper, and vitamins C and E) due to the limited data and risk factors. Results: The pooled prevalence of anaemia was 56% among children and 54% among pregnant women. The prevalence of other micronutrient deficiencies varied widely, with a high prevalence of zinc (86.4%), magnesium (94%), and vitamin D (73.3%) deficiencies in certain regions. The identified risk factors included poor dietary diversity, lower socioeconomic status, low maternal education, infection burden, and early or high parity. Most studies were facility-based and sub-national, limiting the generalisability. Conclusions: This review highlights a high prevalence of anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies among pregnant women and children in Nigeria. Key risk factors included a poor diet, low maternal education, infections, and reproductive health challenges. Targeted, multisectoral policies are urgently needed to address these gaps and improve health outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: The gold standard of treatment for both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers is wide surgical resection to obtain oncological radicality, which occasionally results in functional or aesthetic impairment, potentially affecting quality of life. Despite the increased complexity of the technique, extended duration of hospitalization, and prolonged surgical operative times, microsurgery can facilitate the reconstruction of locally invasive skin cancers following ablative surgery and may yield superior functional and aesthetic outcomes. Consequently, microsurgical reconstruction is more likely to be necessary if a large skin tumor requires excision. However, the impact of this extensive and complex procedure on patients with skin cancer has not yet been fully elucidated. The objective of this research was to critically analyze the utilization of free flap reconstruction subsequent to skin cancer therapy. Through a comprehensive examination of published data, this study aimed to assess the potential benefits and drawbacks associated with this reconstructive approach. Methods: A systematic review of studies that were published from January 2004 to May 2024 was conducted using the MEDLINE online database search. To present an evidence summary and provide a systematic approach and quality assessment, the GRADE^® rating was applied to the results. Results: This review summarizes the oncological and clinical data, including previous interventions, adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies, nodal status, distant metastasis, and follow-up time. Surgical outcome parameters such as healing time, flap survival, revision rate success, and minor and major complications were documented. Along with the findings, a quality assessment of the studies was also provided. Conclusions: This systematic review underscores the extensive use and efficacy of microsurgery for reconstruction after skin cancer excision; however, the literature remains limited by inconsistent reporting of oncological outcomes and the lack of a standardized approach to evaluate the impact of free flap reconstruction on both immediate and long-term cancer-specific results. Full article