Search Results (1,424)

Background/Objectives: Substance use disorders (SUDs) remain a major public health challenge, with high relapse rates despite established pharmacological and behavioral treatments. This scoping review maps evidence on structured exercise interventions as therapeutic approaches in SUD treatment, focusing on direct clinical outcomes, substance-specific effects, and implementation strategies. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidance, searches of PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus identified human studies published from 2000 to 31 December 2024 that evaluated supervised exercise interventions in adults with SUDs. Results: Evidence from randomized trials and recent network meta-analyses indicates clinically relevant benefits for abstinence, craving reduction, mood symptoms, cognitive function, treatment retention, and withdrawal management. Moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise delivered three to four times weekly for at least 12 weeks, at approximately 180 MET-minutes per week, appears particularly effective, while combined aerobic and muscle-performance protocols may yield broader benefits. Conclusions: Exercise interventions show strong potential as adjuncts to SUD care. Implementation should incorporate individualized prescription, substance-specific safety screening, cardiovascular and psychiatric monitoring, and multidisciplinary coordination. Further long-term randomized trials, mechanistic studies, and cost-effectiveness evaluations are needed. Full article

Bio-based fertilizers derived from chicken manure (CM) composting show potential to meet the requirements of current European fertilizing product legislation, provided that the final product satisfies the relevant quality, stability, and hygienization criteria, although technological challenges remain. This review focuses on the critical aspects related to feedstock optimization and mitigation of odor emissions and antimicrobial resistance-related risks, including the occurrence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes. Effective CM composting depends on a balanced feedstock formulation, appropriate aeration, moisture control, temperature–time profiles, and maturation conditions. Co-composting with suitable co-substrates can optimize the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, enhance nutrient retention, minimize nutrient losses, and improve process performance. Two critical challenges (odorous emissions and antibiotic resistance) remain inadequately characterized and regulated, posing potential risks to environmental quality and public health. Although composting typically reduces antibiotic residues and pathogenic bacteria, certain antibiotic resistance genes may persist, depending on feedstock contamination and operational parameters. This persistence highlights the need for further research and targeted mitigation strategies. Future studies should assess modified composting technologies and integrated process strategies to enhance compost maturity, stability, and microbial safety. A life cycle assessment of CM composting should be performed in future work to help identify trade-offs among operational conditions, enabling the optimization of product quality while reducing environmental impacts. Comparative evaluations with conventional inorganic fertilizers across multiple impact categories (e.g., energy demand) can further support sustainable decision-making and foster adoption of climate-resilient organic waste management practices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Among the most common medical conditions of pregnancy, nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and its severe form hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) represent a clinically significant and increasingly researched area of maternal health. However, the global evolution, structural organization, and thematic development of this literature remain insufficiently characterized. This bibliometric study maps five decades of global research on therapeutic and supportive interventions for NVP and HG. Methods: Web of Science Core Collection records were searched on 10 May 2026, restricted to English-language articles and reviews published up to 2025, and deduplicated to 1182 unique documents. A secondary thematic filter was subsequently applied to generate a refined obstetric subset for the country collaboration, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution analyses. Bibliometric performance, collaboration networks, source impact, institutional output, PELT-based changepoint detection, metadata completeness, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution were analyzed using VOSviewer, Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny, and custom Python scripts. Results: Publication output increased markedly after 2010 and reached its maximum in 2025. PELT sensitivity analysis localized the principal transitions to the mid-1990s and early 2010s, informing three broad analytical macroperiods: 1975–1994, 1995–2009, and 2010–2025. The United States dominated cumulative output and collaboration intensity, while Canada, England, Australia, Italy, Germany, and China showed substantial scientific influence. Core publication venues were concentrated in obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive safety, and pregnancy-focused clinical medicine. Keyword and thematic analyses showed a transition from early vomiting, Bendectin, exposure, and pregnancy-safety concerns toward pharmacological treatment, complementary interventions, controlled clinical evaluation, maternal–fetal outcomes, and supportive management. Metadata-completeness analysis identified a major pre-1991 indexing discontinuity, requiring caution when interpreting long-range keyword-based trends. Conclusions: These findings outline the trajectory of the field and highlight priorities for future research, including stronger comparative evidence for pharmacological, complementary, and supportive-care strategies, broader international collaboration, and prospective studies to strengthen the evidence base for managing NVP and HG. Full article

The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has intensified the demand for advanced energy storage technologies capable of delivering high energy density, high power density, enhanced safety, and extended service life. Although lithium-ion batteries remain the dominant energy storage technology for EVs, their limited power capability, thermal degradation, and accelerated aging under high transient loads constrain vehicle performance. Battery–supercapacitor hybrid energy storage systems (HESSs) have emerged as a promising solution by combining the high energy density of batteries with the high-power density and rapid charge–discharge capability of supercapacitors. However, the increasing complexity of HESS architecture requires intelligent energy management strategies to optimize power allocation, battery protection, thermal regulation, and overall system efficiency. Existing review papers primarily address individual aspects of HESS architecture, battery management, or artificial intelligence (AI)-based control, leaving a lack of a unified review integrating these topics. This paper addresses this gap by reviewing 181 publications published between 2020 and 2026, covering HESS architectures, conventional and AI-driven energy management strategies, machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, battery state estimation, diagnostics, prognostics, thermal management, and fault diagnosis. The reviewed studies are critically analyzed to assess the impact of AI on battery lifetime, regenerative braking, charging performance, thermal behavior, and energy efficiency. The review further identifies emerging research directions, including explainable AI, digital twins, federated learning, edge intelligence, vehicle-to-grid integration, and cybersecurity-aware energy management. The findings indicate that AI-based approaches generally demonstrate greater adaptability, predictive capability, and battery protection than conventional methods under dynamic operating conditions, although challenges related to computational complexity, real-time implementation, data availability, explainability, cybersecurity, and standardization remain significant barriers to large-scale deployment. Full article

This study aims to assess the impact of the October 2023 Gaza War on water and sanitation systems and propose actionable solutions for effective management. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative). Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews, targeted questionnaires, and direct field observations. Secondary data were gathered from reports by international organizations (UNRWA, OCHA, WHO), Palestinian authorities, academic research, in addition to satellite imagery and Geographic Information System (GIS) data for damage assessment. The results showed that the institutional level of emergency preparedness before the war varied significantly. Despite the existence of pre-developed emergency plans (mean score 3.26, relative weight 65.28%, p = 0.0355), there were significant shortcomings in practical staff training (mean score 2.64, relative weight 52.83%, p = 0.006), logistical readiness, and the activation of international partnerships. The study also revealed major challenges faced in providing water and sanitation services during the war, including fuel and resource shortages, safety risks for field teams, weak coordination with security agencies, lack of materials and equipment, insufficient emergency funding, coordination gaps, staff displacement, communication breakdowns, difficulty accessing water sources, area division and blockade, and loss of personnel. Specifically, the inability to access water sources was a critical challenge (mean score 4.30, relative weight 86.04%, p < 0.0001), as was indiscriminate shelling impacting field team safety (mean score 4.19, relative weight 83.77%, p < 0.0001) and lack of materials and equipment (mean score 4.15, relative weight 83.02%, p < 0.0001). Residents reported water availability only every 10–15 days, and over 70% of water and sanitation systems were damaged. While funding proposals were being prepared (mean score 3.26, relative weight 65.28%, p = 0.02), weaknesses in reporting systems and coordination of roles were observed (mean score 2.55, relative weight 50.94%, p < 0.0001). The research contributes to guiding local and international efforts towards reconstruction, enhancing resilience, and ensuring the provision of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for the affected population, thereby reducing the risks of waterborne diseases and improving public health. Full article

Passenger satisfaction is a key component of sustainable urban mobility, influencing public transport use, customer loyalty, and the attractiveness of railway systems. However, evidence from Latin American commuter rail services remains limited. This study evaluates the satisfaction of frequent users of the Limache–Puerto railway service operated by EFE Valparaíso in Greater Valparaíso, Chile, based on measurements conducted between 2024 and 2025. Using 400 surveys administered on station platforms and onboard trains, the analysis assessed overall satisfaction, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and experience attributes related to safety, predictability, cleanliness, information provision, comfort, and crowding. A repeated cross-sectional quantitative design with quota sampling was employed to compare successive measurement waves. Results indicate that passengers highly value the service’s speed and efficiency. Although NPS experienced a temporary decline during 2025, the final measurement remained comparable to the 2024 baseline. Key concerns included perceived platform safety, peak-hour crowding, onboard environmental conditions (temperature and odors), and service frequency in critical segments. Mentions of informal vendors decreased, whereas concerns regarding criminal incidents and passenger flow difficulties increased. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions in safety, crowding management, environmental quality, and communication during disruptions. This pilot operational monitoring study proposes a practical framework for evaluating passenger satisfaction and NPS through repeated measurements, providing evidence to support service management and sustainable railway planning. Full article

The transition to low-carbon energy systems is expanding the use of subsurface resources for heat extraction, energy storage, carbon management, and infrastructure reuse. This review examines hydraulic fracturing as a context-dependent engineering intervention across enhanced geothermal systems, geothermal reuse of depleted reservoirs and wells, unconventional gas, underground hydrogen storage, CO₂-based subsurface engineering, and natural hydrogen. We synthesize how stimulation can improve permeability, connectivity, heat exchange, injectivity, and deliverability, while evaluating constraints related to water use, induced seismicity, leakage, well and caprock integrity, life-cycle emissions, and public acceptance. The central trade-off is that higher stimulation efficiency does not necessarily produce greater sustainability. Short-term gains in flow or energy delivery can increase long-term risks to containment, thermal performance, seismic safety, and environmental accountability. Evidence is strongest for enhanced geothermal systems and commercial unconventional gas, whereas field support remains limited for porous-media hydrogen storage, CO₂-based fracturing, and natural hydrogen. Responsible deployment therefore requires site-specific boundaries, real-time monitoring, multi-physics and data-driven modeling, life-cycle assessment, and adaptive governance. Hydraulic fracturing can enable selected sustainable subsurface applications, but its value depends on balancing engineering performance against long-term environmental and integrity constraints. Full article

Background: Workplace wellbeing has become a key focus of occupational and public health, with increasing attention to mental health, psychosocial risks, fatigue, and work–life balance. However, limited evidence compares employee and employer perspectives, distinguishes support availability from support use, or examines whether wellbeing is more closely associated with isolated interventions or the broader support environment. Method: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from public-sector employees (N = 1307) and employers (N = 321) in Ontario, Canada. Analyses compared employee and employer ratings of workplace wellbeing dimensions and supports, examined support availability and use, and assessed associations between support use and perceived workplace impact on personal wellbeing using linear regression models. Results: Employees consistently rated workplace wellbeing dimensions and supports as more important and more effective than employers. Several supports were widely available, but availability varied across sectors and did not consistently translate into use, particularly for mental health, psychological health and safety, and fatigue-related supports. Among employees using at least one support, the cumulative number of supports used was positively associated with wellbeing (B = 0.196, p < 0.01), whereas few individual supports demonstrated independent associations. Fatigue management programs showed a consistent positive association across model specifications. Conclusions: Findings suggest that workplace wellbeing is associated with the broader support environment, not only with individual programs. Employee-informed, integrated approaches that improve both access and uptake may strengthen workplace wellbeing; however, causal interpretation is limited by the cross-sectional design. Full article

Metal-contaminated mining soils require management options that reduce environmental risk while enabling the controlled reuse of degraded land. Following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), this review synthesizes evidence on the use of non-food crops for the phytomanagement of metal-contaminated mining soils, with particular emphasis on crop establishment, agronomic performance, metal uptake and partitioning, biomass safety, valorisation pathways, and safe land reuse. Searches conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, complemented by Google Scholar and manual screening, identified 7223 records; after duplicate removal and eligibility assessment, 85 publications were included in the final synthesis. The evidence indicates that non-food crops can support phytostabilization, exclusion-based phytomanagement, biomass production, and, in selected cases, phytoextraction. However, their suitability is strongly site-specific and depends on substrate constraints, contaminant behaviour, biomass quality, and residue-management requirements. Field and pilot-scale evidence remains less frequent than pot and greenhouse studies, which limits the direct transfer of findings to heterogeneous post-mining landscapes. Biomass safety emerged as a critical decision point because harvested biomass and conversion residues may become secondary contamination pathways. Based on the evidence map, this review proposes a seven-step conceptual decision-support framework linking site diagnosis, management objective definition, crop pre-selection and field-performance screening, metal-risk behaviour assessment, biomass safety assessment, land-reuse matching, and adaptive monitoring. The proposed framework is intended as a screening and planning tool and requires site-specific validation before operational implementation. Full article

This study develops the Socio-Technical Impact (ST-Impact) model, a sustainability-oriented curriculum design framework for management information systems (MIS) education, aimed at preparing future professionals to design and govern digital systems in socially and environmentally responsible ways. The rapid diffusion of emerging technologies, particularly generative AI, has intensified the need for MIS professionals who can integrate technical competence with social responsibility, ethical reasoning, responsible digital design, and public-value-oriented problem solving—competencies that remain unevenly addressed in existing MIS curricula. To address this gap, the study adopts a design science research approach, conducting a systematic review, reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020, and a design-oriented narrative synthesis of 120 international studies published between 2010 and 2025. Learning activities, student-produced artifacts, and assessment mechanisms were extracted as curriculum design units, while governance-related indicators were coded according to stakeholder requirements, accountability, equity, accessibility, privacy, safety, explainability, and sustainability. The resulting ST-Impact model comprises six iterative modules and a three-layer evaluation system. Its design coherence and practical plausibility are examined through an evidence-to-model traceability mapping, an illustrative comparative analysis of publicly visible curriculum structures, and an adaptable 15-week syllabus architecture. By translating abstract concepts of societal impact, responsible digital design, and digital sustainability into actionable curriculum design elements, this study contributes a literature-grounded foundation for future empirical validation in MIS education. Full article

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) affects over 300 million people globally, yet current therapies face limitations in efficacy and safety. Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, has shown conflicting evidence in KOA management. This systematic review evaluates chitosan’s clinical effectiveness and defines its optimal application scenarios. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before the end of November 2024 on chitosan and knee osteoarthritis were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov, SINOMED, Chinese Medical Journal Network, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, Embase, and SCOPUS. After screening the references, publications meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria was selected. RevMan5.4 software was used to perform the meta-analysis of the data. Results: A total of 231 articles were retrieved, and 14 RCTs involving 1504 participants were included. For the primary efficacy outcome, pooled analysis of 10 RCTs showed a significantly higher overall clinical response rate in the chitosan group compared with the control group (OR = 5.43, 95% CI = 3.21, 9.18, p < 0.001), with no observed heterogeneity (I² = 0%). Additionally, meta-analysis of 12 RCTs demonstrated a significant reduction in visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores (MD = −1.06, 95% CI = −1.38, −0.73, p < 0.001) in patients receiving intra-articular chitosan injection. Subgroup analysis of VAS scores showed that pain reduction varied significantly by follow-up duration (I² for subgroup differences = 62.5%, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Intra-articular injection of medical chitosan shows potential benefits for pain relief and clinical efficacy in patients with knee osteoarthritis, with a low incidence of adverse reactions. Nevertheless, the evidence remains promising but preliminary. Full article

Accessibility in bus-based public transport is essential for inclusive and sustainable urban mobility, yet bus stops and stations are often overlooked compared with vehicle modernization and network planning. This study presents a bibliometric and thematic review of research (2020–2026) on accessibility in bus stop and station infrastructure across European cities. Literature indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection was analyzed using thematic synthesis supported by bibliometric network analysis. A total of 685 publications were examined to identify research trends, barriers, regional differences, assessment methods, and planning implications. The findings show that accessibility is a multidimensional concept shaped by physical design, information systems, user experience, first- and last-mile connectivity, and governance capacity. Persistent barriers include poor boarding interfaces, inadequate maintenance, weak wayfinding, safety concerns, and uneven implementation of accessibility standards. The reviewed studies suggest that evidence of stronger integration and higher user satisfaction is more frequently reported in Northern and some Western European contexts, whereas rural and smaller cities often face lower service accessibility. Emerging topics include real-time passenger information, crowding management, electric buses, and smart mobility technologies. The review concludes that bus stops and stations should be treated as strategic mobility assets. Integrated planning, participatory design, and territorially differentiated policy support are essential to advance inclusive bus-based public transport across Europe. Full article

Global food trade exposes sharp differences in food safety regulation, especially between the EU and the US. The EU follows a precautionary, hazard-based model, allowing intervention under scientific uncertainty to protect consumers, maintain public trust, and avoid long-term risks. The US applies a science-based, proof-of-harm approach, requiring clearer evidence of risk before limiting market access, supporting innovation and regulatory efficiency. These contrasting philosophies create trade tensions and non-tariff barriers, as seen in disputes over hormone-treated beef, genetically modified organisms, and chlorine-washed poultry. Beyond the transatlantic context, countries adopt precautionary, science-based, or hybrid systems depending on domestic priorities, institutional capacity, and trade commitments. Hybrid models in India, China, and parts of Africa combine precautionary safeguards with evidence-based risk assessment to balance consumer protection and market access. International bodies such as Codex Alimentarius, the WHO, and the WTO help manage regulatory divergence through standards, guidance, and dispute resolution, while recognising precaution under uncertainty. Recent EU agreements with Mercosur and India show pragmatic cooperation through transparency, safeguards, and sanitary and phytosanitary commitments. Overall, effective global food governance depends on hybrid, coordinated, and adaptive approaches that reconcile health protection, trade facilitation, and innovation. Full article

Traffic engineering aims to control infrastructure and population behaviour to achieve optimal usage of road networks. Fairness is fundamental to stimulate cooperation in large populations, and plays an important role in traffic engineering, as it increases the well-being of users, improves driving safety by rule adherence, and overcomes public resistance at legislative implementation. Despite the importance of fairness, only a few works have translated fairness into the transportation domain, with a focus on transportation planning rather than traffic engineering. Moreover, existing works in traffic engineering discuss fairness superficially and insufficiently, focussing on only a few definitions. The mission of this work is (i) to challenge narrowly specified, efficiency-oriented engineering formulations in traffic engineering, (ii) to establish a link to modern fairness theories, and (iii) to highlight the importance of fairness when allocating scarce, public good, mobility resources between road users. To achieve this, a mode-agnostic, distributive fairness framework for mobility resource allocation is proposed. It serves when designing traffic engineering solutions, and convinces in public debates with a useful, argumentative tool-set to confront equity considerations. Ultimately, this enables systematic research and design of fairness-informed control systems, demonstrated by three case studies on signalized intersection management and static road pricing. Full article

Pesticide use remains important in modern agriculture, vector control, and household pest management. However, exposure to pesticide active ingredients and residues remains a persistent public health concern. In addition to active ingredients, people may also be exposed to other constituents of commercial pesticide formulations, such as adjuvants and solvents, which can influence overall toxicity and health outcomes. These exposures may occur among direct applicators and may also affect other populations through contaminated air, water, soil, food, clothing, and household surfaces. This narrative review examines pesticide exposure from a community health perspective, emphasizing occupational, para-occupational, residential, dietary, drinking-water, airborne, and cumulative exposure pathways. It highlights vulnerable groups, including agricultural workers, children, pregnant women, women in agricultural communities, older adults, people with chronic illness, and marginalized rural populations. Evidence reviewed in this article links pesticide exposure with acute poisoning, respiratory effects, neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental outcomes, cancer-related risks, reproductive and developmental effects, endocrine and metabolic disruption, cardiovascular outcomes, dermatological reactions, immune dysregulation, and biomarker-based subclinical changes. Beyond disease endpoints, pesticide exposure may also affect household income, education, mental well-being, food security, livelihoods, and intergenerational health. Major challenges include weak exposure assessment, underreporting, limited biomonitoring in low- and middle-income settings, and inconsistent community-level indicators. Strengthening surveillance, risk communication, integrated pest management, safer storage and disposal, protective regulation, and community-centered biomonitoring is essential to reduce pesticide-related health burdens. Full article