Search Results (1,167)

Although a myriad of cross-national studies featuring European countries, Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, and many other nations around the world support the contention that religiosity is associated with life satisfaction (both positively and negatively), comparatively little is known about this association in Latin America, a continent known for its strong Catholic identification, an emerging evangelical influence, and a multitude of indigenous and non-Western religious traditions. Using unique data from 21 Latin American countries, we begin to fill this gap by addressing three previously unanswered questions. What is the association between religiosity and life satisfaction in Latin America? Which measure of religiosity is most frequently associated with life satisfaction in the region: social religiosity (e.g., frequency of service attendance) or individual religiosity (e.g., importance of religion and religious identification)? Do feelings of life satisfaction vary among religious groups in Latin America? First, our aggregate models suggest a positive association between religious importance and life satisfaction and between service attendance and life satisfaction, but the association between religious identity and life satisfaction is negative. Second, our more nuanced cross-country, comparative analysis reveals that the importance of religion to a respondent (individual religiosity) is more frequently (and positively) associated with life satisfaction across a broader array of Latin American countries than service attendance (social religiosity) and religious identity (individual religiosity), with the latter evincing a negative association with life satisfaction in select countries. Lastly, there is a hierarchy of life satisfaction among religious groups. Evangelicals register higher levels of life satisfaction than Catholics, who tend to have similar levels of life satisfaction to Protestants, mainline Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and members of the Jewish faith. However, Catholics enjoy higher levels of life satisfaction than atheists, agnostics, and adherents of indigenous and African religions (e.g., Candomblé, Umbanda, and Voodoo). We discuss the implications of our findings for future research. Full article

Latin America has experienced rapid evangelical growth, yet this expansion has not produced a stable religious cleavage comparable to those observed in Europe or the United States. This article examines Jair Bolsonaro’s relationship with evangelical electoral support in Brazil, asking how an evangelical voter base emerged around him during his seventh campaign for federal deputy and whether this support endured in the presidential election that brought him to office. It argues that Bolsonaro’s evangelical support should be understood not as the product of a unilateral electoral strategy, but as an adaptive alignment with a broader reconfiguration of Brazil’s political and religious environment. Combining quantitative and qualitative evidence, the study analyzes the territorial distribution of evangelicals and Bolsonaro’s legislative vote in Rio de Janeiro, identifies a shift in support in evangelical-rich municipalities beginning in 2014, examines individual-level voting-intention surveys from the 2018 presidential election, and analyzes Bolsonaro’s parliamentary speeches and social media discourse. The findings show that evangelical support developed through discursive repositioning, ties to religious leaders, moral appeals, and opportunities created by party-system crisis and religious brokerage. The article contributes to debates on cleavages, political incorporation, and conservative representation. Full article

Objective: To map the scientific evidence and identify knowledge gaps regarding the health of Black and Sexual and Gender Minority populations within the global context of health education. Introduction: Health education curricula should explicitly recognize, define, and address the specific needs and health disparities affecting Black and Sexual and Gender Minority populations to ensure that healthcare provision is comprehensive and inclusive in diverse settings. Eligibility criteria: Studies related to professional health training at undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as other educational modalities addressing healthcare provision for Black and Sexual and Gender Minority populations, were included. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the JBI methodology. Studies were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library, CINAHL, ERIC, Cochrane Library, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, EBSCO databases, and the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, without language or time restrictions. Two independent reviewers screened the studies and extracted data using a standardized form developed for this review. Concepts, definitions, structures, results, and applications of professional health education for the care of Black and Sexual and Gender Minority populations were systematically synthesized. The results were organized and presented in tabular and graphical formats, accompanied by a narrative summary. Results: A total of 104 studies were included. The evidence was predominantly concentrated in North America, particularly in the United States, with limited representation from other regions. Most studies were published after 2020, indicating a recent expansion of research interest. The methodological profile was characterized by a predominance of quantitative and descriptive designs, alongside qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. Thematic analysis revealed a concentration of studies addressing gender-affirming care, workforce diversity, social determinants of health, and discrimination, while intersectional approaches and long-term educational outcomes remained less explored. Conclusions: The available evidence indicates that health education has increasingly incorporated themes related to equity and diversity; however, the integration of structured and mandatory curricular approaches addressing the intersectional health needs of Black and Sexual and Gender Minority populations remains limited. The findings highlight the need for broader geographic representation, stronger methodological designs, and the development of comprehensive educational strategies capable of addressing structural inequalities within health training contexts. Full article

Background: Influenza infections have reached an approximate number of one billion cases annually in the general population. Hospitalization due to this infection is associated with high morbidity, and a proportion of hospitalized children may require ICU admission. In the United States of America, one in five children hospitalized due to influenza requires transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU). The real burden of this disease is not accurately known, especially for the pediatric population. Objective: The objective of this study was to define the characteristics of influenza-associated complications in pediatric patients hospitalized at a tertiary hospital in Brasov, Romania. Methods: This was an observational, retrospective study that gathered 258 influenza-infected patients aged from 0 up to 18 years old, hospitalized during the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025 at the Children’s Hospital of Brasov (a single-center study, but in a tertiary unit). The complications from this disease were categorized into respiratory, hematological, musculoskeletal, renal, ENT, cutaneous, rheumatological, and bacterial superinfections. Results: The patients were stratified according to their influenza type (A or B) and length of hospital stay. The length of stay was categorized as 0–4 days, 5–10 days, or >10 days. No significant association was observed between the influenza type and admission duration (χ² = 2.185, df = 2, p = 0.3354). The most frequent complications were respiratory—bronchiolitis and pneumonia (22.8%)—followed by hematological (13.5%). Conclusions: The length of stay did not differ significantly between patients with influenza A and those with influenza B in the selected sample. The most common complications were respiratory, hematological, ENT, and neurological. Full article

Bacillus anthracis is endemic in the United States causing periodic outbreaks in wildlife and domestic animals. Currently, human anthrax cases in the U.S. are rare but were common in the 1950s–1960s due to industrial work with imported B. anthracis-contaminated animal products. Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) initially differentiated B. anthracis into 89 genotypes and two major clades. Recently, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was implemented to differentiate B. anthracis which allows for higher resolution and can eliminate risk of homoplasy. To assess the molecular diversity of U.S.-established isolates, we performed MLVA and WGS on 81 B. anthracis isolates from domestic animals or soil. By MLVA, most isolates (n = 58, 72%) were in the Western North America (WNA)/A1.a cluster. Isolates were also observed in the Ames (A3.b), Vollum (A4), and Group B clusters. Using WGS, two major clades (A and B) and four clusters (WNA, Ames, Vollum, Group B) were identified. The four WGS clusters correlated with previously established MLVA clusters (A1a, A3b, A4, and B1, respectively). Further differentiation of the WNA cluster showed that isolates collected from the same state generally clustered together and more broadly by region (west, central, Texas). In the current study, we provide an update on the genetic diversity of domestically established B. anthracis strains using MLVA and WGS. WGS was able to provide additional differentiation, particularly within the WNA cluster, which can lend assistance in epidemiological investigations. Full article

Introduction: Aquatic ecosystems are major reservoirs for both legacy and emerging contaminants, facilitating their distribution throughout the environment and bioaccumulation across different trophic levels. As such, wildlife acts as a valuable tool for biomonitoring these contaminants and serves as a key indicator of environmental pollution within the One Health framework. Despite this, knowledge regarding the application of this framework alongside the assessment of aquatic contaminants using wildlife species remains fragmented. Objective: This study aims to synthesize current evidence on aquatic contaminants using wildlife as sentinels of environmental pollution and to explore how the One Health concept is applied in this field. Methodology: A systematic database search was conducted in SCOPUS, and the retrieved studies were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well as their relevance to the One Health concept. Results: Despite its timely relevance, only fourteen studies have adopted the One Health approach to assess contaminants in aquatic species. The selected studies focused mainly on plastic particles (53.33%), such as macro- and microplastics; heavy metals (26.67%), such as mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se); persistent organic pollutants (13.33%), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and dioxin/furans; and metalloid (6.67%) arsenic (As). These contaminants were evaluated across four different taxonomic groups: fishes (61.54%), waterbirds (23.08%), mollusks (7.69%) and crustaceans (7.69%). Most studies were conducted in Portugal (37.5%) and the United States of America (18.75%), whereas other countries, including Canada, Australia, Ecuador, Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkey, were mentioned in only one study each (6.25%). Conclusions: Monitoring levels of contaminants in wildlife is essential not only to understand the dynamics of environmental pollution, but also to preserve the integrity of ecosystems while safeguarding animal and human health. However, the limited number of studies adopting a One Health perspective results in an incomplete representation of contaminant classes and affected taxa. These findings highlight the urgent need to expand wildlife-based monitoring strategies within a One Health framework, aiming to improve environmental risk assessment and deepen our understanding of the impacts of pollution across ecosystems, animals and humans. Full article

Background: The integration of internationally educated nurses (IENs) into healthcare workforces is expanding globally, yet organization-led support models remain understudied. Successful IEN integration requires ethical recruitment, structured onboarding, workforce support, and stakeholder engagement in policy discussions related to transition and retention. Objective: To examine the conceptualization, implementation, and policy implications of the Philippine Nurses Association of America Cy Pres Task Force’s national initiative to support IEN onboarding and transition into U.S. healthcare. Methods: This descriptive program evaluation utilized governance documents, program planning records, policy summit materials, aggregated survey findings, PNAA Human Rights Committee resources, and the Handbook for Filipino Nurses Immigrating to the United States to examine initiative development, implementation processes, and program outputs. A descriptive narrative synthesis was used to characterize program structure, stakeholder engagement, and policy priorities. Findings: The PNAA Cy Pres governance model was built around ethical recruiting, workforce integration, and advocacy. The work began with policy summits with nurse leaders, health care organizations, recruitment agencies, and policy experts, focusing on hiring, onboarding, legal issues, and staff retention. Stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and appreciative inquiry were used to identify best practices and goals. Key outputs included the establishment of a national governance structure, implementation of national and regional policy summits, and identification of policy priorities related to ethical recruitment, onboarding, workforce integration, and governance. Conclusions: The PNAA Cy Pres initiative provides an implementation-informed approach that may help guide future workforce integration efforts. The study illustrates how ethical recruitment, workforce integration, and stakeholder engagement can help translate workforce policy principles into practice. Policy & Practice Implications: Healthcare institutions, policymakers, and professional organizations need to work together to standardize onboarding, ethical recruitment, and support mechanisms to facilitate the integration and sustainability of the IEN workforce. Full article

West African cuisine is among the world’s most complex and historically significant culinary traditions, shaped by diverse ecosystems, centuries of trans-regional trade, and the cultural heritage of more than three hundred distinct ethnic groups spanning the Atlantic coast and the Sahel. West African cuisine has undergone a significant cultural and culinary transformation in the American food landscape, moving from relative obscurity to mainstream visibility. This entry examines the rise of West African cuisine in the United States, with particular attention to jollof as a cultural symbol of identity, diaspora, and culinary diplomacy. Drawing on academic scholarship, food journalism, and primary cultural sources, the entry traces the historical roots of West African foodways through the transatlantic slave trade and their enduring influence on American culinary traditions. It further explores how contemporary chefs, restaurateurs, and food writers of West African descent, including Eric Adjepong, Pierre Thiam, and Kwame Onwuachi, have elevated the cuisine within American fine dining and popular culture. The entry also addresses the role of social media, particularly the viral “Jollof Wars,” in amplifying West African culinary culture globally, culminating in UNESCO’s recognition of Senegalese jollof rice as an element of intangible cultural heritage. Questions of structural barriers, authenticity, and representation are critically examined. The entry argues that while West African cuisine is experiencing unprecedented visibility in America, its mainstream acceptance remains mediated by cultural filters that risk diluting its complexity and richness. Ultimately, this entry positions West African cuisine not merely as a culinary trend but as a living expression of diasporic identity, cultural resilience, and global influence. Full article

Mainstream migration theory has often explained irregular immigration as an autonomous process driven primarily by individuals, families, or communities. However, the recruitment of undocumented labor by U.S. employers through labor-brokerage smugglers plays an even more significant role. The age of migrants transported by these smugglers is crucial, as it represents one of the key criteria used to distinguish between human smuggling (a crime against the state) and human trafficking (a crime against individuals). This article, based on interviews conducted between 2008 and 2025 with 197 Mexican migrant smugglers, examines whether there are differences in the proportion of minors—as well as in the minimum and maximum average ages—between male and female migrants from Mexico and Central America who were recruited by smugglers operating in labor-recruitment networks (primarily men for labor purposes), sexual-trade networks (women for commercial sexual activities), or mixed networks (involving both types of activities). The data were analyzed by comparing proportions and means for independent groups (labor vs. sexual-trade networks) and paired data (mixed networks). The study concludes that women recruited for the sexual-trade by labor-brokerage smugglers are significantly younger than men transported by labor-brokerage smugglers hired by U.S. employers. Full article

Fire is an essential component of species, ecosystems, and atmospheric dynamics. However, human activity has caused changes in fire regimes over the past two decades. In many cases, the spatial patterns of vegetation change after fire at the landscape scale remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate spatial vegetation trends in burned areas across the Americas (2001–2024), using non-parametric tests and analyzing Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) remote sensing products. Over a period of 24 years, fire activity burned a total area of 429.7 million hectares in 44 countries or territories and 269 ecoregions in the Americas. Regarding fire recurrence, the data indicates that 244.7 Mha (56.9%) burned only once (≤1), while 185.0 Mha (43.1%) burned multiple times (≥2), with certain regions experiencing up to 39 fires. The NDVI trend analysis showed that burned areas with increasing trends (p < 0.05) represented a total of 149.6 Mha (34.8%), primarily in Brazil (54.6 Mha, 12.7%), Argentina (17.8 Mha, 4.2%), the United States (14.4 Mha, 3.4%). In terms of decreasing NDVI trends (p < 0.05), these represented a total of 91.8 Mha (21.37%), primarily in Brazil (29.1 Mha, 6.8%), Canada (23.4 Mha, 5.4%), and the United States (14.2 Mha, 3.3%). The ecoregions with the largest areas showing increasing NDVI trends (p < 0.05) were the Cerrado (33.8 Mha, 7.8%), the Llanos (13.3 Mha, 3.1%) and the Humid Chaco (7 Mha, 1.6%). In contrast, the ecoregions with the largest areas showing decreasing NDVI trends (p < 0.05) were the Dry Chaco (9.2 Mha, 2.1%), the Cerrado (8.6 Mha, 2.0%), and the Boreal Shield (8.3 Mha, 1.9%). In terms of land cover types, savannas (37.2%) exhibited the highest proportions of increasing NDVI trends (p < 0.05), while decreasing trends were also present in savannas (28.0%) and grasslands (22.1%). Identifying spatiotemporal trends in vegetation change after fires is a fundamental step in implementing strategies and public policies to ensure ecological restoration. Moreover, given the high costs of restoration efforts, governments must work together to prevent these ecosystems from burning repeatedly. Full article

Commercial determinants of health (CDoHs) describe how corporate practices influence population health. This scoping review aimed to characterize the extant evidence base regarding how CDoH in the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) industry affects health and health-related outcomes among Latinx populations in the United States of America (USA). The present study was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Overall, 1236 references were identified and imported for screening. After duplicate removal, screening, and full-text eligibility assessment, 33 studies met all inclusion criteria. SSB marketing and advertising was the most frequently examined CDoH (61%), including advertising exposure, messaging strategies, and warning label interventions. SSB taxation studies projected reductions in consumption and obesity prevalence. Outcomes associated with health focused primarily on perceptions of marketing and purchasing intentions (94%). Additional studies examined the impact on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors (e.g., purchasing and consumption of SSBs) (66%), while a few studies included chronic disease (27%) or healthcare outcomes (6%). Evidence highlights several gaps in CDoH research associated with SSBs, with 94% of the included studies focused on understanding marketing exposure, signaling a need to examine other domains of CDoH, SSB industry practices, and impacts on health disparities. Findings suggest that structural policy interventions such as taxation and stronger regulation of commercial practices are necessary to address higher exposure to marketing and consumption of SSBs among Latinx populations in the USA. Full article

The global market for fermented functional foods containing probiotics has expanded rapidly, driven by increasing consumer interest in health-oriented food products. However, despite their long history and recognized benefits, the international commercialization of these products is hindered by heterogeneous regulatory frameworks. This review examines the current global regulatory landscape governing probiotic fermented foods, with particular emphasis on key regions, including the United States, the European Union, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America. Differences in product classification, safety assessment, the permitted use of the term “probiotic”, and scientific substantiation requirements for health claims are discussed. Additionally, major regulatory barriers affecting international trade are analyzed, including non-tariff barriers, labeling restrictions, and variability in sanitary registration and approval processes. These challenges are further compounded by inconsistencies in evaluation methodologies and the lack of harmonized criteria for microbial characterization and functional validation. Together, these factors limit product standardization, increase development costs, and hinder innovation and market access, particularly for emerging probiotic strains. This review highlights the need for greater international harmonization and for integrating robust scientific evidence into regulatory frameworks to facilitate global trade while ensuring consumer safety and claimed product functionality. Full article

The southern pine beetle (SPB) is a serious pest of pine forests from Central America to the eastern United States, with a recent range expansion into the northeastern United States. Efforts to detect and monitor SPB activity began in 1960 as part of an overall integrated pest management system to limit its impact to southern pine forests. The ubiquity of SPB’s pine hosts in the southern United States, in the form of plantations and natural mixed stands, along with the regular occurrence of SPB outbreaks over a vast region, makes SPB a leading driver of overall forest health across this region. We review the past and current methodology for collecting SPB-related pine mortality and outbreak data using aerial and ground survey techniques and remote sensing via satellite imagery. We show how historical and ongoing measurements of SPB abundance, from pheromone-baited traps and aerial surveys, are used to forecast near-term probabilities of outbreaks with a statistical model (actualized through a public URL) that captures the natural tendency of SPB populations to be very high or very low. Insect forecasts can also be combined with maps of the host distributions to generate predictions of short-term regional risks and longer-term tree mortality forecasts via the US Forest Service’ National Insect and Disease Risk Map (NIDRM). Because the measurements of insect abundance and impact outcomes have become part of continuing forest management operations, statistical models can continue to be improved and there is self-reinforcing feedback between models and management. Improved understanding and monitoring of prominent insect pests that impact abundant tree species is a pathway to managing forest health more broadly. Full article

The study examines whether corporate green innovation enhances the information content of stock prices among U.S. publicly listed firms from 1997 to 2023. Using green patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, we find that firms engaging in green innovation exhibit significantly lower stock price synchronicity, indicating greater firm-specific information reflected in their prices. This finding is robust to alternative innovation measures, the lead dependent variable, the exclusion of the COVID-19 period, and the propensity score matching with Rosenbaum bounds sensitivity analysis. Exploiting the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act as an exogenous regulatory shock, we find that the informativeness effect is substantially expanded following the shock. Citation-based analyses confirm that higher-quality green patents generate a stronger impact after adjusting for truncation bias. We identify analyst coverage and institutional ownership as two economic mechanisms through which green innovation improves the corporate information environment. Our findings suggest that green innovation represents a valuable source of firm-specific information content with meaningful implications for capital market efficiency. Full article

Background/Objectives: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have transformed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity care, with clinical trials demonstrating weight loss exceeding 15%. However, real-world effectiveness lags trial efficacy, largely owing to high discontinuation rates. We characterize the global persistence gap and propose a framework integrating Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to improve adherence. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of real-world evidence from North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, synthesized with physiological, nutritional, and behavioral data to distinguish established contributors to discontinuation from strategies that remain partly extrapolated from related populations. Results: Global persistence varies widely: from approximately 75–80% at 12 months in reimbursed T2DM cohorts (Sweden, Denmark) to below 10% in obesity-focused or high out-of-pocket-cost settings (Poland, Colombia), with intermediate rates in the United States and United Kingdom; in several cohorts, persistence falls below 15% by 24 months. The primary drivers are gastrointestinal intolerance and economic barriers. Meal size, dietary composition, and gastric-emptying effects influence gastrointestinal tolerability; inadequate protein intake during rapid weight loss raises concern for lean mass loss. Conclusions: Pharmacotherapy alone is unlikely to sustain long-term obesity management. Narrowing the persistence gap will require an integrated care model in which structured nutritional support—targeting protein intake, micronutrient density, and gastric-sparing feeding—is systematically offered rather than treated as an optional adjunct, while recognizing that most supporting evidence is extrapolated from primary trials in obesity and cardiometabolic disease rather than derived from GLP-1–specific randomized trials. Full article