Search Results (12,932)

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by compulsive alcohol seeking, loss of control over drinking, and negative emotional states when not using. It has significant psychological, physiological, and social consequences, often co-occurring with mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Psychological resilience is gaining more recognition. Sense of coherence (SOC) could be treated as a health factor, and individual predispositions play a crucial role in fighting disease and addiction. Our study examines whether SOC and its components—comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness—predict life satisfaction in patients with AUD and whether perceived stress and health behaviors mediate these relationships. Methods: The study was conducted on a sample of 100 adult patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. Results: We found that the higher the manageability and meaningfulness, the lower the level of perceived stress and the higher the level of preventive behavior. Notably, perceived stress emerged as a significant mediator between SOC and satisfaction with life, while health behaviors did not show a mediating effect. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the protective role of SOC in enhancing psychological well-being among individuals with AUD and suggest that interventions aimed at strengthening SOC may reduce stress and improve overall life satisfaction in this population. Full article

Optimizing healthcare resources in neurodegenerative diseases requires balancing diagnostic performance with cost constraints. We introduce AHN-BudgetNet—a tiered, cost-aware assessment framework for Parkinson’s disease motor severity prediction—evaluated on 1387 simulated PPMI subjects via patient-level GroupKFold validation. Our analysis tested seven tier combinations encompassing demographic, self-reported, and clinical features. The baseline (T0) yields AUC = 0.65 (95% CI [0.629, 0.681]) at no cost. Self-assessments (T1) alone achieved an AUC = 0.69 (95% CI [0.643, 0.733]) at USD 75, with an efficiency of 1.07. The combined T0 + T1 set reached AUC = 0.75 (95% CI [0.729, 0.772]) at USD 75, with efficiency 1.43. T2 alone obtained AUC = 0.53 (95% CI [0.517, 0.542]) at USD 300 and efficiency 0.07. The full T0+T1+T2 set achieved the highest performance—AUC = 0.76 (95% CI [0.735, 0.774])—at USD 375, with efficiency 0.54, reflecting diminishing returns beyond T1. High-cost tiers (T3/T4) could not be empirically validated due to over 88% missing data, emphasizing the value of accessible assessments. Gaussian Mixture on Tier 0 features yielded a silhouette score of 0.54, compared to 0.53 for K-means, confirming that patient-reported outcomes can support clinical stratification. Our results underpin evidence-based resource allocation: budgets USD ≤75 prioritize T1, while budgets USD ≤375 justify a comprehensive assessment. This confirms that structured tier prioritization supports robust, resource-efficient diagnosis in resource-limited clinical environments. Full article

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) continue to pose a persistent global health challenge, disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries where surveillance and healthcare infrastructure are constrained. Within these countries, residents of remote island communities are particularly vulnerable to emerging VBD threats; however, they remain critically understudied. We conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey of 300 residents from Shahpori Island, Bangladesh, and Gaya Island, Malaysia, to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to VBDs. Using a structured questionnaire and mixed-effects Poisson regression modeling, we identified socio-demographic predictors of VBD-related knowledge and compared KAP outcomes across the two islands. Significant disparities were observed between the two settings: the Gaya Island residents demonstrated a higher level of awareness regarding VBDs and preventive practices compared to the Shahpori residents. Education was a strong predictor of VBD knowledge, with individuals possessing secondary education or above exhibiting significantly better knowledge (β = 0.2024, p = 0.0003). Marital status was also a significant factor, with unmarried respondents showing lower levels of knowledge (β = –0.1657, p = 0.0372). Age was positively correlated with VBD knowledge (β = 0.0051, p = 0.0119), indicating a gradual increase with age, while income, gender, occupation, and household size were not significantly associated. Despite basic awareness of VBD symptoms and transmission, detailed understanding of mosquito ecology, disease symptoms, and breeding prevention strategies was remarkably poor, especially among the Shahpori residents. Our findings highlight critical gaps in VBD-related knowledge and prevention behaviors shaped by socio-economic and educational disparities. Community-focused public health strategies including educational campaigns, establishment of health infrastructure, access to trained healthcare providers, and integrated vector control interventions are urgently needed to enhance resilience against emerging VBD threats such as drug-resistant malaria in remote island populations. Full article

The convergence of genomic selection and artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining precision breeding in dairy cattle, enabling earlier, more accurate, and multi-trait selection for health, fertility, climate resilience, and economic efficiency. This review critically examines how advanced genomic tools—such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genomic breeding values (GEBVs), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) models to accelerate genetic gain for complex, low heritability traits. Key applications include improved resistance to mastitis and metabolic diseases, enhanced thermotolerance, reduced enteric methane emissions, and increased milk yield. We discuss emerging computational frameworks that combine sensor-derived phenotypes, omics datasets, and environmental data to support data-driven selection decisions. Furthermore, we address implementation challenges related to data integration, model interpretability, ethical considerations, and access in low-resource settings. By synthesizing interdisciplinary advances, this review provides a roadmap for developing AI-augmented genomic selection pipelines that support sustainable, climate-smart, and economically viable dairy systems. Full article

Remote work, as a technologically possible and widely applicable working mode, gained renewed attention during lockdowns amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. On one hand, remote work ensured that working remained sustainable; on the other hand, the unexpected and widespread nature of the immediate shift to remote work led to issues in terms of practicing and adapting to the process. Moreover, remote work can have strong social, economic, and environmental effects that have to be comprehensively understood. The high interest of employees in continuing with full or hybrid remote work calls for effective coping strategies at the individual and organizational levels in the future. This article focuses on academic studies documenting the peculiarities of remote work during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The aim is to identify the issues relating to remote work during the COVID-19 lockdowns that are documented in academic studies and thematically classify them into a range of factors. In this study, bibliometric and content analyses were employed, leading to comprehensive insights into the following areas: (1) remote work as a cause for changes in physical and psychological health; (2) remote work as a cause for changes in daily behavior, routine, and lifestyle; (3) factors that affect the process and productivity of remote work; (4) societal, economic, and environmental consequences of remote work; and (5) the distribution of the effects of remote work on individuals, economic subjects, and sectors. In conclusion, this study on working practices during the COVID-19 lockdowns that were documented in academic studies offers several benefits and areas of novelty: first, a comprehensive overview of the widespread process of adjusting to this new working mode; second, a classification of factors that affected the process at different stages and in different areas; and third, common factors that had more widespread effects during the remote working period. The findings also offer the following theoretical and practical implications: For researchers, this article can be a reference offering a holistic view of remote working during these lockdowns. For practitioners, it can provide an understanding of the impacting factors and their contextualization in terms of health, sociodemographic, and sectoral aspects can allow for more accurate human resource management strategies. Full article

Managing transition cows and preventing diseases related to this period is challenging due to the latter’s multifactorial nature. The aim of this applied observational case study is to illustrate and discuss the different aspects involved and provide an approach to analysis and the resulting management solutions using a real-life case within a 500-cow herd. The initial assessment, involving the collection of data on the level of production, animal health and behaviour, and metabolic indicators, as well as management and housing key indicators, revealed key risk factors, including overcrowding, suboptimal feeding strategies, inadequate water supply, and insufficient disease monitoring. These factors contributed to increased cases of metabolic disorders such as hypocalcemia (annual incidence 7.8%), excessive lipomobilisation, and displaced abomasum (annual incidence 5.2%). A holistic approach combining feeding adjustments, disease monitoring, facility improvements, and long-term management strategies was implemented to address these challenges. Short-term interventions, such as optimizing the dietary cation–anion balance and enhancing disease detection protocols, led to noticeable improvements. However, structural constraints and external factors, such as extreme weather conditions (heat stress) and economic limitations, created significant hurdles in achieving immediate and sustained success. The farm ultimately opted for infrastructural improvements, including a new transition cow facility, to provide a long-term solution to these recurring issues. This case highlights the complexity of transition cow management, demonstrating that long-term success depends on continuous monitoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adaptability in response to evolving challenges in dairy production. Full article

A necessary evaluation of freshwater ecosystem pollution levels and radiation risks remains crucial for maintaining environmental health, especially within economically developing areas. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the mineralogical, geochemical, and radiological characteristics of sediments in Nasser Lake, Egypt, to determine potential ecological and health risks. Forty sediment samples were collected from multiple locations, including both surface and bottom sediments, for analysis of textural attributes, mineral composition, potentially toxic elements, and natural radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K). Results revealed sand-dominated sediments with low organic matter content. The heavy mineral assemblages derived from Nile River inputs, wind-deposited materials, and eroded igneous and metamorphic rocks. Geochemical analysis showed that arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead concentrations exceeded upper continental crust background values, with enrichment factors and geo-accumulation indices indicating significant anthropogenic contributions. The pollution indices revealed heavy contamination levels and extreme ecological risks, which were primarily driven by arsenic and cadmium concentrations. Radiological assessments detected activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K below the world average, with hazard indices indicating minimal radiological risk except where localized hotspots were present. The study emphasizes the need for targeted monitoring and sustainable management practices to mitigate pollution and preserve the crucial freshwater environment of Nasser Lake. Full article

Fruits and vegetables are essential for a healthy diet, providing vital nutrients and contributing to global food security. Fungal pathogens that interact with fruits and vegetables reduce their quality and shelf life and lead to economic losses and risks to human health through the production of mycotoxins. Chemical fungicides, used to control postharvest pathogens, are posing serious environmental and health risks, driving interest in safer alternative strategies. Biocontrol methods using antagonistic microbes, such as yeasts, are eco-friendly, sustainable, and the most promising, but they often have limited efficacy and specificity in diverse produce. There is growing interest in the innovative enhancement of biocontrol strategies. The present review shows that inducing, enhancing, co-application, encapsulation, and post-application treatments are common enhancement techniques, while environmental, host, and pathogen characteristics, antagonistic microbial traits, and chemical inputs are the major gearing factors for the best application methods. These methods do not involve genetic modification, which is adequate to reduce the proliferation of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) while optimizing antagonistic microbial performance by promoting growth, inducing host resistance, enhancing antifungal properties, improving adhesion, and boosting stress tolerance. Most enhancers fall under groups of nutritional additives, protective carriers, growth stimulants, and encapsulants. Integrating these enhancers and best methods promises reduced postharvest losses, supports sustainable agriculture, and addresses economic losses and food security challenges. This study highlights the role of organic and natural elicitors, their application methods, their mechanisms in improving BCAs (Biological Control Agents), and their overall efficiency. This review concisely compiles recent strategies, calling for further research to revolutionize fungal pathogen management, reduce food waste, and promote responsible farming practices. Full article

The rapid economic growth in major coal-consuming countries has often come at the cost of environmental quality and social well-being. This study is urgently needed to provide empirical evidence on how such growth impacts sustainable development, helping policymakers balance economic progress with environmental protection and social welfare in an era of increasing climate concerns. Despite growing attention on sustainability, few studies have examined how key economic-environmental transformation drivers, such as coal consumption, financial development, globalization, urbanization, and economic growth, affect social sustainability. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the impact of these drivers on social sustainability in the world’s leading coal-consuming countries, as classified by Global Firepower. Using data from ten major coal-consuming nations between 1991 and 2022, sourced from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), KOF Swiss Economic Institute, the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDIs), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the study applies advanced estimation techniques, including the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), to address cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity. The results indicate that coal consumption has a negative and significant effect on social sustainability. In contrast, financial development, globalization, urbanization, and economic growth all show positive and significant effects. These findings highlight the urgent need for deliberate policy reforms to support a socially inclusive energy transition. Policymakers in major coal-consuming countries should invest in clean energy, fund worker retraining and community health, promote green innovation, and encourage private sector and stakeholder collaboration for a just, sustainable transition. Such measures are vital for coal-dependent countries to balance economic progress with social well-being. This study is the first to quantify social sustainability using the HDI, addressing a gap in the literature concerning the relationship between coal consumption and social development, thereby providing a quantitative basis for formulating policies that balance equity and decarbonization. Full article

Epidemics caused by respiratory infections have become a global and systemic threat since humankind has become highly connected via modern transportation systems. Any new pathogen with human-to-human transmission capabilities has the potential to cause public health disasters and severe disruptions of social and economic activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned that proper mask-wearing in closed, restricted areas was one of the measures that worked to mitigate the spread of respiratory infections while allowing for continuing economic activity. Previous research approached this issue by designing hardware–software systems that determine whether individuals in the surveilled restricted area are using a mask; however, most such solutions are centralized, thus requiring massive computational resources, which makes them hard to scale up. To address such issues, this paper proposes a novel decentralized, federated learning (FL) solution to mask-wearing detection that instantiates our lightweight version of the MobileNetV2 model. The FL solution also ensures individual privacy, given that images remain at the local, device level. Importantly, we obtained a mask-wearing training accuracy of 98% (i.e., similar to centralized machine learning solutions) after only eight rounds of communication with 25 clients. We rigorously proved the reliability and robustness of our approach after repeated K-fold cross-validation. Full article

The pandemic spared most children and adolescents in Ghana from severe clinical disease, but it exposed long-standing gaps in services and protection methods. Methods: We conducted a desk-based narrative review of peer-reviewed studies, national and international reports, and grey literature from January 2020 to May 2025. The evidence was organised across eight domains of child and adolescent well-being. Across mental health, gambling and other risky behaviours, access to health services, economic hardship and child labour, nutrition, education, early childhood development, and WASH, the pandemic disrupted essential services and social safety nets. Examples include declines in routine care and immunisation, wider digital exclusion during remote learning, a rise in child labour linked to income loss, and persistent hygiene constraints. Preparedness in Ghana should focus on mental health, digital inclusion, early childhood services, and strong social protection. Ghana’s specific empirical data are uneven, so we triangulate peer-reviewed evidence with official reports, appraised the grey literature, and calibrated claims to the strength of sources. Full article

This study investigates the factors influencing green purchase behavior in emerging economies, focusing on Indonesian consumers’ preferences for organic food products. While sustainability awareness is growing globally, limited research has examined how environmental knowledge and trust interact with marketing efforts to shape green purchasing decisions in developing market contexts like Indonesia. The research model incorporates five constructs: environmental knowledge (awareness of ecological issues), green trust (confidence in environmental claims), green marketing mix (eco-oriented strategies for product, price, place, and promotion), green purchase intention (likelihood of buying eco-friendly products), and green purchase behavior (actual sustainable buying decisions). Data from 211 valid respondents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that environmental knowledge directly influences green trust and the green marketing mix but not green purchase intention or behavior. Instead, it affects behavior indirectly through trust and intention. Contrary to expectations, green trust does not influence the green marketing mix, suggesting it may operate independently of marketing strategies. Similarly, the green marketing mix does not significantly influence green purchase intention or behavior, suggesting that marketing strategies alone may be insufficient in driving sustainable consumer choices. These findings highlight the important role of environmental knowledge in fostering consumer trust and indirectly guiding green purchasing behavior in emerging markets. By promoting sustainable consumption through knowledge and trust, this study offers insights into consumer behavior as a pathway to advancing planetary health. This study advances the Theory of Planned Behavior by integrating green trust and the green marketing mix to explain how trust and economic factors shape green purchasing behavior. Practical implications suggest that businesses should adopt targeted green marketing strategies, such as educational campaigns, eco-labeling, or certifications, to enhance environmental awareness, build consumer trust, and encourage sustainable purchasing decisions. This study contributes to the literature by examining how environmental knowledge indirectly influences green purchase behavior through the mediation of trust and intention within the context of an emerging market. Full article

Dairy cattle are constantly exposed to a wide range of pathogens, which can produce substantial economic losses. The maintenance of homeostasis is not only dependent on the intrinsic characteristics of the animals but also on environmental factors such as the productive system, heat stress, and exposure to vectors and contaminated pastures. In this context, the bovine immune system plays a critical role in maintaining health and productivity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of both innate and adaptive responses in cattle, remarking on key components and summarizing the normal immune response against some of the most frequent pathogens in bovines, as well as how these pathogens have developed strategies to evade or modulate the host’s immune system. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms is essential for improving therapeutic strategies and disease prevention in livestock production. Full article

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a significant metabolic disorder in modern poultry production, particularly affecting high-yielding laying hens. This condition compromises bird welfare, productivity, and economic sustainability within commercial farming systems. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms through which hepatic lipid accumulation, metabolic dysfunctions, hormonal imbalances, genetic susceptibilities, and environmental stress contribute to the development of NAFLD. The multifactorial nature of NAFLD is explored through a critical assessment of the literature, highlighting the influence of diet composition, management practices, and physiological demands associated with intensive egg production. Emphasis is placed on recent advancements in nutritional modulation, selective breeding, and housing improvements aimed at prevention and mitigation of NAFLD. Furthermore, the review identifies key research gaps, including limited understanding of epigenetic influences and the long-term efficacy of intervention strategies. An integrative framework is advocated, synergizing genetics, nutrition, and environmental optimization to effectively address the complexity of NAFLD in poultry and supports the development of resilient production systems. The insights presented aims to inform both future research and practical applications for enhancing poultry health and performance. Full article

Emerging research has shown that pharmacist-led comprehensive medication management (CMM) can be an effective strategy for controlling hypertension. A synthesis of the evidence on the overall effects of CMM on clinical, quality, and economic outcomes could help inform and contribute to improvements in programming and practice. Presently, such a synthesis is limited in the literature. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review of CMM effects on these outcomes, organized by 4 domains: therapeutic, humanistic, safety and economic. Using predefined search terms for articles on studies published between 2010 and 2024, we performed a literature search utilizing these terms to search the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases. For each of the identified studies, we applied a multi-stage screening process to extract data, chart results, and synthesize findings. The process took into account methodology of study design, patient population involved, CMM implementation, relevance of outcomes to clinical improvement, and factors that were deemed relevant to study selection. In total, 49 experimental, observational, and simulation-based studies were included in the scoping review. The synthesis focused on outcomes most frequently reported and those rigorously evaluated by the studies in the review. They included clinical measures of blood pressure reduction and control, frequency and duration of healthcare visits, and changes in medication therapy regimen and medication adherence. Overall, CMM interventions were found to have significantly favorable effects on systolic blood pressure reduction, hypertension control, and medication changes. Other outcomes, which showed positive effects, included self-reported patient experience and behaviors, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, mortality, and program costs and related savings from implementing a CMM program. Some results, however, were mixed. For example, a number of studies reported outcomes data without significance testing and many generally lacked consistent characterization of their programming and implementation processes. Future research and practice evaluations should include these elements in their documentation. Furthermore, a more consistent approach to implementing CMM in the field may lead to better support of program delivery fidelity, helping to optimize CMM, moving it from demonstrated efficacy to intervention effectiveness in the real world. Full article