Search Results (698)

Background and Objectives: Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease and a leading cause of tooth loss worldwide. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as probing and radiographic assessment, are retrospective and fail to detect ongoing disease activity. In recent years, salivary biomarkers and oral microbiome profiling have emerged as promising tools for earlier detection and precision-based management. The aim of this review is to synthesize current evidence on salivary and microbiome-derived biomarkers in periodontitis and to evaluate their translational potential in diagnostics and therapy. Materials and Methods: A narrative review was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies published between 2020 and 2025. Search terms included periodontitis, salivary biomarkers, oral microbiome, dysbiosis, and precision therapy. Priority was given to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and translational studies that addressed diagnostic or therapeutic applications. Eligible publications included English-language original studies and reviews reporting on the diagnostic or therapeutic relevance of salivary or microbiome biomarkers in periodontitis. Results: Salivary biomarkers such as cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), oxidative stress markers, microRNAs, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) show consistent associations with disease activity and treatment outcomes. Oral microbiome studies reveal that both classical pathogens and community-level dysbiosis contribute to disease risk. Translational advances include chairside immunoassays, biosensors, lab-on-a-chip devices, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analyses. Biomarker-guided therapies—such as microbiome modulation, natural bioactive compounds, host-response modulation, and smart biomaterials—are being evaluated with increasing frequency in translational studies. Conclusions: By integrating salivary and microbiome biomarkers with novel diagnostic technologies and emerging therapies, this review complements existing systematic evidence and offers a translational roadmap toward precision periodontology. Full article

Food labels are common elements of everyday life. However, from the point of view of communication researchers (especially visual communication), they are incredibly interesting cultural artifacts, located at the intersection of communication, design, technology, and regulation. This article analyzes the evolution of the labels of Muszynianka, a leading mineral water brand in Poland, from the perspective of media archaeology. It treats labels as dual artifacts—media (information carriers, regulatory objects) and artistic (elements of applied art, design). This article emphasizes the importance of materiality, the non-linearity of history and the analysis of the technological–regulatory “archive.” It develops concepts of labels as complex, multimodal messages, especially in a historical context. The authors conducted a visual analysis of the evolution of Muszynianka’s labels, placing them within broader design trends. To explore recurring visual and narrative motifs, a topoi analysis method was used to identify three basic topoi: Topos of Nature/Mountain Origin, Topos of Health/Vitality/Purity, and Topos of Modernity/Technology. Full article

In an era of accelerating secularization, art serves as a vital mediator for non-institutional forms of spirituality. This article examines Robert Rauschenberg’s Inferno series (1958–1960) as a case study of how modern art reconfigures religious narratives to engage with humanity’s “ultimate concerns.” Through his solvent transfer technique, Rauschenberg dismantles Dante’s theological structure and reconfigures it into a fragmented, participatory experience of spirituality. The argument develops in two parts. First, it demonstrates how Rauschenberg secularizes sacred imagery to portray modern social realities as a “contemporary inferno” marked by systemic violence and commodified desire. Second, it theorizes that the materiality of solvent transfer—its blurring, erasure, and contingent traces—creates what may be called “material spirituality,” a sacred presence perceived through absence and indexical trace. Within this reconfigured structure, spectatorship itself takes on a ritualistic character. When confronted with fragmented and unstable imagery, viewers engage in active, contemplative practice, transforming the act of viewing into a secular ritual of attentiveness. Thus, Rauschenberg’s Inferno radically redefines the religious function of art—not as redemption, but as the cultivation of fragile yet enduring forms of spirituality within the estrangement of modern life. Full article

Sustainability reporting has emerged as a pivotal tool for corporate accountability, integrating environmental, social, and economic performance into transparent disclosures that align with global frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study evaluates the environmental sustainability performance of Turkey’s automotive manufacturing sector by analyzing the extent and depth of GRI-based disclosures and their alignment with SDG targets. A mixed-method approach, combining quantitative Key Performance Indicator (KPI) coverage analysis with qualitative content assessment, was applied to sustainability reports from 12 major manufacturers. By identifying the most frequently reported indicators, assessing their coverage of economic, environmental, and social dimensions, and evaluating their direct relevance to specific SDGs, this research fills a critical gap and provides actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability practitioners. The results indicate that while social indicators achieve the highest average disclosure rate (77.3%), environmental themes dominate narrative emphasis, reflecting sectoral materiality and regulatory pressures rather than proportional (KPI) coverage. Key gaps include underreporting of governance-related SDGs (e.g., SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 16), limited target-level mapping, and a lack of measurable, outcome-based indicators. The study proposes a structured methodology for linking GRI metrics to SDG targets, enabling more consistent benchmarking and highlighting opportunities for balanced integration across all sustainability pillars. The findings contribute to both academic discourse and industry practice by demonstrating the need to bridge the gap between quantitative breadth and qualitative depth in sustainability reporting, ensuring more robust alignment with the 2030 Agenda. Full article

Patient-specific technologies within the field of adult spinal deformity (ASD) aid surgeons in pre-surgical planning, accurately help identify anatomical landmarks, and can project optimal post-surgical sagittal alignment. This narrative review aims to discuss the current uses of patient-specific technologies in ASD and identify new innovations that may very soon be integrated into patient care. Pre-operatively, machine learning or artificial intelligence helps surgeons to simulate post-operative alignment and provide information for the 3D-printing of pre-contoured rods and patient-specific cages. Intraoperatively, robotic surgery and intraoperative guides allow for more accurate positioning of implants. Implant materials are being developed to allow for better osseointegration and patient outcome monitoring. Despite the significant promise of these technologies, work still needs to be performed to ensure their accuracy, safety, and cost efficacy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lay Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in reducing mental health disparities, particularly among underserved and vulnerable populations, by bridging gaps in care and promoting mental well-being. This narrative review aimed to identify and characterize training programs designed for CHWs, with a focus on those targeting cancer patients and individuals with chronic conditions. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across databases including PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scielo, Redalyc, and Google Scholar. From an initial pool of 10,372 references, 27 relevant articles were selected, encompassing research articles, training materials, curricula, and other resources. Results: The identified training methods included role-playing, instructional videos, and manuals designed to equip CHWs with skills in mental health intervention, prevention, management, education, and stigma reduction. Training programs also incorporated evidence-based interventions and psychological skill training. This review highlights a notable gap in research on CHW-led interventions in cancer palliative care and mental health. Conclusions: The findings support the development of a specialized mental health training program tailored for CHWs working with cancer survivors, to enhance their capacity to address mental health challenges, reduce stigma, and promote psychological well-being. Future efforts involve developing a training intervention for CHWs to support the needs of cancer survivors. Full article

The objective of this article is to provide a critical analysis of maritime heterotopia as a category for reinterpreting ships, shipwrecks and maritime landscapes between the 16th and 18th centuries. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining history, underwater archaeology, heritage theory and literary analysis, it explores the ways in which maritime spaces, especially ships and shipwrecks, functioned as ‘other spaces’–following Foucault’s concept of heterotopia–in the articulation of imperial projects, power relations, experiences of transit and narratives of memory. A particular focus has been placed on the examination of shipwreck accounts, which are regarded as microhistories of human behaviour in contexts of crisis. These accounts have been shown to offer insights into alternative social structures, dynamics of authority, and manifestations of violence or solidarity. A review of the legal framework and practices related to shipwrecks in the Spanish Carrera de Indias is also undertaken, with particular emphasis on their impact on maritime legislation and international law. This article proposes a reading of maritime heritage as a symbolic and political device in constant dispute, where material remains and associated narratives shape collective memories, geopolitical tensions and new forms of cultural appropriation. Shipwrecks thus become sites of rupture and origin, charged with utopian, dystopian and heterotopic potential. Full article

Preservation of Cultural Heritage (CH) demands precise and comprehensive information representation to document, analyse, and manage assets effectively. While Building Information Modelling (BIM) facilitates as-is state documentation, challenges in semantic interoperability of complex cultural data often limit its potential in heritage contexts. This study investigates the integration of BIM tools with the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) platform to enhance semantic interoperability for heritage assets. Using a proof-of-concept approach, the research focuses on a historic tenement house in Tarnów, Poland, modelled with the IFC schema standard and enriched with the MIDAS heritage classification system. The methodology includes transforming the classification system into bSDD data dictionary, publishing thesauri for components, materials, and monument types, and semantic enrichment of the model using Bonsai (formerly BlenderBIM) plugin for Blender. Results demonstrate improved consistency, accuracy, and usability of BIM data for heritage preservation. The integration ensures detailed documentation and facilitates interoperability across platforms, addressing preservation challenges with enriched narratives of cultural significance. This method supports future predictive models for heritage asset conservation, emphasizing the importance of data quality and interoperability in safeguarding shared cultural heritage for future generations. Full article

Background: Total hip and knee arthroplasty are common procedures for end-stage osteoarthritis, with rehabilitation playing a central role in functional recovery. Conventional face-to-face programs are often limited by accessibility, costs, and logistical barriers. Digital telerehabilitation has been increasingly investigated as an alternative. This review aims to summarize current evidence on its effectiveness, patient-reported outcomes, satisfaction, and economic impact. Materials and Methods: A narrative review was conducted using Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus up to April 2025. Randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies evaluating telerehabilitation after total hip or knee arthroplasty were included. Data were extracted on functional performance, pain, autonomy, quality of life, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. Results: Across multiple RCTs, telerehabilitation produced functional outcomes generally comparable to conventional rehabilitation, with some studies reporting superior short-term improvements. For example, in a retrospective trial, Timed Up and Go improved by −8.0 ± 2.6 s in the digital group versus −4.9 ± 2.5 s with standard care (p < 0.01). Tablet-assisted programs reduced Five Times Sit-to-Stand times to 11.7 s at 6 months compared with 14.7 s in controls (p = 0.05). In hip arthroplasty, digital rehabilitation resulted in higher active flexion (97.4° vs. 89.9°, p = 0.018) and abduction (51.7° vs. 43.8°, p = 0.024). Quality-of-life measures, such as EQ-5D VAS, also showed improvements (82.9 ± 4.3 vs. 68.7 ± 4.6 at 6 months). Some studies reported higher patient satisfaction, for instance, a VR-based RCT found GPE at day 15 of 4.76 ± 0.43 in the intervention group versus 3.96 ± 0.65 in controls (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Telerehabilitation after hip and knee arthroplasty appears to produce short-term functional and patient-reported outcomes comparable to conventional rehabilitation in selected populations. Evidence of superiority is limited and heterogeneous, and long-term effectiveness, equity, and cost-effectiveness remain uncertain. Heterogeneity in protocols and digital literacy barriers highlight the need for standardized guidelines and further independent validation. Full article

Healthcare waste (HCW) represents a growing yet frequently underestimated threat to public health, due to its complex toxicological profile. Exposure to HCW has been associated with a broad spectrum of adverse effects, including infections of bacterial, viral, or fungal origin, as well as systemic consequences such as endocrine disruption, metabolic disturbances, and mutagenic, carcinogenic, or teratogenic outcomes. These risks are particularly elevated among healthcare professionals and waste management personnel, who are directly exposed to hazardous materials. This narrative review aims to consolidate current knowledge on the toxic potential of HCW, emphasizing the variability of risks according to waste category and point of origin. A critical reevaluation of the toxicity–health risk–waste management triad is needed to strengthen preventive and protective strategies in both clinical and waste-handling settings, and the review is therefore structured around targeted questions along this axis. Priority should be given to waste prevention, minimization, and segregation at source, as downstream treatment processes may introduce additional hazards. Each category of hazardous HCW exhibits specific mechanisms of toxicity, underlining the importance of targeted and informed management approaches. Future directions should include enhanced training for waste handlers, the development of unified regulatory frameworks, and improved international data collection and reporting systems. Strengthening these components is essential for reducing occupational and environmental health risks and ensuring safer conditions across healthcare systems. Full article

The 4th and 5th centuries marked a pivotal phase in the development of the Goguryeo regime. Its tomb murals epitomize the visual strategies of state-building, serving to establish a “sacred theater” of power. Taking Tomb No. 4 of the Wukui complex as a case in point, the murals reveal localized adaptations of the Fuxi–Nüwa imagery, blending the Central Plains’ sun-deity worship with Goguryeo’s ancestral mythology through the symbol of the sun-centered Three-Legged Crow, thereby legitimizing the sacred lineage of royal authority. The function of the Four Symbols (Sishen) imagery evolved from mere directional markers into guardians of sovereignty, reflecting deeper cultural transformations. The diachronic evolution of mural themes traces the trajectory of political change: in the 4th century, murals centered on wrestling and banqueting scenes, reinforcing ethnic identity and consolidating tribal alliances through ritualized displays of strength and hierarchical banquet etiquette. By the 5th century, the themes shifted to hunting, processions, and Buddhist rituals, where military metaphors and ceremonial norms underscored the rise of a centralized bureaucratic system and the imperatives of territorial expansion. Through three interlocking mechanisms—symbolic reconfiguration, spatial narrative, and sensory manipulation—Goguryeo tomb murals constructed a closed value system linking worldly authority to posthumous order, serving as material testimony to the enduring “covenant between humans and deities.” Full article

This article examines the entangled relationship between hagiographic memory, liturgical space, and sacred landscape in the rock-cut monastic settlements of Cappadocia. Drawing on archeological, iconographic, and acoustic analyses, this article argues that the morphology of these sanctuaries—shaped by volcanic tuff and carved over centuries—was not only functional but performed a theological and mnemonic function. The spatial arrangement of apses, naves, and funerary chambers encoded rituals and commemorative acts, while painted iconographies mediated doctrinal meaning and cosmic orientation. Furthermore, this study situates Cappadocia within broader traditions of monastic hagiography, tracing how carved architecture preserved saintly narratives, communal memory, and devotional performance. By engaging with recent debates in heritage theory, the article also contends that these monastic landscapes continue to act as living archives, sustaining religious and cultural identities beyond their historical moment. The study thus contributes to emerging interdisciplinary discussions on sacred space, material devotion, and the performativity of memory in medieval Christian monasticism. Full article

McMahon Hall, an iconic Brutalist dormitory at the University of Washington, has become the site of an interdisciplinary experiment in cultural memory and machine-assisted storytelling. This article presents a method that combines remote sensing with AI-generated voices to produce a polyvocal narrative of architecture through the perspective of the building itself, its material (concrete), an architect, a journalist, and a bird. Drone photogrammetry and generated 3D models were combined with generative AI (text, image, and voice) to reconstruct the site digitally and imaginatively (AI-driven speculative narratives). Through speculative storytelling, the article and the project explore how cultural memory and perception of built heritage can be augmented by machines, offering plural perspectives that challenge singular historical narratives. The Introduction situates the work at the intersection of digital heritage documentation, AI storytelling, epistemology in machine learning, and spatial computing, emphasizing the perception of heritage through different actors. The Theoretical Framework draws on literature in photogrammetry for heritage preservation, polyvocal narrative, and knowledge frameworks of AI. The Materials and Methods detail the workflow: capturing McMahon Hall via UAV photogrammetry, producing a 3D model, and generating character-driven narratives with large language models and voice synthesis. The resulting multi-voiced narrative and its thematic insights are described. In the Discussion, the implications of this approach for architectural heritage interpretation are considered, including its capacity to amplify diverse voices and the risks of bias or hyperreality in AI-generated narratives. The study argues that this polyvocal, machine-augmented storytelling expands the toolkit of remote sensing and digital heritage by not only documenting the tangible form of the built environment but also speculating on its intangible cultural memory. The Conclusions reflect on how merging spatial computing techniques with AI narratives can support new modes of engagement with architecture, positioning this work as a building block toward richer human-machine co-created heritage experiences. Full article

Background and Objectives: Partial nephrectomy is the standard treatment for small renal tumors, balancing cancer control with renal function preservation. Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) has improved surgical precision and reduced morbidity. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) improves intraoperative visualization of renal vasculature and tissue perfusion, potentially enabling selective arterial clamping to reduce ischemic injury. This study updates contemporary evidence on NIRF/ICG-guided RAPN, focusing on intraoperative, perioperative, and renal function outcomes. Materials and Methods: We systematically queried PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to June 2025 for controlled prospective and retrospective studies comparing NIRF/ICG-guided RAPN (selective clamping or zero-ischemia) versus conventional RAPN with main artery clamping in adults with renal masses. Data were synthesized narratively, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed on warm ischemia time (WIT), operative time, estimated blood loss, transfusion rate, length of hospital stay, complication rate, positive surgical margins, and variation in renal function. Results: Eleven studies (10 full-text and one abstract), including two randomized controlled trials, encompassing a patient population of 893 patients (403 NIRF/ICG-guided RAPN and 490 conventional RAPN), were included. Ischemia strategies varied between no clamping, selective or super-selective clamping for NIRF/ICG, and main artery clamping for controls. ICG doses ranging from 3 to 7.5 mg or 0.5–7 mL. Most evidence was classified as level 2b or 3b, indicating a moderate to serious risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed that compared to conventional RAPN, NIRF/ICG-guided RAPN was associated with a shorter WIT (MD: −1.30 min, 95% CI: −2.51 to −0.09; p = 0.039), with no differences in other outcomes. Renal function favored NIRF/ICG at discharge and short-term follow-up, although the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: NIRF/ICG reduces WIT during RAPN without increasing perioperative risks. The technique shows promise for better preserving functional outcomes. However, further well-designed, large-scale trials with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these benefits and define clinical indications. Full article

This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the coupled effect of temperature and solar radiation on photovoltaic (PV) module performance and lifespan. Although numerous investigations have examined these stressors in themselves, this research addresses their interrelationship and evaluates the way climatic conditions affect short-term performance fluctuation and long-term degradation mechanisms. The assessment consolidates outcomes from model strategies, laboratory tests, and field monitoring studies. Through the presentation of these findings in a narrative form, the paper identifies recurring difficulties in terms of the absence of shared assessment metrics and the low level of standardisation of long-term test regimes. Second, it underlines the importance of predictive modelling and live monitoring as important management tools for coupled stressors. Finally, the review points out research gaps and underscores future research avenues, including ongoing work towards the development of a coupling index, a composite measure being piloted in individual studies, and advancements in materials technology, predictive methodology, and durability testing. Full article