The research landscape concerning environmental factors in neurodevelopmental disorders: Endocrine disrupters and pesticides-A review.

In recent years, environmental epidemiology and toxicology have seen a growing interest in the environmental factors that contribute to the increased prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders, with the purpose of establishing appropriate prevention strategies. A literature review was performed, and 192 articles covering the topic of endocrine disruptors and neurodevelopmental disorders were found, focusing on polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, bisphenol A, and pesticides. This study contributes to analyzing their effect on the molecular mechanism in maternal and infant thyroid function, essential for infant neurodevelopment, and whose alteration has been associated with various neurodevelopmental disorders. The results provide scientific evidence of the association that exists between the environmental neurotoxins and various neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, other possible molecular mechanisms by which pesticides and endocrine disruptors may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders are being discussed.

Artificial Intelligence and Its Application in Endodontics: A Review.

AIM AND BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) since it was introduced into dentistry, has become an important and valuable tool in many fields. It was applied in different specialties with different uses, for example, in diagnosis of oral cancer, periodontal disease and dental caries, and in the treatment planning and predicting the outcome of orthognathic surgeries. The aim of this comprehensive review is to report on the application and performance of AI models designed for application in the field of endodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched to collect the most relevant articles using terms, such as AI, endodontics, and dentistry. This review included 56 papers related to AI and its application in endodontics. RESULT: The applications of AI were in detecting and diagnosing periapical lesions, assessing root fractures, working length determination, prediction for postoperative pain, studying root canal anatomy and decision-making in endodontics for retreatment. The accuracy of AI in performing these tasks can reach up to 90%. CONCLUSION: Artificial intelligence has valuable applications in the field of modern endodontics with promising results. Larger and multicenter data sets can give external validity to the AI models. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In the field of dentistry, AI models are specifically crafted to contribute to the diagnosis of oral diseases, ranging from common issues such as dental caries to more complex conditions like periodontal diseases and oral cancer. AI models can help in diagnosis, treatment planning, and in patient management in endodontics. Along with the modern tools like cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), AI can be a valuable aid to the clinician. How to cite this article: Ahmed ZH, Almuharib AM, Abdulkarim AA, et al. Artificial Intelligence and Its Application in Endodontics: A Review. J Contemp Dent Pract 2023;24(11):912-917.

Living donor financial assistance programs in liver transplantation: The global perspective.

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has increased availability of liver transplantation, particularly in countries with limited access to deceased organ donors. It is unclear how individual countries address the financial impact of donation for potential living donors. Herein, living liver donor financial supports were examined, focusing on countries performing ≥10 LDLT per year in the World Health Organization Transplant Observatory. Categories included health insurance coverage, reimbursement of lost wages, employment protection, and other incentives designed to promote living liver donation. Overall, 26 countries have some form of asssistance in removing disincentives to ease the financial burden of living donation, ranging from childcare, accommodations, meals, and travel reimbursement, to coverage of medical complications post-donation. Most countries provide donation-related medical coverage. Fourteen provide reimbursement of lost wages and/or paid time off. Several unique programs were designed to incentivize living donation, including free entry to museums and observatories, parking and airline discounts, and exemptions on mortgages and medical deductibles. This study highlights the broad range of programs designed to support living liver donation in high-volume LDLT countries. The data collected in this study can provide a framework for other nations to propose and implement ethical reimbursement and incentivization for living liver donors.

Sensing Systems for Respiration Monitoring: A Technical Systematic Review.

Respiratory monitoring is essential in sleep studies, sport training, patient monitoring, or health at work, among other applications. This paper presents a comprehensive systematic review of respiration sensing systems. After several systematic searches in scientific repositories, the 198 most relevant papers in this field were analyzed in detail. Different items were examined: sensing technique and sensor, respiration parameter, sensor location and size, general system setup, communication protocol, processing station, energy autonomy and power consumption, sensor validation, processing algorithm, performance evaluation, and analysis software. As a result, several trends and the remaining research challenges of respiration sensors were identified. Long-term evaluations and usability tests should be performed. Researchers designed custom experiments to validate the sensing systems, making it difficult to compare results. Therefore, another challenge is to have a common validation framework to fairly compare sensor performance. The implementation of energy-saving strategies, the incorporation of energy harvesting techniques, the calculation of volume parameters of breathing, or the effective integration of respiration sensors into clothing are other remaining research efforts. Addressing these and other challenges outlined in the paper is a required step to obtain a feasible, robust, affordable, and unobtrusive respiration sensing system.

N-acetylcysteine and coronavirus disease 2019: May it work as a beneficial preventive and adjuvant therapy? A comprehensive review study.

BACKGROUND: Coronaviruses are major pathogens of respiratory system causing different disorders, including the common cold, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Today's global pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has high mortality rate, with an approximate of 20% in some studies, and is 30-60 times more fatal than the common annual influenza, However, there is still no gold standard treatment for it. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a well-known multi-potential drug with hypothetically probable acceptable effect on COVID-related consequences, which we completely focused in this comprehensive review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar have been searched. Study eligibility criteria: efficacy of NAC in various subclasses of pathogenic events which may occur during COVID-19 infection. Efficacy of NAC for managing inflammatory or any symptoms similar to symptoms of COVID-19 was reviewed and symptom improvements were assessed. RESULTS: Randomized clinical trials introduced NAC as an antioxidant glutathione analog and detoxifying agent promoted for different medical conditions and pulmonary disorders to alleviate influenza and reduce mortality by 50% in influenza-infected animals. The beneficial effects of NAC on viral disorders, including Epstein-Barr virus, HIV and hepatitis, and well-known vital organ damages were also exist and reported. CONCLUSION: We classified the probable effects of NAC as oxidative-regulatory and apoptotic-regulatory roles, antiviral activities, anti-inflammatory roles, preventive and therapeutic roles in lung disorders and better oxygenation functions, supportive roles in intensive care unit admitted patients and in sepsis, positive role in other comorbidities and nonpulmonary end-organ damages or failures and even in primary COVID-associated cutaneous manifestations. Based on different beneficial effects of NAC, it could be administered as a potential adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 considering patient status, contraindications, and possible drug-related adverse events.

Benefits of multiple micronutrient supplementation in heart failure: A comprehensive review.

BACKGROUND: Multiple micronutrient supplementation has been suggested to have a role on health outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF), but the evidence is inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the role of multiple micronutrient supplementation in heart failure we performed a comprehensive review of the literature. METHODS AND RESULTS: The search in databases included PUBMED (until June 2018) to detect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyzes that investigated the impact of micronutrient supplementation in HF. RESULTS: With more than 2357 titles and abstracts reviewed, we included only the studies suitable for the final review. Whether alone or in combination, micronutrients have been found to improve the health outcomes of patients with HF by improving symptoms, work capacity and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), thus increasing the quality of life in these patients. CONCLUSION: Future studies are needed to document the effects of multiple micronutrient associations in order to include them in nutritional guidelines to increase survival and to improve quality of life in patients with heart failure.

Platelet-rich plasma injections for carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic and comprehensive review.

A series of clinical trials focused on the use of ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) infusions for the treatment of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) were published over the last few years. However, the role of PRP for CTS remains unclear. We performed a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two reviewers independently conducted the search using multiple databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Database, and Web of Science. These databases were searched using terms "platelet" AND "rich" AND "plasma" AND "carpal" AND "tunnel". To maximize the search, backward chaining of references from retrieved papers was also undertaken. From the initial 19 studies, only five met our eligibility criteria. These articles included one randomized controlled double-blind study, one randomized controlled single-blind study, one randomized controlled non-blind study, one case-control study, and one case report. The vast majority of the included studies supported that PRP infusion improved the clinical condition of the patients and that PRP infusion was beneficial for patients with mild-to-moderate CTS. Therefore, PRP seems to be an interesting alternative for the treatment of mild-to-moderate CTS which, still, has not been thoroughly investigated. However, despite the promising results of the present studies, PRP has to be further tested before we reach to a definite conclusion regarding its therapeutic value.

Current status of water environment and their microbial biosensor techniques - Part II: Recent trends in microbial biosensor development.

In Part I of the present review series, I presented the current state of the water environment by focusing on Japanese cases and discussed the need to further develop microbial biosensor technologies for the actual water environment. I comprehensively present trends after approximately 2010 in microbial biosensor development for the water environment. In the first section, after briefly summarizing historical studies, recent studies on microbial biosensor principles are introduced. In the second section, recent application studies for the water environment are also introduced. Finally, I conclude the present review series by describing the need to further develop microbial biosensor technologies. Graphical abstract Current water pollution indirectly occurs by anthropogenic eutrophication (Part I). Recent trends in microbial biosensor development for water environment are described in part II of the present review series.

A comprehensive review and meta-analysis of risk factors for statin-induced myopathy.

PURPOSE: To aid prescribers in assessing a patient's risk for statin-induced myopathy (SIM), we performed a comprehensive review of currently known risk factors and calculated aggregated odds ratios for each risk factor through a meta-analysis. METHODS: This meta-analysis was done through four phases: (1) Identification of the relevant primary literature; (2) abstract screening using inclusion and exclusion criteria; (3) detailed review and data extraction; and (4) synthesis and statistical analysis. RESULTS: Out of 44 papers analyzed from 836 papers searched from MEDLINE, 18 different potential risk factors were collected, divided into three categories: three demographics (11 papers), ten clinical factors (31 papers), and five pharmacogenetics/biomarkers (12 papers). Risk factors significant for myopathy and/or rhabdomyolysis included age, gender, diabetes, renal impairment, cardiovascular disease, certain interacting drugs, and mutations of the SLCO1B1 gene, which encodes a transporter protein in the liver. Several factors, such as gender, race, cardiovascular disease, and the GATM gene, which encodes a protein for creatine synthesis, appeared to be protective in terms of the outcomes of interest. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive assessment of risk factors can help support clinicians in reducing the incidence of SIM in their patient population on statins.

Systematic review of antiepileptic drugs' safety and effectiveness in feline epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the efficacy and safety profile of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in feline epilepsy is a crucial consideration for managing this important brain disease. However, there is a lack of information about the treatment of feline epilepsy and therefore a systematic review was constructed to assess current evidence for the AEDs' efficacy and tolerability in cats. The methods and materials of our former systematic reviews in canine epilepsy were mostly mirrored for the current systematic review in cats. Databases of PubMed, CAB Direct and Google scholar were searched to detect peer-reviewed studies reporting efficacy and/or adverse effects of AEDs in cats. The studies were assessed with regards to their quality of evidence, i.e. study design, study population, diagnostic criteria and overall risk of bias and the outcome measures reported, i.e. prevalence and 95% confidence interval of the successful and affected population in each study and in total. RESULTS: Forty studies describing clinical outcomes of AEDs' efficacy and safety were included. Only two studies were classified as "blinded randomised controlled trials". The majority of the studies offered high overall risk of bias and described low feline populations with unclear diagnostic criteria and short treatment or follow-up periods. Individual AED assessments of efficacy and safety profile showed that phenobarbital might currently be considered as the first choice AED followed by levetiracetam and imepitoin. Only imepitoin's safety profile was supported by strong level of evidence. Imepitoin's efficacy as well as remaining AEDs' efficacy and safety profile were supported by weak level of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review reflects an evidence-based assessment of the published data on the AEDs' efficacy and safety for feline epilepsy. Currently, phenobarbital is likely to be the first-line for feline epileptic patients followed by levetiracetam and imepitoin. It is essential that clinicians evaluate both AEDs' effectiveness and tolerability before tailoring AED to the individual patient. Further studies in feline epilepsy treatment are by far crucial in order to establish definite guidelines for AEDs' efficacy and safety.

Reducing Ethical Hazards in Knowledge Production.

This article discusses the ethics of knowledge production (KP) from a cultural point of view, in contrast with the more usual emphasis on the ethical issues facing individuals involved in KP. Here, the emphasis is on the cultural environment within which individuals, groups and institutions perform KP. A principal purpose is to suggest ways in which reliable scientific knowledge could be produced more efficiently. The distinction between ethical hazard and (un)ethical behaviour is noted. Ethical hazards cannot be eliminated but they can be reduced if the cultural ambience is suitable. The main suggestions for reducing ethical hazards in KP relate to the review process. It is argued that some defects of the current, largely anonymous, review process could be ameliorated by a process of comprehensive, open and ongoing review (COOR). This includes partial professionalisation of the work of reviewing. Review at several stages is a vital part of the long filtering that incorporates some claims into the canon of reliable knowledge. The review process would be an acknowledged and explicit part of KP--a respected, public and rewarded activity. COOR would be expensive but cost-effective. The costs should be built explicitly into research culture. Finally, the considerations about a more 'KP friendly' culture lead to advocacy of a 'long-term, short-term' synthesis; that is, of the synthesis of long-term vision, such as a more cooperative and less competitive culture, with incremental changes which may be implemented in the short term.

Pleiotropic effects of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors in pulmonary diseases: a comprehensive review.

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are used extensively in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. They have also demonstrated a secondary benefit in a variety of other disease processes, actions which are known as pleiotropic effects. Review of the current pulmonary literature suggests a potential advantage of statin usage in a variety of pulmonary conditions. Our paper serves as a focused discussion on the pleiotropic effects of statins in the most common pulmonary disorders.

A review of the nutritional composition, organoleptic characteristics and biological effects of the high oleic peanut.

A growing body of literature has been published on the health benefits of peanuts, but the potential biological effects of high-oleic (HO) peanuts, along with their organoleptic characteristics have not been reviewed to date. In this paper, examination of evidence showed that HO peanuts provide a spectrum of nutrients and have improved sensory properties and technological advances, such as enhanced shelf life, beyond that of conventional peanuts. This may be attributed to their oleic to linoleic ratio (OL ratio) which is substantially (around 10 times) higher than normal peanuts. In terms of their biological effects, HO peanuts appear to be no more allergenic, and could even be less allergenic than conventional peanuts. There is also emerging evidence that HO peanuts may improve lipid profile and markers of glycemic control. Further randomized controlled human trials are now needed to build on animal and in vitro studies.

Early and immediate loading protocols for overdentures in completely edentulous maxillas: a comprehensive review of clinical trials.

A comprehensive review was conducted to answer the question 'Does the immediate loading of dental implants with an overdenture in the maxilla provide predictable clinical and psychological outcomes?' Detailed search strategies were used to identify pertinent articles in English that were published between 1975 and August 2013 and indexed in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and a personal library; in addition, relevant journals were manually searched. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), and prospective studies with a follow-up period of at least one year, all involving 10 or more adult participants, were considered. Six prospective studies reporting on outcomes of up to 2 years were included, five of which employed a bar-retained overdenture, and one of which used a ball attachment as a retention mechanism. Short term reports demonstrate that immediate/early loading of dental implants with a maxillary overdenture is a predictable treatment approach and results in favorable implant/prosthesis survival, soft tissue health, and patient satisfaction outcomes. However, for a definitive conclusion, well-designed long-term trials are required to establish a consensus on treatment planning, longevity, long-term complications and maintenance, cost-effectiveness, and patients-mediated outcomes.

Recent advances in lung cancer research: unravelling the future of treatment.

Lung cancer, a multifaceted disease, demands tailored therapeutic approaches due to its diverse subtypes and stages. This comprehensive review explores the intricate landscape of lung cancer research, delving into recent breakthroughs and their implications for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention. Genomic profiling and biomarker identification have ushered in the era of personalised medicine, enabling targeted therapies that minimise harm to healthy tissues while effectively combating cancer cells. The relationship between pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer is examined, shedding light on potential mechanisms linking these two conditions. Early detection methods, notably low-dose computed tomography scans, have significantly improved patient outcomes, emphasising the importance of timely interventions. There has been a growing interest in segmentectomy as a surgical intervention for early-stage lung cancer in recent years. Immunotherapy has emerged as a transformative approach, harnessing the body's immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells. Combining immunotherapy with traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy and targeted therapies, has shown enhanced efficacy, addressing the disease's heterogeneity and overcoming drug resistance. Precision medicine, guided by genomic profiling, has enabled the development of targeted therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors, offering personalised treatments tailored to individual patients. Challenges such as drug resistance and limited accessibility to advanced therapies persist, emphasising the need for collaborative efforts and innovative technologies like artificial intelligence. Despite challenges, ongoing interdisciplinary collaborations and technological advancements offer hope for a future where lung cancer is treatable and preventable, reducing the burden on patients and healthcare systems worldwide.

Advancements in Sensor Technologies and Control Strategies for Lower-Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeletons: A Comprehensive Review.

Lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeletons offer a transformative approach to enhancing recovery in patients with movement disorders affecting the lower extremities. This comprehensive systematic review delves into the literature on sensor technologies and the control strategies integrated into these exoskeletons, evaluating their capacity to address user needs and scrutinizing their structural designs regarding sensor distribution as well as control algorithms. The review examines various sensing modalities, including electromyography (EMG), force, displacement, and other innovative sensor types, employed in these devices to facilitate accurate and responsive motion control. Furthermore, the review explores the strengths and limitations of a diverse array of lower-limb rehabilitation-exoskeleton designs, highlighting areas of improvement and potential avenues for further development. In addition, the review investigates the latest control algorithms and analysis methods that have been utilized in conjunction with these sensor systems to optimize exoskeleton performance and ensure safe and effective user interactions. By building a deeper understanding of the diverse sensor technologies and monitoring systems, this review aims to contribute to the ongoing advancement of lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeletons, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients with mobility impairments.

Cognitive impairment, neuroimaging abnormalities, and their correlations in myotonic dystrophy: a comprehensive review.

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) encompasses a spectrum of neuromuscular diseases characterized by myotonia, muscle weakness, and wasting. Recent research has led to the recognition of DM as a neurological disorder. Cognitive impairment is a central nervous system condition that has been observed in various forms of DM. Neuroimaging studies have increasingly linked DM to alterations in white matter (WM) integrity and highlighted the relationship between cognitive impairment and abnormalities in WM structure. This review aims to summarize investigations into cognitive impairment and brain abnormalities in individuals with DM and to elucidate the correlation between these factors and the potential underlying mechanisms contributing to these abnormalities.

Servant Leadership in the Healthcare Literature: A Systematic Review.

Servant leadership has received a growing consideration among scholars and practitioners as a viable leadership model capable of bringing positive changes in the increasingly complex healthcare system. The increasing servant leadership literature in healthcare requires an integrated research work that provides a holistic picture of the existing studies. This systematic review aims to synthesize servant leadership conceptualizations, theoretical frameworks, measurement tools, and nomological networks (antecedents, mediators, outcomes, and moderators) associated with prior research in healthcare. A systematic synthesis of 55 pertinent healthcare-specific conceptual and empirical studies demonstrated that servant leadership assumes a crucial role in developing a committed workforce that contributes towards the achievement of performance excellence in healthcare. The review uncovers that the Global Servant Leadership Scale is the most utilized measure of servant leadership in sector-specific studies in healthcare. Moreover, social exchange theory is the dominant underpinning mechanism explaining the influence of servant leadership on specific variables of interest. The findings further revealed that servant leadership has a positive relationship with a range of valued individual and organizational outcomes in healthcare. Our review contributes to the development of servant leadership theory and practice through ascertaining sector-specific studies in the territory of healthcare. We finally conclude by providing a detailed panorama for future healthcare-specific servant leadership research in terms of potential topics, methodological rigor, and less explored variables in prior studies.

The tendon of the fibularis brevis muscle - Systematic overview and new classification system.

The fibularis brevis muscle belongs to the lateral compartment of the leg. It originates from the lower two-thirds of the lateral surface of the fibula bone and it also is attached to the anterior intermuscular septum. Its insertion is normally located on the tuberosity at the base of the fifth metatarsal bone, on its lateral side. However, distal attachment of this muscle is morphologically variable. Different variations have been identified and some classification systems have been created for both adults and foetuses. Based on various literature references, we have created a new classification system and compared the frequency of each type. The main aim of this review is to present morphological variations of the fibularis brevis tendon with their clinical significance, especially in autografting in case of surgical treatment of fibularis brevis tendon rupture. The clinical aspect of this pathology and some medical cases will also be presented.

Particles-based medicated wound dressings: a comprehensive review.

Wound healing is a dynamic process that is controlled by many factors. The interest in developing wound dressings capable of providing the required environment for the proper wound healing process is ever expanding, and particles occupy a sizable share of the research area. This comprehensive review reports 10 years of research in terms of current advances, delivery system evaluation, outcomes and future directions. The review follows a clearly defined method of article search and screening. Retrieved papers are reviewed regarding the materials, formulation development, and in vitro/in vivo testing of particles-based wound dressings. The review summarized the current status of medicated wound dressing research, identifies gaps to be addressed, and represents a reference for researchers working on wound dressings.