11237 research outputs found
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A virtual reality game for older adults’ immersive learning
No full textThis article presents a feasibility study that assessed the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR) game in training older adults’ cognitive and independent living skills. A home-like virtual environment, comprising six mini-games, each designed to target a specific type of learning, was created to enhance the gamified experience. A qualitative approach was used to evaluate the feasibility of the gamified approach, involving semi-structured interviews with older adults (N = 30) who had played the VR game. Findings revealed positive feedback on the VR game’s effectiveness in facilitating learning among older adults, including ease of use and perceived usefulness which informed their acceptance of the technology, as well as the competency and cognitive developments afforded by the VR game. The gaming experience also offers varying degrees of stimulation and engagement, although some negative experiences, such as cybersickness and anxiety, were identified that may require further attention. The study’s findings offer insights into the feasibility of employing digital game-based learning for older adults within an immersive learning environment and provide best practices for designing VR games that promote the development of cognitive and independent living skills.</p
Prospects for the development of hydrogen technologies: A study of projects in Europe and Australia
No full textThis study examines the development of hydrogen energy technologies across continents, focusing on the concentration of expertise in hydrogen production within specific cross-border alliances and individual countries. The evolution of green hydrogen is assessed through an analysis of 297 hydrogen projects in Europe and Australia. The implementation of projects is constrained by high production costs, limiting the price competitiveness of the final product. The analysis reveals that electrolysis is the predominant technology employed in hydrogen production, with mobility being the primary area of application. The study includes a forecast indicating a significant decrease in auction prices for green hydrogen products due to economies of scale. Learning curve modeling confirms an expected reduction in auction prices by a factor of 2.5–3.7 over the next decade. However, delays in project implementation and the relocation of 49 projects across Australia. The results obtained indicate the existence of barriers implementation of hydrogen technologies. Although green hydrogen demonstrates strong potential for growth and scalability, realizing all announced projects will require enhanced policy support.</p
Transphobia in the United Kingdom: a public health crisis
No full textBackground: The moral panic surrounding trans, non-binary, and gender diverse (TGD) lives in the United Kingdom (UK) has been incited by high-level political and government actors and exacerbated by pervasive misinformation in social and press media. This hostile environment contributes to increasing interpersonal violence and social exclusion experienced by TGD people. Structural and interpersonal discrimination—conceptualised as minority stress—is understood to elicit physiological and psychological stress responses that predispose TGD individuals to a range of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, and risk behaviours such as alcohol use. Main body: Health disparities among TGD people in the UK are driven by a combination of minority stress, barriers to general healthcare, and disadvantage across multiple social determinants of health. Limited access to gender-affirming healthcare compounds these disparities, contributing to stark differences in morbidity and mortality relative to cisgender populations. Preventive healthcare engagement is also disproportionately low among TGD individuals, further exacerbating long-term health risks. The intersection of social exclusion, policy-driven discrimination, and systemic healthcare inequities places TGD people at significant and potentially increasing risk of poor health outcomes. Conclusions: The health disparities faced by TGD people in the UK constitute a real-time public health crisis that demands urgent and sustained intervention. TGD people must be central to shaping the strategic direction of a coordinated and adequately resourced response to these harms.</p
Biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease across diverse biological domains: an umbrella review and evidence map
No full textBackgroundThis study aimed to systematically assess the quality, biases, and credibility of associations between potential Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers through an umbrella review of existing meta-analyses.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Google Scholar up to December 18, 2024, for meta-analyses of observational studies examining biomarkers for AD. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. We recalculated effect sizes using random-effects models and converted all estimates to equivalent standardized mean differences or ratio of means. The quality of included reviews was assessed using AMSTAR2, and the credibility of each association was graded using predefined criteria (Class I–IV).ResultsA total of 35 articles provided 106 unique meta-analyses covering 1,277 original studies and 156,161 participants across 40 countries. Of these, 52 biomarkers showed statistically significant associations with AD upon re-analysis. Among them, 30 associations included more than 1,000 participants, 49 showed substantial heterogeneity (I2 > 50 %), and 17 had prediction intervals that excluded the null. Only one biomarker (blood YKL-40) reached Class I (convincing) evidence. Eleven associations were classified as highly suggestive (Class II), 14 as suggestive (Class III), and 26 as weak (Class IV) evidence levels. Biomarkers with high credibility (Class I–III) included urine formaldehyde, macular RNFL (optical coherence tomography), olfactory scores, plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, blood and CSF YKL-40, sTREM2, GFAP, ApoA-I, peripheral BDNF, and F2-isoprostane levels.ConclusionsThis umbrella review provides a comprehensive evidence map of AD-related biomarkers. While 52 biomarkers were identified as statistically significant, only a subset met high credibility thresholds, emphasizing the need for large-scale, prospective studies to validate their clinical utility.</p
Global prevalence of functional abdominal pain disorder among children and adolescent according to ROME Ⅲ and Ⅳ criteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textNo description supplied</p
Artificial Intelligence and Architectural Design Before Generative AI: Artificial Intelligence Algorithmics Approaches 2000–2022 in Review
No full textThis study explores the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in the AEC from 2000 to 2022, focusing on the transition leading up to the accessibility of Generative AI in 2023. Through a Bibliometric review of publications indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and CumInCAD, the research examines the adoption of specific algorithmic approaches: Genetic Algorithms (GAs), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Agent-Based Systems(ABS). Findings reveal that GAs and ANNs exhibited comparable use until 2015, after which ANNs experienced exponential growth, surpassing GAs by 2016. ABS, although less prominent overall, saw a temporary surge starting in 2008, which established ABS as a distinct research category. Comparative analysis with CumInCAD highlights its early role as a primary repository for specialized research, surpassing WoS and Scopus untill quite a few years afterward. This research underscores key historical milestones marking AI's integration into the AEC, including advancements in evolutionary computation, machine learning, and distributed AI systems. While revealing critical trends, the study acknowledges its limitations, such as database bias and the exclusion of developments post-2023. Future research should extend beyond this period, incorporate qualitative analysis, and explore emerging tools in generative design to understand AI's growing impact.</p
Hermeneutic clinical leadership
No full textHealthcare leadership significantly impacts patient outcomes, workforce engagement, and system effectiveness. However, the persistent emphasis on structural reforms often neglects the intricate interconnections withinhealthcare systems, leading to unintended consequences such as diminished collaboration and weakened local engagement. This article advocates for the adoption of hermeneutic leadership—a values-driven, interpretative approach that enables leaders to navigate the complexity and unpredictability of modern healthcare environments.By fostering meaningful multisystem and multilayered dialogue and understanding, hermeneutic leadership equips clinical leaders to bridge gaps between local insights and systemic policies, thereby addressing the democratic deficit highlighted in recent reports. The article demonstrates how this approach supports leaders in making sense of dynamic challenges, facilitating incremental yet impactful changes while empowering teams to innovate and collaborate.Additionally, the article explores the broader application of hermeneutic leadership at team and individual levels, emphasising its role in building relationships, enhancing team dynamics, and fostering a culture of reflection and growth. While not a one-size-fits-all solution, hermeneutic leadership offers a powerful framework for addressing the nuanced demands of UK healthcare delivery, ensuring that leadership practices remain patient-centered, locally responsive, and systemically aligned.</p
Tight nosebands apply high pressures on the horses’ face and alter stride kinematics
No full textBackgroundNoseband tightness has received increasing attention within equitation science, however, there is little research into how this effects equine behaviour or performance.Aims/objectives1) determine the peak pressures under noseband in vivo at three different tightness; 2) assess limb and back kinematics at different noseband tightness.MethodsNoseband tightness (n = 8 horses) was set using an International Society for Equine Science (ISES) taper gauge with the three settings being; “two fingers (2F)”, “one finger (1F)” and “zero fingers (0F)”. Peak pressure under noseband was determined using pressure sensors under. Motion capture was used to analyse kinematics of limb and back.ResultsPeak pressures at 1F (40.9 ± 7.2 kPa) and 0F (115.8 ± 52.6 kPa), when compared to 2F (26.4 ± 7.2 kPa), showed a 54% and 338% increase, respectively (F (1.027, 7.192) = 21.012, P = 0.002). As the noseband tightness increased, stride length decreased, showing a statistically significant negative correlation (rs(22) = -0.592, P = 0.004). A mean decrease in stride length of 6.2% was seen with the 1F when compared to 2F and an 11.1% decrease was seen at 0F when compared to 2F.ConclusionIn conclusion, as the noseband was tightened, peak pressure increased and this has a detrimental effect on horses’ kinematics, markedly stride kinematics.</p
Global burden of brain and central nervous system cancer in 185 countries, and projections up to 2050: a population-based systematic analysis of GLOBOCAN 2022
No full textBackground: Brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancers are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Here, we aimed to systematically evaluate and compare brain and CNS cancer between pediatric and adult populations.Methods: This study utilized the GLOBOCAN 2022 database to analyze incidence and mortality estimates for brain and CNS cancers across 185 countries and territories in 2022. Joinpoint regression was employed to estimate the average annual percent change in age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR).Results: In 2022, the global estimated ASIR of brain and CNS cancers was 3.5 per 100,000 people, with 321,624 new cases. An estimated 248,403 deaths were attributed to brain and CNS cancer, with an ASMR of 2.6 per 100,000 people. In 2022, pediatric brain and CNS cancers in individuals aged 0–14 years ranked second globally for both incidence and mortality across various cancer subtypes, while for individuals aged ≥ 15 years, they ranked 19th and 12th, respectively. Globally, the mortality-to-incidence ratios of brain and CNS cancer were 47.7% in pediatrics aged 0–14 years and 77.8% in individuals aged ≥ 15 years, respectively. By 2050, if current trends persist, brain and CNS cancer among individuals aged 0–14 years is projected to decrease by 9.2% globally, but this trend is limited to countries with higher Human Development Index (HDI). Among individuals aged ≥ 15 years, if incidence rates remain constant, global estimated cases of brain and CNS cancer are projected to increase by 32.9% by 2050 and all HDI subgroups are predicted to experience an upward trend in incidence, with the magnitude of increase being more significant in lower HDI up to 2050.Conclusion: This study identified substantial geographical and socioeconomic inequalities in the brain and CNS cancers globally, with potential underreporting concerns in pediatric cases and increasing burdens predicted up to 2050, particularly in lower HDI countries.</p
For children with a rare form of dementia, music could be a powerful therapy tool
No full textWhen we hear the word “dementia”, we usually think of memory loss in older adults. But there’s another, much rarer form of the disease that strikes far earlier in life – childhood dementia, also known as Batten disease...</p
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