by Florence Durand  , Noomane Bouaziz  , Sonia Braha-Zeitoun  , Clémence Isaac  , Palmyre Schenin-King Andrian  and Dominique Januel

Received: 12 March 2018;  Published: 11 June 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1802005

Background: Mild Cognitive Impairment [MCI] is a transition stage between normal aging and dementia. It seems to be useful to treat MCI before the onset of early dementia, though no pharmacological treatment is recommended [1]. These case studies aimed to assess the efficacy of long-term repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation [rTMS] treatment on cognition, and clinical changes, in elderly MCI patients. Methods: Three patients with MCI were treated by rTMS with different parameters of stimulation, targeting th [...]

by Kristen McHenry  , Megan Koster  , Gen Ludwig  , Yong Gao  and Jennifer Eichmeyer

Received: 25 October 2022;  Published: 14 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2301014

This study aimed to examine and compare the extent of burnout among health science faculty at a higher education institution and their self-reported perception of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The design of the study was cross-sectional, descriptive survey research. An electronic questionnaire was developed to measure the constructs of burnout and well-being. Validated instruments used in the survey included the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index. The [...]

by Ekta Kumari  , Fernando J. Velloso  and Steven W. Levison

Received: 13 February 2019;  Published: 13 May 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1902027

A number of studies have highlighted the connection between infections during pregnancy in mothers and increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders later in life leading to the view that maternal immune activation is a significant contributor to psychiatric illnesses. Meta-analyses have revealed associations between the incidence of premature birth and perinatal inflammation with smaller total brain volumes, cognitive, motor and behavioral deficits in childhood and adolescents. In animal studies where inflammati [...]

by Alina Khan  , Tengfei Wan  , Catherine Hunter  , Pavel Schweizer  , Abbas Ishaq  , Shobha Nagarathanam  , Julia Morris  , Minyu Chan  and Gabriele Saretzki

Received: 13 March 2019;  Published: 01 August 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1903036

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and is a synucleinopathy due to the critical role of α-synuclein (α-Syn) in its pathology. α-Syn is able to translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and cause DNA damage. Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were stably transfected with plasmids containing wild type (WT) α-Syn and A53T mutant α-Syn as fusion proteins with EGFP and an EGFP only control vector. The cells were differentiated using retinoi [...]

by Boram Lee  and Yang Eun Kim

Received: 12 July 2023;  Published: 21 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2304196

Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint in clinical practice, affecting both the physical and mental health of patients as well as many aspects of their life quality. Young adults, especially university students, are prone to a high prevalence of poor sleep quality or insomnia. Accurate assessment of insomnia severity among university students has become an important issue. One promising screening tool to identify clinically significant insomnia in the campus setting is the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), a seve [...]

by Donald Moss

Received: 20 January 2020;  Published: 19 February 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2001007

The face of illness has changed with progress in public health, immunizations, and antibiotic medication. Today, medical clinics are more likely to see patients with chronic illnesses, stress-related conditions, and complex bio-psycho-social conditions. This is a global trend, affecting patients worldwide, as Western lifestyle and diet have produced increases in chronic lifestyle-based disorders. Integrative medicine, which attends more fully to psychosocial dimensions of illness, appears to offer promise for today [...]

by Ryan A. Williams  , Lorna Hatch  and Simon B. Cooper

Received: 29 April 2019;  Published: 02 August 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1903049

It is well documented that an acute bout of exercise has a positive effect on subsequent cognitive function in children and adolescents. However, the effect of: the exercise characteristics (i.e. intensity, duration and modality), the cognitive domain assessed, and moderating variables (such as the participant’s age, physical fitness and baseline cognitive abilities); all of which affect this relationship are poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the impact of these variables on the [...]

by Minako Ito  , Tanakorn Srirat  , Toshihiro Nakamura  , Kyoko Komai  and Akihiko Yoshimura

Received: 13 January 2019;  Published: 27 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1901023

Inflammation and immune responses after stroke, including ischemic cerebral infarction, play pivotal roles in the pathology, resolution of inflammation, and neurological recovery. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are the cells responsible for immune tolerance, usually activated by secondary lymphatic tissues, which subsequently regulate effector T cell activation and dendritic cell activation. Recently, Tregs that are present in tissues, called tissue Tregs, have been shown to exhibit tissue-specific functions in addition [...]

by Kate Howells  and Andrew P. Smith

Received: 02 April 2019;  Published: 02 July 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1903032

Background: Previous research suggests that insufficient daily sleep has negative effects on both well-being and academic attainment. Much of the research in this field has focused on adolescents and children rather than university students in the UK. Methods: The present study used the Student Well-Being Process Questionnaire and independent sleep questions to measure subjective well-being and levels of sleep in a student sample (N=345) who completed the survey online. Academic attainment was measured with exam an [...]

by Alexandra Koulouris  , Kathleen Dorado  , Christina McDonnell  , Robert R. Edwards  and Asimina Lazaridou

Received: 27 June 2018;  Published: 05 September 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1803018

Background: This paper presents a review of the evidence regarding the efficacy and impact of Yoga and mindfulness with meditation among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients who suffer from RA express a variety of symptoms that negatively impact their physical functioning and performance in social roles. Yoga and meditation-based therapies have been previously used to manage chronic pain conditions and other persisting disorders in affected populations. The suitability and effectiveness of these practi [...]

by Alyssa M. Krueger  , Kelsey Smith  , Arielle Pollock  , Christine Dunkel Schetter  and Nicole E. Mahrer

Received: 24 December 2023;  Published: 30 April 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402025

Residential and nonresidential fathers are taking an increasingly greater role in their children’s lives, and father involvement predicts positive child outcomes across development. This study utilized data from a large sample of racially and ethnically diverse fathers of low to middle income (n = 1,112) to test if paternal stress is associated with lower father involvement in early infancy and whether perceived social support is protective. Exploratory analyses examined whether the effects of stress on father invo [...]

by Racha El-Hajj Ghaoui  , Dorothy Hung  and Bhavna Padhye

Received: 24 December 2018;  Published: 17 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1902073

Hypodiploidy has a low incidence in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Patients are usually stratified into three subgroups, to allocate the correct treatment according to their ploidy level: high hypodiploidy (40-45 chromosomes), low hypodiploidy (33-39 chromosomes) and near haploidy (23-29 chromosomes). In this paper, a case is presented of near-haploid childhood ALL where fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) provided an insight into the near-haploidy chromosomal aberration initially missed on ro [...]

by Lai Fern Ow  and Eugenie Chan

Received: 21 October 2021;  Published: 24 January 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2201003

This study investigated energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission across various playing surfaces (e.g., greens, tees, fairways, and roughs) in an urban parkland golf course. The turfs of golf courses require frequent maintenance to ensure high aesthetic and play quality. Maintenance includes aeration, mowing, irrigation, and fertilization. The annual energy-based carbon footprint was found to be the highest for fairways, followed by greens, tees, and roughs. However, CO2 exchange in the grass was found [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 03 May 2020;  Published: 07 May 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2002026

The present moment lacks any reliable vaccine or treatment for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the resultant disease COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease-2019). Laser medicine like photobiomodulation (PBM) or photodynamic therapy (PDT), and laser acupuncture may possess some potential to interact and relieve the symptoms of this disease. PubMed lists only two results for the search term ‘PBM or PDT and COVID-19’, indicating the paucity of validated scientific clinical studies on the subject. On the contrary, it does not mean th [...]

by Tara Rava Zolnikov  , Tanya Clark  , Frances Furio  , Sandul Yasobant  , Ana Carolina Silva Martins  , Vanessa Resende Nogueira Cruvinel  and Marcos Takashi Obara

Received: 11 May 2023;  Published: 30 August 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2303045

Currently, almost half of the human population is at risk of acquiring dengue. Other emerging pathogens affecting human populations transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti are chikungunya and Zika viruses. People who live in poor areas are more susceptible to be infected by these diseases. The lack of selective garbage collection and inadequate water storage are important factors in the dynamics of vector-borne transmission. This study took place in Estrutural City, the poorest city in Brasilia, Brazil, which host [...]

by Alpha Chukwumela Ajie  , Mohammed Moore Ojapah  and Endurance Ogheneruona Diemuodeke

Received: 07 February 2023;  Published: 20 June 2023;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2302020

With their higher sustainability index, biofuels, environmentally-friendly and renewable nature is a viable alternative energy source in the transportation sector. This study presents the effect of waste cooking oil (WCO) biodiesel on performance, combustion, and emission from a compression ignition engine. The biodiesel was blended with diesel in varying proportions of 5% biodiesel and 95% diesel (designated as B5), 10% biodiesel in diesel (B10), 15% biodiesel in diesel (B15), 20% biodiesel in diesel (B20), 50% bi [...]

by Jonathan Manh Dang  , Luma Bashmi  , Stephen Meeneghan  , Janet White  , Rebecca Hedrick  , Jelena Djurovic  , Brigitte Vanle  , Dennis Nguyen  , Jonathan Almendarez  , Paula Ravets  , Yasmine Gohar  , Sophia Hanna  , Itai Danovitch  and Waguih William IsHak

Received: 28 March 2018;  Published: 25 June 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1802011

Background: An increasing number of patients and practitioners are using mindfulness meditation programs despite uncertainty about the evidence supporting these programs’ health benefits. Aim: To review the current evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) on depressive symptoms and quality of life (QOL) among patients with depression comorbid medical conditions and those with major depressive disorder. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and PsycINFO was performed [...]

by Malith Kadirappulli-Hewage  and Rasika Jayasekara

Received: 30 August 2019;  Published: 02 January 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2001096

Social isolation and social disconnectedness have resulted in some older adults ending their lives by suicide; therefore, improving social connectedness has become an integral part of suicide prevention programmes. The purpose of this literature review was to assess the impact of social connectedness interventions for preventing suicide in older adults. It is evident that interventions aimed at promoting social connectedness are intended to alleviate stress and depressive symptoms due to social separation and traum [...]

by Ali Aldubaisi  and Jorge Valenzuela

Received: 26 April 2021;  Published: 04 August 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2103036

Aging models are important input into wind farm maintenance and financial viability models. Aging of wind turbines depends on many factors, including both ambient and usage conditions. This paper presents a virtual age based maintenance model for wind turbines considering the effect of wind speed and ambient air temperature on turbine aging. Two maintenance thresholds (i.e., corrective threshold and preventive threshold) and three repair actions (i.e., unscheduled corrective, scheduled corrective and preventive act [...]

by Demelza Emmerton  , Samra Khan  , Joanne Conway  , Daniel Mosby  and Ahmed H. Abdelhafiz

Received: 31 May 2020;  Published: 10 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003127

With life-expectancy rising globally, the prevalence of ageing, comorbidity and frailty is likely to increase especially in the low and middle income countries. The emergence of the new COVID-19 pandemic has been concentrated in this group of patients and has led to worse outcomes compared to younger and less comorbid populations. This group of patients is at an increased risk of multi-organ consequences of systemic disease. Therefore, systemic assessment of these patients from the outset and optimisation of their [...]

by Feliciano Villar  , Montserrat Celdrán  , Rodrigo Serrat  and Valentina Cannella

Received: 07 November 2018;  Published: 26 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804027

Active aging is a concept used to describe and promote lifestyles that contribute to a healthy aging process. However, these lifestyles vary widely, and the concept of active aging encompasses many activities. This paper considers two axes to classify the range of activities that can contribute to active aging: the resources needed to carry out such activities (low and high-resource needs) and the main orientation of the activities (self-oriented vs. activity with others). To illustrate this classification, three t [...]

by Minato Nakamura  and Yoshinori Murakami

Received: 17 August 2021;  Published: 13 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2103002

The photocatalytic reaction involved in TiO2 photocatalysis was investigated using a microreactor coated with TiO2 film on the glass plate attached on one side of the microreactor. It was confirmed that the effect of H2O2 on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of azo dyes (acid orange 7, acid red 151, and acid yellow 23) was dependent on the polymorphs (anatase and rutile) of TiO2 coated on the glass plate of the UV-irradiated microreactor. Scavengers of holes (KI) and electrons (p-benzoquinone) were added to [...]

by Katrien Steenmans  and Rosalind Malcolm

Received: 20 December 2022;  Published: 10 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2301024

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) places liability, physical, financial, and/or informative responsibility for a product throughout its life cycle on its producer. Implementing such schemes is expected to result in many environmental and social benefits. Yet, academic and practitioner discussions on the mechanisms focus on environmental impacts, whereas social dimensions of EPR are often side-lined. This short communication contributes to addressing this gap by establishing a research agenda for the justice di [...]

by David J. Epstein  and Aruna K. Subramanian

Received: 18 November 2018;  Published: 12 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901048

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a common infection with challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Management of TB in solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates and recipients poses unique challenges not seen in other populations. Questions and Recommendations: Latent TB infection (LTBI) is important to diagnose pre-transplant through history, physical examination, imaging, and laboratory tests. Tuberculin skin tests and interferon-gamma release assays are important tools but not sufficiently sensitive nor specific to d [...]

by Kokila Jeyamurugan  and Ratna B Basak

Received: 12 May 2020;  Published: 17 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2003034

Child life specialists (CLS) are trained providers who form part of a pediatric multidisciplinary and pediatric palliative care team. Their role is invaluable to mitigate the stress and anxiety of children during hospitalization. They may use various strategies in children like play, art and music therapy and pet therapy, to help self-express and cope with painful procedures. We present a brief narrative on CLS with a case of a 10- year- old Hispanic boy who had metastatic osteosarcoma. The case illustration is f [...]