by Chang Gu  , Hongmei Gu  , Meng Gong  and Janet Blackadar

Received: 21 April 2022;  Published: 05 August 2022;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2203014

Mass timber products (MTPs) are being adopted in new building constructions and remodels in the last three decades, credited to their renewable and low carbon footprint characteristics. However, there are no mass timber manufacturers currently existing in Atlantic Canada. Extended distances of transporting MTPs to this region from other Canadian provinces may sacrifice the environmental benefits of using MTPs. This study was aimed to understand, via conducting a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA), the envir [...]

by Abdul Al-Toma  and Harry R. Koene

Received: 16 December 2019;  Published: 18 February 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2001101

Refractory celiac disease (RCD) is a rare condition in which a known celiac patient, usually an adult, suffers from persistence or recurrence of gluten-related symptomatology, laboratory abnormalities, and inflammatory enteropathy despite following an optimal dietary therapy with gluten-free diet (GFD). Arbitrarily, a duration of at least 12 months of GFD has been recommended prior to establishing such a diagnosis. Furthermore, exclusion of the other possible causes of non-celiac villous atrophy, particularly enter [...]

by Abolfath Askarian Khoob  , Mohammad Javad Ramezani  and Seyed Sina Mousavi

Received: 16 June 2022;  Published: 12 May 2023;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2302021

This study intends to determine the behavior of glass laminate aluminum-reinforced epoxy (GLARE) and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites under a low-velocity impact test. Experimental tests and numerical simulations are considered for this investigation. All samples are made by the hand lay-up method. Moreover, specimens are produced with a 7075-T6 aluminium sheet with a 0.5 mm thickness, resin 3001, and E-glass fiber. The drop weight test performs the low-velocity impact at 6.7 J and 10 J impact energ [...]

by Rolf Teschke  , Nguyen Xuan Chien  and Tran Dang Xuan

Received: 10 June 2025;  Published: 21 October 2025;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2504023

Heavy metals are integral parts of our environment, originating initially from the universe and used in the industry, which may contribute to pollution. This book chapter aims to address the impact of heavy metals on the ecosystem and human health. Among the 32 heavy metals, eight belong to the group of essential ones: cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, and zinc. They were necessary in physiological amounts for the evolution of flora and fauna, including humans on earth, and are still ne [...]

by Natalia Sylvia Ramos Díaz

Received: 23 August 2018;  Published: 14 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901017

One of the objectives of psychological intervention is to help patients manage their emotions effectively by providing them with the necessary skills to accompany their own emotional states. To this regard, there seems to be a current lack of therapeutic resources aimed at helping patients assimilate and regulate emotions. This article proposes the application of a new technique which incorporates mindfulness, building on the premises of the model of psychological flexibility which defines "mindfulness" as a practi [...]

by Soo Liang Ooi  and Sokcheon Pak

Received: 29 May 2019;  Published: 31 May 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1902033

The Landscape of Current Meditation Research: An Overview to the Special Issue on “Health Benefits of Meditation”

by James S. Powers  , Barbara Clinton  , Kayse Martin  , Margaret A. Genendlis  and Grace S. Smith

Received: 26 October 2018;  Published: 13 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804024

Background: The majority of long-term care provided to older adults and persons with disabilities is provided by unpaid family caregivers and friends. Employers have a stake in long-term care services as well since 60% of caregivers are employed outside the home, 49% have gone in late, left early, or taken time off during the day to deal with caregiving issues, and 15% have taken a prolonged leave of absence. Additionally, 87% of employed caregivers make telephone calls for caregiving from work. Presenteeism, the s [...]

by Masoume M. Raeissi  and Rob Knapen

Received: 07 April 2025;  Published: 12 August 2025;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2503028

Environmental science addresses critical global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability. These complex topics generate a vast amount of both structured and unstructured data, from remote sensing output to policy documents, guidelines, and scientific literature. Effectively processing and utilizing this information is essential for advancing research and supporting decision-making. Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable capabilities in natural language understanding an [...]

by Kohl Jacobson  , Sam Strassler  , Courtney Spalt  , Sara Henry  , Arthur Powers  and Donald W. Radford

Received: 22 December 2020;  Published: 29 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2101008

Continuous fiber reinforced geopolymer matrix composites offer the potential for use in structural applications at temperatures up to 700°C, while enabling the manufacture at temperatures below 100°C. Studies have investigated a variety of high temperature structural fiber reinforcements, including carbon, SiC and Al2O3. While there has been active research into various grades of Al2O3 fibers, SiC is most commonly used for high temperature reinforcement of geopolymers in oxidizing environments. Both familie [...]

by Awogbami Stephen Olalekan  , Solomon Olayinka Adewoye  , Sawyerr Olawale Henry  and Morufu Olalekan Raimi

Received: 30 October 2022;  Published: 23 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2301011

Industrial and urban development are contributing to an increase in global environmental degradation. Therefore, the release of heavy metals from mining-related operations into surface water is harmful to human health. But as anthropogenic influences on the environment grow, surface water characteristics are also alter, impacting aquatic creatures. In order to analyze the acceptability of the surface water in the gold mining area for drinking and irrigation uses, different quality water assessment methodologies wer [...]

by Luis Rodrigo

Received: 13 July 2020;  Published: 30 October 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004074

Celiac disease (CD), also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy and nontropical sprue, is one of the most important entities of the wide spectrum of gluten-related disorders (GRDs). It is well known that neurological manifestations can be present either at the onset of CD, or appear during the development of the pathology, and the neurologic findings can show a profound difference. Clinical features show significant variation, ranging from typical manifestations of gastrointestinal involvement to several extraintes [...]

by Makeda L. Robinson  , Kyle Enriquez  and Dora Y. Ho

Received: 02 November 2018;  Published: 08 January 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901038

Flaviviruses can cause epidemics and endemics with substantial public health threat and economic impacts. In the last few decades, many flaviviruses have re-emerged or expanded their territories to new regions or continents, including West Nile virus (WNV) which has become endemic in the US since its arrival in 1999 and Zika virus (ZIKV) which recently spread across the Americas. These events demonstrate the speed with which a vector-borne pathogen can disseminate when introduced into a susceptible population with [...]

by Jih-Huah Wu

Received: 04 March 2019;  Published: 15 July 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1903046

Sleep has played a critical role in maintaining the physical and psychological health of humans, especially for women. Many studies reveal that sleep disturbance can cause more inflammation, coagulation, insulin resistance, and psychosocial distress in women than in men. A lot of medications are used to treat sleep disorders, but they can cause various adverse effects. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been proved as a safe and easy-to-use therapy. We propose two methods of affecting the autonomic nervous syste [...]

by Niklas Gudowsky  , Ulrike Bechtold  , Leo Capari  and Mahshid Sotoudeh

Received: 31 January 2019;  Published: 27 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1902058

Background: Quality or healthy aging refers to well-being in an older age. In the light of recent changes in the discourse on approaches on positive aging, we aimed to study the way “quality aging” is understood, expressed, and dealt with as a part of contemporary technology assessment (TA), since the nexus between demographic and technological changes has remained a staple topic in TA for at least three decades. Methods: A bottom-up qualitative content analysis was performed to identify the concepts of [...]

by Shibani Kanungo  , Samantha A. Vergano  , Thomas Clark  , Rami Madani  , Melissa Schott  , Kira Couch  , Rubie Villela  and Natalie White

Received: 07 September 2023;  Published: 12 January 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2401210

Krabbe disease (KD), a severe neurodegenerative disorder, has been controversial in the space of newborn screening (NBS) in the United States. Families continue to advocate for the addition of KD to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) after being declined for the second time in February 2023. Even with significant progress in KD screening tests, uncertainty about the phenotypic presentations, and effectiveness of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) seems to have impeded the addition of this conditi [...]

by Isabella Zuccaroli  , Brandon Lucke-Wold  , Adhith Palla  , Alexander Eremiev  , Zachary Sorrentino  , Rasheedat Zakare-Fagbamila  , Jack McNulty  , Carlton Christie  , Vyshak Chandra  and David Mampre

Received: 16 November 2022;  Published: 22 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301158

Reported neuro-modulation schemes in the literature are typically classified as closed-loop or open-loop. A novel group of recently developed neuro-modulation devices may be better described as a neural bypass, which attempts to transmit neural data from one location of the nervous system to another. The most common form of neural bypasses in the literature utilize EEG recordings of cortical information paired with functional electrical stimulation for effector muscle output, most commonly for assistive application [...]

by Ahalapitiya H Jayatissa  , Omer Ahmed  , Bodhi R Manu  and Adam M Schroeder

Received: 13 August 2020;  Published: 22 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2101003

The tribological properties of ZnO thin film coated on an aluminium work piece by RF magnetron sputtering were studied as a function of deposition power, substrate coating temperature, heat treatment and rotation speed. The variation in the coefficient of friction of ZnO films produced under various levels of coating parameters and conditions were experimentally determined using a pin-on-disk tribometer. The results showed that with change in deposition conditions and heat treatment, there are significant microstru [...]

by Maria Pergola  , Assunta Maria Palese  , Alessandro Persiani  , Pasquale DE Francesco  , Chiara Cirillo  , Gianpaolo Maria Giacca  , Angela Maffia  and Giuseppe Celano

Received: 08 July 2021;  Published: 21 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104036

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of people, as well as the production and economic systems throughout the world. The flow of raw materials and products, the supply of labor and manpower, and the purchasing power have all been changed to the detriment of individual health and well-being. Such a situation requires placing even more emphasis on the search for virtuous agricultural systems compatible with the goals of economic and environmental development so clearly defined at the world level in [...]

by Masayuki Nigo  , Rodrigo Hasbun  and Karen J Vigil

Received: 29 March 2018;  Published: 02 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1804023

Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure available worldwide. Despite advances in its surgical and immunosuppressive strategies, infectious complications carry significant morbidity and mortality. Bacterial infections are the most common infective etiologies, and the majority are seen during the first four weeks post liver transplantation. Infectious complications are often intra-abdominal in origin, such as biliary complications and abdominal abscesses. Infections due to multi-drug resistant organisms are [...]

by Zachary Brozzesi  , Darson Dezheng Li  and Ann Lee

Received: 16 June 2023;  Published: 08 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2303027

Buildings, with their significant energy consumption, pose a pressing concern for the future. Inadequate heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems further exacerbate thermal management difficulties and energy requirements. To address these challenges, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) offer valuable potential for sustainable energy reduction within the building sector, leveraging passive cooling and heating techniques. Numerical study has been conducted to explore the impact of embedding PCM within the [...]

by F.A Hamad  , E. Emenike  , Abbas Mohammed  , S. Gooneratne  and P. Russell

Received: 01 December 2020;  Published: 31 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101009

In this paper, the primary aim is to look at the fundamental melting/solidification processes of polyethylene glycol 1500 (PEG 1500) for energy storage - insulation to prolong the cooling time of pipelines in unexpected shut-down conditions, prevent/minimize the wax deposition, and hydrate formation. Polyethylene glycol 1500 was selected because its melting temperature is >317 K making it a suitable candidate as lagging material to prevent wax deposition and hydrate formation in subsea oil pipelines. Experim [...]

by Kazushige Kimura  , James F. Reichert  , Omid Ranjbar Pouya  , Ahmad Byagowi  , Xikui Wang  , Debbie M. Kelly  and Zahra Moussavi

Received: 25 May 2018;  Published: 09 August 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1803007

Background: In this paper, we describe the design of a virtual environment (VE) using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to scan and replicate a real environment (RE) in a virtual domain. Compared to using a CAD software, SLAM allows for the replication of an RE quite easily and quickly. Methods: To test the user’s performance in a SLAM-based VE, we developed an immersive virtual reality setup using a specialized wheelchair (VRNChair) and a head mounted display (Oculus Rift DK2), and employed a knowledge [...]

by Raúl E. Cian  , Antonela G. Garzón  , Micaela Albarracín  and Silvina R. Drago

Received: 14 April 2023;  Published: 19 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2303018

This work aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, bioactive compounds (phenolics and γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA), and antioxidant properties of different barley varieties (Overture, Charles, Sinfonía, Montoya, and Andreia) and their malts to weigh up them as potential ingredients for producing new bio-functional foods. For this, five barleys and five malts obtained from them were studied. Regarding chemical composition, total starch was the main component (≈62%) of barleys followed by total di [...]

by Mark Stoneking

Received: 10 April 2017;  Published: 02 June 2017;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1702004

none, this is an opinion piece

by Alan J Pearce

Received: 05 July 2019;  Published: 27 September 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1903042

Background: Sport-related concussion is a growing public health concern. Defined as a injury that disturbs neurological functions, concussion is characterised by a constellation of signs and symptoms. However, clinical imaging methods do not reveal any structural damage. Recently, neurophysiological techniques such as single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are being applied to quantify neurophysiological changes (specifically corticospinal and intracortical excitation and intracortical inhi [...]