Safety Assessment of Graphene-Based Materials.

Graphene is the first 2D atomic crystal, and its isolation heralded a new era in materials science with the emergence of several other atomically thin materials displaying multifunctional properties. The safety assessment of new materials is often something of an afterthought, but in the case of graphene, the initial isolation and characterization of the material was soon followed by the assessment of its potential impact on living systems. The Graphene Flagship project addressed the health and environmental aspects of graphene and other 2D materials, providing an instructive lesson in interdisciplinarity - from materials science to biology.

Exploring tele-speech therapy: A scoping review of interventions, applications, benefits, and challenges.

Background: Speech disorders can significantly impact communication, social interaction, and overall quality of life, affecting individuals of all ages. Telespeech therapy has emerged as an innovative solution, leveraging technology to provide accessible and effective speech interventions remotely. This approach offers flexibility and convenience, addressing barriers such as geographical limitations and scheduling conflicts.

AI Thinking: a framework for rethinking artificial intelligence in practice.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work with information across disciplines and practical contexts. A growing range of disciplines are now involved in studying, developing and assessing the use of AI in practice, but these disciplines often employ conflicting understandings of what AI is and what is involved in its use. New, interdisciplinary approaches are needed to bridge competing conceptualizations of AI in practice and help shape the future of AI use.

Ethics, One Health approaches, and SDGs: conference lessons for an emerging field.

One Health ethics is an emerging field that has gained traction since its origin in approximately 2015. This article builds upon the insights shared during a panel discussion on at the 28th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Society Conference. The conference, themed aimed to advance and expand recent knowledge in the field.

Context matters: How to research vaccine attitudes and uptake after the COVID-19 crisis.

The pandemic dramatically accelerated research on vaccine attitudes and uptake, a field which mobilizes researchers from the social sciences and humanities as well as biomedical and public health disciplines. The field has the potential to contribute much more, but the growth in research and the deeper connections between disciplines brings challenges as well as opportunities. This perspective article assesses the recent development of the field, exploring progress whilst emphasizing that not enough attention has been paid to national and local contexts.

Polio outbreaks in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era: causes and solutions.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted polio immunization programs worldwide. The consequences of these programs' suspension were not fully presented during the COVID-19 pandemic, as some take time to present in a population. We conducted a narrative review to provide a perspective of current literature on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts made for poliomyelitis eradication.

[ÉCHINOPS Project: Collaborating with Law Enforcement to Help the Escapees of the Healthcare System].

Objectives In Canada, it is estimated that 5 to 31% of police interventions involve people with mental health disorders. The objective of this review of the scientific literature is to raise a myriad of issues in the approach to these patients in the community. We then illustrate this context with a Montreal initiative: The ÉCHINOPS Project (Hybrid Community Team for Innovative Interventions NPO-Psychiatry-SPVM).

Independent SAGE as an example of effective public dialogue on scientific research.

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020 and then a pandemic on 11 March 2020. In early 2020, a group of UK scientists volunteered to provide the public with up-to-date and transparent scientific information. The group formed the Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Independent SAGE) and provided live weekly briefings to the public via YouTube.

Validation requirements for AI-based intervention-evaluation in aging and longevity research and practice.

The field of aging and longevity research is overwhelmed by vast amounts of data, calling for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Large Language Models (LLMs), for the evaluation of geroprotective interventions. Such evaluations should be correct, useful, comprehensive, explainable, and they should consider causality, interdisciplinarity, adherence to standards, longitudinal data and known aging biology. In particular, comprehensive analyses should go beyond comparing data based on canonical biomedical databases, suggesting the use of AI to interpret changes in biomarkers and outcomes.

Formulating recommendations to improve care for persons living with dementia: deliberative dialogues with multiple stakeholders in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Background: Persons living with dementia and their care partners encounter many challenges within the health and social care system, including lack of information, support, counselling, and access to community services, as well as significant staff turnover in home care services. The objective of this study was to work with multiple stakeholders to formulate relevant and feasible recommendations to improve care for persons living with dementia and their care partners in Quebec, Canada.

Methods: We conducted deliberative dialogues in the context of a large mixed methods study on the care of persons living with dementia and care partners.

Orofacial pain and dysfunction in patients with special needs, with a focus on interdisciplinarity.

People with special needs, like those with Down syndrome, Parkinson disease, or dementia, frequently suffer from orofacial pain conditions and dysfunction of the masticatory system. However, the accurate assessment of orofacial pain and dysfunction in such individuals is challenging. In this review, the complexities of assessing and managing orofacial pain and dysfunction in special needs populations will be described, along with their comorbid orofacial conditions like impaired oral health, salivary problems, and movement disorders of the masticatory system.

Assessment of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A 6-Month Follow-Up Study.

Background/objectives: The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common one, with long-term therapeutic and prognostic impact. In view of the high pulmonary and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, self-management contributes to decreasing the risk of an acute cardiac event or pulmonary decompensation.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study on 100 patients admitted to Iasi Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital who were divided into two groups according to the presence (67 patients) or absence (33 patients) of MetS.

HPV infection and endometrial polyps: insights from a case-control study.

Background: Endometrial polyps are common benign lesions characterized by localized overgrowths of endometrial tissue within the uterine cavity. The etiology and pathogenesis of these polyps remain unclear. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, known for its association with various genital tract conditions, has been investigated concerning endometrial polyps, although research in this area is limited.

Uneasiness in interdisciplinary research and the importance of metaphors: A case story on building an interdisciplinary chronic pain research team.

Interdisciplinary research is increasingly recognized as a key method to tackle complex societal challenges and stimulate creativity to find innovative solutions. Our key goal when starting our collaboration was to come to innovative ways of treating chronic pain. An ambitious goal that requires out-of-the-box and high-risk-high-gain research.

A national platform for advancing self-care processes for the most common illnesses and conditions: designing, evaluating, and implementing.

Background: Effective self-care practices are crucial for maintaining health and well-being, as inadequate self-care can lead to increased health risks and decreased overall quality of life. To address these issues, one promising approach involves leveraging progressive web app (PWA) platforms to educate and empower individuals with necessary self-care services. This study aims to design, implement, and evaluate a national self-care PWA platform, aiming to enhance accessibility and effectiveness in promoting health and self-care practices.

Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Training in Neuroscience: Insights from the Human Brain Project Education Programme.

Neuroscience education is challenged by rapidly evolving technology and the development of interdisciplinary approaches for brain research. The Human Brain Project (HBP) Education Programme aimed to address the need for interdisciplinary expertise in brain research by equipping a new generation of researchers with skills across neuroscience, medicine, and information technology. Over its ten year duration, the programme engaged over 1,300 experts and attracted more than 5,500 participants from various scientific disciplines in its blended learning curriculum, specialised schools and workshops, and events fostering dialogue among early-career researchers.

Engineering the Functional Expansion of Microneedles.

Microneedles (MNs), composed of an array of micro-sized needles and a supporting base, have transcended their initial use to replace hypodermic needles in drug delivery and fluid collection, advancing toward multifunctional platforms. In this review, four major areas are summarized in interdisciplinary engineering approaches combined with MNs technology. First, electronics engineering, the most extensively researched field, enables applications in biomonitoring, electrical stimulation, and closed-loop theranostics through the generation, transmission, and transformation of electrical signals.

Arterial Hypertension: Novel Pharmacological Targets and Future Perspectives.

Arterial hypertension (HTN) is one of the major global contributors to cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality, particularly due to its impact on vital organs and the coexistence of various comorbidities such as chronic renal disease, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases, and obesity. Regardless of the accessibility of several well-established pharmacological treatments, the percentage of patients achieving adequate blood pressure (BP) control is still significantly lower than recommended levels. Therefore, the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of HTN is currently the major focus of healthcare systems.

Accounting for extinction dynamics unifies the geological and biological histories of Indo-Australian Archipelago.

Biogeographical reconstructions of the Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) have suggested a recent spread across the Sunda and Sahul shelves of lineages with diverse origins, which appears to be congruent with a geological history of recent tectonic uplift in the region. However, this scenario is challenged by new geological evidence suggesting that the Sunda shelf was never submerged prior to the Pliocene, casting doubt on the interpretation of recent uplift and the correspondence of evidence from biogeography and geology. A mismatch between geological and biogeographical data may occur if analyses ignore the dynamics of extinct lineages, because this may add uncertainty to the timing and origin of clades in biogeographical reconstructions.

Distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria in dental unit waterlines: A potential health hazard in the dental office.

Background: It is essential to control the microbiology of dental unit water lines (DUWs) to prevent the spread of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and associated oral diseases. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify the presence of NTM in the water of 112 DUWs from dental centers and 57 DUWs from individual dental offices in Tehran, Iran.

Methods: A total of 169 water samples were collected from DUWs.

Split Reporters Facilitate Monitoring of Gene Expression and Peptide Production in Linear Cell-Free Transcription-Translation Systems.

Cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) systems expressing genes from linear dsDNA enable the rapid prototyping of genetic devices while avoiding cloning steps. However, repetitive inclusion of a reporter gene is an incompressible cost and sometimes accounts for most of the synthesized DNA length. Here we present reporter systems based on split-GFP systems that reassemble into functional fluorescent proteins and can be used to monitor gene expression in TXTL.

Interdisciplinary teaching squares enhance reflection and collegiality: A collaborative pedagogical approach.

Aim: To explore the experiences of interdisciplinary Higher Educational Academics within Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy and Biomedical Science in the use of teaching squares as a formative, collaborative pedagogical tool to promote reflection.

Background: One approach to enhancing academic teaching practice involves the provision of feedback to individual academics. This approach can be challenging for the reviewer, hence other less intimidating approaches are popular.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy worldwide and its associated factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has taken a toll on humans, and the development of effective vaccines has been a promising tool to end the pandemic. However, for a vaccination program to be successful, a considerable proportion of the community must be vaccinated. Hence, public acceptance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines has become the key to controlling the pandemic.

Slow convergence: Career impediments to interdisciplinary biomedical research.

Despite the long-standing calls for increased levels of interdisciplinary research as a way to address society's grand challenges, most science is still disciplinary. To understand the slow rate of convergence to more interdisciplinary research, we examine 154,021 researchers who received a PhD in a biomedical field between 1970 and 2013, measuring the interdisciplinarity of their articles using the disciplinary composition of references. We provide a range of evidence that interdisciplinary research is impactful, but that those who conduct it face early career impediments.