Identification of putative volatile biomarkers of canine leishmaniasis in dog's breath and hair employing a novel algorithm for automated chromatographic peak detection and matching.

The analysis of the volatile compounds released by biological samples represents a promising approach for the non-invasive diagnosis of a disease. The present study, focused on a population of dogs infected with canine leishmaniasis, aimed to decipher the volatolomic profile associated with this disease in dogs, which represent the main animal reservoir for Leishmania pathogen transmission to humans. The volatiles emitted by the breath and hair of dogs were analysed employing the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique.

Insights into general practitioners' self-care across 38 countries during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The adoption of healthy self-care practices has proven necessary for professional life, as they often serve as a shield against stressors in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic created a high strain on general practitioners (GPs), contributing to increased workload, burnout, and anxiety. The present study aimed to identify self-care practices adopted by GPs amid the COVID-19 pandemic; and to explore the relationships between self-care practices and risk of distress.

Diverse roles of Primary Health Care in COVID-19 vaccination across 28 European countries - Insights from the Eurodata study.

Background: The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in several European countries involved collaboration between public health and Primary Health Care (PHC).

Objective: To highlight the role of PHC professionals in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, specifically in terms of vaccine administration, communication and contributing to vaccination population coverage.

Methods: A descriptive retrospective study of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign across 28 European countries was conducted, covering data from December 2020 to November 2021.

An exploration of available methods and tools to improve the efficiency of systematic review production: a scoping review.

Background: Systematic reviews (SRs) are time-consuming and labor-intensive to perform. With the growing number of scientific publications, the SR development process becomes even more laborious. This is problematic because timely SR evidence is essential for decision-making in evidence-based healthcare and policymaking.

Corrigendum: Time for micro-RNAs in steatotic liver disease: a case-control study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.

The Use of COVID-19 Mobile Apps in Connecting Patients with Primary Healthcare in 30 Countries: Eurodata Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated changes in European healthcare systems, with a significant proportion of COVID-19 cases being managed on an outpatient basis in primary healthcare (PHC). To alleviate the burden on healthcare facilities, many European countries developed contact-tracing apps and symptom checkers to identify potential cases. As the pandemic evolved, the European Union introduced the Digital COVID-19 Certificate for travel, which relies on vaccination, recent recovery, or negative test results.

Exploring the accessibility of primary health care data in Europe's COVID-19 response: developing key indicators for managing future pandemics (Eurodata study).

Background: Primary Health Care (PHC) plays a crucial role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 8% of cases requiring hospitalization. However, PHC COVID-19 data often goes unnoticed on European government dashboards and in media discussions. This project aims to examine official information on PHC patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, with specific objectives: (1) Describe PHC's clinical pathways for acute COVID-19 cases, including long-term care facilities, (2) Describe PHC COVID-19 pandemic indicators, (3) Develop COVID-19 PHC activity indicators, (4) Explain PHC's role in vaccination strategies, and (5) Create a PHC contingency plan for future pandemics.

The Impact of Aerobic Dance Intervention on Postural Balance in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of an 8-week aerobic dance intervention on postural balance in children. Forty-one children, aged 9 to 11, were randomly assigned to either an aerobic dance group (ADG) or a control group (CG) from a primary school. Postural balance was assessed using center of pressure (CoP) excursions before and after the 8-week intervention period.

The rise in popularity of central bank digital currencies. A systematic review.

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have been growing in popularity since 2018, as worldwide countries explore their impact and implementation options. This article analyzes the state of research around central bank digital currencies and the evolving landscape of CBDCs, and explores emerging areas of research and trends by using the PRISMA method and VOSviewer, with the goal of showing the main opportunities and challenges related to them. AMSTAR, DistillerSR, Eppi-Reviewer, ROBIS, and SRDR were the screening and quality evaluation tools employed for study eligibility criteria, design screening and content selection, text analysis data extraction, methodological quality predictors, and reliable and reproducible evidence assessment.

Caffeine Improves Sprint Time in Simulated Freestyle Swimming Competition but Not the Vertical Jump in Female Swimmers.

Caffeine (CAF) has been shown to be an effective ergogenic aid in enhancing sports performance, including vertical jump (VJ), sprint, balance, agility, and freestyle swimming performance (FSP). However, whether acute CAF supplementation improves FSP in moderately trained female swimmers has not been well documented. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of CAF intake on vertical jump, balance, auditory reaction time (ART), and swimming performance in female swimmers.

Yoga, a mindfulness therapy to prevent PTSD as to encompass athletes' performance.

Introduction: Yoga is one of the physical and mental activities used in elite sports training for risk prevention and medical rehabilitation in case of injuries caused by overtraining or accidents. This study examined the opinions of Romanian elite athletes and coaches on the feasibility of incorporating yoga practice into training regimens for purposes of injury prevention and medical recovery.

Methods: This study surveyed a group of 500 athletes, coaches, and medical personnel from three universities in Romania, all of which are part of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (PES).

Communication as a Key Performance Indicator in Employer Branding in the Context of the Social Economy-A Quantitative Study.

Performance measurement refers to the systematic evaluation and analysis of the performance and results of business processes, initiatives, or strategies. This study discusses the crucial role of communication using signaling theory in employer branding in the context of the social economy organization (SEO). The aim is to measure employee satisfaction in concrete terms and to determine the status quo of the communication culture of the organization under investigation in order to develop an employer branding strategy based on the results.

Time for micro-RNAs in steatotic liver disease: a case-control study.

One of the challenges of modern-day living is to resist the temptation of overfeeding and sedentariness and maintain a healthy body and mind. On a favorable genetic and epigenetic background, a high-fat diet combined with lack of physical exercise constitutes the foundation for severe metabolic disturbances including steatotic liver disease. In our case-control study, we had the aim of establishing the role of selected micro-RNAs-miR-122, miR-192, miR-33a, and miR-33b-as superior biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of steatotic liver in a 36-patient cohort compared to 12 healthy controls.

Primary care indicators for disease burden, monitoring and surveillance of COVID-19 in 31 European countries: Eurodata Study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of patients received ambulatory treatment, highlighting the importance of primary health care (PHC). However, there is limited knowledge regarding PHC workload in Europe during this period. The utilization of COVID-19 PHC indicators could facilitate the efficient monitoring and coordination of the pandemic response.

Acute effect of different doses of caffeinated chewing gum on exercise performance in caffeine-habituated male soccer players.

The ergogenic benefits of caffeine have been well established, but there is scarce research on its chewing gum form. The present research aimed to examine the effects of different doses (100 and 200 mg) of caffeinated chewing gum on muscle strength, vertical jump performance, and ball-kicking speed in trained male soccer players. In a double-blind, randomized counterbalanced, and crossover research design, 14 male soccer players (age = 22 ± 2 y; body mass = 74.

The role of primary health care in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in 30 European countries: a retrospective descriptive study (Eurodata study).

Background And Aim: Primary health care (PHC) supported long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in attending COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study is to describe the role of PHC in LTCFs in Europe during the early phase of the pandemic.

Methods: Retrospective descriptive study from 30 European countries using data from September 2020 collected with an ad hoc semi-structured questionnaire.

Spectrum Sensing, Clustering Algorithms, and Energy-Harvesting Technology for Cognitive-Radio-Based Internet-of-Things Networks.

The aim of this systematic review was to identify the correlations between spectrum sensing, clustering algorithms, and energy-harvesting technology for cognitive-radio-based internet of things (IoT) networks in terms of deep-learning-based, nonorthogonal, multiple-access techniques. The search results and screening procedures were configured with the use of a web-based Shiny app in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) flow design. AMSTAR, DistillerSR, Eppi-Reviewer, PICO Portal, Rayyan, and ROBIS were the review software systems harnessed for screening and quality assessment, while bibliometric mapping (dimensions) and layout algorithms (VOSviewer) configured data visualization and analysis.

Nudging Consumer Behavior with Social Marketing in Portugal: Can Perception Have an Influence over Trying Insect-Based Food?

Social marketing campaigns are widely used to inform, educate, communicate, and promote healthy behaviors that add benefits to the individual, but also to society and the environment. Considering the low cost and high quality of insect-based food, this research aims to identify the main factors which can be used by social marketing campaigns to help people to try new foods, such as insect-based food. Although it is considered an important alternative to protein, there are a few countries that have not experienced it.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) nanocomposites modified with even and odd chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was blended with medium-chain-length PHAs (mcl-PHAs) for improving its flexibility while nanocellulose (NC) was added as a reinforcing agent. Even and odd-chain-length PHAs, having as main component poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate) (PHO) or poly(3-hydroxynonanoate) (PHN) were synthesized and served as PHB modifiers. The effects of PHO and PHN on the morphology, thermal, mechanical and biodegradation behaviors of PHB were different, especially in the presence of NC.

Challenges during the realization of an international research project on leishmaniasis in Colombia.

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that belongs to the top 10 neglected tropical diseases. It mainly affects the poor population from tropical and subtropical areas of the World, which lacks sufficient resources and means to fight against this disease. With this in mind, the European Commission has funded an international collaborative research project in which are participating various institutions from South America, North Africa and Europe.

Delphi survey on the most promising areas and methods to improve systematic reviews' production and updating.

Background: Systematic reviews (SRs) are invaluable evidence syntheses, widely used in biomedicine and other scientific areas. Tremendous resources are being spent on the production and updating of SRs. There is a continuous need to automatize the process and use the workforce and resources to make it faster and more efficient.

Putative volatile biomarkers of bovine tuberculosis infection in breath, skin and feces of cattle.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease with significant impact on animal health, public health and international trade. Standard bTB screening in live cattle consists in injecting tuberculin and measuring the swelling at the place of injection few days later. This procedure is expensive, time-consuming, logistically challenging, and is not conclusive before performing confirmatory tests and additional analysis.