Articles

Antibiotics play an important role in both the prophylaxis and treatment of infectious diseases and are a cornerstone of modern healthcare. Antibiotics are lifesaving medicines and have enabled many advances in modern medicine. However, the more they are used, the less effective they become. Thus, the issues of their availability, selection, and appropriate use are of critical importance to the global community.

Heart failure (HF) stands out as a major reason for hospital admissions. Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Due to recent conflicting findings, this study aimed to investigate clinical outcomes based on serum vitamin D levels in hospitalized patients with HF.

Zebrafish xenograft models have become indispensable in cancer biology for their capacity to recapitulate key aspects of human tumor progression in a live vertebrate system. However, widespread adoption has been constrained by the technical demands of microinjection, which require extensive training, result in operator variability, and limit scalability. 

Dolutegravir (DTG), an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, is increasingly adopted as the preferred first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) due to its potent virological efficacy and high barrier to resistance. However, emerging safety concerns—such as reports of neural tube defects, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and hematological abnormalities including sideroblastic anemia—have raised important questions regarding its long-term safety profile.

In recent years, the incidence of endometrial cancer has continued to increase and tends to be younger. An increasing number of young patients wish to preserve reproductive function during treatment. Although progestin therapy has a high remission rate, some patients experience hormone resistance, recurrence, or even disease progression, making this traditional treatment unsuitable for everyone.

The intersection of computational neuroscience and environmental modeling has birthed novel algorithms that emulate brain-inspired emotional learning. One such contribution is the BELBFM (Brain Emotional Learning Based on Basic and Functional Memories) model, recently proposed for dual-height wind speed forecasting. While designed for meteorological applications, the structure and function of BELBFM echo principles long studied in neurobiology.

Extraforaminal spinal nerve stimulation (SNS) is an emerging neuromodulation technique for treating neuropathic pain. Targeting the spinal nerve distal to the intervertebral foramen enables anatomically precise stimulation, distinguishing it from conventional spinal cord or dorsal root ganglion stimulation. This article provides the first comprehensive description of the extraforaminal SNS approach, including technical refinements, anatomical insights, and clinical experience.

Hypoplastic internal carotid artery (HICA) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly, typically asymptomatic due to collateral circulation. However, in certain cases, it may present with ischemic stroke. We report a 17-year-old male with a history of smoking and illicit drug use who presented with acute left-sided weakness. Imaging revealed an infarct in the right middle cerebral artery territory and a hypoplastic right internal carotid artery.

The inability to communicate verbally does not in any way negate the possibility that an individual may be experiencing pain and may need appropriate treatment to relieve their pain. Pain can be expressed differently from one person to another. It can be difficult to decode and interpret and, as a result, can be underestimated by caregivers, particularly in people with multiple disabilities, due to their sensory specificities and unique communication modalities.

The validity of borderline personality disorder (BPD) has become an urgent issue in psychiatric nosology, with some proposing its absorption into complex posttraumatic stress disorder and others questioning its utility due to stigma. With planning for DSM-6 underway, reassessing the validity of BPD is both timely and necessary.

Spondylolysis, a defect of the pars interarticularis, is a frequent cause of low back pain in young adults. A 19-year-old male presented with a year of chronic pain that recently worsened, limiting ambulation. He denied trauma, fever, neurological symptoms, or bowel/bladder dysfunction. Examination revealed an antalgic gait without focal tenderness or deficits. Given the underlying chronicity and functional limitation in a young patient, lumbar radiographs were obtained, which demonstrated a pars defect at L4.

Treatment options for multiple myeloma (MM) have evolved significantly over the past four decades, improving overall survival (OS) through a deeper understanding of tumor biology and personalized treatment strategies. Key factors for individualizing therapy include eligibility for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), disease risk stratification, patient frailty, performance status, age, and comorbidities, aiming to maximize disease control while minimizing toxicity. 

Vitamin B12 deficiency remains a common and clinically significant condition, affecting hematologic, neurologic, and systemic health. Despite being preventable and easily treatable, its management continues to evolve as understanding of metabolism, absorption, and individualized therapy improves . The principal therapeutic goal is to restore adequate vitamin B12 levels to reverse anemia, prevent neurological complications, and maintain metabolic balance. Modern strategies now integrate precision supplementation, focusing on bioavailability, patient compliance, and mechanistic understanding.

Appendiceal endometriosis (AE) represents a clinically significant yet frequently overlooked manifestation of endometriosis that may contribute to persistent symptoms and suboptimal treatment outcomes. Multiple comprehensive reviews demonstrate that appendiceal involvement occurs in a notable percentage of women with endometriosis and can present with distinctive symptom patterns.

Early dropout from psychiatric care remains a persistent barrier to effective treatment. To investigate the role of therapeutic alliance and financial burden in contemporary treatment settings, we conducted a retrospective analysis using data from a large national telepsychiatry platform. The study included 796 adults (≥18 years) who completed at least two visits and had working alliance inventory-short revised (WAI-SR) scores within 45 days of their initial appointment. 

Electroencephalography (EEG) is undergoing a profound transformation, from a passive diagnostic tool to an active interface for communication, intervention, and neuroadaptive control. This commentary explores the current state and future trajectories of EEG-based technologies, focusing on emerging paradigms that redefine the role of the brain within technological and therapeutic environments. We begin by examining the digital present: while EEG systems are now more portable, connected, and computationally empowered than ever before, technical limitations and interpretive bottlenecks persist.

HIV programs worldwide have achieved remarkable gains toward viral suppression, transforming HIV from a fatal illness into a chronic condition for many. Despite these successes, a substantial proportion of people living with HIV (PLWH) continue to face poor health outcomes that extend well beyond viral control. Persistent social determinants of health and structural barriers, including poverty, stigma, discrimination, and disrupted health systems, limit access to prevention, treatment, and retention in care.

At the invitation from the editor of the Journal of Mental Health Disorders, the following commentary reflects on the possible ways in which a radical and progressive model of secondary education—the Seychelles National Youth Service—held out the prospect of changing the conditions for mental health and wellbeing of Seychellois people, both young and old. This invitation was prompted by the editor’s reading of an essay I wrote entitled ‘The Seychelles National Youth Service (NYS): Fragments, Thoughts and Reflections on an Experiment in Democratic Education’ for an edited collection entitled Designing Democratic Schools and Learning Environments a Global Perspective.

Keeping positive mental health is essential, as it promotes overall wellness, strengthens endurance, nurtures significant relationships, and provides a framework for personal as well as professional fulfilment. The present research investigates the complex associations between prosocial behavior, aggression, and positive mental health in a range of social conditions with the aim of discovering subtle variations influenced by age groups, gender, and the type of residence. In this study, 405 participants were recruited using multi-stage random sampling. 

The trafficking in persons for organ harvesting is a severe form of human trafficking occurring worldwide. In some countries, commercial organ harvesting is unrecognized as a criminal offense, and in a few countries, the means element of force, fraud, or coercion as established under international law is absent in domestic anti-human trafficking legislation. These shortcomings present significant obstacles for holding commercial organ brokers and corrupt medical facilities accountable for human rights violations against vulnerable people who give up their organs for little (and sometimes no) financial gain and a lifetime of physical and emotional health issues.