Global population surpasses eight billion: Are we ready for the next billion?

Paranoid About Androids: A Review of Robotics in Radiology

In tandem with the ever-increasing global population, the demand for diagnostic radiology service provision is on the rise and at a disproportionate rate compared to the number of radiologists available to practice. The current "revolution in robotics" promises to alleviate personnel shortages in many sectors of industry, including medicine. Despite negative depictions of robots in popular culture, their multiple potential benefits cannot be overlooked, in particular when it comes to health service provision. The type of robots used for interventional procedures are largely robotic-assistance devices, such as the Da Vinci surgical robot. Advances have also been made with regards to robots for image-guided percutaneous needle placement, which have demonstrated superior accuracy compared to manual methods. It is likely that artificial intelligence will come to play a key role in the field of robotics and will result in an increase in the levels of robotic autonomy attainable. However, this concept is not without ethical and legal considerations, most notably who is responsible should an error occur; the physician, the robot manufacturer, software engineers, or the robot itself? Efforts have been made to legislate in order to protect against the potentially harmful effects of unexplainable "black-box" decision outputs of artificial intelligence systems. In order to be accepted by patients, studies have shown that the perceived level of trustworthiness and predictability of robots is crucial. Ultimately, effective, widespread implementation of medical robotic systems will be contingent on developers remaining cognizant of factors that increase human acceptance, as well as ensuring compliance with regulations.

Analysis of research status and trends on nano-agricultural application: a bibliometric study

Introduction

The rapid global population growth and limitations of traditional agricultural practices have resulted in inadequate nutrient supply. Nano-agricultural technology presents significant potential for enhancing crop growth and resistance, reducing stresses, and providing economic benefits with lower environmental risks.

Methods

In this study, a bibliometric analysis of nano-agricultural applications was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection, and 2,626 publications from 2000 to 2023 were identified, with an exponential increase in both publications and citations.

Results and discussion

European and Asian countries and institutions are more actively involved, although USA produces the highest-quality papers. Additionally, this field has evolved through two stages: the first stage (2000-2016) focused on the toxicology of nanomaterials (NMs), while the second stage (2017-present) emphasizes NMs as nanofertilizers to promote crop growth, and as nanoregulators or nanopesticides to enhance crop resistance against biotic stress and abiotic stress. Finally, future research perspectives were also proposed, including the optimalizations of NMs, the investigations of the behavior and bioavailability of NMs driven by rhizosphere and phyllosphere process, interdisciplinary collaboration across various fields, the application of NMs from laboratory to the field, and the long-term environmental behaviors and assessments of NMs in diverse ecosystems. Overall, this bibliometric study provides a valuable reference for understanding the development of this field and pinpointing research frontiers.

Using lifestyle interventions and the gut microbiota to improve PTSD symptoms

Posttraumatic stress disorder is part of a spectrum of psychological symptoms that are frequently linked with a single defining traumatic experience. Symptoms can vary over the lifespan in intensity based on additional life stressors, individual stability, and connectedness to purpose. Historically, treatment has centered on psychotropic agents and individual and group therapy to increase the individual's window of tolerance, improve emotional dysregulation, and strengthen relationships. Unfortunately, there is a growing segment of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder who do not respond to these traditional treatments, perhaps because they do not address the multidirectional relationships between chronic cortisol, changes in the brain gut microbiota system, neuroinflammation, and posttraumatic symptoms. We will review the literature and explain how trauma impacts the neuroendocrine and neuroimmunology within the brain, how these processes influence the brain gut microbiota system, and provide a mechanism for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Finally, we will show how the lifestyle psychiatry model provides symptom amelioration.

AI-assisted literature exploration of innovative Chinese medicine formulas

Objective: Our study provides an innovative approach to exploring herbal formulas that contribute to the promotion of sustainability and biodiversity conservation. We employ data mining, integrating keyword extraction, association rules, and LSTM-based generative models to analyze classical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) texts. We systematically decode classical Chinese medical literature, conduct statistical analyses, and link these historical texts with modern pharmacogenomic references to explore potential alternatives. Methods: We present a novel iterative keyword extraction approach for discerning diverse herbs in historical TCM texts from the Pu-Ji Fang copies. Utilizing association rules, we uncover previously unexplored herb pairs. To bridge classical TCM herbal pairs with modern genetic relationships, we conduct gene-herb searches in PubMed and statistically validate this genetic literature as supporting evidence. We have expanded on the present work by developing a generative language model for suggesting innovative TCM formulations based on textual herb combinations. Results: We collected associations with 7,664 PubMed cross-search entries for gene-herb and 934 for Shenqifuzheng Injection as a positive control. We analyzed 16,384 keyword combinations from Pu-Ji Fang's 426 volumes, employing statistical methods to probe gene-herb associations, focusing on examining differences among the target genes and Pu-Ji Fang herbs. Conclusion: Analyzing Pu-Ji Fang reveals a historical focus on flavor over medicinal aspects in TCM. We extend our work on developing a generative model from classical textual keywords to rapidly produces novel herbal compositions or TCM formulations. This integrated approach enhances our comprehension of TCM by merging ancient text analysis, modern genetic research, and generative modeling.

The impact of research on health education/health literacy on policymaking in Latin America and the Caribbean Region

Background

In this study, we addressed the gap between health research and policymaking in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), focusing on health education/health literacy. Despite growing research, translating findings into effective policies needs to be improved. We explored the factors that make research on health education and health literacy to be referenced and mentioned in policy documents in LAC (and in Peru). We proposed a model based on the hypothesis that the relationship between research and policymaking depends on the research strength of scientific evidence, timing, and social media activity.

Methods

A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Quantitative data sources included multidisciplinary databases, altmetric data, and citations of policy documents. For data analysis, we obtained descriptive statistics to identify patterns and then verified the association between variables using χ2. The negative binomial regression was used to test the empirical model introduced above. Quantitative analysis was complemented by analysis of responses to a set of open questions from a sample of Peruvian health policymakers.

Results

We found that timing, strength of evidence, and social media activity were significant predictors of research cited in policy documents. Policy documents tended to rely more on qualitative evidence. A positive correlation between timing and cites in policy documents highlighted the importance of timely dissemination, whereas social media activity, while having an impact, had a relatively minor effect. Peruvian policymakers' responses emphasized the role of political context, the relevance of results, and policymakers' commitment to incorporating research into policies.

Conclusion

Strength of evidence, social media engagement, and publication timing are key predictors of citations for health education/literacy research in LAC policy documents. However, qualitative findings highlight challenges, including some distrust in research findings, together with limited access to relevant research. The findings offer opportunities to enhance evidence-informed health education/health literacy policy decisions.

Implications

To increase the influence on health policymakers, researchers should prioritize the timely dissemination of solid evidence, considering both traditional and digital platforms. Policymakers should focus on the quality and relevance of evidence when formulating policies.