Global Perspective Research Articles

Integrating Humanities into Medical Education

Humanities are essential to medical training as they enhance scientific understanding with compassion, ethical decision-making and cultural sensitivity, promoting holistic health care providers. Integrating humanities into medical curricula emphasizes their impact on emotional intelligence, narrative medicine, communication skills, and ethical judgment. Based on diverse methodologies and theoretical frameworks such as narrative medicine and emotional intelligence, this review demonstrates how humanities enhance observational skills, empathy, and professionalism. Innovative strategies that blend medical education with the humanities, such as theater-based learning, art-based observation, and museum visits, are currently being adopted into medical training. Nonetheless, various implementation barriers, such as inadequate assessment tools, excessive workload, and skepticism, affect the successful integration of humanities into medical practice. From a global perspective, disparities in humanities integration between high-income and low-income countries become apparent, highlighting the need for scalable and culturally adapted solutions. Further studies focusing on longitudinal aspects, standardized assessment tools, and approaches to improve accessibility in resource-limited settings are warranted to fill these gaps. This review adds to the argument that the humanities are critical to medical education for building competent, compassionate, and ethically grounded healthcare providers.

Reconstructed Southeastern European Identities in the Tourist Western World: Phenomenological Research

The article analyzes the experiences of modern Southeastern Europeans regarding social and economic mobility in Western tourist areas. It aims to investigate Southeastern European seasonal workers who have not remained silent, even after their visas expired in developed countries. This study seeks to understand how these Southeastern European identities are constructed while working as immigrant students, conceptualizing language learning, and contributing as multicultural members in a service-oriented tourist society. In higher education, within a democratic paradigm, the content of ethnographic and global sociolinguistic literature is supported by cultural capital, where constructed identities are understood from a critical perspective. This study uses qualitative data underpinning Husserl’s phenomenology. Qualitative methods include interview protocols, ethnographic observations, and individual narratives. Overarching themes from seven semi-experienced individuals in Southeastern Europe who faced accountability, intercultural adaptation, and educational integration reflect the progressive education that evolved from home to the new tourist world abroad. The findings revealed three main themes: individual acculturation, evolved identity view, and social incisiveness in a multicultural society. Furthermore, Southeastern European immigration rises daily and collaboratively, opening new global perspectives in educational policies, global citizenship education, and social justice curricula within the hospitality industry, where tourists' identities seek protection for their initial Western jobs. These findings suggest that, through an experiential curriculum, ESL learners integrate Southeastern potential tourist workers and become students to understand social and economic perspectives while incorporating them into corporate higher education. The implications contemplate how tourist identity is formed, transformed, and plays a significant role in modern society, with limited potential in the Western tourist world. The policy challenges of higher education for immigrants, such as those from Southeastern Europe affected by the brain drain phenomenon, emphasize social injustice, language barriers, and cultural anxiety. Therefore, higher education policy acknowledges this vulnerable group of Southeastern individuals and creates educational pathways for social and emotional support.

A Global Perspective on Metabolically Driven Primary Liver Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges.

A Global Perspective on Metabolically Driven Primary Liver Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges.

Global perspectives to enhance strategies for advancing women in healthcare and STEMM leadership.

The discourse surrounding gender equity has intensified recently, amplified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the critical underrepresentation of women in leadership roles across various sectors including the media and healthcare. In medical research, this disparity is particularly pronounced, with women often excluded from senior positions despite their substantial presence in the workforce. This review seeks to explore the multifaceted issue of gender inequity in medical research leadership, examining the systemic barriers that women face, the socioeconomic factors that compound these challenges and the global variations in leadership representation of women. Diverse leadership teams are essential for fostering medical innovation, improving patient outcomes and ensuring that clinical trials and medical research are effective, inclusive and representative. The underrepresentation of women in leadership roles is not merely a matter of gender bias; it is intricately linked to socioeconomic factors that hinder their advancement. Women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face additional obstacles, such as limited access to education and professional networks, which further exacerbate their underrepresentation in leadership positions. Moreover, cultural and societal norms play a significant role in shaping the career trajectories of women. As a group of immunologists, including representatives of the International Union of Immunological Sciences (IUIS) Gender Equity Committee, we review the causes of these inequities. We examine the impact of gender-diverse leadership on pre-clinical and medical research, emphasizing the need for inclusive leadership to drive progress in medical research and resulting healthcare. Finally, the review proposes strategies for improving gender equity in medical research leadership, including policy changes, organizational initiatives and societal shifts. By addressing these critical issues, this review contributes to the ongoing efforts to promote gender equity in medical research, ultimately enhancing the quality and inclusiveness of scientific inquiry and its impact on healthcare delivery.

Global Perspectives on Lead Contamination and Health Risks in Surface Water, Rice Grains, and Soils

ABSTRACTLead (Pb), a pervasive and highly toxic metal, and poses significant environmental and health risks due to its extensive biogeochemical cycling, driven by anthropogenic activities. This review evaluates the health hazards allied with Pb contamination in surface water bodies, soils, and rice grains, based on a comprehensive analysis (2015–2024) of 118, 133, and 102 literature studies, respectively. The year‐wise assessment of Pb concentration in surface water bodies and soils frequently exceeded their permissible limits in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. However, the mean Pb concentration in rice grains consistently surpassed the Codex Alimentarius limit (2.5 μg/g) across the analyzed years. Geographically, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and China surpassed their limits for surface water bodies, rice grains and soils, emphasizing regional vulnerabilities. Health risk analysis indicated hazard quotient values exceeding one for children and adults in surface water bodies and rice grains, exhibiting significant non‐carcinogenic risks. In soils, dermal exposure identified as the predominant pathways contributing to health hazard followed by ingestion, while inhalation presented the lower risk. These findings emphasize the imperative necessitate for implementing strict regulatory frameworks and preventive measures to mitigate Pb contamination in the environment and minimize its potential health impacts. This study advances understanding of Pb exposure pathways and risks, offering valuable insights for targeted mitigation strategies and public health interventions.

Estrategias En Telepsicología Y Telemedicina Durante Pandemia Por COVID 19. Revisión Sistemática.

Since the year 2020, the necessity to provide remote healthcare services has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to slow down the spread of this disease. Although these efforts have been valued, they have implied different challenges and still are insufficient from a global perspective. A review of the literature was found pertinent to identify in retrospect the strategies adopted, enabling a synthesis of their results, allowing, among other things, that future projects can work from what has been learned. Therefore, the objective was: to identify strategies for the promotion, prevention, and mental health care during and after confinement by COVID-19 from the literature review. For this, a systematic review was carried out that included four databases: PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, and Science Direct. Among the most contrasted results, these strategies were found as opportune means that facilitate the streamlining of processes, results, and communications. Among its difficulties, the following stood out: the quality of care, diagnostic limitations, treatment adherence, and the lack of training, both for health personnel and for users/patients.

Development of Higher Vocational Education and Innovative Talent Cultivation Practices in a Selected University in Haikou City, China

This study explores the implementation of higher vocational education (HVE) reforms and innovative talent cultivation practices in Haikou City, China. Using mixed methods, the research examines administrative strategies in global perspectives, curriculum development, faculty development, infrastructure and resources, research and innovation, and student support services. The findings revealed that while institutional efforts were generally rated as "Implemented," areas such as faculty development and collaboration were perceived as strengths, whereas research, student support, and innovative teaching methods required further enhancement. Significant differences in perceptions were observed based on demographic factors such as age, educational attainment, sex, and grade level, emphasizing the need for inclusive and equitable strategies. Correlation analysis underscored the interconnectedness between higher vocational education developments and talent cultivation practices, with global perspectives and curriculum development strongly linked to teaching innovation and ethical education.

Global parent perspectives on school food service internationally: A mixed papers narrative review.

The views of parents/caregivers about food programs in schools internationally is not well understood. This review aimed to synthesise what parents/caregivers identify as the key features of school food programs and their perspectives of these programs globally. A mixed papers review was undertaken with a systematic search (January 2024)and screening of three databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed). Eligible studies captured parent/caregiver perspectives across all school food models. Study findings were extracted using Bayesian methods to translate quantitative findings into qualitative data. Data was deductively categorised to identify features of school food models, and separately themed to identify parent perspectives. Twenty-six eligible studies were identified from 11 countries. Fifteen features were identified, including cost, time, effort and convenience, child preferences, nutrition, policy and messaging, eating environment and food education. Parent perspective themes were: child is the priority, lunchbox procurement, preparation and provision is challenging, school-provided meals have strengths and limitations, and parents acknowledge they are central to feeding. An overarching theme was that compromises must be made to meet the needs of family members, when parents make decisions on school food. This review found that globally parents perceive benefits and challenges to school food programs, regardless of provision model, with a range of features that influence parent acceptability. Considering parent/caregiver perspectives when developing or changing school food provision models is likely to increase caregiver acceptability, supporting children to engage with health promotion efforts.

Conservation implications of sex-specific daily movements of leopards: A global perspective

Conservation implications of sex-specific daily movements of leopards: A global perspective

Global perspectives on environmental policy innovations: Driving green tourism and consumer behavior in circular economy.

The tourism industry plays a pivotal role in both economic growth and environmental stewardship, making it essential to adopt practices that ensure long-term sustainability. This research aims at relating to the global concern of sustainable management in the tourism industry which is significant in eradicating the effects of environmental degradation as well as promoting economic development. The research problem focuses on exploring sustainable solutions for encouraging green tourism and implementing circular economy concepts. To address this, this study uses the Pythagorean Fuzzy Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (PF-SWARA) and Pythagorean Fuzzy Complex Proportional Assessment (PF-COPRAS) method to assess and rank the appropriate factors and strategies. From literature research and a consultation with the expert's panel, six factors and twenty-four significant factors have been uncovered. The PF-SWARA outcomes reveal that the most important factors are sustainable resource use (A2), ecosystem restoration (A4), and environmental regulations (A5), signifying that they play a critical role in the attainment of environmental sustainability. Subsequently, the PF-COPRAS analysis was conducted for seven strategic solutions to determine the most important strategy for furthering green tourism. Technological innovations promotion (S3) is the most crucial strategic approach for implementing circular economy concept in the tourism industry. While sustainable infrastructures (S5) and promoting green financing and investments (S2) are next key solutions for sustainable development of the tourism sector. The findings help policymakers and industry players to promote sustainable tourism in changing socio-environmental conditions.

Dynamic principal component analysis from a global perspective

Dynamic principal component analysis from a global perspective

Global perspectives on industrial wastewater management: A bibliometric analysis of research output

Global perspectives on industrial wastewater management: A bibliometric analysis of research output

The need for pediatric sleep education to enhance healthcare for children and adolescents: A global perspective from a survey of members of the international pediatric sleep association.

Sleep concerns have become increasingly common over the past few decades. This study outlines the perceived needs and gaps in pediatric sleep education, drawing insights from a diverse international cohort of pediatric sleep health professionals. International Pediatric Sleep Association (IPSA) members were invited to complete an online survey examining a variety of topics related to pediatric sleep education developed by the education committee. There were 111 survey respondents, largely comprised of medical healthcare providers, representing 39 countries. The majority of respondents worked with children and adolescents aged 0-18 years and endorsed the importance of both comprehensive and developmentally appropriate screening for sleep issues in clinical practice, ranging from bedtime behaviors and daytime dysfunction to sleep-related breathing and movement disorder symptoms. Respondents also stressed the importance of including diverse topics in pediatric sleep education, including behavioral sleep issues and sleep in neurodevelopmental disorders, thus underscoring the need for comprehensive training programs. Participants advocated for improved access to screening tools and intervention protocols. There was an identified notable gap in formal sleep education during professional training. Potential barriers identified included time constraints and a lack of resources. Preferences for training online and through professional organization websites underscored the importance of accessible learning platforms. Integrating online resources into education programs could enhance accessibility and engagement. The demand for enhanced sleep education underscores the complexity and significance of pediatric sleep health and highlights an urgent need for tailored and accessible sleep education programs to address the multifaceted challenges in pediatric sleep. Addressing educational needs helps cultivate a skilled workforce to manage pediatric sleep disorders and promote healthy sleep practices. Teaching activities and collaboration play crucial roles in advancing the pediatric sleep community.

Can artificial intelligence technology reduce carbon emissions? A global perspective

Can artificial intelligence technology reduce carbon emissions? A global perspective

A global perspective on the development and application of glacio-hydrological model

A global perspective on the development and application of glacio-hydrological model

Global trends in the revision of nutrient reference values and formulations for infants and toddlers.

Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) play an important role in nutrition labeling and nutrition and health claims based on scientific data. This study, with a global perspective, reviewed recent trends in NRVs for adults and their establishment for infants and toddlers. We searched for laws and regulations on official government websites for nutrition labeling in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Japan, the Codex Committee, and the European Union. NRV revisions have been made in the United States, Canada, and South Korea. In the United States and Canada, NRVs for most nutrients, including macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, were revised in 2016, reflecting updated Dietary Reference Intakes and new scientific findings. NRVs for infants and toddlers have already been formulated in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea and are used for nutrition labeling. However, concerns have been raised regarding the labeling of all foods with NRVs for infants and toddlers, which may result in challenges in distinguishing foods formulated under different standards as appropriate for infants and toddlers. This study highlights recent general NRV revisions and formulation status for infants and toddlers. This provides useful information for determining the basis for future updates and the development of NRVs in various countries.

Hospitalized Advanced HeartFailure With Preserved vs Reduced LeftVentricular Ejection Fraction: A Global Perspective.

Outcomes of hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF) and characteristics of advanced HF stage may vary across left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and world regions. This study sought to analyze characteristics of hospitalized advanced HF patients across LVEF spectrum, world regions, and country income. Among 18,553 hospitalized patients with acute HF (7,902 new-onset HF and 10,651 decompensated chronic HF) enrolled in the global registry REPORT-HF (International Registry to Assess Medical Practice With Longitudinal Observation for Treatment of HeartFailure), the authors analyzed characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced HF, defined as previously diagnosed HF; severe symptoms before current admission (NYHA functional class III/IV); and≥1 HF-related hospitalization in the preceding 12months, excluding the current. Differences among hospitalized advanced HF subgroups stratified by LVEF, world region, and country income were examined. Among 6,999 patients with decompensated chronic HF and available previous NYHA functional class and HF hospitalization status, 3,397 (48.5%; 18.3% of the total population) had advanced HF. Of these, 44.5% had severely reduced (≤30%), 34.9% mildly/moderately reduced (31%-49%), and 20.7% preserved (≥50%) LVEF. Patients from Eastern Europe had the lowest 1-year mortality (23%), whereas those from Southeast Asia had the highest (37%). Patients from lower-middle-income countries were younger, with shorter HF duration and lower comorbidity prevalence, received fewer beta-blockers and HF-devices, and had higher 1-year mortality (34%) than upper-middle-income (26%) or high-income countries (27%; P=0.018). Adjusted 1-year mortality risk did not differ among LVEF subgroups (all P > 0.05), nor did 1-year HF hospitalization rate (P=0.56). Hospitalized patients with advanced HF and preserved LVEF had similarly adverse outcomes as those with reduced LVEF. Patients from lower-middle-income countries had less implementation of HF therapies and higher 1-year mortality.

Prosodic Cues for Broad, Narrow, and Corrective Focus in Persian.

Previous studies have demonstrated that focus significantly alters sentential prosody in Persian. However, research on the phonetic realization of non-corrective narrow focus is scarce compared to that on broad and corrective focus. This paper presents a systematic production study investigating whether Persian speakers distinguish between three focus structures on target words that bear a pitch accent, that is, broad, narrow, and corrective focus. In a multidimensional phonetic analysis, we investigated the parameters of intensity, duration, and F0. Taking a local perspective, results show that the duration of the target word is a robust cue for focus marking in both syllables of the word, exhibiting a three-step pattern (corrective > narrow > broad). In the first syllable, intensity is a reliable cue to distinguish broad focus from the other two focus types, with higher intensities in broad focus. In the accented syllable, a different two-step pattern is observed, with narrow and corrective focus showing larger F0 spans than broad focus. Taking a global perspective that considers the parts of the utterance before and after the target word, we find a lowering of F0 and decreased intensity for narrow and corrective focus in the pre-target region. In the post-target region, we find strong evidence for differences in mean F0 and intensity with lower F0 in corrective focus than in broad and narrow focus, while the intensity is lower in narrow and corrective focus than in broad focus. Our analysis deepens our understanding of Persian prosody.

Measuring the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the activeness, efficiency and international collaboration of clinical trials

Abstract The disruption of clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic has been discussed widely. But no systemically study has quantitatively examined the multi-dimensional effect of COVID-19 on the clinical trials of non-COVID-19 diseases under a well-recognized disease classification system. By acquiring over 380,000 clinical trials from ClinicalTrials.gov and Dimensions, and automatically mapping trials with the WHO Global Health Estimates (GHE) cause category, this study explores the effect of COVID-19 on trials’ activeness, efficiency, and international collaboration. Beyond a global perspective, the granular comparative analysis using the USA, China, Japan, the UK as representative cases are conducted. Utilizing an interrupted time series model, we find that while aggregate number of trial registrations has remained relatively stable, there is a notable crowding-out effect for non-COVID-19 diseases, affecting both non-communicable and communicable diseases. Interestingly, despite heightened focus on COVID- 19 research, trial efficiency for other diseases remained largely unaffected. COVID-19 prompted increased global collaboration in clinical research. Through further categorization of sponsorship type and identification of digitized trials by text-mining analysis, we summarized and validated three potential factors to shed light on the observed effects of COVID-19 on clinical studies. Additionally, the valuable insights and essential lessons in managing unprecedented pandemics are discussed. Peer Review https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway/wos/peer-review/10.1162/qss_a_00354

Quantifying heat-related risks from urban heat island effects: A global urban expansion perspective

Quantifying heat-related risks from urban heat island effects: A global urban expansion perspective