Empowerment Program

This study explored residents’ awareness, behaviors, and key factors affecting sustainable waste management in Mogadishu, Somalia. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, it examined how awareness of waste management principles influences household waste handling practices and identified factors that facilitate or hinder this process. A descriptive quantitative research design was used, employing structured questionnaires administered to residents. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests in SPSS version 27. The results showed moderate awareness of health and environmental risks associated with improper waste disposal, along with a limited understanding of environmentally safe disposal methods and waste categorization. Significant differences were found across education levels in awareness of safe disposal methods (χ² (4) = 17.295, p = 0.002) and knowledge of recyclable waste (χ² (4) = 16.877, p = 0.002). Additionally, familiarity with local waste management rules (ρ = 0.394, p < 0.01) and regular waste separation routines (ρ = 0.469, p < 0.01) showed strong positive correlations with actual waste management behaviors. Although many residents reported practicing proper waste disposal, consistent implementation remained difficult, revealing a persistent gap between knowledge and action. Access to reliable waste collection services, community support, and educational programs emerged as crucial enablers of sustainable waste management. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for combined educational, institutional, and infrastructural strategies to enhance sustainable waste management and advance Sustainable Development Goals 3, 11, and 12.

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed chelation‐assisted CH activation has emerged as an important tool in modern organic synthesis. Small‐molecule heterocyclic compounds, owing to their distinctive electronic properties and spatial configurations, exhibit diverse pharmacological effects. Consequently, research on their synthetic methodologies has garnered substantial attention from both academia and industry. In recent years, researchers have developed a series of tandem strategies integrating CH activation with classical named reactions, providing novel approaches for the efficient construction of heterocyclic frameworks. This review summarizes recent advances in transition‐metal‐catalyzed tandem CH activation/named reaction strategies in facilitating heterocycle assembly, while providing in‐depth mechanistic analysis of the tandem processes.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the foundation of current clinical treatment guidelines. However, they may not reflect real-world populations, due to strict eligibility criteria. We determined the proportion of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) receiving maintenance antidepressant treatment in routine care who would be ineligible for RCTs, and compared their outcomes with those who were eligible. Utilizing specialized health care registers in Finland (2004-2018) and Sweden (2006-2021), we identified adults diagnosed with non-psychotic MDD (ICD-10: F32, F33) who were stabilized on maintenance antidepressant monotherapy. Through multidisciplinary expert consensus on latest meta-analytic evidence, we derived a standardized list of RCT inclusion and exclusion criteria. These criteria were systematically applied to classify individuals as RCT-eligible or RCT-ineligible. We then used Cox proportional models to derive hazard ratios (HRs) of a composite primary outcome of hospitalization due to any psychiatric reason or suicide attempt, and all-cause mortality, during a 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were treatment changes (i.e., discontinuation, switch or augmentation) and psychiatric sick leave ≥2 weeks. A total of 73,720 individuals in Finland and 135,092 in Sweden were included. More than one third of patients with MDD (33.5% in Finland and 35.3% in Sweden) were found to be ineligible for RCTs. The most common reasons for ineligibility were comorbidities (serious somatic disease, other psychiatric disorders, or substance use disorder). RCT-ineligible individuals had more than twice the risk of the composite primary outcome compared to eligible individuals (HR=2.44, 95% CI: 2.15-2.76 in Finland; HR=2.61, 95% CI: 2.37-2.87 in Sweden). Approximately one third of the composite primary outcome was attributable to RCT-ineligibility factors (32.5%, 95% CI: 27.9-37.1 for Finland; 36.2%, 95% CI: 32.6-39.8 for Sweden). Risk of treatment change was slightly but significantly higher in ineligible individuals. Findings were consistent in a wide range of sensitivity analyses. We conclude that more inclusive eligibility criteria for RCTs, and their integration with real-world data, are needed to improve the generalizability of antidepressant trial evidence and MDD clinical treatment guidelines.

Introduction: Good quality sleep is essential for a healthy mind and body. An increase in screen time due to online classes and lack of schedule during the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown could have led to altered sleep-wake cycles among upcoming doctors. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the screen time and sleep pattern among future doctors of India during the lockdown and to check for the association between the same. Methods: An online, cross-sectional study was conducted among the next generation of doctors across India in the age group of 18–25 years. The convenient sampling technique was adopted and data were collected through Google Forms using two standard questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the screen-time questionnaire. A total of 591 out of 607 received responses were complete and therefore analyzed using SPSS v21.0. Results: Among the total 591 participants, the mean age was 20.84 ± 1.33 years, the majority were females (70.7%), and they were in their second year of medical school (40.3%). The average weekday screen time was found to be high (6–12 h), which affected subjective sleep quality ( P = 0.001), and the average weekend screen time was also high (6–12 h), which had an impact on sleep latency ( P = 0.025) and subjective sleep quality ( P = 0.025). Conclusions: High screen exposure resulted in suboptimal sleep quality, sleep latency, and daytime dysfunction. Therefore, structured planning of online training, screen time, and awareness regarding adjustment of screen brightness and hazards of prolonged screen time are important for optimal sleep hygiene.

This article investigates the detrimental impact of bribery, both monetary and sexual, on academic integrity, institutional credibility, and graduate employability within global educational systems. Academic corruption, particularly in the form of “sex-for-grades” and “money-for-grades,” has become an alarming ethical and institutional crisis undermining higher education’s core purpose. Drawing on recent scholarly works and international case studies, the paper illustrates how such practices compromise academic standards, erode fairness, and produce graduates ill-equipped for professional competence. The findings reveal that these unethical practices distort meritocratic assessment, weaken institutional trust, and perpetuate cycles of mediocrity and corruption. Although the study draws primarily on secondary sources, thereby limiting contextual specificity, it highlights the urgent need for empirical, localized investigations to enrich the evidence base. The article concludes by recommending reforms in institutional governance, enforcement of anti-corruption policies, and integration of ethics education to safeguard academic integrity and enhance graduate employability.

Abstract The evaluation of NAD+-boosting compounds in human skeletal muscle is hindered by limitations of traditional 2D cultures and animal models. Human-relevant, three-dimensional (3D) engineered skeletal muscle organoids offer a promising platform to assess the biological effects of metabolic modulation. Here we engineered 3D human skeletal muscle organoids to investigate the impact of dihydronicotinamide riboside (NRH), a potent NAD+ precursor. Sustained exposure to high NRH concentrations (500 µM) enhanced early differentiation markers, including increased myotube fusion and fast-twitch fiber area, but concurrently induced structural defects such as disrupted sarcomeric organization, enlarged acetylcholine receptor clusters, and impaired acetylcholine-stimulated calcium signaling. These results reveal that excessive and sustained NAD+ elevation can uncouple rapid differentiation from proper maturation in muscle tissue. Our results highlight the importance of dose and duration optimization for NAD+-boosting compounds and establish 3D engineered muscle organoids as a valuable non-animal platform for mechanistic toxicology and preclinical safety assessment.