Producción Científica

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic highlighted the necessity and limitations of scientific collaboration and equitable and effective international research partnerships. The spread of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) presents severe public health challenges, particularly in Southeast Asia. Addressing these threats requires establishing regional priorities, bridging research gaps, and strengthening long-term international collaboration. We propose a practical approach to multifaceted perspectives to enhance collaboration across Asia. This study examines MBD-related scientific publications from nine Southeast Asian countries between January 2017 and June 2024, utilizing bibliometric analysis and data visualization to identify research trends, research capacities, key institutions, and international collaborative partners. Thailand and Singapore led the dengue research, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia. Vietnam and the Philippines demonstrated moderate research capabilities, whereas Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar had lower capacities. Relationships with high-income countries drove international collaboration, whereas intra-regional collaboration in Southeast Asia increased. Furthermore, we identified directions for cooperative opportunities between South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries by analyzing their relative research capacities for infectious MBDs. We propose a practical approach to bridge research-capacity gaps and strengthen collaboration between low- and middle-income countries. These findings provide fundamental information for developing future infectious-disease-response strategies and international-collaboration research partnerships and facilitate the implementation of effective global public health preparedness policies and evidence-based decision-making, such as knowledge-transfer and resource-sharing.

Study Design: Bibliometric analysis. Objective: This study explored the current research status, hotspots, and trends in the application of endoscopic techniques for treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Background: Endoscopic techniques are widely used to treat LDH, but there are no bibliometric studies on endoscopic technology and LDH. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection database was used as the data source. Based on the principles of bibliometrics, we apply VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to conduct the data statistics and visual analysis. Results: A total of 965 studies were included, with 11893 citations (12.32 per study). The top 3 countries with the largest number of papers published are China (529), South Korea (164), and the United States (108). Yong Ahn and Jin-Sung Kim are prolific authors in this field. Representative academic journals are World Neuroscience, Pain Physician, and BioMed Research International. The results of keyword cooccurrence analysis indicate that the research topics in this field in the past decade have mainly focused on microdiscectomy, complications, percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, decompression, and the learning curve. Keyword burst analysis suggested that endoscopic drug injection and the identification of risk factors for LDH are the frontiers and trends for future research. Conclusion: The application of endoscopic techniques for LDH has received widespread attention from researchers, and research in this field has focused on percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, endoscopic decompression, complications, and the learning curve of endoscopic techniques. Future research trends will focus on the efficacy of endoscopic drug injection therapy for LDH and the identification of risk factors for LDH treatment failure.

Background: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a potent treatment for degenerative joint disorders. Bilateral total joint arthroplasty (BTJA) encompasses both bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) and bilateral total hip arthroplasty (BTHA). Both BTKA and BTHA can be performed as either a simultaneous procedure or a staged procedure. The goal of this study was to investigate trends in BTJA research, including pertinent authors, journals, countries, and papers. We also evaluated frequent keywords and topics to predict potential future study fields. Methods: Articles published between 1982 and 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection of Clarivate Analyt-ics. The search query included “hip” OR “knee“ (Topic) AND “arthroplasty“ OR “replacement“ (Topic) AND “bilateral“ OR “simul-taneous“ (Topic) AND 1992–2022 (Year published) AND Article (Document type). Metrics were imported for further analysis with Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Results: A total of 736 articles associated with BTJA were retrieved, originating from 44 countries with the United States being the biggest contributor. Top institutions were Cornell University and Ewha Womans University. Kim YH was the most productive and impactful author. The Journal of Arthroplasty had the highest impact and the greatest number of articles and citations. Williams Russo had the most cited article. Co-occurrence visualizations highlighted predominant topics in the literature. Conclusions: Since 1982, there has been a growing interest in BTJA research. The United States institutions have been the primary providers in global scholarly production. This bibliometric analysis identified previous, present, and emergent tendencies in BTJA with the goal of forecasting new potential hotspots.

As of the 7th of July 2024, 775,754,322 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 7,053,902 deaths worldwide, had been reported to the WHO (World Health Organization). Nevertheless, untill the 15th of July 2024, a total of 13,578,710,228 vaccine doses had been administered, with almost no country spared from COVID-19 attacks. The pathophysiology of this virus is complicated, and several symptoms require a deep understanding of the actual mechanisms. It is unclear why some patients develop severe symptoms while others do not, although literature suggests a role for vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the infection or in ameliorating the severity of symptoms. The mechanism of action of vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is well understood. VDD is associated with increased hospitalization of severely ill patients and increased levels of COVID-19-caused mortality. Recent studies suggest that vitamin D levels and genetic variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene significantly impact the severity and outcomes of COVID-19, especially in the infections caused by Delta and Omicron variants. Furthermore, VDD causes immune system dysregulation upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, indicating that vitamin D sufficiency is crucial in fighting against COVID-19 infection. The therapeutic effect of vitamin D raises interest in its potential role as a prophylactic and treatment adjunct. We evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D and its ability to enhance the efficacy of new antiviral drugs like molnupiravir and paxlovid against SARS-CoV-2. This review discusses the role of vitamin D sufficiency and VDD in COVID-19 initiation and progression, emphasizing the molecular mechanisms by which vitamin D exerts its actions as a proactive step for the next pandemic. However, there is still no clear evidence of vitamin D’s impact on prevention and treatment, leading to contradictory findings. Therefore, large-scale randomized trials are required to reach a definitive conclusion. A bibliometric analysis of publications related to vitamin D, immunity, and COVID-19 revealed a significant increase in research activity in this area, particularly in 2020–2024, underscoring the growing recognition of vitamin D’s potential role in the context of the pandemic.