The crisis of the global mental health is still gaining momentum, with yearly increasing rates of prevalence of mental disorders and the lacking ability of the health systems to respond to the ascending demand for psychological services. This load is exacerbating especially in low- and middle-income countries in which access to well-trained mental health specialists is still limited. To address these challenges, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the promising solutions, which provides scalable and cost-effective, highly personalized ways of caring for mental health. This study addresses the current and emerging uses of AI in psychotherapy range from AI-aided therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy platforms, real-time emotion detection algorithms, and virtual reality environments for therapy. It critically examines some of the key implementation issues, including technological constraints of AI, cultural acceptance of machine-aided therapy and urgent ethical considerations of data privacy, consent as well as clinical supervision. Also, it recognizes controlling variables such as the quality of the therapeutic alliance, character and characteristics of individual clients, the ability of the therapist to be adaptable, all of which contribute to the success of AI-integrated interventions. It therefore concludes by giving strategic recommendations on how ethical and inclusive AI technology can be deployed in psychotherapy. It recommends blended care models that maintain irreplaceable human components of therapy as it exploits technological innovation. With such integration, AI will be able to make a considerable difference in the access, treatment engagement, and better therapeutic outcomes across the globe.

Background: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive X-linked recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by the absence of functional dystrophin protein, leading to degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscle fibers. Early clinical signs such as toe walking, delayed motor milestones, and frequent falls are often subtle and may be mistaken for benign developmental variations, contributing to delayed diagnosis. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 9-year-old boy referred to the physiotherapy department with persistent gait abnormalities and a history of seizures starting at 1.5 years of age. Early motor development was globally delayed, with sustained toe walking noted throughout early childhood. Muscle biopsy revealed a significant reduction in delta-sarcoglycan expression, raising suspicion for dystrophinopathy. Genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis of DMD. Further evaluation revealed subtle white matter changes on brain MRI, minor cardiac involvement on echocardiography, and early respiratory compromise. Discussion: This case highlights an atypical presentation of DMD, complicated by early-onset seizures, and underscores the diagnostic challenges in such presentations. The physiotherapist played a pivotal role in early recognition of red flags during gait assessment, which facilitated timely referral for multidisciplinary evaluation. Conclusion: Early identification and intervention are critical in DMD to optimize functional outcomes and initiate supportive management. This case reinforces the importance of a multidisciplinary approach—including physiotherapy, neurology, cardiology, pulmonology, and genetics—in managing complex neuromuscular disorders and improving quality of life.

Bacterial contamination on high-touch surfaces in healthcare and office environments poses a significant public health risk, contributing to the spread of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. This study assessed the bacteriological profiles of hand-touch surfaces in administrative offices at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Nigeria, using a cross-sectional design. A total of 10 samples were collected from shared desks, toilet flushers, door knobs, light switches, and keyboards using sterile swabs and analyzed for bacterial load and species identification. Results revealed substantial contamination across all surfaces, with total bacterial counts ranging from 1.0 × 10² to 2.0 × 10⁴ CFU/mL. Shared desks and keyboards exhibited the highest contamination levels, while fecal coliforms were detected in shared desks, door knobs, and keyboards, indicating poor hygiene practices. Five bacterial species were isolated: Staphylococcus aureus (37.04%), Streptococcus spp. (25.93%), Enterobacter spp. (14.81%), Proteus spp. (11.11%), and Bacillus cereus (11.11%). Staphylococcus aureus, a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, was the most prevalent. Statistical analysis showed no significant association between bacterial isolates and surface type (p = 0.952), suggesting contamination was driven by environmental exposure and inadequate hygiene rather than surface material. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced infection control measures, including regular disinfection of high-touch surfaces, hand hygiene promotion, and staff training on microbial transmission risks. Implementing touchless technologies and routine microbiological monitoring in high-traffic areas is recommended to mitigate infection risks. This study highlights the critical role of environmental hygiene in preventing pathogen transmission in healthcare settings and calls for institutional policies to enforce stricter sanitation protocols. By addressing these gaps, healthcare facilities can reduce the burden of surface-mediated infections and safeguard both staff and patient health.

Objective: In this study, we applied the “Six-Zone Lung Point of Care Ultrasonography Scanning Protocol” (6-ZONE), in which the patient is in a sitting position and the lung parenchymal tissue is evaluated from 6 different regions, in order to reduce the risk of droplet transmission to the practitioner. Our aim is to determine the diagnostic value of 6-ZONE in the emergency department (ED) and to determine the correlation between 6-ZONE and computed tomography (CT) results. Material and Methods: This prospective observational clinical study included 50 patients who presented to the ED with suspicion of COVID-19. All participants underwent thorax CT, 6-ZONE and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test, but the reference diagnostic method was determined as thorax CT. Results: According to 6-ZONE, 52% of the patients (n=26) were evaluated as COVID-19 pneumonia. However, 6-ZONE was found to be false positive in 2 patients and false negative in 3 patients. Accordingly, the sensitivity of 6-ZONE was calculated as 96.3%, specificity as 89.6%, positive predictive value as 94%, and negative predictive value as 86.6%. Conclusions: 6-ZONE performed in the ED for suspected COVID-19 diagnosis has high sensitivity and specificity, and 6-ZONE application may preferred.

Background: Postnatal care (PNC) & Neonatal care is an important part of maternal care, as serious and life-threatening complications can occur in the postpartum period & premature period, even in a woman who had an uneventful pregnancy and delivery. Utilization of Postnatal & neonatal care services is very vital to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity as well as good health of children for the developing country like Nepal. A postnatal care service was utilized very less by people than antenatal services. Therefore, a proper understanding for the utilization of postnatal & neonatal care services during postnatal & neonatal period is important for the sound health of both mother and newborn. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 157 mothers. Purposive sampling was adapted for area selection while the respondents were selected by using snow-ball sampling method. A semi structured questionnaire was prepared whereas face to face interview was done for information collection. The privacy and confidentiality of the collected data was maintained. Findings: Only about half of the respondents i.e. 56.1% had attended postnatal care services during their last pregnancy and only about one-third of the respondents (40.9%) had complete PNC whereas about 95.45% of them received their first PNC checkup within 24 hours. The study shows that, out of total respondents who had utilized PNC services, about 95.5% of respondents were satisfied with the PNC services provided in health institution. Lack of awareness about the importance of PNC services is the main reason with 46.4% behind not utilized PNC services. Similarly, majority of respondents (64.3%) said they had no proper transportation facility to visit health center. Conclusion: The study reveals that about only half of the respondent (mothers) had utilized Postnatal and Neonatal care services. Postnatal and Neonatal care was provided by either doctor or nurse in the health institutions among which most of them had first postnatal care within 24 hours of delivery. Lack of the awareness about the importance of postnatal and neonatal care services is the main reason behind not utilizing PNC and Neonatal care services. Similarly, about one-third of respondent had no proper transportation facility to visit health center which can be another major barrier for the utilization of postnatal and neonatal care service.