Asian Health, Science and Technology Reports

Content

2026-05-01T16:04:18+07:00

Content

Editorial Board

2026-05-01T16:05:37+07:00

Editorial Board

Editorial Notes

2026-06-16T10:32:16+07:00

Editorial Notes

Digital Twins in Dentistry: Technological Foundations and Clinical Applications

2026-03-19T09:36:41+07:00

Digital twins have become a powerful new trend in dentistry, enabled by advancements in multimodality imaging, artificial intelligence (AI), and numerical simulation. Dental digital twins are living, data-driven virtual counterparts to a patient’s oral and craniofacial anatomy that allow real-time modeling, prediction, and optimization of clinical treatment. This review aimed to gather current knowledge about technical concepts, clinical fields, limitations, and future challenges of digital twins in dentistry. These key enabling technologies (including cone-beam computed tomography, intraoral scanning, facial surface imaging, and deep learning-based segmentation) contribute to accurate anatomical reconstruction and the generation of automated models. From a clinical perspective, digital twins appear particularly promising for implant planning, simulation of orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery, and patient communication. Research suggests that this technology may improve accuracy, workflow efficiency, and patient involvement. Many challenges, however, persist in regard to insufficient clinical validation; poor interoperability; high infrastructure requirements and authority issues in data access use cases . New modalities such as Internet of Things (IoT)-driven monitoring, blockchain-verified data sharing, and the integration of genomic information with biomechanical models may expand the range of applications for dental digital twins, enabling precision dentistry. Despite significant progress, digital twins are a developing technology. Scalability for clinical use will require robust evidence, standardized protocols, regulatory guidance, and ethical and societal considerations. Digital twins have significant potential to transform practice, education, and research in dentistry, but their benefits could be widespread only with responsible development and broad clinical evaluation.

Burnout and Sleep Health: Epidemiology and Policy Implications in Healthcare Workers

2026-05-27T16:33:34+07:00

Burnout and sleep disturbance are increasingly recognized as interconnected occupational health problems among healthcare workers, particularly in professions characterized by shift work, prolonged working hours, high emotional demands, and insufficient recovery time. This narrative review aimed to synthesize current evidence regarding the bidirectional relationship between burnout and sleep disturbance, describe potential biological, circadian, and cognitive-behavioral mechanisms underlying this interaction, and discuss organizational and policy implications relevant to healthcare workforce sustainability and patient safety. A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies published up to January 2026. The review included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, mechanistic studies, cross-sectional studies, and organizational and policy-related literature relevant to burnout and sleep among healthcare workers. Current evidence suggests that chronic occupational stress and burnout are associated with poor sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, circadian disruption, and impaired recovery, while persistent sleep disturbance may further increase stress vulnerability, emotional exhaustion, and reduced coping capacity. Proposed mechanisms include HPA-axis dysregulation, autonomic hyperarousal, inflammatory activation, circadian misalignment, rumination, and pre-sleep cognitive arousal. Epidemiological evidence consistently shows higher burnout and sleep-related problems among nurses, resident physicians, and shift-working healthcare personnel. Burnout-related sleep impairment has also been associated with reduced work performance, absenteeism, medical errors, and workforce instability. From an organizational perspective, burnout prevention should not rely solely on individual resilience strategies. Practical approaches may include adequate rest periods between shifts, circadian-informed scheduling, fatigue risk management systems, supportive leadership, staffing support, and workplace cultures that recognize sleep and recovery as important components of patient safety and workforce sustainability. However, most currently available evidence remains cross-sectional or mechanistic in nature. Further longitudinal and interventional research is needed, particularly in healthcare settings in Thailand.

Aviation Career within Generation Y and Z Behaviour in Vitamin Supplement and Healthy Food Consumption

2026-04-07T15:05:51+07:00

This study investigated health-conscious consumption perceptions toward vitamin supplements and healthy food products among Generation Y and Generation Z employees in the aviation industry. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-method design, qualitative data from in-depth interviews with five aviation professionals informed the development of a quantitative survey administered to 400 airline employees in Bangkok, Thailand. Five dimensions of consumer health-consciousness were examined: product quality, informativeness, reliability, brand image, and perceived value. Independent-samples t-tests revealed significant generational differences: Generation Y placed greater emphasis on reliability (t = 4.12, p < .001, d = 0.43), whereas Generation Z placed greater emphasis on brand image (t = -3.98, p < .001, d = 0.40). These findings offer practical guidance for aviation organizations, supplement producers, and food industry stakeholders in tailoring strategies to the distinct health-related preferences of younger workforce cohorts.

Prevalence and Distribution of Protozoan Parasite Contamination in Fresh Vegetables from Bang Khla District, Chachoengsao Province, Thailand

2026-05-15T17:46:29+07:00

Intestinal protozoan infections pose a significant public health concern, particularly for children and the elderly. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and distribution of protozoan cysts and oocysts in fresh vegetables grown in Bang Khla District, Thailand. The analysis employed the sedimentation technique and modified acid-fast staining method to analyze a total of 369 samples encompassing nine commonly consumed vegetable types collected from cultivation plots. The prevalence of four protozoan species was detected: Cryptosporidium spp. (11.9%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (7.6%), Blastocystis sp. (3.5%), and Giardia spp. (1.9%). Notably, there was a statistically significant variation in contamination rates across different types of fresh vegetables (p < 0.05). Among the nine vegetable types, water spinach exhibited the highest contamination rate (70.7%), followed by coriander (36.6%), lettuce (34.1%), celery and kale (each at 22.0%), hoary basil and sweet basil (each at 12.2%), spring onion (9.8%), and yardlong bean (4.9%). The high contamination observed in water spinach, a semi-aquatic plant, suggests a potential role of irrigation water as an important source of protozoan contamination. The consumption of raw vegetables, particularly water spinach, may therefore pose a significant risk for the transmission of protozoan infections. These findings underscore the importance of food safety practices, including proper washing and cooking, as well as improved management of irrigation water and cultivation environments. This study provides important evidence supporting the need for strengthened environmental sanitation, targeted public health interventions, and further research on contamination pathways in agricultural systems.

Heavy Metals and Microbial Loads in Freshly Made Plantain Snacks ‘Dodo-Ikire’ from Production Sites in Nigeria

2026-04-20T10:03:45+07:00

Plantain snack, locally called Dodo-Ikire, is produced from ripe plantain in Nigeria. The report on plantain snacks from the retailer’s point-of-sale calls for attention to the production centers for establishing effective food safety interventions; hence, the need to assess them for microbial load and heavy metals at that stage. This study evaluated the microbiological quality and heavy metal profiles of Dodo-Ikire across five major production hotspots in Nigeria. Microbial analysis revealed that samples from Molalere and Isale Abata exhibited the highest Escherichia coli counts (3.01 × 10⁶ CFU/g and 2.35 × 10⁵ CFU/g, respectively). phosphorus (P), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) across all sites; however, concentrations did not exceed established maximum permissible limits, while lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) remained undetected. Although the tested parameters currently fall within tolerable limits set by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), the presence of E. coli, yeasts, molds, chromium, and cadmium highlights marginal processing quality. This study bridges a critical gap by shifting the food safety focus from retail to the point of production, providing essential baseline data on heavy metal and microbial contamination. Consequently, there is an urgent need to implement targeted hygiene education regarding the health threats posed by these contaminants. Establishing rigorous surveillance for ready-to-eat plantain snacks will ultimately safeguard consumers while protecting the economic viability of traditional food markets.