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The increasing interest in physical therapy in sports neurorehabilitation stems from the high incidence of neurological injuries among athletes and the crucial role of rehabilitation in facilitating their safe return to sports. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of research trends in physical therapy and neurorehabilitation in athletes. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 103 documents from the Scopus database, followed by a narrative review of the identified thematic areas. Together, these approaches offer a comprehensive overview of the international literature on the application of physical therapy in sports neurorehabilitation, highlighting key trends and contributors. The software VOSviewer and Power BI (2.136.1202.0) were used for the bibliometric analysis and the visualization of the results. Techniques such as performance analysis (documents per year, top sources and countries in documents, and top authors in citations) and science mapping (co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and co-occurrence) were conducted. The results revealed the journals and the authors with the greatest impact in the field and collaborations between various countries. From the co-occurrence analysis of the keywords, three key thematic clusters were identified, Clinical Approaches and Outcomes in Neurorehabilitation, Athlete-Centered Neurorehabilitation Techniques, and Specialized Interventions in Sports Medicine and Neurorehabilitation, which were used to conduct the narrative review. These findings provide a solid foundation for future research and clinical practice aimed at enhancing recovery times and overall performance in athletes with neurological injuries.

The recognition of playing styles in soccer has been established as highly significant in the performance analysis of the sport. The aim of this research was to clarify the terms used by authors to express this specific concept and to identify all recognized playing styles, examining their relationships, thereby creating a comprehensive framework. We employed a qualitative study design using a Grounded Theory approach. A rigorous process of open, axial, and selective coding was applied, involving nine researchers to ensure the reliability of the findings. Qualitative research data were obtained from documents found on Scopus and Google Scholar. After applying specific criteria, 205 documents were deemed suitable, with 22 of them necessary to achieve theoretical saturation, the point where no new properties, dimensions, or relationships emerge during analysis. The 22 documents were analyzed using Atlas.ti.23, identifying 84 codes, 40 of which were utilized as categories and 44 as subcategories. The set of codes categorized into six thematic folders. The analysis led to the identification of terms used to express the concept of style in the international literature and the recognition of playing styles used to characterize a team a) regardless of the game phases, b) in specific phases of the game, c) in specific sub-phases of the attack, d) based on the game phases that teams rely on for their tactics, and e) based on the teams’ physical performance. By synthesizing existing literature, we proposed a Grounded Theory that serves as a consensus point for researchers and coaches. This theory managed to overcome the limitations of individual studies and can serve as the foundation for effective communication within the soccer community, thus being a useful tool for future research, as well as for coaches, analysts, and scouts of the teams.

Our aim is to present an updated overview of the erythrocyte metabolism highlighting its richness and complexity. We have manually collected and connected the available biochemical pathways and integrated them into a functional metabolic map. The focus of this map is on the main biochemical pathways consisting of glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, redox metabolism, oxygen metabolism, purine/nucleoside metabolism, and membrane transport. Other recently emerging pathways are also curated, like the methionine salvage pathway, the glyoxalase system, carnitine metabolism, and the lands cycle, as well as remnants of the carboxylic acid metabolism. An additional goal of this review is to present the dynamics of erythrocyte metabolism, providing key numbers used to perform basic quantitative analyses. By synthesizing experimental and computational data, we conclude that glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and redox metabolism are the foundations of erythrocyte metabolism. Additionally, the erythrocyte can sense oxygen levels and oxidative stress adjusting its mechanics, metabolism, and function. In conclusion, fine-tuning of erythrocyte metabolism controls one of the most important biological processes, that is, oxygen loading, transport, and delivery.

The paper presents the most comprehensive and large-scale global study to date on how higher education students perceived the use of ChatGPT in early 2024. With a sample of 23,218 students from 109 countries and territories, the study reveals that students primarily used ChatGPT for brainstorming, summarizing texts, and finding research articles, with a few using it for professional and creative writing. They found it useful for simplifying complex information and summarizing content, but less reliable for providing information and supporting classroom learning, though some considered its information clearer than that from peers and teachers. Moreover, students agreed on the need for AI regulations at all levels due to concerns about ChatGPT promoting cheating, plagiarism, and social isolation. However, they believed ChatGPT could potentially enhance their access to knowledge and improve their learning experience, study efficiency, and chances of achieving good grades. While ChatGPT was perceived as effective in potentially improving AI literacy, digital communication, and content creation skills, it was less useful for interpersonal communication, decision-making, numeracy, native language proficiency, and the development of critical thinking skills. Students also felt that ChatGPT would boost demand for AI-related skills and facilitate remote work without significantly impacting unemployment. Emotionally, students mostly felt positive using ChatGPT, with curiosity and calmness being the most common emotions. Further examinations reveal variations in students’ perceptions across different socio-demographic and geographic factors, with key factors influencing students’ use of ChatGPT also being identified. Higher education institutions’ managers and teachers may benefit from these findings while formulating the curricula and instructions/regulations for ChatGPT use, as well as when designing the teaching methods and assessment tools. Moreover, policymakers may also consider the findings when formulating strategies for secondary and higher education system development, especially in light of changing labor market needs and related digital skills development. © 2025 Ravšelj et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Since the end of November 2023, the European Mortality Monitoring Network (EuroMOMO) has observed excess mortality in Europe. During weeks 48 2023–6 2024, preliminary results show a substantially increased rate of 95.3 (95% CI: 91.7–98.9) excess all-cause deaths per 100,000 person-years for all ages. This excess mortality is seen in adults aged 45 years and older, and coincides with widespread presence of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) observed in many European countries during the 2023/24 winter season. © 2024 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).