Genomics has revolutionized epidemiology and disease surveillance by providing powerful tools for identifying, tracking, and analyzing pathogens at the molecular level. This exploratory analysis examines the integration of genomic with traditional epidemiological approaches, highlighting the role of whole-genome sequencing as a key method for pathogen identification, outbreak investigation, and understanding transmission dynamics. By enabling the detection of mutations and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance, genomics allows for precise mapping of infection sources and transmission pathways, thereby improving the timeliness and accuracy of public health responses. Furthermore, genomic surveillance supports the early detection of emerging variants, such as those observed during viral outbreaks like COVID-19, facilitating proactive intervention strategies. Despite its transformative potential, challenges related to data privacy, infrastructure, and interdisciplinary collaboration persist. This analysis emphasizes the importance of genomics in building resilient surveillance systems to address future infectious disease threats and advocates for sustained investment in genomic technologies to advance global health security.

Identifying the inequalities associated with immunisation coverage among children is crucial. We investigated the factors associated with complete immunisation among 12- to 23-month-old children in five South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, using nationally representative data sets from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Descriptive statistics, bivariate association, and logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the prevalence and the factors in each country that affect the likelihood of full childhood immunisation coverage. The complete childhood immunisation coverage varied significantly within each country in South Asia. Afghanistan had the lowest immunisation rates (42.6%), whereas Bangladesh ranked the highest in complete childhood immunisation rates, at 88.2%. Similarly, 77.1% of Indian children, 79.2% of Nepali children, and 62.2% of Pakistani children were completely immunised. Household wealth status strongly correlated with full childhood immunisation in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan at the bivariate level. The results from the logistic regression showed that a higher maternal educational level had a statistically significant association with complete childhood immunisation in all countries compared to mothers who did not attend any school. In conclusion, the study revealed the inequalities of complete childhood immunisation within South Asia. Governments must be proactive in their endeavours to address universal and equitable vaccine coverage in collaboration with national and international stakeholders and in line with the relevant Sustainable Development Goals.

Climate change is an inevitable and urgent issue in the current world. African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a re-emerging viral animal disease. This study investigates the quantitative association between climate change and the potential spread of ASFV to a global extent. ASFV in wild boar outbreak locations recorded from 1 January 2019 to 29 July 2022 were sampled and investigated using the ecological distribution tool, the Maxent model, with WorldClim bioclimatic data as the predictor variables. The future impacts of climate change on ASFV distribution based on the model were scoped with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) scenarios of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) bioclimatic data for 2050 and 2070. The results show that precipitation of the driest month (Bio14) was the highest contributor, and annual mean temperature (Bio1) was obtained as the highest permutation importance variable on the spread of ASFV. Based on the analyzed scenarios, we found that the future climate is favourable for ASFV disease; only quantitative ratios are different and directly associated with climate change. The current study could be a reference material for wildlife health management, climate change issues, and World Health Organization sustainability goal 13: climate action.

Tourist arrivals play a vital role in the broader tourism ecosystem, substantially contributing to the economy. The global landscape has witnessed significant growth in international arrivals over the years, and Nepal has not been an exception to this trend, experiencing a steady influx of inbound tourists. Although tourist numbers are increasing, the lack of research in forecasting future arrivals is evident, highlighting the pressing need for comprehensive forecasting mechanisms to efficiently manage tourism resources and sustainably accommodate the growing influx of visitors. In order to gain insights into the dynamics of international tourist arrivals in Nepal, we conducted a comparative analysis using two distinct forecasting techniques: Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) and the Exponential Smoothing technique. Our analysis spanned from January 1992 to December 2023, enabling us to formulate forecasts for the upcoming months up to December 2030. The findings of our study underscore the suitability of all three models—namely, SARIMA, Winter Additive, and Winter Multiplicative—as effective tools for projecting international arrivals in Nepal. However, upon careful examination, the Winter Multiplicative model emerged as the most appropriate model for forecasting Nepal's international arrivals. This model aligned strongly with the observed data, enhancing its predictive accuracy. The implications of our research are far-reaching, offering valuable insights for various stakeholders within Nepal's tourism industry. These insights can guide tourism planners, policymakers, and other relevant entities in formulating well-informed strategies to strengthen and sustain the growth of the tourism sector in Nepal. As the nation continues to position itself on the global tourism map, equipped with data-driven forecasts, we believe that our study provides an essential resource for shaping the trajectory of Nepal's tourism industry in a positive direction.

Bioactive materials have recently shown potential in nerve repair and regeneration by promoting the growth of new cells, tissue repair, and restoring nerve function. These natural, synthetic, and hybrid materials offer a biomimetic structure, enhance cell attachment, and release bioactive molecules that promote the axonal extension of severed nerves. Scaffold-based preclinical studies have shown promising results on enhancing nerve repair; however, they are limited by the immune response and fabrication, scalability, and cost. Nevertheless, advances in manufacturing, including 3D bioprinting, and other strategies, such as gene editing by CRISPR, will overcome these shortcomings. The opportunity for the development of individualized approaches and specific treatment plans for each patient will also increase the effectiveness of bioactive materials for the treatment of nerve injuries. Combining bioactive materials with the neural interface can develop new reliable therapeutic solutions, particularly for neuroprosthetics. Finally, it is essential to stress a multidisciplinary focus, and future studies are needed to enhance the potential of bioactive materials for patients with nerve injuries and the field of regenerative medicine.

“eco.mont – Journal of Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management” was founded as a joint initiative of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas (ALPARC), the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR), the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Innsbruck. “eco.mont” offers a platform specifically for scientists and practitioners working in and on protected mountain areas in Europe and overseas. Target audiences of the journal are scientists from all related disciplines, managers of protected areas and an interested public including practitioners, visitors, teachers, etc.“eco.mont” is available by open access under CC BY-NC-ND-Licence from the Austrian Academy Press and in a printed version from Innsbruck University Press. Alpine protected areas play a key role in biodiversity conservation, but also in monitoring species and habitats. Since its first issue, eco.mont has published articles on long-term monitoring programmes in different areas of the Alps.