Purpose: This study aimed to determine the associations of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values with the molecular and histological subtypes of adult-type diffuse gliomas classified in accordance with the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, fifth edition (WHO CNS5). Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and Google Scholar were searched to identify relevant studies up to December 2025. The search and selection strategies followed the relevant items of the PRISMA 2020 statement. Open-access studies, written in English, that targeted the imaging characterization of adult-type diffuse gliomas classified based on WHO CNS5 and presented quantitative ADC data were included. Studies targeting pediatric gliomas, adult gliomas classified after prior editions of the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System or not presenting numerical ADC values were excluded. Due to high heterogeneity in imaging methodologies, ADC acquisition, ADC quantification and diagnostic targets, meta-analysis was not considered methodologically appropriate. Instead, quantitative data are further presented through a structured narrative synthesis. The quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. This review was not registered and received no funding. Results: Fifteen eligible studies were selected, including a total of 1706 glioma patients. The reported ADC metrics and imaging protocols presented significant variability across studies. IDH-wildtype gliomas exhibited the lowest ADC values (0.78–1.48 × 10⁻ ³ mm ² /s). An inverse correlation between the histological grade and ADC values was observed. The mean ADC sensitivity for IDH status ranged from 65.4% to 85.9%, with a broader range in diagnostic specificity (35–91.4%). Conclusion: ADC may serve as an accessible imaging biomarker for the noninvasive characterization and differential diagnosis of WHO CNS5-classified adult-type diffuse gliomas. However, its stand-alone diagnostic utility remains limited due to the heterogeneity in acquisition, measurement and reporting methods, which show overlapping of ADC values between tumor subtypes and variable diagnostic performance. Furthermore, variability in reporting and methodology limits the standardization of diagnostic thresholds.

Infertility is generally defined as the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. premature ovarian failure (POF) is a cause of female infertility, being estimated to affect 1% of the general population. This condition represents a loss of hormonal and germinative activity of the ovaries due to a lack in the number of active follicles in women under 40 years old. Regenerative medicine represents a complex therapeutic option and it consists of technologies such as the use of stem cells, tissue engineering, and gene therapy alone or in different combinations. Although the boundaries of regenerative medicine are not clearly outlined at present, this paper is aiming to review its possibility of treatment in the future in what concerns POF, focusing more on the use of stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy could be a feasible therapeutic approach for POF as the cells can be easily obtained. However, additional clinical studies are needed because until now the majority of the literature focuses on animal models for the evaluation of the role of stem cells on treating POF. Additionally, the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) approach for POF should be kept in mind as it was shown to be useful in the regeneration of multiple types of tissue.

(1) Background: Augmented reality (AR) simulation may accelerate psychomotor skill acquisition in clinical education, but comparative evidence is scarce. This three-arm randomized controlled trial compared AR simulation, basic task-trainer simulation, and lecture-based instruction for urinary catheterization training. We hypothesized that AR would be associated with higher performance compared to the other two methods. (2) Methods: Primary outcomes included male and female catheterization skills assessed with checklists. Secondary outcomes included knowledge and confidence. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests constituted the primary analysis; Kruskal–Wallis tests and Bayesian ANOVA provided convergent evidence. (3) Results: A total of 176 trainees were assigned to AR simulation, basic simulator, or lecture-only control groups (N = 60, 58, and 58, respectively). AR simulation was associated with higher skill scores than both basic simulation and the control for male catheterization (p < 0.001, η² = 0.574) and female catheterization (p < 0.001, η² = 0.535), with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 3.11, AR vs. control). Knowledge showed no group difference (p = 0.11). Confidence moderately favored AR (d = 0.69 vs. Control). Bayesian analysis supported a high probability of AR outperforming Control. (4) Conclusions: AR simulation training was associated with superior catheterization skills compared to both basic simulation and lecture-based instruction, with large effect sizes observed across both frequentist and Bayesian analyses. Knowledge was consistent across groups, suggesting a possible ceiling effect.

Handheld devices have made hands-on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training more accessible, but evidence from routine undergraduate teaching remains limited. We describe the implementation and immediate outcomes of a short abdominal POCUS workshop using wireless handheld devices. In this prospective single-group pre–post pilot study, 70 medical students in Bucharest, Romania, each attended one of six identical three-hour workshops (one-hour lecture and two hours of supervised peer scanning). The primary outcome was the change in a 10-item knowledge test score; secondary outcomes were post-training practical task performance, self-assessed competence and satisfaction. All 70 students completed both assessments. Knowledge scores increased from 6.04 ± 1.76 to 7.77 ± 1.54 (mean change 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.27–2.18; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d_z = 0.90). After training, 57 students (81.4%) completed all three practical tasks. Self-assessed competence rose from 1.98 to 4.07 on a 1–5 scale (p < 0.001), and at least 98.6% of students rated course conduct, theory–practice balance and interactivity 4 or 5 out of 5. The workshop was successfully delivered, well accepted and associated with higher immediate knowledge test scores. Because the design was uncontrolled and the identical test was repeated immediately, the effect of training cannot be separated from a testing effect.

Background/Objectives: Minimally invasive surgical techniques require precise psychomotor skills distinct from those used in traditional surgery. Simulation-based training is essential for skill acquisition without patient risk. This study compared two prevalent training methodologies: the Origami-Box-Folding Exercise (OBFE) and Outside-the-Box Knot-Tying Exercise (OBTKE). Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 84 surgical residents (34 OBFE, 50 OBTKE) from General Surgery, Obstetrics–Gynecology, and Urology underwent pre- and post-intervention assessments. Performance metrics included completion times for surgical and square knots, out-of-visual-field instrument instances, needle drops, tissue lesions, and self-assessment via 5-point Likert scales. Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software quantified performance objectively. Data were analyzed using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for within-group comparisons and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for between-group differences. Results: Both methodologies significantly improved surgical knot-tying performance. Surgical knot completion time decreased by 316.65 s (OBFE) and 360 s (OBTKE) with no significant between-group difference (p = 0.96). For square knots, OBFE exhibited significantly greater improvement with a 278 s reduction versus 169 s for OBTKE (p = 0.02). Technical errors decreased similarly in both groups. OBFE showed greater improvement in self-rated surgical knot knowledge (p = 0.03) and larger effect sizes for self-assessment measures (0.84–0.87 vs. 0.77–0.85). Conclusions: Both OBFE and OBTKE effectively improve laparoscopic skills in surgical residents. OBFE is particularly beneficial for square knot efficiency and self-rated knowledge enhancement, while OBTKE focuses on targeted knot-tying training. These findings support the implementation of both methodologies in surgical education, potentially in sequence—OBFE for foundational skills and OBTKE for advanced refinement.