University of Medicine Tirana

First Reported Human Case of Primary Lymphocutaneous Nocardiosis Caused by Nocardia shinanonensis

Nocardia species are ubiquitous environmental microorganisms that can cause localized cutaneous, pulmonary or disseminated infections in humans. Primary cutaneous nocardiosis is uncommon and may present as cellulitis, abscesses, ulcers, granulomas or lymphocutaneous disease chara...

Urea Breath Test-Detected Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection, Awareness, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms Among University Students in Korce, Albania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Contemporary data on active Helicobacter pylori infection among university students in Albania are limited. This study estimated urea breath test (UBT)-detected prevalence and described awareness, self-reported knowledge, gastrointestinal symptoms, and prev...

Stress and Periodontal Disease: Reflections on the Integration of Stress and Lifestyle Management into Routine Periodontal Disease Prevention

This narrative review examines the role of psychological stress in periodontal disease and evaluates the evidence supporting stress-informed lifestyle and behavioural interventions within a proposed theoretical framework for stress reduction/regulation. The framework includes slo...

Microsurgical obliteration of a high-flow intraorbital arteriovenous malformation fed by the ophthalmic artery: Illustrative case

Background: Intraorbital arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are exceedingly rare high-flow vascular lesions that pose a direct threat to visual function through progressive proptosis, optic nerve compression, and retinal ischemia. When the ophthalmic artery (OA) constitutes one o...

Structural Determinants of Landfill Dependency in Emerging and Transition European Economies: A Fixed-Effects Panel Analysis

Despite a consolidated European policy framework, the transition toward a circular economy (CE) yields heterogeneous outcomes across countries, and the role of digital capacity remains contested. This paper examines the structural determinants of landfill dependency—a synthetic i...

Interest in geriatric medicine training among health and social care professionals: the roles of experience and attitudes. Findings from the online survey of the COST Action PROGRAMMING 21122

Abstract Background The growth of ageing populations is increasing the requirement for professionals trained to care for older adults. Aims To explore factors associated with interest in further training in geriatrics across health and social care professionals. Methods The COST...

How Does Tourism Development Shape Carbon Emissions in the Long-Run? An Empirical Investigation for Western Balkan Economies

Tourism, despite being popularly regarded as a leisure activity, is shaped by a complex set of influencing factors and itself generates complex consequences—economic, societal, and environmental. The interaction between economic growth, tourism, and the environment is a crucial p...

Preliminary Clinical Outcomes of an Alternating-Current-Assisted Implant Surface Decontamination Protocol: A Prospective Case Series with 12-Month Follow-Up

Background: Treatment of peri-implantitis remains challenging because biofilm removal from microstructured implant surfaces is often incomplete. The present study is an uncontrolled, prospective feasibility case series involving six patients (six implants), not a controlled clini...

From Product-Quality Complaints to Patient-Safety Triage: A Structured Narrative Review and Proposed PRCS-TRACE Framework

Product-quality complaints are usually handled as pharmaceutical quality-system events, yet defects in sterility, potency, identity, packaging, labelling, storage, distribution or delivery-device function may affect medication use, treatment continuity and patient outcomes. This...

The institutional logic of news source selection in clentelistic media systems: A comparative study of Albania and Kosovo

This study examines source diversity in broadcast news in Albania and Kosovo’s hybrid clientelist media systems. Drawing on institutional theory, we explore how sourcing practices reflect competing logics of power, professionalism, and market pressures under conditions of uncerta...

Artificial Intelligence Governance and Organizational Readiness in Banking: Evidence from Albania

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming banking, yet responsible adoption depends not only on technical deployment but also on organizational readiness, governance capacity, monitoring practices, and the capacity to scale AI responsibly. This study examines AI a...

Towards Personalized Medicine in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Roadmap for the future of Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Management: A Consensus Roadmap from the EUTox, PerMedik and KidneyHealth networks

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 800 million individuals worldwide and represents one of the fastest‑growing causes of morbidity and mortality. Despite major therapeutic advances, CKD is frequently detected only after substantial and irreversible loss of kidney func...