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In many spine surgeries, pedicle screws are commonly used to stabilize vertebrae, however, loosening can be a complication. Different designs have shown improvements in fixation strength, with self-expandable screws featuring shape memory alloy (SMA) structures being of particular interest. This study aimed to assess the fixation strength of self-expandable pedicle screws made with SMA (specifically Nickel-Titanium) sheets. Three types of screws were evaluated: self-expandable screws with a smooth SMA surface, self-expandable screws with a porous SMA surface, and standard design screws. Each screw underwent pullout tests for comparison. Following the tests, the self-expandable screw with a porous surface exhibited the highest pullout force (1141.83 N), compared to 1056.86 N for the smooth self-expandable screw and 1104.25 N for the standard screw. The dissipated plastic strain energy differed among the screws, with values of 0.073 J for the porous self-expandable screw, 0.065 J for the smooth self-expandable screw, and 0.089 J for the standard pedicle screw. Notably, the porous self-expandable screw showed reduced stress on the bone-screw interface. Improving the mechanical design of pedicle screws could significantly enhance screw-bone fixation strength. The utilization of self-expandable pedicle screws with porous surface SMA sheets demonstrates superior performance, potentially mitigating complications like loosening., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Chitosan, recognized for its excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties, has several potential applications, particularly in the biomedical field. However, its widespread use is hindered by inherent limitations such as low mechanical strength and safety concerns arising from a low degree of deacetylation and the presence of impurities. This study aimed to introduce an innovative purification method for chitosan via liquefied dimethyl ether (DME) extraction. The proposed technique effectively addresses the challenges associated with chitosan by facilitating deacetylation and impurity removal. Liquefied DME is emerging as the extraction solvent of choice owing to its advantages, such as low boiling point, safety, and environmental sustainability. The degree of deacetylation of chitosan was extensively evaluated using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, intrinsic viscosity measurements, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The solubility of chitosan in liquefied DME was investigated using Hansen solubility parameters. This study contributes to the improvement of the safety profile of chitosan, thereby expanding its potential applications in various fields. The use of liquefied DME as an extraction solvent proved to be efficient in addressing the existing challenges and is consistent with the principles of safety and environmental sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition, and the Mediterranean diet is often recommended for its health benefits, particularly its ability to mitigate chronic inflammation. This study sought to examine the extent to which psoriasis patients adhere to the Mediterranean diet and to explore its correlation with the severity of their condition., Methods: Seventy-one psoriasis patients and 71 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled the study and filled a standard questionnaire of adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The relationship between disease severity and adherence to the diet was also dealt with., Results: The Mediterranean diet adherence score in the psoriasis group (5.25 ± 1.64) was significantly lower than the control group (6.28 ± 2.10) ( p  = 0.004). In addition, the consumption of fruit and fish in psoriasis patients was significantly lower than the control group and the consumption of red meat was significantly higher in the patient group. No significant relationship was found between the severity of the disease and the score of adherence to the Mediterranean diet ( p  = 0.42)., Conclusion: A significant difference between the two groups of psoriasis and the control group following the Mediterranean diet might be indicative of the relationship between diet and psoriasis and the potential benefits of this type of diet due to its anti-inflammatory properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) is a medical condition characterized by the enlargement or swelling of the tonsils. The role of allergy in ATH has not been persuasively evidenced. Therefore, we investigated the state of humoral immunity and the presence of specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) in tissues and sera in children suffering from TH., Methods: According to the skin prick test (SPT) result, 44 ATH children were divided into the atopic and non-atopic groups. The level of sIgE against 30 inhalants and food allergens in the sera and tissue homogenates was measured by a commercial allergy immunoblotting kit. In addition, we evaluated the following variables in both tonsillar tissue homogenates and serum: total IgE, IgA, IgM, IgG, and tissue eosinophil counts., Results: Our results showed that 21 (47.7%) of patients with ATH were sensitized to at least one allergen in the adenotonsillar sample and/or sera. Only two patients were negative for sIgE in the atopic group, but in the non-atopic group, only one had positive sIgE results. In the atopic group, 19 (86.4%) patients had positive sIgE in tonsillar tissues, and 18 (81.8%) had sensitized serum. There were no statistical differences in the case of other antibodies except IgE levels between the two groups. The average eosinophilic count was significantly higher in atopic patients than in the non-atopic group., Conclusion: The results of this study support the role of allergy in the pathogenesis of ATH and confirmed local allergic inflammation in tonsillar tissue., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Relaxation programs can be effective in establishing psychological tranquility for maternal and fetal health. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of this low-cost, effective, easy method on the stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnant women. This randomized clinical trial study was conducted from July 2015 to July 2016. Seventy pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy were included in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups of 35 subjects using a random number table. Participants in group 1 received relaxation training and group 2 received routine care. A demographic questionnaire and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were completed before and 1 and 2 months after the intervention. The SPSS software version 18 was used for data analysis. There were significant differences in the mean difference of the total DASS score (14; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4 to 32) as well as the scores of stress (4; 95% CI : 1 to 10), anxiety (6; 95% CI: 2 to 10), and depression (6; 95% CI: 2 to 12) 2 months after the intervention between the 2 groups. The Benson relaxation technique decreased DASS-21 scores in the intervention group., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is characterized by albuminuria and a declining glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in diabetic patients. Plantago major (plantain) seed powder is traditionally used in these patients. Despite emerging and promising pre-clinical evidence, no clinical study investigated the potential efficacy of this intervention in patients with DN, which is the aim of this study., Methods: In a randomized clinical trial 60 DN patients were recruited from November 2022 to March 2023 and randomly assigned to the plantain group that received standard treatment (Losartan 25 mg twice a day) and plantain seeds' powder (10 gm sachet twice a day) plus sweet almond and the control group was received only standard treatment for 60 days. Proteinuria, as per 24-hour urinary protein, as well as fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, serum potassium, and quality of life score were measured at baseline and after 60 days as study outcome measures., Results: Proteinuria was significantly decreased from 165.04 mg to 135.84 mg (p = 0.026) in the plantain group. The mean level of proteinuria was significantly lower in the plantain group (135.84 vs. 192.04, p = 0.039) compared to the control group after treatment. The plantain group showed more increase in quality of life score after treatment (33.89±9.67 vs 38.28±10.72, p = 0.041). Other outcomes showed no significant difference between the two study groups., Conclusion: Adjuvant supplementation with plantain seeds powder may decrease proteinuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer duration are needed to confirm these results., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Natural bioactive molecules such as phenolic acids and alkaloids play a crucial role in preserving the quality and safety of food products, particularly oils, by preventing oxidation. Berberis integerrima, a rich source of such antioxidants, has been explored in this study for its potential application in soybean oil preservation. Electrospun nanofibers, composed of polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan, were fabricated and loaded with an alcoholic extract of Berberis integerrima. The antioxidant activity of Berberis integerrima was evaluated, and the phenolic compounds contributing to its efficacy were identified and quantified. The physicochemical properties of the polyvinyl alcohol /chitosan/Berberis integerrima nanofibers, including morphology, crystallinity, functional groups, and thermal stability, were characterized. The results revealed that the polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan/Berberis integerrima nanofibers exhibited high antioxidant capacity and improved the stability of Berberis integerrima, indicating their potential as effective and biodegradable materials for food preservation. This study underscores the potential of harnessing natural antioxidants from Berberis integerrima in nanofibers to enhance the quality and safety of soybean oil., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous work suggests that proprioceptive information from ankle and hip are crucial in maintaining balance during upright standing; however, the contribution of these proprioceptive information during stepping balance recovery in not clear. The goal of the current study was to assess the role of ankle and hip proprioceptive information on balance recovery performance by manipulating type 1a afferent in muscle spindles using vibratory stimulation., Methods: Twenty healthy young participants were recruited (age = 22.2 ± 2.7 years) and were randomly assigned to balance recovery sessions with either ankle or hip stimulation. Trip-like perturbations were imposed using a modified treadmill setup with a protecting harness. Vibratory stimulation was imposed bilaterally on ankle and hip muscles to expose participants to three condition of no-vibration, 40Hz vibration, and 80Hz vibration. Kinematics of the trunk and lower-extremities were measured using wearable sensors to characterize balance recovery performance. Outcomes were response time, recovery step length, trunk angle during toe-off and heel-strike of recovery stepping, and required time for full recovery., Findings: Ankle vibratory stimulation elicited main effects on reaction time and recovery step length ( p  < 0.002); reaction time and recovery step length increased by 23.0% and 21.2%, respectively, on average across the conditions. Hip vibratory stimulation elicited significant increase in the full recovery time ( p  = 0.019), with 55.3% increase on average across the conditions., Interpretation: Current findings provided evidence that vibratory stimulation can affect the balance recovery performance, causing a delayed recovery initiation and an impaired balance refinement after the recovery stepping when applied to ankle and hip muscles, respectively., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Changes in apple fruit quality indices in response to foliar spray with 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) at 0 and 1 μmol L -1 and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) at 0 and 0.5 μmol L -1 , as well as the combination of these phytohormones, were investigated at harvest and during cold storage., Results: Both phytohormones synergistically enhanced the fruit firmness, specific weight, size, fresh weight, water content, total antioxidant activity, total phenolics, ascorbic acid, total anthocyanins, total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio and precocity. In addition, the fruit abscission pattern was changed in response to different treatments. Treated fruit exhibited lower weight loss and internal breakdown symptoms and higher total soluble solids index, firmness and phytochemicals during cold storage. A negative correlation was seen between fruit mass, firmness, specific weight, antioxidant activity, total phenolics and vitamin C content with internal breakdown occurrence and weight loss., Conclusion: Foliar spray with EBL and MeJA during the growth season is a good environmental friendly and safe method for enhancing the apple fruit different quality parameters, marketability and postharvest life. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

There is a need to define regions of gene activation or repression that control human kidney cells in states of health, injury, and repair to understand the molecular pathogenesis of kidney disease and design therapeutic strategies. Comprehensive integration of gene expression with epigenetic features that define regulatory elements remains a significant challenge. We measure dual single nucleus RNA expression and chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, and H3K27ac, H3K4me1, H3K4me3, and H3K27me3 histone modifications to decipher the chromatin landscape and gene regulation of the kidney in reference and adaptive injury states. We establish a spatially-anchored epigenomic atlas to define the kidney's active, silent, and regulatory accessible chromatin regions across the genome. Using this atlas, we note distinct control of adaptive injury in different epithelial cell types. A proximal tubule cell transcription factor network of ELF3, KLF6, and KLF10 regulates the transition between health and injury, while in thick ascending limb cells this transition is regulated by NR2F1. Further, combined perturbation of ELF3, KLF6, and KLF10 distinguishes two adaptive proximal tubular cell subtypes, one of which manifested a repair trajectory after knockout. This atlas will serve as a foundation to facilitate targeted cell-specific therapeutics by reprogramming gene regulatory networks., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is felt as a discomfort or pain on the center line or upper abdomen. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of Govarcin herbal capsule and Metoclopramide for alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with FD., Methods: Totally, 106 patients enrolled in a double-blind, clinical trial study. The participants had FD and were divided into two groups receiving Govarcin and Metoclopramide by block randomization. The patients were treated for four weeks, taking one Govarcin capsule or Metoclopramide tablet after each meal. The rate of improvement in patients was assessed by mitigation of clinical symptoms, including epigastric pain, fullness, discomfort, nausea, vomiting and heartburn. Also, before and after intervention, we used Nepin questionnaire and ROME III. SPSS statistics 25 software was used for data analyzing., Results: Clinical symptom score changes between Govarcin and Metoclopramide patients' groups showed that there was no significant difference in any of the clinical symptom scores (except for heartburn, p-value =0.012) between the study groups. Nepean score in Govarcin group before and after treatment were 19.3±4.8 and 8.9±2.8, respectively ( p-value <0.001). For Metoclopramide group, these values were 19.8±3.5 and 9.4±2.1 respectively ( p-value <0.001). No significant difference was found in terms of Nepean score between the Govarcin and Metoclopramide groups ( p-value =0.995)., Conclusion: Govarcin herbal capsule can be used to remedy symptoms in patients with FD. It seems that Govarcin is as effective as Metoclopramide in fighting symptoms of FD as no significant difference in efficacy has been demonstrated between them., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related diseases with various risk factors and considerable negative impacts on both physical and mental well-being of affected workers. Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) has a complex interaction with personal, environmental and occupational factors., Objective: This study aimed to develop a risk model for ONIHL in workers by identifying risk factors and their interactions., Methods: The subjects were 605 males in an industrial factory in Arak, Iran. The study took place between 2022 and 2023. The sociodemographic and occupational characteristics were collected by a health technician using questionnaires and medical records. Hearing status was assessed using audiometry by a qualified audiologist. Hearing loss was analyzed by univariate logistic analysis including age, smoking, medical history, type of occupation, and some workplace hazards. The risk model was generated by logistic regression., Results: Hearing loss in the participants was 44.13% (n = 267). In univariate logistic analysis, age (OR: 2.93,95% CI: 1.848-4.656), smoking (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.224-2.655), work experience (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.016-1.107), previous exposure to noise (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.112-2.312) or vibration (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.150-2.475) and type of occupation (OR: 2.126, 95% CI: 1.055-4.285) were associated with an increased risk of ONIHL (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: It was found that vibration exposure, work experience, previous noise exposure, type of occupation as well as age and smoking significantly affected the likelihood of developing ONIHL. This risk model could help management to prevent ONIHL and enhance application-oriented research on the condition.