Verdad extra-metódica y ontología de la praxis: la raciónalidad mediatora de la phronesis

Background: Lower back pain (LBP) not only remains the foremost cause of work absence and medical consultation but is also the leading cause of disability. It affects individuals from both developed and developing countries including children, adolescents, and the elderly. Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between risk factors and lower back pain among the people of Pakistan. Methodology: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted at a local medical college comprising both the students and the staff. Results: Prevalence of LBP in participants was 51%. Males reported a higher frequency of LBP as compared to females (r=.191, p=0.03). Students had a significantly higher incidence of LBP as compared to staff (r=.178, p=0.04). Smoking was also associated with LBP as smokers showed a significantly higher frequency of LBP (r=.366, p=0.006). Higher frequency of LBP was also linked with a higher grade of pain (r=0.346, p=0.005). Females reported a higher grade of pain as compared to males (r=0.292, p=0.01). Conclusion: There is a high frequency of LBP in students associated with gender, smoking and lifestyle. Proper education and planning are needed to address the situation. More prospective studies are indicated to further validate the results of this study.

A CRISPR way for accelerating cereal crop improvement: Progress and challenges

Humans rely heavily on cereal grains as a key source of nutrients, hence regular improvement of cereal crops is essential for ensuring food security. The current food crisis at the global level is due to the rising population and harsh climatic conditions which prompts scientists to develop smart resilient cereal crops to attain food security. Cereal crop improvement in the past generally depended on imprecise methods like random mutagenesis and conventional genetic recombination which results in high off targeting risks. In this context, we have witnessed the application of targeted mutagenesis using versatile CRISPR-Cas systems for cereal crop improvement in sustainable agriculture. Accelerated crop improvement using molecular breeding methods based on CRISPR-Cas genome editing (GE) is an unprecedented tool for plant biotechnology and agriculture. The last decade has shown the fidelity, accuracy, low levels of off-target effects, and the high efficacy of CRISPR technology to induce targeted mutagenesis for the improvement of cereal crops such as wheat, rice, maize, barley, and millets. Since the genomic databases of these cereal crops are available, several modifications using GE technologies have been performed to attain desirable results. This review provides a brief overview of GE technologies and includes an elaborate account of the mechanisms and applications of CRISPR-Cas editing systems to induce targeted mutagenesis in cereal crops for improving the desired traits. Further, we describe recent developments in CRISPR-Cas–based targeted mutagenesis through base editing and prime editing to develop resilient cereal crop plants, possibly providing new dimensions in the field of cereal crop genome editing

Effectiveness of continuous passive motion protocol as an adjunct to standard physiotherapy protocol for post-operative rehabilitation in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) cases

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a relatively prevalent disorder, and prevalence rises with age. Total knee replacement surgery (TKA) is a frequent operation that has significantly improved the quality of life for millions of people with symptomatic knee OA. TKA postoperative care has been discussed regarding the utility of CPM; it has been shown to speed up the recovery of full range of motion, shorten hospital stays, lessen discomfort, speed up wound healing, and lower the risk of DVT. The current study was conducted to compare Effectiveness of CPM protocol as an adjunct to Standard Physiotherapy protocol in Post-operative Rehabilitation of TKA cases. From July to December 2021, three affiliated hospitals hosted the randomised controlled study, which included patients who had complete knee arthroplasty surgery. After surgery, patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups: From the first surgical day till discharge, Group A got twice daily PT and continuous passive motion (CPM), while Group B only received the usual physiotherapy programme from the first postoperative day. Evaluation of the results took place the day after discharge. The participants in the 2 groups' baseline outcome measurement characteristics were comparable.&nbsp

3D-Bioprinting: A stepping stone towards enhanced medical approaches

In the past few decades, tissue engineering has been seen unprecedented escalation driving the field of artificial tissue and organ construct and brought metamorphosis in regenerative medicine. Prime advancement has been attained through the expansion of novel biomanufacturing approaches to devise and convene cells in three dimensions to fabricate tissue contrive. Accompaniment manufacturing differently known as 3D bioprinting is leading prime innovation in a number of applications in life sciences such as tissue and organ construct, personalized drug dosing, cancer model and heart tissue engineering. Overall, this review summarizes most prevalent bioprinting technologies; including laser-based bioprinting, extrusion bioprinting, injection bioprinting, stereolithography as well as biomaterial such as bioink. It also explores 3D industries, approaches such as Biomimicry, autonomous self-assembly, mini tissues and biomedical applications. Existing challenges that impede clinical mileage of bioprinting are also discussed along with future prospective

Nutritional probing and storage stability of papaya jam supplemented with date pit powder

Jam Quality is a factor robustly influenced by storage conditions. The current research aimed to develop papaya jam with improved nutritional attributes, rheological profile, and shelf-life utilizing date pit powder as a functional ingredient. The effect of date pit powder on the formulated product's physicochemical, microbial, and organoleptic properties was analyzed. Results revealed that overall mineral profile (0.35–1.11%), crude fiber (0.56–2.01%), pH (3.51–3.70%), and antioxidant properties (22.97–30.67%) were significantly increased while water activity reduced (0.77–0.73). Moreover, date pit powder improved the color scores like a*(10.10–10.67), b* (8.13–8.78), L* (25.56–28.09), and textural attributes (Cohesiveness: 0.83–0.90; Firmness: 6.82–6.93) of functional papaya jam. Microbial count reduced from 3.60 × 105-3.06 × 105 cfu/ml by adding date pit powder and staying within the acceptable limit (4.13 × 105-3.60 × 105 cfu/ml) during 2-month storage at refrigeration. Organoleptic evaluation depicted that samples treated with date pit powder scored better than the control, and a sample with 75% pectin replacement was considered best