Tag: pubmed

Arch Razi Inst. 2025 Sep 1;80(5):1209-1216. doi: 10.32598/ARI.80.5.3494. eCollection 2025 Sep.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Acrylamide (AA) is a chemical compound that poses a major public health concern. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Nigella sativa (NS) oil against AA- induced toxicity on the submandibular salivary glands (SMGs) of Albino rats.

MATERIALS & METHODS: Thirty male albino rats weighing 150-200 g were equally and randomly divided into some groups: Control group received normal saline vehicle daily via oral gavage for 30 days, AA group received 15 mg/kg body weight of AA dissolved in 0.2 mL saline solution daily via oral gavage for 30 days. NS group received 15 mg/kg body weight (bw) of AA combined with 1 mL/kg bw of NS oil daily via oral gavage for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, rats were euthanized, and SMGs were dissected for histological evaluation, including hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and immunohistochemistry for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), as well as analysis for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression using realtime polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS: The acinar and ductal cells of SMG of the AA group showed signs of degeneration and toxicity in the form of ill-defined outlines, pyknotic and crescent-shaped nuclei with different-sized cytoplasmic vacuolations. These changes were statistically significant with increased iNOS immunoexpression and HO-1 gene expression (P<0.0001). Administration of NS alleviated the toxic effect, downregulating both iNOS and HO-1 gene expression. The study revealed a significant cytotoxic effect of AA on SMGs of albino rats (P<0.05), presumably by the generation of oxidative stresses and mitochondrial dysfunction.

CONCLUSION: NS effectively mitigated these toxic effects, suggesting its potential as a natural antioxidant.

PMID:42226972 | PMC:PMC13222421 | DOI:10.32598/ARI.80.5.3494

Foot Ankle Orthop. 2026 May 30;11(2):24730114261451239. doi: 10.1177/24730114261451239. eCollection 2026 Apr.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, static foot posture is frequently interpreted as a proxy for foot structure and function. The Foot Posture Index-6 (FPI-6) is a descriptive tool, often used to infer the presence of flatfoot and abnormal dynamic loading. However, the extent to which static pronation reflects structural arch collapse and functional plantar loading remains unclear.

METHODS: This secondary analysis examined the concordance between static foot posture (FPI-6), structural flatfoot assessed through the Arch Index (AI), and dynamic plantar loading during gait. Data were derived from a previously published cross-sectional data set including 100 healthy adults. Feet were classified as pronated when FPI-6 ≥ +6 and as flatfoot when AI ≥ 0.26. Dynamic plantar pressures were recorded during walking using a pressure platform, with regional peak pressures and vertical forces extracted for the hallux, metatarsals, midfoot, and heel. Associations between measures were explored using Spearman correlations and χ² tests.

RESULTS: Among 200 analyzed feet, 43.2% were classified as pronated by FPI-6, whereas only 19% met flatfoot criteria according to the AI. Overlap between classifications was limited, with only 16.3% of pronated feet also showing structural flatfoot. No statistically significant association could be detected between FPI-6 and AI (ρ = -0.05; P = .445).Distinct dynamic loading patterns emerged, with higher FPI-6 scores associated with increased hallux loading and reduced fifth metatarsal loading, whereas higher AI values correlated with greater central and lateral forefoot loading. These patterns suggest limited concordance between static posture, structural morphology, and dynamic loading characteristics.

CONCLUSION: In this asymptomatic sample, within the present data set, static pronation assessed with the FPI-6 was not significantly associated with structural flatfoot (P = .445) and showed limited concordance with dynamic plantar loading patterns. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the cross-sectional design and the potential nonindependence of bilateral observations. A multidimensional assessment integrating static posture, structural measures, and dynamic analysis may provide a more comprehensive framework for clinical evaluation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic, cross-sectional study.

PMID:42226949 | PMC:PMC13222448 | DOI:10.1177/24730114261451239

Pediatric Health Med Ther. 2026 May 27;17:589691. doi: 10.2147/PHMT.S589691. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Among children younger than 5 years, infectious conditions account for the majority of pediatric emergency department visits. Due to nonspecific presentation, early identification of Sepsis and serious bacterial infection is challenging. Procalcitonin (PCT) level has been examined as a marker of sepsis. It has been shown to have advantages over other inflammatory markers.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the association between high PCT levels and positive blood, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures in all infant patients suspected of having sepsis/Serious bacterial infections (SBIs) clinically or using the Pediatric Early Warning as integration between elevated PCT and culture-proven infections with PEWS to improve early risk stratification and guide clinical decision-making in a tertiary.

METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included all patients aged 28 to 90 days whose PCT was obtained simultaneously with blood, urine, or CSF cultures and a viral nasopharyngeal aspirate, taken under suspicion of sepsis/SBIs, from January 2020 to December 2021. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software (IBM) version 27.0.1.

FINDINGS: This study included 352 patients. In total, 205 (58.2%) were between 28 and 60 days old, while 147 (41.8%) were aged 60-90 days. The association between the PCT levels and blood culture outcomes was not statistically significant. However, the association between PCT levels and positive urine culture was statistically significant (p = 0.008). In addition, the analysis revealed a nonsignificant association between PCT levels and respiratory viral infection.

CONCLUSION: In this cohort, as a single center, PCT level is not a predictor of positive blood or CSF culture results. In contrast, high PCT levels are significantly associated with positive urinary culture results. The study was conducted at a single center with small sample size which may affect the generalizability of its findings. Future multicenter research with large sample size is required to validate the study findings.

PMID:42226946 | PMC:PMC13222615 | DOI:10.2147/PHMT.S589691

Eur Radiol. 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1007/s00330-026-12665-7. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42225996 | DOI:10.1007/s00330-026-12665-7

Strahlenther Onkol. 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1007/s00066-026-02551-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based delta radiomics for predicting short-term radiotherapy (RT) response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS: A total of 132 pathologically confirmed NPC patients receiving RT were retrospectively enrolled. Serial CBCT images during weeks 1-4 were collected. Patients were grouped by therapeutic response and randomly divided into training and test sets (7:3). Radiomic features from fractional CBCTs were extracted via Pyradiomics. Temporal delta-radiomic features were derived from interfraction differences. After applying feature normalization and dimensionality reduction, optimal features were selected using analysis of variance (ANOVA), recursive feature elimination, relevant features, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Ten classifiers, including logistic regression (LR), were trained with 5‑fold cross-validation strategy. Predictive performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and the DeLong’s test.

RESULTS: The LR model based on the CBCT_1st-3rd temporal interval achieved the optimal predictive performance (balanced accuracy 0.73, area under the curve [AUC] 0.74, sensitivity 0.64, specificity 0.81) in the cross-validation set. DeLong’s tests revealed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in AUC values within the cross-validation set between the CBCT_1st-3rd model and models based on CBCT_1st-4th or CBCT_2nd-4th intervals. DCA indicated that the LR model based on CBCT_1st-3rd temporal interval provided the highest net clinical benefit within threshold probabilities ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 and exceeding 0.65.

CONCLUSION: The CBCT-based delta radiomics models can dynamically assess short-term RT response in NPC patients. This approach offers potential as an early-warning indicator during the RT course and provides a novel approach to guiding personalized precision radiotherapy for NPC.

PMID:42225987 | DOI:10.1007/s00066-026-02551-y

Psychon Bull Rev. 2026 Jun 1;33(5):165. doi: 10.3758/s13423-026-02933-4.

ABSTRACT

Khvostov et al. (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 32: 2903-2912, 2025) present compelling evidence that observers have explicit access to detailed ensemble feature distributions, challenging the traditional view that only summary statistics are available. Here, we demonstrate that the Target Confusability Competition (TCC) ensemble model (Robinson & Brady, Nature Human Behaviour, 7: 1638-1651, 2023) provides a straightforward process-level account of these results. Without any parameter tuning, the model accurately predicts the observed response patterns across Gaussian, uniform, and bimodal color distributions. This alignment underscores the utility of TCC-ensemble in explaining ensemble perception and highlights the value of similarity-based encoding and integration mechanisms in supporting access to distributional structure.

PMID:42225973 | DOI:10.3758/s13423-026-02933-4

Nat Food. 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1038/s43016-026-01360-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

European agrifood systems face many challenges and dilemmas regarding sustainability, resilience and competitiveness. Through consultations with scientific experts, we identified five systemic lock-ins (governance and policy fragmentation; behavioural and dietary challenges; political economy and market dynamics; unaccountability and environmental degradation; disruption and unpredictability as the new norm) hindering agrifood systems transformation. Based on concrete examples, we propose five guiding principles that, in various combinations, can help address lock-ins and guide effective changes towards more healthy and sustainable food systems. Their successful implementation requires strong, experience-inspired, science-based political and business leadership supported by a revised research and innovation agenda.

PMID:42225970 | DOI:10.1038/s43016-026-01360-x

Nat Immunol. 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1038/s41590-026-02526-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Regulatory factor X 7 (RFX7) nonsense mutations have been found in different human B cell malignancies. We therefore set out to study the role of RFX7 in B cell activation and lymphomagenesis. Here we show that RFX7 truncations cause loss-of-function and dominant-negative effects. Moreover, low RFX7 mRNA levels correlate with worse diffuse large B cell lymphoma prognosis. Accordingly, Rfx7 deletion in B cells accelerates pathogenesis in mouse Bcl6- and p53-loss-driven B cell lymphoma models. Rfx7-deficient B cells exhibit increased Myc activity and enhanced germinal center B cell and plasmablast responses. These alterations are reverted by Myc haploinsufficiency, which provides partial protection from nonsymptomatic p53^-/-Rfx7^-/- B cell lymphoma, but does not prevent detrimental Myc deregulation in aggressive disease. Deletion of Aicda, which favors genomic alterations in activated B cells, limits lymphoma development in the p53^-/-Rfx7^-/- double-hit mouse model. These results indicate that Rfx7 represses B cell activation, Myc activity, and Myc- and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-dependent pro-lymphomagenic processes.

PMID:42225953 | DOI:10.1038/s41590-026-02526-2

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-55920-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Conventional root canal treatment eliminates infection in necrotic permanent teeth but does not restore the dentin-pulp complex. The clinical predictability of regenerative endodontic treatment in mature teeth remains uncertain. This study evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcomes of an injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF)-supported regenerative protocol in mature necrotic teeth. This retrospective two-center cohort study included mature permanent teeth presenting with pulp necrosis, closed apices, and periapical lesions with a periapical index (PAI) score ≥ 3 treated between 2022 and 2025 using a standardized i-PRF-supported regenerative endodontic treatment protocol. Periapical healing was assessed using PAI scores, with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images serving as supplementary three-dimensional illustrations. Postoperative pain was recorded using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Friedman test with Dunn post hoc analysis, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A total of 27 teeth were included, with a mean follow-up of 22.5 months. Clinical success was achieved in 24 teeth (88.9%). Mean PAI scores decreased significantly from 4.3 ± 0.78 preoperatively to 1.07 ± 1.57 at follow-up (p < 0.001). CBCT images showed radiographic evidence of three-dimensional periapical healing. Postoperative pain was minimal, with median scores reaching zero within 72 h and no need for analgesic medication. No significant predictors of treatment failure were identified. Within the limitations of this two-center retrospective study, i-PRF-supported regenerative endodontic treatment in mature necrotic teeth demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes, periapical healing, and low postoperative pain, suggesting its potential as a biologically based management approach.

PMID:42225930 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-55920-z

Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1007/s00701-026-06930-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Accurate segmentation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is paramount for optimising outcomes under deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Clinically available tools like Brainlab Elements (BL-E) enable automated segmentations for surgical planning, yet their spatial relationship with postoperative volumes of tissue activated (VTAs) remains insufficiently characterised. Using multi-atlas segmentation (MAS) as an external anatomical reference, we compared the spatial correspondence of STN segmentations derived from BL-E with effective VTAs following monopolar contact review.

METHODS: We analysed imaging data from 40 PD patients with chronic STN-DBS. Segmentations were obtained using BL-E based on T1w and T2w scans and MAS derived from a library of 20 manually segmented midbrain nuclei atlases. Spatial correspondence was assessed using Dice Coefficients, Jaccard Indices, and Euclidean centroid distances. Distances between VTA centroids and clinically established settings for STN-DBS were calculated to evaluate targeting consistency. Statistical differences between metrics were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.

RESULTS: BL-E segmentations demonstrated superior spatial correspondence with VTAs compared to MAS, with smaller Euclidean distances between centroids (p < 0.001). Dice Coefficients and Jaccard Indices showed no significant differences (p = 0.18). VTA centroid distances to the most efficient stimulation location were consistent across hemispheres (left: 2.54 mm [1.92-3.25]; right: 2.87 mm [1.85-3.82]) MAS targets were positioned more inferiorly and anteriorly compared to BL-E targets.

CONCLUSION: Clinically applied VTAs showed good spatial correspondence with planning segmentations, suggesting within-workflow reproducibility but not superior correspondence to anatomical ground truth per se. Future studies should incorporate connectomic information to more accurately reflect the functional relevance of stimulation and its therapeutic effects.

PMID:42225900 | DOI:10.1007/s00701-026-06930-3