Search

BackgroundManipulative treatment can effectively improve knee pain and function, but no previous studies have shown that lumbar osteopathic manipulative treatment can improve knee symptoms. To explore the influence of lumbar manipulation on KOA and analyze its principlerelationship between coronal position of lumbar spine and KOA.MethodsPatients were divided into OMT group and DT group according to treatment. WOMAC scores were compared between the two groups, and X-ray examinations before and after treatment were performed in OMT group to analyze the imaging changes.ResultsBoth OMT group and DT group showed significant improvement in WOMAC score after treatment, and the improvement in OMT group was better than that in DT group. After OMT treatment, cTMI(P = 0.034), mL-SOD (P < 0.001), mΔL-KOD (P = 0.001), LL (P = 0.036), and FTA(P = 0.026) were significantly changed.ConclusionCompared with drug therapy, lumbar manipulation can better improve WOMAC scores in KOA patients. It relives symptoms by loosening muscles and correcting small joint disorders to improve local knee alignment.

Heilongjiang Province, the largest commercial grain base in China, experiences significant challenges due to the environmental effects on its soil. The freezing and thawing cycle in this region leads to the transport of water and heat, as well as the exchange and transfer of energy. Consequently, this exacerbates the flooding disaster in spring and severely hampers farming activities such as plowing and sowing. To gain a better understanding of the freezing and thawing mechanisms of farmland soil in cold regions and prevent spring flooding disasters, this study focuses on Heilongjiang Province as a representative area in northeast China. The research specifically investigates the frozen and thawed soil of farmland, using a large-scale low-temperature laboratory to simulate both artificial and natural climate conditions in the cold zone. By employing the similarity principle of geotechnical model testing, the study aims to efficiently simulate the engineering prototypes and replicate the process of large-span and long-time low temperatures. The investigation primarily focuses on the evolution laws of key parameters, such as the temperature field and moisture field of farmland soil during the freeze–thaw cycle. The findings demonstrate that the cooling process of soil can be categorized into three stages: rapid cooling, slow cooling, and freezing stabilization. As the soil depth increases, the variability of the soil temperature gradually diminishes. During the melting stage, the soil's water content exhibits a gradual increase as the temperature rises. The range of water content variation during thawing at depths of 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm, and 80 cm is 0.12% to 0.52%, 0.47% to 1.08%, 0.46% to 1.96%, and 0.8% to 3.23%, respectively. To analyze the hydrothermal coupling process of farmland soil during the freeze–thaw cycle, a theoretical model of hydrothermal coupling was developed based on principles of mass conservation, energy conservation, Darcy's law of unsaturated soil water flow, and heat conduction theory. Mathematical transformations were applied after defining the relative degree of saturation and solid–liquid ratio as field functions with respect to the relative degree of saturation and temperature. The simulated temperature and moisture fields align well with the measured data, indicating that the water–heat coupling model established in this study holds significant theoretical and practical value for accurately predicting soil temperature and moisture content during the spring sowing period, as well as for efficiently and effectively utilizing frozen soil resources in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is of interest because of its excellent biocompatibility. However, the lack of antimicrobial activity of PEEK limits its use in clinical applications. Silver‐loaded nano titanium dioxide (Nano‐Ag‐TiO2)/PEEK composites with different mass fractions (1, 2, 3, and 4 wt%) were prepared by hot compression molding to achieve better mechanical and antimicrobial properties. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) showed that Nano‐Ag‐TiO2 successfully modified PEEK. The contact angle of Nano‐Ag‐TiO2/PEEK increased compared to PEEK (p < 0.01). The flexural strength, compressive strength, and Vickers hardness of Nano‐Ag‐TiO2/PEEK composites first increased and then decreased. When the Nano‐Ag‐TiO2 content is 3 wt%, the flexural strength of Nano‐Ag‐TiO2/PEEK composite reaches its maximum, which is 171.19 MPa; the compressive strength reaches the maximum, which is 24.7% higher than that of pure PEEK specimens; the Vickers hardness of Nano‐Ag‐TiO2/PEEK composite reaches its maximum, which is 19.84% higher than that of pure PEEK specimens. The in vitro antibacterial evaluation reveals that all Nano‐Ag‐TiO2/PEEK samples exhibited good resistance and anti‐adhesive properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). This finding suggests that the 3 wt% Nano‐Ag‐TiO2/PEEK composite has better mechanical properties and antimicrobial ability, which is promising for dental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]