Background: Low back pain as a symptom affects many individuals around the globe regardless of their economic status or sociodemographic characteristics. During the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic, students found themselves obligated to sit down for long periods of time. The aim of this current study is to investigate the impact of these prolonged periods of sitting down in front of computers on developing a new episode of low back pain. Methods and Materials: This research adopted an observational cross-section study design. Students who are currently enrolled or had experienced distance learning classes in the last 6 months were eligible to participate. An online-based questionnaire was developed by the investigators through reviewing the literature with relevant objectives. McNemar’s test was used to compare certain variables between two periods before and during online distance learning. We used paired t-tests to compare pain intensity before, during, and after online learning, while a chi-square test was used to investigate correlations between factors influencing low back pain. Results: A total of 84 students participated in the study—46 (54.8%) females and 38 (45.2%) males. Before online distance learning, only 42.9% of participants reported low back pain, while only 20% had a back injury. The mean pain scores before, during, and after online distance learning were (2.85 ± 2.16, 4.79 ± 2.6, and 4.76 ± 2.7), respectively. The pain scores before online learning were significantly lower than pain scores during and after online distance learning (p < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion: The study findings suggested that low back pain prevalence increased among students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should study participants’ behavior during the online learning and assess the long-run impact of distance learning among high-school and undergraduate students.

Background and Aim: Irisin, a novel myocyte-secreted hormone, was proposed to mediate some of the beneficial effects of exercise such as browning of adipocytes, thermogenesis, and metabolic homeostasis. Recently, several animals' models' studies have been performed to investigate the therapeutic impact of irisin in several disorders. Several interventional trials used different doses. However, optimum dose was not determined. This systematic review aims to identify the optimal dose of interventional irisin in mice and rat animal models. Materials and Methods: Online databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer were systematically searched from 2012 to 2019. The words searched were irisin, irisin and animal model, physical activity, and irisin and irisin dosage. Non-irisin doses, in vitro studies, and factors influencing irisin levels were excluded. Results: Eleven of the total 391 qualifying studies were included. A daily injection of 500 μg/kg irisin may be the optimum dose of effect in mice and rats. Conclusion: More studies are required to determine the optimum dose of irisin to be used as a therapeutic intervention based on animal model.

Background. The use of online learning methods has expanded considerably in many countries since the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Smartphones are widely used for voice and text messaging, checking emails, and distance learning. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between using smartphones and text neck syndrome. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Jordan between February and March 2023. All undergraduate students were invited to participate. A self-administered online (Google forms) questionnaire was distributed by posting the link to the questionnaire on students’ groups through social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Results. A total of 171 students responded to the survey. The participants included 103 (60%) females and 68 (40%) males. Approximately 79% of the participants were less than 22 years old. Almost half of the participants reported pain at neck (54%) and shoulder (51%), while about 61% of participants suffered from upper back pain. Conclusions. 1. Smartphones are widely becoming essential in educational technology, and more concern should be expended to increase the awareness about optimal and healthy usage of smartphones by restricting usage duration in order to reduce neck and shoulder pain and associated poor functioning in daily living activities. 2. Poor patterns of smartphone use increase the likelihood of neck pain. 3. Neck movement limitations are not associated with age or gender. 4. Students who did not report limitation in neck movement were less likely to have difficulty with reading.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life among adolescents diagnosed with malignancies and currently undergoing treatment in the age group of 13-18 years old. Method: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants were recruited from the pediatric oncology department at King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. The Arabic version of self-report (adolescent 13-18) pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQLTM ) 4.0 Generic Core Scale was used. Results: Eighty patients were enrolled in the study. The total score of PedsQL 4.0 generic core was 62.0 (SD=16.5). The highest score was for social functioning (mean=85.4, SD=18.4) and the lowest score was school functioning (mean=39.5, SD=28.4). Females had significantly higher scores for health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in school functioning. Type of tumor did not affect HRQOL. Outpatient participants had significantly higher scores for HRQOL in all domains, except in school functioning where inpatients had a significantly higher score. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the HRQOL scores for Jordanian adolescents with cancer. Addressing the special needs in such a unique age group is essential when planning a comprehensive care plan for a better quality of life. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life among adolescents diagnosed with malignancies and currently undergoing treatment in the age group of 13-18 years old. Method: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants were recruited from the pediatric oncology department at King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. The Arabic version of self-report (adolescent 13-18) pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQLTM ) 4.0 Generic Core Scale was used. Results: Eighty patients were enrolled in the study. The total score of PedsQL 4.0 generic core was 62.0 (SD=16.5). The highest score was for social functioning (mean=85.4, SD=18.4) and the lowest score was school functioning (mean=39.5, SD=28.4). Females had significantly higher scores for health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in school functioning. Type of tumor did not affect HRQOL. Outpatient participants had significantly higher scores for HRQOL in all domains, except in school functioning where inpatients had a significantly higher score. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the HRQOL scores for Jordanian adolescents with cancer. Addressing the special needs in such a unique age group is essential when planning a comprehensive care plan for a better quality of life.

Studying the morphological changes in dendrites and dendritic spines during the early postnatal period is essential for unraveling the development of neural circuits and synaptic connectivity. Structural alterations in the dendritic arborization and spine morphology of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) have been closely linked to various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). While Golgi-Cox staining remains a powerful technique for visualizing individual neurons, existing protocols are predominantly optimized for adult rodent brains only. This has limited our insight into MSNs development during the early postnatal stages, largely due to difficulties in maintaining tissue integrity during processing and the absence of standardized methods specific to neonatal brains. In this study, we present a reliable, cost-effective, and easily reproducible Golgi-Cox staining protocol suitable for use in standard histology laboratories. This protocol is specifically adapted for neonatal and early postnatal mouse brain tissue but is also applicable to adult brains. It enables consistent and detailed analysis of dendritic and spine morphology across developmental time points and provides a valuable tool for investigating the disrupted neuronal maturation observed in the mouse models of NDDs.