The influence of sintering of osteoporotic vertebral fractures on the sagittal lumbar profile and degenerative changes.

Background: Osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder affecting nearly 20% of the global population, poses a significant health concern, with osteoporotic vertebral body fractures (VBF) representing a common clinical manifestation. The impact of osteoporotic sintering fractures in the thoracolumbar spine on the sagittal lumbar profile is incompletely understood and may lead to the onset of clinical symptoms in previously asymptomatic patients.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study analyzed data from patients presenting with osteoporotic spine fractures between 2017 and 2022.

[Doctor, when can I drive? Characterization of driving behavior of orthopedic and trauma surgery patients using a prospective questionnaire study].

Background: Individual mobility in road traffic is of high importance in Germany, both individually and socioeconomically; however, diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system in particular can lead to temporary impairments. The aim of this prospective patient survey was to record how patients assessed their driving capability during an injury and the associated immobilization and on what basis the decision on driving capability was made on the part of the patients.

Material And Methods: A systematic questionnaire was used to analyze a total of 100 patients with a diagnosis in orthopedics/trauma surgery and associated joint immobilization.

The Impact of the Lowest Instrumented Vertebra on the Correction of the Minor Curve During Selective Fusion in Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Study Design: Retrospective single-center data analysis.

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to give advises for choosing the LIV in selective fusion to reach the best correction of the minor curve and sagittal profile.

Summary Of Background Data: Scoliotic curves can be classified as structural or nonstructural.

Impact of Different Operative Techniques for Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis on Frontal Curve Correction and Sagittal Balance.

Background: Surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis from the posterior approach can be performed by the "all screws" technique; hybrid technique with screws and hooks; hybrid technique or with screws, hooks, and tapes; or selective fusion (SF) or nonselective fusion (NSF). The aim of the present investigation was to analyze the influence from different operative techniques on frontal curve correction and sagittal profile in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis on 55 consecutive patients with scoliosis who had been treated by posterior instrumented fusion.

Navigation versus fluoroscopy in minimalinvasive iliosacral screw placement.

Introduction: When needed operative treatment of sacral fractures is mostly performed with percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation. The advantage of navigation in insertion of pedicle screws already could be shown by former investigations. The aim of this investigation was now to analyze which influence iliosacral screw placement guided by navigation has on duration of surgery, radiation exposure and accuracy of screw placement compared to the technique guided by fluoroscopy.

Partial Replacement of Synthetic Vitamin E by Polyphenols in Post-Weaning Piglets.

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient usually recommended in post-weaning piglets, when a decline in the serum vitamin E concentration is observed. Selected polyphenols have the potential to partially replace vitamin E in animal feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the dietary inclusion of some commercial polyphenol products (PPs) on the growth performance, antioxidant status and immunity of post-weaning piglets.

Outcome of Targeted vs Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in the Treatment of Spondylodiscitis: A Retrospective Analysis of 201 Patients.

Background: Antibiotic treatment of spondylodiscitis is influenced by antibiotic stewardship; specifically, empirical antibiotic therapy is avoided in favor of-delayed-targeted antibiotic therapy after microbiological diagnosis. Only patients with neurological deficits or clinical signs of sepsis should be treated by empirical antibiotic therapy. However, the level of evidence for this treatment concept is weak.

Optical phased array with on-chip phase calibration.

Optical phased arrays (OPAs) with phase-monitoring and phase-control capabilities are necessary for robust and accurate beamforming applications. This paper demonstrates an on-chip integrated phase calibration system where compact phase interrogator structures and readout photodiodes are implemented within the OPA architecture. This enables phase-error correction for high-fidelity beam-steering with linear complexity calibration.

May bending radiographs be replaced by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Purpose: There is no data that shows if it is possible to determine if a curve is structural or non-structural or to assess flexibility of an adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instead of bending radiographs (BR). We investigated if the results of BR may be compared to those of MRI.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data of patients with AIS in whom a selective spinal fusion was performed and in whom a MRI, BR and full-spine X-rays were obtained preoperatively.

Silicon photonic receiver for satellite laser communication terminals.

We report the optical performance of a photonic receiver for laser communication applications. The receiver is composed of 14 × 12 grating coupler arrays. The received optical signal power will be combined electrically via germanium photodiodes.

Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on causes for the development of carbon monoxide intoxications.

Introduction: Several causes can lead to carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. A first-line treatment option for such intoxications is hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO2) therapy. The COVID-19 pandemic has been changing everyday life in Germany since March 2020, mainly caused by statutory provisions.

Surgical Site Infection After Posterior Stabilization of the Spine - When do we Have to Remove the Implants?

Study Design: Retrospective data analysis.

Objection: The primary objective of this investigation was to analyze if treatment of Postoperative surgical site infections (PSSI) after posterior stabilization of the spine (PS) without radiological signs of screw loosening (RSL) shows a sufficient success rate without implant removal and if there was any difference between early and late PSSI.

Summary Of Background Data: PSSI after PS are usually treated by implant removal and reinstrumentation if loosening of one of more screws is detected.

Bovine-derived xenograft is a viable bone graft substitute in multilevel, instrumented, spinal fusion.

Objective: To evaluate radiological outcomes following the use of xenogeneic bone graft substitute (BGS) in patients undergoing multisegmental spinal fusion.

Summery Of Background Data: Data exists for single level and short segment fusions, there presently is a paucity of data on fusion rate after bone augmentation with BGS in multisegmental posterior spinal fusion (PSF). The leading concern is pseudarthrosis, which often leads to a loss of correction after PSF.

Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Activities of Imine Analogs of Trans-Resveratrol towards Murine Neuronal N2a Cells.

-resveratrol is a natural polyphenol showing numerous biological properties, especially anti-tumoral and antioxidant activity. Among numerous resveratrol derivatives, aza-stilbenes, which bear an imine bound, show interesting biological activities. In the present study, we synthesized a series of imine analogs of -resveratrol (seven aza-stilbenes) following an easy and low-cost procedure of green chemistry.

Endocannabinoid system reactivity during stress processing in healthy humans.

Stress underlies the development of various psychiatric disorders. Rodent studies suggest an involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the modulation of the stress response, which needs to be translated to humans. In this study, 22 healthy males (mean age: M = 22.

Genetics and Cognitive Vulnerability to Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Subjects: Interaction of ADORA2A, TNF-α and COMT Polymorphisms.

Several genetic polymorphisms differentiate between healthy individuals who are more cognitively vulnerable or resistant during total sleep deprivation (TSD). Common metrics of cognitive functioning for classifying vulnerable and resilient individuals include the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), Go/noGo executive inhibition task, and subjective daytime sleepiness. We evaluated the influence of 14 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on cognitive responses during total sleep deprivation (continuous wakefulness for 38 h) in 47 healthy subjects (age 37.

Hibernating brown bears are protected against atherogenic dyslipidemia.

To investigate mechanisms by which hibernators avoid atherogenic hyperlipidemia during hibernation, we assessed lipoprotein and cholesterol metabolisms of free-ranging Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos). In winter- and summer-captured bears, we measured lipoprotein sizes and sub-classes, triglyceride-related plasma-enzyme activities, and muscle lipid composition along with plasma-levels of antioxidant capacities and inflammatory markers. Although hibernating bears increased nearly all lipid levels, a 36%-higher cholesteryl-ester transfer-protein activity allowed to stabilize lipid composition of high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

May bending radiographs be replaced by recumbent CT scans in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Purpose: There is no data that show if it is possible to determine if a curve is structural or non-structural or to assess flexibility of an adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) by recumbent images like a CT scan (CTS) instead of bending radiographs (BR). We investigated if the results of BR may be compared to those of CTS.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data of patients with AIS in whom a selective spinal fusion was performed and in whom a CTS, BR, and full spine x-rays were made preoperatively.

Evaluating Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration on a Compositional Level Using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer: Preliminary Results in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is characterized by structural and compositional changes. This study aimed to assess the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of IVDs of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and healthy controls using GAG chemical exchange saturation transfer (gagCEST) imaging. Ten AIS patients (mean age 18.

Dietary Plant Extracts Improve the Antioxidant Reserves in Weaned Piglets.

Reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock in order to contain antibiotic resistance and studying natural substance additives are key to sustainability. Among the various biological activities of plant extracts, antioxidant activity plays an important role. The present study assesses the total antioxidant activity and antioxidant reserves using the Kit Radicaux Libres test (KRL™ Kirial International, Couternon, France).

Fear extinction learning and anandamide: an fMRI study in healthy humans.

Anxiety- and trauma-related disorders are severe illnesses with high prevalence. Current treatment options leave room for improvement and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has become a key target in psychopharmacological research. Rodent models suggest an anxiolytic effect of endocannabinoids and demonstrated that the ECS is involved in the modulation of fear learning and aversive memory consolidation.

[Students from military schools providing support to hospitals].

The health crisis in France has led military and health authorities to call on military student nurses and military medicine and pharmacy students. Students from the military health schools of Lyon-Bron provided reinforcements to the eight French military training hospitals, as well as to the field intensive care hospital deployed in Mulhouse. An original experience for the trainee health professionals, in service of the nation, and which required operational expertise, technical and cognitive skills and empathy in the face of a poorly controlled infection risk.

Effective dose of radiation per screw in surgery of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: matched pair analysis of 293 pedicle screws inserted using three different techniques.

Purpose: Reports on heterogenous groups of patients have indicated that pedicle screw insertion guided by navigation (PIN) leads to, for the patient, higher doses of radiation compared with pedicle screw insertion guided by fluoroscopy (PIF). This would be a major concern, especially in paediatric deformity correction.

Methods: After a power analysis (aiming at > 0.

The impact of non-toxic blue light (453 nm) on cellular antioxidative capacity, TGF-β1 signaling, and myofibrogenesis of human skin fibroblasts.

Studies have demonstrated that blue light induces biological effects, such as cell death, and inhibition of proliferation and differentiation. Since blue light at longer wavelength (>440 nm) exerts less injurious effects on cells than at shorter wavelengths, (400-440 nm), we have investigated the impact of non-toxic (LED) blue light at 453 nm wavelength on human skin fibroblasts (hsFBs). We found that besides its decreasing effects on the proliferation rate, repeated blue light irradiations (80 J/cm) also significantly reduced TGF-β1-induced myofibrogenesis as shown by diminished α-SMA and EDA-FN expression accompanied by reduced protein expression and phosphorylation of ERK 1/2, SMAD 2/3, and p38-key players of TGF-β1-induced myofibrogenesis.