Diagnosis and management of de novo non-specific spinal infections: European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) Spine Section Delphi consensus recommendations.

Introduction: The management of de novo non-specific spinal infections (spondylodiscitis - SD) remains inconsistent due to varying clinical practices and a lack of high-level evidence, particularly regarding the indications for surgery.

Research Question: This study aims to develop consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and management of SD, addressing diagnostic modalities, surgical indications, and treatment strategies.

Material And Methods: A Delphi process was conducted with 26 experts from the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS).

The Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries' Perspective on Global Neurosurgery Collaborations.

Background And Objectives: Access to neurosurgical care is limited in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and in marginalized communities in high-income countries (HICs). International partnerships represent one possible means of addressing this issue. Insights from surgeons in HICs have been explored, but data from LMICs' counterparts are scarce.

Coverage of community-wide mass drug administration platforms for soil-transmitted helminths in Benin, India, and Malawi: findings from the DeWorm3 project.

Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) affect approximately 1.5 billion people globally. The current STH control strategy is annual or twice-annual preventive chemotherapy, typically school-based deworming targeting children and women of reproductive age.

Someone just posted on Instagram: Conspicuous consumption, anticipated engagement, and trait mindfulness.

The practice of "flexing," showing off one's wealth and status, gradually penetrates daily life on various social media platforms, most notably Instagram. We investigated the extent to which exposure to conspicuous consumption by a stranger stimulated the viewers' materialistic aspiration and whether this effect could be mediated by anticipated engagement and moderated by trait mindfulness. A large number of Instagram users in Indonesia ( = 2,296, 75.

Surgical versus conservative treatment for odontoid fractures in older people: an international prospective comparative study.

Background: The optimal treatment for odontoid fractures in older people remains debated. Odontoid fractures are increasingly relevant to clinical practice due to ageing of the population.

Methods: An international prospective comparative study was conducted in fifteen European centres, involving patients aged ≥55 years with type II/III odontoid fractures.

Impact of temperature and relative humidity variations on coda waves in concrete.

The microstructure of concrete can be affected by many factors, from non-destructive environmental factors through to destructive damage induced by transient stresses. Coda wave interferometry is a technique that is sensitive enough to detect weak changes within concrete by evaluating the ultrasonic signal perturbation compared to a reference state. As concrete microstructure is sensitive to many factors, it is important to separate their contributions to the observables.

Comparison of methods for estimating Young's moduli of mortar specimens.

Precisely estimating material parameters for cement-based materials is crucial for assessing the structural integrity of buildings. Both destructive (e.g.

24-Month Outcomes of Indirect Decompression Using a Minimally Invasive Interspinous Fixation Device versus Standard Open Direct Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Prospective Comparison.

Purpose: An early-stage, multi-centre, prospective, randomised control trial with five-year follow-up was approved by Health Research Authority to compare the efficacy of a minimally invasive, laterally implanted interspinous fixation device (IFD) to open direct surgical decompression in treating lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Two-year results are presented.

Patients And Methods: Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to IFD or decompression.

Improving experiences of neglected tropical diseases of the skin: Mixed methods formative research for development of a complex intervention in Atwima Mponua District, Ghana.

Integrated approaches to managing co-endemic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) of the skin within primary healthcare services are complex and require tailoring to local contexts. We describe formative research in Atwima Mponua District in Ghana's Ashanti Region designed to inform the development of a sustainable intervention to improve access to skin NTD care. We employed a convergent, parallel, mixed-methods design, collecting data from February 2021 to February 2022.

Serological evidence of zoonotic filovirus exposure among bushmeat hunters in Guinea.

Human Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreaks caused by persistent EBOV infection raises questions on the role of zoonotic spillover in filovirus epidemiology. To characterise filovirus zoonotic exposure, we collected cross-sectional serum samples from bushmeat hunters (n = 498) in Macenta Prefecture Guinea, adjacent to the index site of the 2013 EBOV-Makona spillover event. We identified distinct immune signatures (20/498, 4.

The Slump Flow of Cementitious Pastes: Simulation vs. Experiments.

Understanding the transient properties of cementitious pastes is crucial for construction materials engineering. Computational modeling, particularly through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), offers a promising avenue to enhance our understanding of these properties. However, there are several numerical uncertainties that affect the accuracy of the simulations using CFD.

Decreased femur tunnel widening after augmented suspensory fixation compared to suspensory fixation for single bundle hamstring ACL reconstruction.

Background: Tunnel widening after Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a hamstring graft is known to occur at follow-up. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of suspensory fixation augmentation using an interference screw on tunnel widening in single-bundle hamstring ACL reconstruction.

Methods: 48 patients who had single bundle ACL reconstruction with femoral fixed loop fixation technique in 15 knees, and, fixed loop with augmented aperture (bio screw) fixation in 33 knees were analyzed.

Malunited Right and Ununited Left Fracture Neck Femur in Autism with Seizures Treated with Valgus Osteotomy: A Case Report.

Case: An 18-year-old autistic boy with seizure disorder had a 4-month-old hip injury with a similar right hip injury 6 months earlier. X-rays revealed an ununited fracture neck femur on the left and a malunited fracture neck femur on the right hip. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated preserved head vascularity.

Modelling mass drug administration strategies for reducing scabies burden in Monrovia, Liberia.

Scabies is a parasitic infestation with high global burden. Mass drug administrations (MDAs) are recommended for communities with a scabies prevalence of >10%. Quantitative analyses are needed to demonstrate the likely effectiveness of MDA recommendations.

Effectiveness of community-based burden estimation to achieve elimination of lymphatic filariasis: A comparative cross-sectional investigation in Côte d'Ivoire.

For lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination, endemic countries must document the burden of LF morbidity (LFM). Community-based screening (CBS) is used to collect morbidity data, but evidence demonstrating its reliability is limited. Recent pilots of CBS for LFM alongside mass drug administration (MDA) in Côte d'Ivoire suggested low LFM prevalence (2.

Working in low- and middle-income countries: Learning from each other.

•Barriers may limit LMICs-HICs collaborations: infrastructure, equipment's lack/inadequacy, political issues, brain drain.•Local training is crucial for universal health coverage; several activities are headed by Global Neurosurgery organisations.•The ​EANS Global and Humanitarian Neurosurgery Committee aims to become a gateway for partnerships between HICs and LMICs.

Global neurosurgery amongst the EANS community: Where are we at?

•Awareness of Global Neurosurgery opportunities is limited in the EANS and a minority have had previous experiences with such activities.•Most training programs and job environments don't encourage participation in Global Neurosurgery and mentors are lacking.•However, most European neurosurgeons and trainees remain interested in Global Neurosurgery and are willing to participate.

Quantifying Population Burden and Effectiveness of Decentralized Surveillance Strategies for Skin-Presenting Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liberia.

We evaluated programmatic approaches for skin neglected tropical disease (NTD) surveillance and completed a robust estimation of the burden of skin NTDs endemic to West Africa (Buruli ulcer, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis morbidity, and yaws). In Maryland, Liberia, exhaustive case finding by community health workers of 56,285 persons across 92 clusters identified 3,241 suspected cases. A total of 236 skin NTDs (34.

Need of vascular surgeon and comparison of value for anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) in lateral decubitus: Delphi consensus.

Background And Purpose: Anterior lumbar approaches are recommended for clinical conditions that require interbody stability, spinal deformity corrections or a large fusion area. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion in lateral decubitus position (LatALIF) has gained progressive interest in the last years. The study aims to describe the current habit, the perception of safety and the perceptions of need of vascular surgeons according to experienced spine surgeons by comparing LatALIF to the standard L5-S1 supine ALIF (SupALIF).

Evaluation of Outcomes Among Patients With Traumatic Intracranial Hypertension Treated With Decompressive Craniectomy vs Standard Medical Care at 24 Months: A Secondary Analysis of the RESCUEicp Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Trials often assess primary outcomes of traumatic brain injury at 6 months. Longer-term data are needed to assess outcomes for patients receiving surgical vs medical treatment for traumatic intracranial hypertension.

Objective: To evaluate 24-month outcomes for patients with traumatic intracranial hypertension treated with decompressive craniectomy or standard medical care.

Bone tunnel placement influences shear stresses at the coracoid process after coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction: a finite element study and radiological analysis.

Introduction: Coracoid fractures after arthroscopic treatment of acromioclavicular (AC) joint separations lead to poor clinical outcomes. In this study, different configurations of bone tunnels in the lateral clavicle and coracoid were examined concerning the amount of stress induced in the coracoid.

Methods: An authentic 3D finite element model of an ac joint was established.

Total hip arthroplasty in fused hips with spine stiffness in ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterized by involvement of the spine and hip joints with progressive stiffness and loss of function. Functional impairment is significant, with spine and hip involvement, and is predominantly seen in the younger age group. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) for fused hips with stiff spines in AS results in considerable improvement of mobility and function.

Methods and Approaches for Buruli Ulcer Surveillance in Africa: Lessons Learnt and Future Directions.

Over 95% of the global burden of Buruli ulcer disease (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans occurs in equatorial Africa. National and sub-national programs have implemented various approaches to improve detection and reporting of incident cases over recent decades. Regional incidence rates are currently in decline; however, surveillance targets outlined in 2012 by WHO have been missed and detection bias may contribute to these trends.