The benefits of ventriculoperitoneal shunting in normal pressure hydrocephalus patients-a follow-up of three years.

Objective: The ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is an established approach in treating normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). This study aims to examine the long-term effects of VPS regarding clinical and radiological outcomes, to explore interdependencies with comorbidities and medication, and to determine a suitable opening pressure of the programmable valve.

Methods: 127 patients with VPS were retrospectively evaluated.

Directionality Reversal and Shift of Rotational Axis in a Hemithioindigo Macrocyclic Molecular Motor.

Molecular motors are central driving units for nanomachinery, and control of their directional motions is of fundamental importance for their functions. Light-driven variants use easy to provide, easy to dose, and waste-free fuel with high energy content, making them particularly interesting for applications. Typically, light-driven molecular motors work via rotations around dedicated chemical bonds where the directionality of the rotation is dictated by the steric effects of asymmetry in close vicinity to the rotation axis.

Troponin I as a Predictor of Transcranial Doppler Sonography Defined Vasospasm in Intensive Care Unit Patients After Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Objective: Elevation of Troponin I (TnI) in spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients is a well-known phenomenon and associated with cardiopulmonary complications and poor outcome. The present study was conducted to investigate the association of the TnI value on admission, and the occurrence of cerebral vasospam in SAH patients.

Patients And Methods: A total of 142 patients with SAH, who were admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU) between December 2014 and January 2021 were evaluated.

Prediction of Initial CRP/Albumin Ratio on In-Hospital Mortality in Isolated Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.

The CRP/albumin ratio (CAR) is a mortality predictor in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate the ability of CAR to predict in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI). We performed a retrospective analysis including 200 patients with iTBI admitted to our neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) between September 2014 and December 2016.

Decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment versus best medical treatment alone for spontaneous severe deep supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage: a randomised controlled clinical trial.

Background: It is unknown whether decompressive craniectomy improves clinical outcome for people with spontaneous severe deep intracerebral haemorrhage. The SWITCH trial aimed to assess whether decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment in these patients improves outcome at 6 months compared to best medical treatment alone.

Methods: In this multicentre, randomised, open-label, assessor-blinded trial conducted in 42 stroke centres in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, adults (18-75 years) with a severe intracerebral haemorrhage involving the basal ganglia or thalamus were randomly assigned to receive either decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment or best medical treatment alone.

The admixture of sp. in stands influences wood anatomical trait responses to climatic variability and drought events.

Introduction: Forests are threatened by increasingly severe and more frequent drought events worldwide. Mono-specific forests, developed as a consequence of widespread management practices established early last century, seem particularly susceptible to global warming and drought compared with mixed-species forests. Although, in several contexts, mixed-species forests display higher species diversity, higher productivity, and higher resilience, previous studies highlighted contrasting findings, with not only many positive but also neutral or negative effects on tree performance that could be related to tree species diversity.

DistSNE: Distributed computing and online visualization of DNA methylation-based central nervous system tumor classification.

The current state-of-the-art analysis of central nervous system (CNS) tumors through DNA methylation profiling relies on the tumor classifier developed by Capper and colleagues, which centrally harnesses DNA methylation data provided by users. Here, we present a distributed-computing-based approach for CNS tumor classification that achieves a comparable performance to centralized systems while safeguarding privacy. We utilize the t-distributed neighborhood embedding (t-SNE) model for dimensionality reduction and visualization of tumor classification results in two-dimensional graphs in a distributed approach across multiple sites (DistSNE).

Leveraging Attention-Based Convolutional Neural Networks for Meningioma Classification in Computational Histopathology.

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are becoming increasingly valuable tools for advanced computational histopathology, promoting precision medicine through exceptional visual decoding abilities. Meningiomas, the most prevalent primary intracranial tumors, necessitate accurate grading and classification for informed clinical decision-making. Recently, DNA methylation-based molecular classification of meningiomas has proven to be more effective in predicting tumor recurrence than traditional histopathological methods.

Does lumbar spinal decompression or fusion surgery influence outcome parameters in patients with intrathecal morphine treatment for persistent spinal pain syndrome type 2 (PSPS-T2).

Objectives: Intrathecal morphine pump (ITMP) infusion therapy is efficient in managing chronic pain refractory to standard treatment. This study evaluates pain relief and improvement of quality of life in chronic pain patients after intrathecal morphine pump implantation for treatment of persistent pain after lumbar spinal fusion surgery and lumbar spinal decompression alone.

Methods: Forty three chronic pain patients that received an ITMP at our department between 2009 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed divided into 2 cohorts (lumbar spinal fusion surgery and lumbar spinal decompression alone).

Implementation and Assessment of a Laparotomy-Assisted Three-Port Fetoscopic Spina Bifida Repair Program.

Open spina bifida (OSB) is a congenital, non-lethal malformation with multifactorial etiology. Fetal therapy can be offered under certain conditions to parents after accurate prenatal diagnostic and interdisciplinary counseling. Since the advent of prenatal OSB surgery, various modifications of the original surgical techniques have evolved, including laparotomy-assisted fetoscopic repair.

Serum Urea-to-Albumin Ratio Is an Independent Predictor of Intra-Hospital Mortality in Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Unlabelled: The negative prognostic value of an increased serum urea-to-albumin ratio on intra-hospital mortality is frequently investigated in general critically ill patients and patients with septic shock, although not in neurosurgical patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages (ICH). The current study was conducted to investigate the impact of the serum urea-to-albumin ratio upon hospital admission on intra-hospital mortality in ICU-admitted neurosurgical patients with spontaneous ICH.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 354 ICH patients, who were treated from 10/2008 to 12/2017 at our intensive care units (ICU).

Impact of Serum Lactate as an Early Serum Biomarker for Cardiopulmonary Parameters within the First 24 Hours of Intensive Care Unit Treatment in Patients with Isolated Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary (CP) complications are well-known phenomena in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI) that can lead to tissue hypoperfusion and hypoxia. Serum lactate level is a well-known biomarker, indicating these systemic dysregulations in various diseases, but this has not been investigated in iTBI patients so far. The current study evaluates the association between serum lactate levels upon admission and CP parameters within the first 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) treatment in iTBI patients.

Empirical and process-based models predict enhanced beech growth in European mountains under climate change scenarios: A multimodel approach.

Process-based models and empirical modelling techniques are frequently used to (i) explore the sensitivity of tree growth to environmental variables, and (ii) predict the future growth of trees and forest stands under climate change scenarios. However, modelling approaches substantially influence predictions of the sensitivity of trees to environmental factors. Here, we used tree-ring width (TRW) data from 1630 beech trees from a network of 70 plots established across European mountains to build empirical predictive growth models using various modelling approaches.

Development and first results of a national databank on care and treatment outcome after traumatic brain injury.

Purpose: In absence of comprehensive data collection on traumatic brain injury (TBI), the German Society for Neurosurgery (DGNC) and the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU) developed a TBI databank for German-speaking countries.

Methods: From 2016 to 2020, the TBI databank DGNC/DGU was implemented as a module of the TraumaRegister (TR) DGU and tested in a 15-month pilot phase. Since its official launch in 2021, patients from the TR-DGU (intermediate or intensive care unit admission via shock room) with TBI (AIS head ≥ 1) can be enrolled.

Significantly higher expression of high-mobility group AT hook protein 2 (HMGA2) in the border zone of glioblastoma.

Background: High-mobility group AT-hook protein 2 (HMGA2) is a gene regulatory protein that is correlated with metastatic potential and poor prognosis. It has been shown that HMGA2 is overexpressed in various tumors such as lung cancer or pancreatic cancer. The invasive character and highly aggressive structure of glioblastoma let us to investigate HMGA2 expression in the border zone of the tumor more closely.

Nutrient regime modulates drought response patterns of three temperate tree species.

Against the backdrop of global change, the intensity, duration, and frequency of droughts are projected to increase and threaten forest ecosystems worldwide. Tree responses to drought are complex and likely to vary among species, drought characteristics, and site conditions. Here, we examined the drought response patterns of three major temperate tree species, s.

Impact of the fluid challenge infusion rate on cardiac stroke volume during major spinal neurosurgery: a prospective single center randomized interventional trial.

Background: Fluid therapy, including the choice of a crystalloid or colloid infusion, the execution time of a volume bolus, and the expected volume need of a patient during surgery, varies greatly in clinical practice. Different goal directed fluid protocols have been developed, where fluid boluses guided by dynamic preload parameters are administered within a specific period.

Objective: To study the efficacy of two fluid bolus infusion rates measured by the response of hemodynamic parameters.

The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning monitoring to safely administer a fluid-restrictive goal-directed treatment protocol to minimize the risk of transfusion during major spine surgery of a Jehovah's Witness: a case report.

Background: The Hypotension Prediction Index (HPI) displays an innovative monitoring tool which predicts intraoperative hypotension before its onset.

Case Presentation: We report the case of an 84-year-old Caucasian woman undergoing major spinal surgery with no possibility for the transfer of blood products given her status as a Jehovah's Witness. The hemodynamic treatment algorithm we employed was based on HPI and resulted in a high degree of hemodynamic stability during the surgical procedure.

Serum Lactate as Serum Biomarker for Cardiopulmonary Parameters within the First 24 Hours after a Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary (CP) complications are well known in patients with an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and could be associated with a higher serum lactate level. The present study aimed to assess the associations between the initial serum lactate level and the CP parameters within the first 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) treatment in neurosurgical ICH patients. Patients and Methods: A total of 354 patients admitted to the ICU between 01/2009 and 12/2017 with a diagnosis of an ICH were retrospectively analyzed.

A prospective randomized study comparing retractor-endoscopic vs. open release of carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndromes.

Objective: To evaluate the neurological and neurophysiological outcomes of retractor-endoscopic versus open release in carpal tunnel syndrome (rCTS and oCTS, respectively) and cubital tunnel syndrome (rCbTS and oCbTS, respectively) at 3- and 12-month follow-up.

Methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 80 patients were prospectively blindly randomized. McGowan scores were used for preoperative grading and outcomes were assessed using a modified Bishop rating system (BRS).

FGFR3-TACCs3 Fusions and Their Clinical Relevance in Human Glioblastoma.

Oncogenic fusion genes have emerged as successful targets in several malignancies, such as chronic myeloid leukemia and lung cancer. Fusion of the fibroblast growth receptor 3 and the transforming acidic coiled coil containing protein-FGFR3-TACC3 fusion-is prevalent in 3-4% of human glioblastoma. The fusion protein leads to the constitutively activated kinase signaling of FGFR3 and thereby promotes cell proliferation and tumor progression.