Scoliosis instrumentation alters primary and coupled motions of the spine: An in vitro study using entire thoracolumbar spine and rib cage specimens.

Background: Effects of rigid posterior instrumentation on the three-dimensional post-operative spinal flexibility are widely unknown. Purpose of this in vitro study was to quantify these effects for characteristic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis instrumentations.

Methods: Six fresh frozen human thoracic and lumbar spine specimens (C7-S) with entire rib cage from young adult donors (26-45 years) without clinically relevant deformity were loaded quasi-statically with pure moments of 5 Nm in flexion/extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation.

Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in German Primary School Children.

Background/objectives: Childhood obesity is a consistent public health issue, which often persists into adulthood. This study determined risk factors of childhood obesity and associated comorbidities in German school children.

Methods: Data of 1956 primary school children (7.

Spinal instrumentation length affects adjacent segment range of motion and intradiscal pressure.

Scoliosis instrumentation length depends on the type and degree of deformity and the individual preference of the surgeon. This in vitro study aimed to explore effects of increasing instrumentation length on adjacent segment mobility and intervertebral disc loading. Six fresh frozen human spine specimens (C7-sacrum) with entire rib cage from young adult donors (26-45 years) were loaded with pure moments of 5 Nm.

Does the intervention of the school-based health promotion programme "Join the Healthy Boat" have equal or differential effects on weight status and health-related behaviours in children from a high or low socio-economic background? - A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Worldwide, the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity increases. Children with low socioeconomic status (SES) are more often affected by overweight and obesity. SES is also associated with health behaviours.

Hypothalamic obesity: from basic mechanisms to clinical perspectives.

Despite the diverse nature of obesity, there is compelling genetic, clinical, and experimental evidence that endorses the important contribution of brain circuits to this condition. The hypothalamus contains major regulatory circuits for bodyweight homoeostasis, the deregulation of which can lead to obesity. Although functional perturbation of hypothalamic pathways could lie at the basis of common forms of obesity, the term hypothalamic obesity has been created to define those rare forms of severe obesity where a clear hypothalamic substrate can be identified, either of genetic or acquired origin.

How does thoracic scoliosis surgery affect thoracolumbar spinal flexibility and lumbar intradiscal pressure? An in vitro study confirming the importance of the rib cage.

Purpose: To evaluate effects of spinal and rib osteotomies on the resulting spinal flexibility for surgical correction of thoracic scoliosis and to explore effects of posterior fixation on thoracolumbar segmental range of motion and lumbar intervertebral disc loading.

Methods: Six fresh frozen human thoracolumbar spine and rib cage specimens (26-45 years, two female / four male) without clinically relevant deformity were loaded with pure moments of 5 Nm in flexion/extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Optical motion tracking of all segmental levels (C7-S) and intradiscal pressure measurements of the lumbar spine (L1-L5) were performed (1) in intact condition, (2) after Schwab grade 1, (3) Schwab grade 2, and (4) left rib osteotomies at T6-T10 levels, as well as (5) after posterior spinal fixation with pedicle screw-rod instrumentation at T4-L1 levels.

Circadian disturbances, anxiety and motor disturbances differentiate delirium superimposed on dementia from dementia-only.

Background: To ensure adequate treatment, individuals with delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) need to be differentiated reliably from those with dementia only (DO). Therefore, we aimed to examine the clinical indicators of DSD by assessing motor subtypes, cognitive performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms in DSD and DO patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional design with the Delirium-Motor-Subtyping Scale (DMSS), Mini-Mental-State-Examination (MMSE), Clock-Drawing-Test (CDT), DemTect, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory assessed after admission to an acute hospital.

How cervical and cervicothoracic scoliosis influence the atlantoaxial joint.

Introduction: Children with cervical or cervicothoracic congenital scoliosis are limited in their ability to compensate for the main curve of the deformity because there are only a few mobile segments in their cervical spine. Over the years, we have frequently observed coronal atlantoaxial dislocation (CAAD) in a lateral direction (from left to right or vice versa) in these patients. It was anticipated that CAAD might compensate for the horizontal position of the head, and it is hypothesized that CAAD depends on the degree of scoliotic deformity.

A brain organoid/ALL coculture model reveals the AP-1 pathway as critically associated with CNS involvement of BCP-ALL.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement remains a clinical hurdle in treating childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). The disease mechanisms of CNS leukemia are primarily investigated using 2-dimensional cell culture and mouse models. Given the variations in cellular identity and architecture between the human and murine CNS, it becomes imperative to seek complementary models to study CNS leukemia.

Systems genetics analysis of human body fat distribution genes identifies adipocyte processes.

Excess abdominal fat is a sexually dimorphic risk factor for cardio-metabolic disease and is approximated by the waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (WHR). Whereas this trait is highly heritable, few causal genes are known. We aimed to identify novel drivers of WHR using systems genetics.

Predictors of 2-Year Post-Discharge Mortality in Hospitalized Older Patients.

Background: Understanding prognostic factors for adverse health outcomes is clinically relevant for improving treatment decision-making processes, potentially leading to enhanced patient prognosis. This secondary analysis of a prospective observational study aimed to identify independent factors associated with 2-year post-discharge mortality in acutely hospitalized older patients.

Methods: All-cause mortality and date of death of 115 patients (83.

A spatiotemporal proteomic map of human adipogenesis.

White adipocytes function as major energy reservoirs in humans by storing substantial amounts of triglycerides, and their dysfunction is associated with metabolic disorders; however, the mechanisms underlying cellular specialization during adipogenesis remain unknown. Here, we generate a spatiotemporal proteomic atlas of human adipogenesis, which elucidates cellular remodelling as well as the spatial reorganization of metabolic pathways to optimize cells for lipid accumulation and highlights the coordinated regulation of protein localization and abundance during adipocyte formation. We identify compartment-specific regulation of protein levels and localization changes of metabolic enzymes to reprogramme branched-chain amino acids and one-carbon metabolism to provide building blocks and reduction equivalents.

Variability of intervertebral joint stiffness between specimens and spine levels.

Musculoskeletal multibody models of the spine can be used to investigate the biomechanical behaviour of the spine. In this context, a correct characterisation of the passive mechanical properties of the intervertebral joint is crucial. The intervertebral joint stiffness, in particular, is typically derived from the literature, and the differences between individuals and spine levels are often disregarded.

Digital psychosocial interventions for individuals with spinal cord injury: a scoping review.

Objective: To provide an overview of the digital mental health care landscape for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: PubMed, PsycInfo, and PSYNDEX were searched for articles meeting the following criteria: (1) article written in English or German; (2) digital psychosocial intervention; (3) SCI only; (4) treatment of individuals with SCI and not their relatives or caregivers. Records were screened by title and abstract and records meeting the inclusion criteria were obtained for full text screening.

Variant ALK-fusion positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL): A population-based paediatric study of the NHL-BFM study group.

Frequency, distribution and prognostic meaning of ALK-partner genes other than NPM1 in ALK-positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) are unknown. Forty-nine of 316 ALCL diagnosed in the NHL-BFM study group showed no nuclear ALK expression suggestive of a variant ALK-partner; 41 were analysed by genomic capture high-throughput sequencing or specific RT-PCRs. NPM1::ALK was detected in 13 cases.

Plasma Endocannabinoid Levels in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Healthy Controls.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder and presents a complex therapeutic challenge due to limited treatment modalities. Recent focus has converged on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a prospective modulator of psychopathological processes in BPD. To address this hypothesis, we analysed plasma endocannabinoid concentrations, specifically anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), in a cohort of 49 female BPD patients and 32 matched healthy controls (HC).

Relationship of the SITLESS intervention on medication use in community-dwelling older adults: an exploratory study.

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) interventions in older adults can improve health outcomes. Problems related with aging include prevalent comorbidity, multiple non-communicable diseases, complaints, and resulting polypharmacy. This manuscript examines the relationship between an intervention aiming at reducing SB on medication patterns.

Impact of mutations defining SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/5 on Spike function and neutralization.

Additional mutations in the viral Spike protein helped the BA.2.12.

Radial and longitudinal meniscus tears show different gapping patterns under stance phase conditions.

Meniscal tearing can increase the contact pressure between the tibia and femur by causing gapping of torn meniscus tissue. The aim of this study was to quantify gapping behavior of radial and longitudinal tears and their impact on peak contact pressure and mean contact area. Twelve porcine knee joints underwent unicondylar, convertible osteotomy for exact tear application and consecutive suturing.

GWAS of random glucose in 476,326 individuals provide insights into diabetes pathophysiology, complications and treatment stratification.

Conventional measurements of fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels investigated in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) cannot capture the effects of DNA variability on 'around the clock' glucoregulatory processes. Here we show that GWAS meta-analysis of glucose measurements under nonstandardized conditions (random glucose (RG)) in 476,326 individuals of diverse ancestries and without diabetes enables locus discovery and innovative pathophysiological observations. We discovered 120 RG loci represented by 150 distinct signals, including 13 with sex-dimorphic effects, two cross-ancestry and seven rare frequency signals.