bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Current status of the management of isolated syndesmotic injuries in Germany
Authors: Mutschler Manuel , Naendrup Jan-Hendrik , Pfeiffer Thomas R. , Jaecker Vera , Arbab Dariusch , Shafizadeh Sven , Buchhorn Tomas 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Introduction
Although non-fracture-related syndesmotic injuries of the ankle are relatively rare, they may lead to poor clinical outcome if initially undiagnosed or managed improperly. Despite a variety of literature regarding possibilities for treatment of isolated syndesmotic injuries, little is known about effective applications of different therapeutic methods in day-to-day work. The aim of this study was to assess the current status of the treatment of isolated syndesmotic injuries in Germany.

Materials and methods
An online-questionnaire, capturing the routine diagnostic workup including clinical examination, radiologic assessment and treatment strategies, was sent to all members of the German Society of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology (DGOU) and Association of Arthroscopic and Joint Surgery (AGA). Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft excel and SPSS.

Results
Each question of the questionnaire was on average answered by 431 ± 113 respondents. External rotation stress test (66%), squeeze test (61%) and forced dorsiflexion test (40%) were most commonly used for the clinical examination. In the diagnostic workup, most clinicians relied on MRI (83%) and conventional X-ray analysis (anterior–posterior 58%, lateral 41%, mortise view 38%). Only 15% of the respondents stated that there is a role for arthroscopic evaluation for the assessment of isolated syndesmotic injuries. Most frequently used fixation techniques included syndesmotic screw fixation (80%, 42% one syndesmotic screw, 38% two syndesmotic screws), followed by suture-button devices in 13%. Syndesmotic screw fixation was mainly performed tricortically (78%). While 50% of the respondents stated that syndesmotic screw fixation and suture-button devices are equivalent in the treatment of isolated syndesmotic injuries with respect to clinical outcome, 36% answered that syndesmotic screw fixation is superior compared to suture-button devices.

Conclusions
While arthroscopy and suture-button devices do not appear to be widely used, syndesmotic screw fixation after diagnostic work-up by MRI seems to be the common treatment algorithm for non-fracture-related syndesmotic injuries in Germany.
Occurrence of adjacent segment fractures after surgical treatment of an osteoporotic vertebral fracture: a retrospective comparison between two different treatment methods
Authors: Aboud Nazeer , Eckardt Niklas , Kamp Marcel A. , Senft Christian , Schwarz Falko 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Introduction
Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are a major healthcare problem. Vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) is frequently used as a minimally invasive surgical approach to manage symptomatic fractures. However, there is a potential risk of adjacent segment fracture (ASF), which may require second surgery. The addition of transcutaneous screw-fixation with cement augmentation superior and inferior to the fracture [Hybrid transcutaneous screw fixation (HTSF)] might represent an alternative treatment option to reduce the incidence of ASF.

Materials and methods
We retrospectively compared surgery time, hospital stay, intraoperative complication rate and the occurrence of ASF with the need for a surgical treatment in a cohort of 165 consecutive patients receiving either VCA or HTSF in our academic neurosurgical department from 2012 to 2020. The median follow-up was 52.3 weeks in the VCA-group and 51.9 in the HTSF-group.

Results
During the study period, 93 patients underwent VCA, and 72 had HTSF. Of all patients, 113 were females (64 VCA; 49 HTSF) and 52 were males (29 VCA; 23 HTSF). The median age was 77 years in both groups. Median surgery time was 32 min in the VCA-group and 81 min in the HTSF-group (p < 0.0001). No surgery-related complications occurred in the VCA-group with two in the HTSF-group (p = 0.19). ASF was significantly higher in the VCA-group compared to HTSF (24 [26%] vs. 8 [11%] patients; p < 0.02). The proportion of patients requiring additional surgery due to ASF was higher in the VCA-group (13 vs. 6%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.18). Median hospital stay was 9 days in the VCA-group and 11.5 days in the HTSF-group (p = 0.0001).

Conclusions
Based on this single-center cohort study, HTSF appears to be a safe and effective option for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Surgical time and duration of hospital stay were longer in the HTSF-group, but the rate of ASF was significantly reduced with this approach. Further studies are required to ascertain whether HTSF results in superior long-term outcomes or improved quality of life.
Comparison of the diagnostic performance of NBI, Laser-BLI and LED-BLI: a randomized controlled noninferiority trial
Authors: Higurashi Takuma , Ashikari Keiichi , Tamura Shigeki , Takatsu Tomohiro , Misawa Noboru , Yoshihara Tsutomu , Ninomiya Yuki , Okamoto Yuki , Taguri Masataka , Sakamoto Taku , Oka Shiro , Nakajima Atsushi , Tanaka Shinji , Matsuda Takahisa 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Background and aims
New image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE), blue Light Imaging (LED-BLI) is launched in USA and Europe, whereas Blue Laser Imaging (Laser-BLI) is available only Asian and some countries. No studies have directly compared the diagnostic accuracy of narrow band imaging (NBI), Laser-BLI and LED-BLI for colorectal tumors. The present study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the three methods for colorectal tumor using the NBI international colorectal endoscopic (NICE) classification and the Japanese NBI Expert Team (JNET) classifications.

Methods
This was a multi-center evaluator-blinded, randomized control trial of patients who underwent endoscopic colorectal tumor resection. The patients were randomly assigned to NBI, Laser-BLI or LED-BLI. Cropped images were sent to blinded external evaluators and diagnosed according to NICE and JNET classifications. The diagnostic accuracy of each endoscopy system was compared with non-inferiority test.

Results
A total of 619 colonic tumors were resected from 230 patients and evaluated by external four evaluators. The diagnostic accuracy of NBI for NICE 1, NICE 2, NICE 3 was 90.6%, 90.3% and 99.5%, respectively and for JNET 1, JNET 2A, JNET 2B and JNET 3, it was 94.6%, 72.0%, 79.2% and 99.1%, respectively. In non-inferiority test, Laser-BLI and LED-BLI revealed non-inferiority to NBI in all NICE and JNET categories (p<0.001).

Conclusions
Laser-BLI and LED-BLI had high diagnostic accuracy and non-inferiority of NBI, especially for hyperplastic polyp/sessile serrated lesion and low-grade dysplasia. This is first trial to compare the diagnostic accuracy with NBI, Laser-BLI and LED-BLI and useful to understand the position of each IEE. This trial was registered as UMIN000032107.
RockGPT: reconstructing three-dimensional digital rocks from single two-dimensional slice with deep learning
Authors: Zheng Qiang , Zhang Dongxiao 
Published: April 2022

AbstractRandom reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) digital rocks from two-dimensional (2D) slices is crucial for elucidating the microstructure of rocks and its effects on pore-scale flow in terms of numerical modeling, since massive samples are usually required to handle intrinsic uncertainties. Despite remarkable advances achieved by traditional process-based methods, statistical approaches and recently famous deep learning-based models, few works have focused on producing several kinds of rocks with one trained model and allowing the reconstructed samples to approximately satisfy certain given properties, such as porosity. To fill this gap, we propose a new framework with deep learning, named RockGPT, which is composed of VQ-VAE and conditional GPT, to synthesize 3D samples based on a single 2D slice from the perspective of video generation. The VQ-VAE is utilized to compress high-dimensional input video, i.e., the sequence of continuous rock slices, to discrete latent codes and reconstruct them. In order to obtain diverse reconstructions, the discrete latent codes are modeled using conditional GPT in an autoregressive manner, while incorporating conditional information from a given slice, rock type, and porosity. We conduct two experiments on five kinds of rocks, and the results demonstrate that RockGPT can produce different kinds of rocks with a single model, and the porosities of reconstructed samples can distribute around specified targets with a narrow range. In a broader sense, through leveraging the proposed conditioning scheme, RockGPT constitutes an effective way to build a general model to produce multiple kinds of rocks simultaneously that also satisfy user-defined properties.
The Role of Scientific Expertise in COVID-19 Policy-making: Evidence from Four European Countries
Authors: Hodges Ron , Caperchione Eugenio , van Helden Jan , Reichard Christoph , Sorrentino Daniela 
Published: April 2022

AbstractImmense uncertainty and the need for drastic interventions cause politicians to rely heavily on scientific advice for underpinning or legitimating their COVID-19 decision-making. This paper explores the role of scientific advice in this policy field in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. It shows that scientific advice is based on the disciplinary, mainly medical, backgrounds of advisors but is also influenced by social and economic values, which are core to what politicians find important. During the pandemic a growing gap between scientific advice and political decisions is observed.
Mobile money, traditional financial services and firm productivity in Africa
Authors: Konte Maty , Tetteh Godsway Korku 
Published: April 2022

Abstract Despite the successful adoption of mobile money in sub-Saharan Africa, there is limited empirical evidence on how mobile money interacts with traditional financial services and the implications of this interaction for firm performance. In this paper, we investigate the effects of mobile money use and access to traditional financial services on labour productivity and test whether mobile money can accentuate the impact of traditional financial services on productivity. Using firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey across 14 sub-Saharan African countries, we find a significant effect of access to traditional financial services on firm labour productivity but no robust significant direct effect of mobile money use on labour productivity. However, when access to traditional financial services, particularly access to bank capital, is combined with mobile money, there is a productivity improvement. We find similar evidence in the sample of small and medium-sized enterprises. The productivity gain from combining mobile money use with traditional financial service is also found within firms from East Africa and especially firms from other regions where mobile money is emerging, but uptake is relatively low. Overall, the evidence suggests that mobile money can heighten the effects of traditional finance, and we attribute this effect to a reduction in transaction costs. The findings in this paper support that both mobile money and traditional financial services should be promoted at the firm level.
Regional entrepreneurial ecosystems: learning from forest ecosystems
Authors: O’Connor Allan , Audretsch David 
Published: April 2022

AbstractDespite the emerging body of literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), theoretical development is still in its infancy. In this article, we explicitly draw upon the analogy of forest ecosystems (FEs) with an EE to extrapolate the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem (REE) as an alternate conceptual framework. The REE considers a region’s socioeconomic activity and the stability of its performance as a whole, influenced by partitioned interests of economics, social arrangements, physical environment, knowledge and the technology that each contributes to the community’s industry and economic order. We contend that it is when an EE is defined by a regional dimension that it is analogous to the study of forests. In this REE analysis, neither the entrepreneur nor their firm are the unit of analysis, but it is the change and stability of the regional socioeconomic ecosystem itself that becomes the priority. Scholars, interested in the effects of entrepreneurship, can learn from ecological studies to more fully grasp the interplay between compositional, structural, and functional elements and specifically how entrepreneurs account for change dynamics.
3D Shape Analysis Through a Quantum Lens: the Average Mixing Kernel Signature
Authors: Cosmo Luca , Minello Giorgia , Bronstein Michael , Rodolà Emanuele , Rossi Luca , Torsello Andrea 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe Average Mixing Kernel Signature is a novel spectral signature for points on non-rigid three-dimensional shapes. It is based on a quantum exploration process of the shape surface, where the average transition probabilities between the points of the shape are summarised in the finite-time average mixing kernel. A band-filtered spectral analysis of this kernel then yields the AMKS. Crucially, we show that opting for a finite time-evolution allows the signature to account for a mixing of the Laplacian eigenspaces, similar to what is observed in the presence of noise, explaining the increased noise robustness of this signature when compared to alternative signatures. We perform an extensive experimental analysis of the AMKS under a wide range of problem scenarios, evaluating the performance of our descriptor under different sources of noise (vertex jitter and topological), shape representations (mesh and point clouds), as well as when only a partial view of the shape is available. Our experiments show that the AMKS consistently outperforms two of the most widely used spectral signatures, the Heat Kernel Signature and the Wave Kernel Signature, and suggest that the AMKS should be the signature of choice for various compute vision problems, including as input of deep convolutional architectures for shape analysis.
Development of a semi-structured database for back-analysis of the foundation stiffness of offshore wind monopiles
Authors: Stuyts Bruno , Weijtjens Wout , Devriendt Christof 
Published: April 2022

AbstractOffshore wind turbines founded on monopiles are highly dynamic structures in which the stiffness of the soil adjacent to the monopile controls the natural frequency of the structure. As the loading regime and ground conditions surrounding the foundation are subject to considerable uncertainty, adaptable digital twins of the offshore structures are valuable as they allow the use of in-field monitoring data for model updating. As soil conditions and water depths are rarely uniform across a wind farm site, each structure is expected to behave differently. To back-analyse structural performance, geotechnical and structural data needs to be retrieved at every foundation location. A serverless cloud-based application was developed to allow quick and reliable storage and retrieval of geotechnical and structural data. The database was combined with an API layer to allow parametric data retrieval for back-analyses and digital twin updating across an entire wind farm. As the web application is hosted in the cloud, the data can be accessed through simple HTTP requests by authenticated users working offshore, in the office or remote. The performance of this solution is illustrated with a case study in which foundation stiffness across an entire wind farm site is parametrically calculated and updated.
Co-dependency and Enmeshment — a Fusion of Concepts
Authors: Bacon Ingrid , Conway Jeff 
Published: April 2022

AbstractCo-dependency and enmeshment have been used interchangeably in psychological and psychotherapeutic practice. The commentary offers a discussion on the conceptual development of both concepts, highlighting the historical differences and similarities. It suggests that there are specific schemas and modes which operate within the scope of both concepts. The Bacon & Conway - CODEM Model 2022. is introduced to describe the schemas and modes associated with enmeshment and co-dependency. The conceptual model of enmeshment and co-dependency is offered with the intention to help the reader to identify and find ways to address these patterns. A fictional clinical case scenario was offered to illustrate the discussion. Further research is currently being developed to offer a robust empirical base for the model proposed.
Medical expenditures for fragility hip fracture in Japan: a study using the nationwide health insurance claims database
Authors: Mori Takahiro , Komiyama Jun , Fujii Tomoko , Sanuki Masaru , Kume Keitaro , Kato Genta , Mori Yukiko , Ueshima Hiroaki , Matsui Hiroki , Tamiya Nanako , Sugiyama Takehiro 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Summary
Using the nationwide health insurance claims database in Japan, we estimated total annual medical expenditures for fragility hip fracture across the population at 329.2 billion yen (2.99 billion US dollars). Long-term care expenditures were not included. Fragility hip fracture imposes a considerable health economic burden on society in Japan.

Purpose
Fragility hip fracture imposes a substantial health economic burden on society globally. We aimed to estimate medical expenditures for fragility hip fracture using the nationwide health insurance claims database in Japan.

Methods
We included adults aged 60 and over without prior hip fracture who were admitted for fragility hip fracture (i.e., femoral neck or extracapsular) between October 2014 and October 2015 (13 months). Fragility hip fracture was identified through newly assigned disease codes for fracture and procedure codes associated with the fracture. As a proxy for medical expenditures per patient, incremental payments were calculated (i.e., the difference between the total payments 6 months before and after fragility hip fracture). The total payments included health insurance reimbursements and copayments for inpatient and outpatient services. Long-term care expenditures were not included in this study.

Results
We identified 142,361 individuals (28,868 male and 113,493 female) with fragility hip fracture. Mean medical expenditures for fragility hip fracture per patient were 2,550,000 yen (¥) (23,180 US dollars [$]; ¥110 = $1) in male and ¥2,494,000 ($22,670) in female patients, respectively. Total annual medical expenditures for fragility hip fracture across the population were 329.2 billion yen (2.99 billion US dollars): 67.96 billion yen (620 million US dollars) in male and 261.24 billion yen (2.37 billion US dollars) in female patients, respectively.

Conclusion
This is the first study to estimate medical expenditures for hip fracture using the nationwide health insurance claims database, which represents almost all health insurance claims in Japan. Fragility hip fracture inflicts a considerable health economic burden on society in Japan.
Segregation Neutralised Steels: Microstructural Banding Elimination from Dual-Phase Steel Through Alloy Design Accounting for Inherent Segregation
Authors: Slater Carl , Bandi Bharath , Dastur Pedram , Davis Claire 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Banding in commercial dual-phase steels, such as banded ferrite and pearlite or ferrite and martensite microstructures, is inherited from segregation during solidification in continuously cast material, predominantly from Mn segregation, and subsequent rolling. The banded microstructures lead to anisotropic mechanical properties which is generally undesirable. This paper presents an alloy design approach (termed “segregation neutralised” steels) to remove banding of the second phase by utilising co-segregation of both austenite and ferrite stabilisers to reduce local variability in second phase stability. The new composition proposed also considers achieving the same strength levels through maintaining the same second phase fraction, grain size and solid solution strengthening increments. Phase field modelling has been used to predict the segregation and phase transformation behaviours for a commercial composition dual-phase steel and the new composition segregation neutralised steel. A 5 kg laboratory alloy production route (casting, hot rolling and coiling simulation, cold rolling and annealing) has shown that the banded structure seen in commercial dual-phase steels is accurately reproduced and that banding has been reduced dramatically in both the hot rolled condition as well as after cold rolling and annealing in the new segregation neutralised steel. Chemical analysis has shown that in the segregation neutralised alloy the second phase distribution shows no correlation to the segregation bands, due to the achieved balance in austenite and ferrite stabilisers.
More than Just a Monolayer: the Multifaceted Role of Endothelial Cells in the Pathophysiology of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Mussbacher Marion , Schossleitner Klaudia , Kral-Pointner Julia B. , Salzmann Manuel , Schrammel Astrid , Schmid Johannes A. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPurpose of the ReviewIn this review, we summarize current insights into the versatile roles of endothelial cells in atherogenesis.Recent FindingsThe vascular endothelium represents the first barrier that prevents the entry of lipoproteins and leukocytes into the vessel wall, thereby controlling two key events in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Disturbance of endothelial homeostasis increases vascular permeability, inflammation, and cellular trans-differentiation, which not only promotes the build-up of atherosclerotic plaques but is also involved in life-threatening thromboembolic complications such as plaque rupture and erosion. In this review, we focus on recent findings on endothelial lipoprotein transport, inflammation, cellular transitions, and barrier function.SummaryBy using cutting-edge technologies such as single-cell sequencing, epigenetics, and cell fate mapping, novel regulatory mechanisms and endothelial cell phenotypes have been discovered, which have not only challenged established concepts of endothelial activation, but have also led to a different view of the disease.
The Impact of Meal Timing on Risk of Weight Gain and Development of Obesity: a Review of the Current Evidence and Opportunities for Dietary Intervention
Authors: Davis Rochelle , Rogers Michelle , Coates Alison M. , Leung Gloria K. W. , Bonham Maxine P. 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Purpose of Review
The aim of this short review is to provide an updated commentary on the current literature examining the impact of meal timing on obesity and weight gain in adults. The potential mechanisms, including novel and emerging factors, behind timing of food intake across the 24-h period in the development of obesity, and dietary strategies manipulating meal timing to ameliorate weight gain are also explored.

Recent Findings
Dietary patterns that feature meal timing outside of the regular daytime hours can contribute to circadian disruption as food is metabolised in opposition to internal daily rhythms and can feedback on the timekeeping mechanisms setting these rhythms. Epidemiological evidence examining the impact of late meal timing patterns is beginning to suggest that eating at night increases the risk of weight gain over time. Mechanisms contributing to this include changes to the efficiency of metabolism across the day, and dysregulation of appetite hormone and gut microbiota by mis-timed meals.

Summary
When meals are eaten, in relation to the time of day, is increasingly considered of importance when implementing dietary change in order to address the growing burden of obesity, although further research is required in order to determine optimal patterns.