title: Radiographic features associated with increased surgical invasiveness in pyogenic vertebral column osteomyelitis

authors: Purea, Tangi

subjects: computer science

abstract: Study Design:
Single center retrospective cohort study.

Objectives:
Assess the association between well-known radiographic features for spinal instability from the Spinal Instability in Neoplasia Score (SINS) and surgical invasiveness in treating vertebral column osteomyelitis (VCO). This will potentially help surgeons in surgical planning and aid in developing a pathology specific score.

Methods:
Patients with VCO were identified from hospital coding. On preoperative computed tomography radiographic features, including spinal alignment, vertebral body collapse, location, type of bone lesion, and posterolateral involvement were assessed and scored 0 (stable) to 15 (highly unstable). Surgical invasiveness was graded as 0 = no surgery, 1 = decompression alone, 2 = shortening or posterior stabilization, or 3 = anterior column reconstruction.

Results:
A total of 41 patients were included. The mean age of the cohort was 63.3 years (SD 12.0) with male comprising 78%. The mean total radiographic score for the nonsurgical group was 6.39 (3.14) and for the surgical group 10.38 (3.06), P < .001. Spinal alignment, vertebral body collapse, type of bone lesion, and posterolateral involvement correlated with surgical invasiveness (all Ps < .05). Subgroup comparison following analysis of variance showed that only spinal alignment was significantly different between groups 2 and 3.

Conclusions:
Our findings show correlation of the radiographic components of the SINS with surgical invasiveness in management of pyogenic VCO—these findings should aid development of an “instability score” in pyogenic VCO. While most radiographic features assessed correlated with surgical invasiveness spinal alignment appears to be the key feature in determining the need for more invasive surgery.

text: Radiographic features associated with increased surgical invasiveness in pyogenic vertebral column osteomyelitis Study Design:
Single center retrospective cohort study.

Objectives:
Assess the association between well-known radiographic features for spinal instability from the Spinal Instability in Neoplasia Score (SINS) and surgical invasiveness in treating vertebral column osteomyelitis (VCO). This will potentially help surgeons in surgical planning and aid in developing a pathology specific score.

Methods:
Patients with VCO were identified from hospital coding. On preoperative computed tomography radiographic features, including spinal alignment, vertebral body collapse, location, type of bone lesion, and posterolateral involvement were assessed and scored 0 (stable) to 15 (highly unstable). Surgical invasiveness was graded as 0 = no surgery, 1 = decompression alone, 2 = shortening or posterior stabilization, or 3 = anterior column reconstruction.

Results:
A total of 41 patients were included. The mean age of the cohort was 63.3 years (SD 12.0) with male comprising 78%. The mean total radiographic score for the nonsurgical group was 6.39 (3.14) and for the surgical group 10.38 (3.06), P < .001. Spinal alignment, vertebral body collapse, type of bone lesion, and posterolateral involvement correlated with surgical invasiveness (all Ps < .05). Subgroup comparison following analysis of variance showed that only spinal alignment was significantly different between groups 2 and 3.

Conclusions:
Our findings show correlation of the radiographic components of the SINS with surgical invasiveness in management of pyogenic VCO—these findings should aid development of an “instability score” in pyogenic VCO. While most radiographic features assessed correlated with surgical invasiveness spinal alignment appears to be the key feature in determining the need for more invasive surgery.

year: 2020

title: Considering reachability when comparing data refinements

authors: Reeves, Steve

subjects: computer science

abstract: Adding considerations about reachability to the Logics of Specification Languages [1] chapter [2].

text: Considering reachability when comparing data refinements Adding considerations about reachability to the Logics of Specification Languages [1] chapter [2].

year: 2008-11-03

title: Maumahara Papahou: A mobile augmented reality memory treasure box based on Māori mnemonic aids

authors: Taia, Ivy

subjects: computer science

abstract: He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide “silent epidemic” causing a variety of memory issues for those affected. Although several software approaches aim to aid memory recollection, they are inadequate for many TBI survivors and none address aspects of cultural awareness in New Zealand. We explored design concepts of traditional Mäori cultural artefacts and techniques and how they helped Mäori people recall past information. This paper describes our research and development of Maumahara Papahou, a mobile app that uses augmented reality features to create a digital memory treasure box based on the concepts of Mäori mnemonic aids.

text: Maumahara Papahou: A mobile augmented reality memory treasure box based on Māori mnemonic aids He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide “silent epidemic” causing a variety of memory issues for those affected. Although several software approaches aim to aid memory recollection, they are inadequate for many TBI survivors and none address aspects of cultural awareness in New Zealand. We explored design concepts of traditional Mäori cultural artefacts and techniques and how they helped Mäori people recall past information. This paper describes our research and development of Maumahara Papahou, a mobile app that uses augmented reality features to create a digital memory treasure box based on the concepts of Mäori mnemonic aids.

year: 2019