OPUS THD (Technischen Hochschule Deggendorf)
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Experiences Regarding Anonymising and Publishing Personal Data as Open Data in Germany: Results of an Online Survey
No full textIntroduction:
The anonymisation of Personal Data (PD) and its release as Open Data (OD) hold considerable potential for innovation across health, research, public administration, and the economy. However, practical experiences regarding data anonymisation and OD publication remain underexplored in Germany. This study empirically investigates the current state of anonymised data practices, the barriers to implementation, and the desired support mechanisms for publishing formerly PD as OD.
Methods:
Embedded in a mixed-methods approach, this cross-sectional study examines research interest in the collection, processing, and use of anonymised data, as well as potential barriers and support services for the anonymisation and publication of former PD. A nationwide online survey was conducted in October–November 2024 via LimeSurvey. A total of 215 responses were included in the descriptive analysis.
Results:
The findings indicate limited experience with PD anonymisation and OD publication across industries. The potential added value of these processes was often not fully recognised, and data-handling responsibilities were rarely standardised. Data collectors, data protection officers, and IT departments were identified as the most frequently involved parties in these processes. Technical and educational support were the most desired forms of assistance.
Discussion:
To foster broader OD utilisation, stakeholders require comprehensive support. According to the sample, specific training and further education on the anonymisation and publishing process, as well as the desired software, are most important. Developing standardised process descriptions that integrate ethical and legal considerations, supported by national networks or governmental institutions, could significantly enhance the responsible and effective use of anonymised OD in Germany
Incentives for Open Science and Advancing Sustainability: A German Perspective
No full textoai:kobv.de-opus4-thd:2Open science in ensuring equitable access to information is relevant to the attainment of all United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Badges, prizes and awards evaluate and recognise achievements, encourage involvement in open science and open access practices and provide an opportunity to present related activities to the outside world in a succinct form. The focus, however, is not on mundane self-promotion, but rather on the goal of external and internal reflection and promotion of the work done, as well as an appropriate presentation of the open resources and workflows produced. Prizes and awards constitute a stimulus for best practice, education and exchange both within an institution, with an institution´s users and with the wider community. This chapter provides an overview of the various badges, awards and prizes relevant to Germany as incentive systems for open science and open access activities. The contributions to the SDGs and education for sustainable development (ESD) are contextualised and discussed. It concludes with a selection of recommendations and summarises the most important results
Advancing Digital Transformation in Material Science: The Role of Workflows Within the MaterialDigital Initiative
No full textThe MaterialDigital initiative represents a major driver toward the digitalization of material science. Next to providing a prototypical infrastructure required for building a shared data space and working on semantic interoperability of data, a core focus area of the Platform MaterialDigital (PMD) is the utilization of workflows to encapsulate data processing and simulation steps in accordance with findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable principles. In collaboration with the funded projects of the initiative, the workflow working group strives to establish shared standards, enhancing the interoperability and reusability of scientific data processing steps. Central to this effort is the Workflow Store, a pivotal tool for disseminating workflows with the community, facilitating the exchange and replication of scientific methodologies. This article discusses the inherent challenges of adapting workflow concepts, providing the perspective on developing and using workflows in the respective domain of the various funded projects. Additionally, it introduces the Workflow Store's role within the initiative and outlines a future roadmap for the PMD workflow group, aiming to further refine and expand the role of scientific workflows as a means to advance digital transformation and foster collaborative research within material science
Minimal Clinically Important Differences in Conservative Treatment Versus Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Frequentist Meta‐Analysis of RCTs
No full textSeveral meta-analyses of surgical versus non-operative treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) have been published, but reliable evidence is still lacking. The aim of this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to assess the outcomes of FAIS patients treated conservatively compared with those treated with hip arthroscopy (HAS). PubMed, CENTRAL of the Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, and Embase databases were searched up to March 31, 2025. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool, the level of evidence for each outcome parameter was determined using the GRADE system, and publication bias was presented in funnel plots. In a common effect and random effects meta-analysis, mean differences (MDs) between the conservative treatment group and the HAS group were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman heterogeneity estimator. A total of 7 RCTs with a total of 489 patients in the conservative treatment group and 484 patients in the HAS group met the inclusion criteria. Of the 7 RCTs included, four were assessed as having a low risk of bias, one as having a moderate risk of bias, and two as having a high risk of bias. The outcomes “post-intervention functional MCID” and “iHOT at ≤ 12 months post-intervention” had a high level of evidence, and the outcome “HOS-ADL at ≤ 8 months post-intervention” had a moderate level of evidence. No significant publication bias was detected for any outcome. The HAS group had a statistically significant 0.85 higher post-intervention functional MCID (common effect model: MD: 0.85 CIs 0.53–1.17; random effects model: MD: 0.85 CIs 0.64–1.06; I^2 = 0%; τ^2 = 0.02; p = 0.96) and a statistically significant 10.74 higher iHOT at ≤ 12 months post-intervention than the conservative treatment group (common effect model: MD: 10.74 CIs 7.06 to 14.42; random effects model: MD: 10.98 CIs 6.62 to 15.34; I^2 = 0%; τ^2 = 7.52; p = 0.62). There was no difference between the HAS group and the conservative treatment group in HOS-ADL at ≤ 8 months post-intervention (common effect model: MD: 5.62 CIs 1.76 to 9.48; random effects model: MD: 4.10 CIs −12.31 to 20.50; I^2 = 69%; τ^2 = 29.88; p = 0.04). This meta-analysis using high-quality statistical methods showed a statistically significant higher post-intervention functional MCID and iHOT at ≤ 12 months post-intervention in favor of the HAS group compared to the conservative treatment group. HOS-ADL at ≤ 8 months post-intervention showed no differences
From Uncertainty to Calibration: Online Pose Estimation of an Industrial Twin Robotic Computed Tomography System with Unknown Spheres
No full textRobotic CT systems offer several advantages over conventional systems due to their high flexibility. They can perform almost any CT trajectory and are particularly well suited for region-of-interest (ROI) scans of objects that exceed the size limitations of conventional CT systems. However, robot-based manipulators have a significantly lower absolute positioning accuracy compared to conventional manipulators, necessitating additional calibration methods to refine the geometric information about the spatial position and orientation of the X-ray source and detector for each projection for higher resolution reconstructions. We propose a geometric calibration method for CT systems with twelve degrees of freedom that does not require additional calibration scans. The method is easy to use, computationally efficient, and supports continuous CT trajectories. It utilises spheres with unknown positions that are attached to the specimen. The calibration process is divided into two stages. First, the spatial positions of the spheres are estimated using the initial geometric information and the acquired projections. Second, these estimates serve as input to an iterative optimisation that calibrates each projection individually. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated through simulations and real-world scans using a twin robotic CT system. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluations show a significant improvement in scan quality, comparable to results obtained via offline calibration. Moreover, evaluations on simulated data confirm the method’s robustness even for systems with positioning errors in the millimetre range. This novel online calibration technique is computationally efficient, compatible with highly flexible CT systems, and holds promise for enabling future mobile CT applications
A Plastic Classification Model Based on Simulated Data
No full textPlastic recycling holds significant potential to reduce global carbon emissions. Despite advances in recycling technologies, challenges such as limited data availability, contamination in sorted materials, and the complexity of real-world material flows continue to hinder progress. This study addresses these issues by introducing a novel approach to plastic classification, leveraging simulated spectral data to reduce reliance on large datasets and improve classification accuracy. Using near-infrared spectroscopy and deep learning models, the framework integrates data augmentation techniques and spectral simulation to augment datasets with synthetic spectra based on a data sample of 25 plastic granules. The proposed classification framework achieves excellent recall and robust balanced accuracy for both binary and multi-target polymer classification with minimal data input (only 50 spectra per class). Thus, the measurement effort is drastically reduced while maintaining an equally high model accuracy. The model significantly outperforms conventional unsupervised approaches. By overcoming the limitations of supervised learning models, the proposed framework provides a scalable and efficient solution for plastics recycling
Capsular management strategies in hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: A multilevel meta‐analysis
No full textPurpose
To compare three capsular management strategies in hip arthroscopy (capsule preservation [CP], capsule repair [CR] and capsule unrepaired [CU]) for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). We hypothesized that CP and CR would provide superior outcomes compared with CU.
Methods
A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL and Epistemonikos was conducted up to 31 May 2025. Outcomes of CP, CR and CU were compared using a frequentist multilevel random‐effects meta‐analysis with restricted maximum likelihood estimation and Hartung–Knapp adjustment.
Results
Ultimately, 47 primary studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta‐analysis. A total of 7366 hips (7276 patients) were included across the 47 studies. These were distributed into three capsular management groups: (I) CP: 1352 hips, (II) CR: 5043 hips and (III) CU: 971 hips. CR showed the greatest improvement in modified Harris Hip Score with a mean change of 24.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20.86–27.14), while CP achieved the highest MCID rate at 12 months post‐operatively with a mean of 9.30 (95% CI: 7.47–11.14). No other consistent statistically significant differences were observed between groups across post‐operative scores, change scores or complication rates. CP and CR both demonstrated superior outcomes compared to CU in selected functional parameters. All three strategies showed comparable results in pain reduction, revision rate, conversion to total hip arthroplasty and overall complication incidence.
Conclusion
CR and CP yield superior outcomes compared to leaving the CU. Surgeons should close or preserve the capsule, while future trials will clarify the optimal strategy.
Level of Evidence
Level II, systematic review and meta‐analysis of predominantly Level III studies, with additional contributions from Levels I and II studies
Metabolomic profiling of renal cyst fluid in advanced ADPKD: insights from dialysis and transplantation cohorts
No full textBackground
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary kidney disorder characterized by progressive renal cyst formation, often leading to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In contrast to the urinary metabolome in ADPKD, the composition of renal cyst fluid remains largely unexplored.
Methods
We conducted a comprehensive metabolomic analysis of renal cyst fluid from 26 ADPKD patients (20 on dialysis, six with kidney transplants) using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Cysts were clustered based on metabolite profiles, and differences were analyzed across groups defined by renal function status (dialysis vs. transplant), cyst volume, and cyst fluid sodium concentrations.
Results
Dialysis patients and transplant recipients differed significantly in their renal cyst fluid metabolomes. The former exhibited higher concentrations of myoinositol, creatinine, sucrose, τ-methylhistidine, trigonelline, and sarcosine, while the latter showed increased levels of leucine, isoleucine, valine and alanine. Remarkably, metabolites of the immunosuppressive prodrug mycophenolate mofetil were detected in renal cyst fluids after kidney transplantation. Despite intra- and interindividual variability, cyst fluid from the same patient displayed greater homogeneity. Interestingly, metabolomic profiles were not altered by cyst size.
Conclusion
This first systematic metabolomic analysis of renal cyst fluid in advanced ADPKD reveals distinct metabolic signatures linked to renal function status. The data provides novel insights into the pathophysiology of ADPKD and highlight the potentials of renal cyst fluid metabolomics for identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets
Pelvic tilt remains unchanged after periacetabular osteotomy: A single‐arm multilevel meta‐analysis and meta‐regression
No full textPurpose
Understanding changes in pelvic tilt (PT) after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is essential for surgical planning and outcome assessment. This study aimed to synthesise current evidence on pre‐ and postoperative PT and identify associated factors using meta‐regression.
Methods
A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Epistemonikos was conducted through 31 May 2025. A single‐arm multilevel meta‐analysis was performed using a random‐effects model to estimate mean PT values before and after PAO. Subgroup analyses examined differences based on surgical indication (DDH/BDDH vs. others) and unilateral vs. bilateral surgery. Meta‐regression assessed the impact of age, sex and BMI on PT outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using R.
Results
Twelve primary studies comprising 680 patients (785 hips) were included. The mean preoperative pelvic tilt (PT) was 8.13° and decreased slightly postoperatively to 6.81°, with no statistically significant overall change. The greatest positional change was observed in the sitting position (mean difference: 12.01°), though this was also not statistically significant. Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in PT based on operative indication or unilateral vs. bilateral surgery. Meta‐regression identified patient age as a significant predictor of postoperative PT in the sitting position ( β = –4.45, 95% CI: –8.48 to –0.41; p = 0.0454), with older age associated with lower PT values. No significant associations were found for sex or BMI.
Conclusion
Pelvic tilt remains largely unchanged after PAO, regardless of operative indication or surgical laterality. However, older age is associated with lower postoperative PT in the sitting position, highlighting the importance of considering individual patient characteristics in surgical planning and assessment.
Level of Evidence
Level IIa, systematic review and meta‐analysis of predominantly prospective and retrospective cohort studies
Assistive technologies in healthcare: utilization and healthcare workers perceptions in Germany
No full textBackground
According to the WHO, assistive technology (AT) is defined as the superset of technologies that improve or maintain the functioning of different senses, mobility, self-care, well-being, and inclusion of patients. ATs also include technologies for healthcare workers (HCWs) to reduce workloads and improve efficiency and patient care outcomes. Software ATs for HCWs include communication software, artificial intelligence (AI), text editors, planning tools, decision support systems, and health records. Hardware ATs for HCWs can range from communication devices, sensors, and specialized medical equipment to robots.
Aims
With this indicative study, we explore HCW utilization, perceptions, and adoption barriers of ATs. We emphasize ATs role in enhancing HCWs’ efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare delivery.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted through August 2024 with HCWs in Bavaria via a network recruiting approach. We used convenience sampling but ensured that only HCWs were part of our study population. Our survey included (i) usage, (ii) usefulness, and (iii) perceptions regarding ATs. The survey comprised 11 close-ended and three open-ended questions, including story stems evaluated by a deductive qualitative template analysis. Our mixed-method evaluation also employed descriptive and bivariate statistics.
Results
Three hundred seventy-one HCWs (♂63.9 %, ♀36.1 %) participated in our survey, primarily 133 administrators, 116 nurses, and 34 doctors. More than half of the study participants (58.6 %) reported having advanced technical skills. Regarding usage, communication platforms (82.2 %) and communication devices (86 %) were the most commonly used ATs. Advanced ATs such as body-worn sensors, medical devices with interfaces, identification devices, and robots were underutilized in our sample. ATs were reported to be helpful in all job roles but need improvements in capacity and integration. Key barriers to adoption included outdated infrastructure, interoperability, and a lack of training.
Conclusion
Our study suggests that HCWs may want to incorporate ATs into their workflows as they see how, in theory, these technologies would improve HCW’s efficiency, resulting in better patient care. However, to realize this potential, efforts in ATs integration and accessibility are essential. Given this study’s modest sample size and generalizability limitations, further research is needed to explore the adoption, implementation, and impact of ATs in healthcare