372 research outputs found
Cervical vertebroplasty for osteolytic metastases as a minimally invasive therapeutic option in oncological surgery: outcome in 14 cases
No full textOBJECTIVEThe treatment of cervical spinal metastases represents a controversial issue regarding the type, extent, and invasiveness of interventions. In the lumbar and thoracic spine, kypho- and vertebroplasties have been established as minimally invasive procedures for patients with metastases to the vertebral bodies and without neurological deficit. These procedures show good results with respect to pain reduction and low complication rates. However, limited data are available for kypho- and vertebroplasties for cervical spinal metastases. In an effort to add to existing data, the authors here present a case series of 14 patients who were treated for osteolytic metastases of the cervical spine using vertebroplasty alone or in addition to another surgical procedure involving the cervical spine in a palliative setting to reduce pain and restore stability.METHODSFourteen patients consisting of 8 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 64.7 years (range 44–85 years), were treated with vertebroplasty at the authors’ clinic between January 2015 and November 2016. In total, 25 vertebrae were treated with vertebroplasty: 10 C-2, 5 C-3, 2 C-4, 2 C-5, 3 C-6, and 3 C-7. Two patients had an additional posterior stabilization and 5 patients an additional anterior stabilization. In 13 cases, the surgical approach was a modified Smith-Robinson approach; in 1 case, the cement was injected into the corpus axis from posteriorly. Patients with osteolytic defects of the posterior wall of the vertebral body did not undergo surgery, nor did patients with neurological deficits. Preoperatively, on the 2nd day after surgery, and at the follow-up, neck pain was rated using the visual analog scale (VAS).RESULTSTwelve patients were examined at follow-up (mean 9 months). Neck pain was rated as a mean of 6.0 (range 3–8) preoperatively, 2.9 on Day 2 after surgery (range 0–5), and 0.5 at the follow-up (range 0–4), according to the VAS. The mean Neck Disability Index at follow-up was 3.6% (range 0%–18%).CONCLUSIONSAnterior vertebroplasty of the cervical spine via an anterolateral approach represents a safe and minimally invasive procedure with a low complication rate and appears suitable for reducing pain and restoring stability in cases of cervical spinal metastases. Vertebroplasties can be combined with other anterior and posterior operations of the cervical spine and, in the axis vertebra, can be performed transpedicularly from posteriorly. Thus, in cases in which the posterior wall of the vertebral body is intact, vertebroplasty represents a less invasive alternative to vertebral replacement in oncological surgery. Prospective randomized trials with a longer follow-up period and a larger patient cohort are needed to confirm the encouraging results of this case series.</jats:sec
Lumbar Neuroforaminal Decompression with a Flexible Microblade Shaver System: Results of a Cadaveric Study
No full textBACKGROUND: The lumbar neural foraminal stenosis still is a challenging condition in minimally invasive spine surgery. Because of the anatomic situation a complete decompression of the nerve root often leads to a subtotal facetectomy associated with potential instability and the need for additional instrumentation of the decompressed segment. The iO-Flex system was introduced to address this problem by using a minimally invasive wire-guided microblade shaver to increase the neuroforaminal space by reducing the stenosis from intraforaminal while sparing bigger parts of the facet joint. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and the surgical and radiological success in relation to the experience of the surgeon. METHODS: We performed decompression of the neuroforamen in 10 lumbar levels of 2 fresh-frozen human cadavers. Before and after decompression, we obtained high-resolution computed tomography data to evaluate the diameter of the neural foramen. RESULTS: The mean foraminal width (7.88-10.94 mm, P < 0.0001) and area (123.27-149.18 mm(2), P < 0.003) increased significantly after the decompression, whereas the facet joints area (131.9-107.51 mm(2), P < 0.005) and width (16.4-13.75 mm, P < 0.001) indeed decreased significantly but with an overall reduction of facet joint width by 16% and facet joint area by 18%. No complications such as nerve root damages or dural tears were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The flexible micro blade shaver system is feasible with a steep learning curve and achieves sufficient decompression of the neuroforamen in this cadaveric study
Posterior vertebral column resection with 360-degree osteosynthesis in osteoporotic kyphotic deformity and spinal cord compression
No full textVoor 't gewone leven ongeschikt. Een biografie van Clare Lennart
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Voor ’t gewone leven ongeschikt. A biography of Clare Lennart, is a literary and historical biography of author Clare Lennart (Clara Helena van den Boogaard-Klaver, 1889-1972). Her work contains many recognisably autobiographical elements, especially from her youth. An extensive overview of the life of this 'forgotten author' is the basis for this critical and interpretive biography. In addition it shows Clare Lennart's unique position in her time, the unusual choices she made and ‘the roads not taken’ in her life. The main focus of the research is the question of how Clare Lennart gained an economic position as a woman of letter. A second question focuses on the concepts of posture and self-fashioning. The thesis demonstrates that Clare Lennart was aware of her image as a 'poetic nature lover' and that she openly presented herself as a hack writer. Clare Lennart's poetic style nowadays seems more dated than the sober language used by contemporary authors. Nevertheless, she had a large audience between 1945 and 1972 and the reception was nearly always positive. The biography discusses the contemporary reception of her work in detail and why Clare Lennart's work is omitted from the Dutch canon, using the concept of ‘middle-brow’ literature.Modern and Contemporary Studie
Dataset supporting a publication "Protein–ligand free energies of binding from full-protein DFT calculations: convergence and choice of exchange–correlation functional".
No full textThis Dataset is made in two parts that provide input and output files for the publication: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1CP00206F
"Protein-ligand free energies of binding from full-protein DFT calculations: convergence and choice of exchange-correlation functional" .
Corresponding author: C.K Skylaris, [email protected]
Explanations of files present in README file in each subdirectory</span
idX Information Design Exchange. What information designers know and can do
No full textStrand, Lennart (2007). Co-author: idX Information Design Exchange. What information designers know and can do. "Development of International Core Competencies and Student and Faculty Exchange in Information Design" within the EU/US Cooperation Programme in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training Outcome. Developed in co-operation with International Institute for Information Design, http://www.iiid.net/</p
The Cat Blows in the Silver Horn… On Lennart Hellsing’s Poetry, and Its Folk-inspired Musicality
Full text linkThe literary works of Lennart Hellsing have had a significant impact on the rise of modern Swedish books for children. Having worked closely with outstanding illustrators and eminent composers, the author created an ultimate masterpiece which, at the same time, became an alternative to the aesthetics of the turn of the century, still dominant in the 1940s. Turning towards the new did not mean that the author wished to cut off his works from tradition. This article aims at presenting how Lennart Hellsing used rhythmical, syntactical and melodic structures originating in Swedish folklore on different levels of his literary achievements. A very special place in Hellsing’s writing was occupied by the folk song, which in his works was also present in a network of intertextual ties
Policies of Minority Quotas and Discrimination in Higher Education: A case from Sweden
No full textLennart Wikander looks at the Swedish example of increasing the proportion of immigrants in Higher Education to illustrate the conflicts between policies in different areas when transformed into action plans. The increasingly multicultural Europe also has to develop a multicultural labour market with representation from different groups in all areas and at all levels. In this chapter the author highlights the conflicts between Minority Quotas and discrimination.</p
Economic Choice under Climate Change Pressure:Information, Coordination, and the Challenges of Inaction
Full text linkThe climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges of our time. We know that urgent action is needed, yet we often delay it. This PhD thesis explores how information, expectations, and group dynamics shape our decisions about climate action.Using experiments and real-world data, the thesis studies three settings where individuals and groups face climate-related trade-offs. Chapter 2 finds that hopes for future technological breakthroughs can lead to inaction today, even when acting now would improve outcomes. Chapter 3 shows that when people can buy information about how their choices affect a shared goal, they coordinate more successfully. Chapter 4, using Dutch housing data, finds that energy labels influence prices, but less than expected—partly because buyers may already observe energy efficiency without the label.The findings show that simply providing information is not enough. What matters is how people interpret and use it—especially in groups, where coordination is key and incentives often clash. Behavioral tendencies like delay and fairness concerns also play a role.The common thread: information alone is not enough. What matters is how people use that information—especially in group settings, where coordination is difficult and interests may conflict. Effective climate policy must therefore go beyond informing people: it must account for human behavior and create the right conditions for collective action
Don’t wait on the world to change! How technophilia causes group inaction – an experiment
Full text linkIndividual consumption often creates negative group externalities, the cost of which accumulate over time. Technological progress may reduce the future abatement cost. We show that the mere prospect of such progress has a pernicious effect on a group’s ability to coordinate on actions that are individually and socially optimal. Our 2x2 experimental design extends the game in Walker et al. (2000) to a multi-period setting with a voting stage. We introduce treatment variation in the possibility of exogenous reductions in the abatement cost and in how group members divide the accrued cost: equally or in proportion to each person’s consumption share.We find that, independent of which cost-sharing mechanism is in place, introducing the chance of technological progress reduces social welfare because less participants vote for settlement in the present: The hope for technological breakthroughs causes costly inaction
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