Disorder Induced Stripes in d-Wave Superconductors

Stripe phases are observed experimentally in several copper-based high-Tc superconductors near 1/8 hole doping. However, the specific characteristics may vary depending on the degree of dopant disorder and the presence or absence of a low- temperature tetragonal phase. On the basis of a Hartree-Fock decoupling scheme for the t-J model we discuss the diverse behavior of stripe phases. In particular the effect of inhomogeneities is investigated in two distinctly different parameter regimes which are characterized by the strength of the interaction. We observe that small concen- trations of impurities or vortices pin the unidirectional density waves, and dopant disorder is capable to stabilize a stripe phase in parameter regimes where homogeneous phases are typically favored in clean systems. The momentum-space results exhibit universal features for all coexisting density-wave solutions, nearly unchanged even in strongly disordered systems. These coexisting solutions feature generically a full energy gap and a particle-hole asymmetry in the density of states.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figure

Seasonal variation in adult hip disease secondary to osteoarthritis and developmental dysplasia of the hip

AIM: To determine if there was a seasonal variation in adults undergoing total hip arthroplasty for end stage hip disease due to osteoarthritis (OA) or sequelae of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). METHODS: The total hip registry from the author's institution for the years 1969 to 2013 was reviewed. The month of birth, age, gender, and ethnicity was recorded. Differences between number of births observed and expected in the winter months (October through February) and non-winter mo (March through September) were analyzed with the χ2 test. Detailed temporal variation was mathematically assessed using cosinor analysis. RESULTS: There were 7792 OA patients and 60 DDH patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. There were more births than expected in the winter months for both the DDH (P < 0.0001) and OA (P = 0.0052) groups. Cosinor analyses demonstrated a peak date of birth on 1st October. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate an increased prevalence of DDH and OA in those patients born in winter

Bibliometric Analysis of Female Authorship Trends and Collaboration Dynamics Over JBMR's 30-Year History

In academia, authorship is considered a currency and is important for career advancement. As the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR) is the highest-ranked journal in the field of bone, muscle, and mineral metabolism and is the official publication of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, we sought to examine authorship changes over JBMR's 30-year history. Two bibliometric methods were used to collect the data. The “decade method” included all published manuscripts throughout 1 year in each decade over the past 30 years starting with the inaugural year, yielding 746 manuscripts for analysis. The “random method” examined 10% of published manuscripts from each of the 30 years, yielding 652 manuscripts for analysis. Using both methods, the average number of authors per manuscript, numerical location of the corresponding author, number of collaborating institutions, number of collaborating countries, number of printed manuscript pages, and the number of times each manuscript was cited all significantly increased between 1986 and 2015 (p < 10−4). Using the decade method, there was a significant increase in the percentage of female first authors over time from 35.8% in 1986 to 47.7% in 2015 (p = 0.02), and this trend was confirmed using the random method. The highest percentage of female first authors in 2015 was in Europe (60.0%), and Europe also had the most dramatic increase in female first authors over time (more than double in 2015 compared with 1986). Likewise, the overall number of female corresponding authors significantly increased during the past 30 years. With the increasing demands of publishing in academic medicine, understanding changes in publishing characteristics over time and by geographical region is important. These findings highlight JBMR's authorship trends over the past 30 years and demonstrate those countries having the most changes and where challenges still exist

Bibliometric analysis of authorship trends and collaboration dynamics over the past three decades of BONE's publication history

The existence of a gender gap in academia has been a hotly debated topic over the past several decades. It has been argued that due to the gender gap, it is more difficult for women to obtain higher positions. Manuscripts serve as an important measurement of one's accomplishments within a particular field of academia. Here, we analyzed, over the past 3 decades, authorship and other trends in manuscripts published in BONE, one of the premier journals in the field of bone and mineral metabolism. For this study, one complete year of manuscripts was evaluated (e.g. 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015) for each decade. A bibliometric analysis was then performed of authorship trends for those manuscripts. Analyzed fields included: average number of authors per manuscript, numerical position of the corresponding author, number of institutions collaborating on each manuscript, number of countries involved with each manuscript, number of references, and number of citations per manuscript. Each of these fields increased significantly over the 30-year time frame (p < 10− 6). The gender of both the first and corresponding authors was identified and analyzed over time and by region. There was a significant increase in the percentage of female first authors from 23.4% in 1985 to 47.8% in 2015 (p = 0.001). The percentage of female corresponding authors also increased from 21.2% in 1985 to 35.4% in 2015 although it was not significant (p = 0.07). With such a substantial emphasis being placed on publishing in academic medicine, it is crucial to comprehend the changes in publishing characteristics over time and geographical region. These findings highlight authorship trends in BONE over time as well as by region. Importantly, these findings also highlight where challenges still exist

Authorship Trends in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Publications are an important tool to measure one's success and achievement in academia. They can help propel a career forward and move one into a position of leadership. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate changes in bibliometric variables, authorship, and collaboration trends in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research (JOR®), since its inception in 1983. A bibliometric analysis was completed for all manuscripts meeting the inclusion criteria (638), which were published throughout the inaugural year plus one representative year of each decade. Several parameters were investigated including numbers of manuscripts, authors, collaborating institutions/countries, references, pages, and citations; region of origin and gender of authors over time and by region were main focuses. Significant increases over time were observed in all bibliometric variables analyzed except in the number of pages and citations. There was an approximate 27 percentage point increase for both female first and corresponding authors from 1983 to 2015. While this is most likely due to the increase in the number of women that have entered the field over time, similar increases in the percentage of women holding positions on the JOR editorial board or in leadership positions within in the field may have also contributed to improvements in gender parity. Understanding changes in publishing characteristics over time, by region, and by gender are critical, especially with the rising demands of publishing in academia. JOR has seen increase in most variables analyzed, including improvements in authorship by women in the field of orthopaedic research

Case report: Rare skeletal manifestations in a child with primary hyperparathyroidism

Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is uncommon among children with an incidence of 1:300,000. This diagnosis is often missed in children in contrast to adults where it is detected at a pre symptomatic stage due to routine blood investigations. Etiology of PHPT can be due to adenoma, hyperplasia or rarely carcinoma. Case presentation: A 12year old Sri Lankan girl presented with progressive difficulty in walking since 1year. On examination she had bilateral genu valgum. Skeletal survey revealed valgus deformity of knee joints, bilateral subluxation of upper femoral epiphysis(SUFE), epiphyseal displacement of bilateral humeri, rugger jersey spine and subperiosteal bone resorptions in lateral aspects of 2nd and 3rd middle phalanges. There were no radiological manifestations of rickets. Metabolic profile revealed hypercalcemia with hypophosphatemia. Intact parathyroid hormone levels were elevated at 790pg/ml. Vitamin D levels were deficient. She had low bone mineral density with Z score of -3.4. Vitamin D supplementation resulted in worsening of hypercalcemia without reduction in PTH levels. Tc 99 Sestamibi uptake scan showed abnormal tracer retention in left inferior pole of thyroid. A large parathyroid gland was removed with histology favoring parathyroid adenoma. Post operatively she developed hypocalcemia. Bilateral osteotomy was done for SUFE and further surgeries for correction of limb deformities planned. Conclusion: PHPT in children is usually diagnosed late when irreversible organ damage has occurred. Children can present with non specific symptoms involving gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, renal and neurological systems. PHPT can cause disarray in bone and epiphysis in children during pubertal growth spurt. Genu valgum and SUFE are rare skeletal manifestations in PHPT and only 10 cases of genu valgum and 9 cases of SUFE have been reported up to now. So far no cases have been reported on epiphyseal displacement of humeri. Awareness regarding the occurrence of these rare skeletal manifestations especially during puberty is important for early diagnosis to prevent irreversible outcomes

Indications for implant removal after fracture healing: a review of the literature

Introduction: The aim of this review was to collect and summarize published data on the indications for implant removal after fracture healing, since these are not well defined and guidelines hardly exist. Methods: A literature search was performed. Results: Though there are several presumed benefits of implant removal, such as functional improvement and pain relief, the surgical procedure can be very challenging and may lead to complications or even worsening of the complaints. Research has focused on the safety of metal implants (e.g., risk of corrosion, allergy, and carcinogenesis). For these reasons, implants have been removed routinely for decades. Along with the introduction of titanium alloy implants, the need for implant removal became a subject of debate in view of potential (dis)advantages since, in general, implants made of titanium alloys are more difficult to remove. Currently, the main indications for removal from both the upper and lower extremity are mostly 'relative' and patient-driven, such as pain, prominent material, or simply the request for removal. True medical indications like infection or intra-articular material are minor reasons. Conclusion: This review illustrates the great variety of view points in the literature, with large differences in opinions and practices about the indications for implant removal after fracture healing. Since some studies have described asymptomatic patients developing complaints after removal, the general advice nowadays is to remove implants after fracture healing only in symptomatic patients and after a proper informed consent. Well-designed prospective studies on this subject are urgently needed in order to form guidelines based on scientific evidence