Bestimmung des Einflusses verschiedener Operationsverfahren auf das mechanische Verhalten der Lendenwirbelsäule

Der Erfolg einer operativen Behandlung der Lendenwirbelsäule hängt von mehreren oft unbekannten Faktoren ab. Einen möglichen unbekannten Faktor stellen mechanische Größen dar, welche in In-vivo-Studien nur teilweise messbar oder in In-vitro-Versuchen nur eingeschränkt aussagefähig sind. Hier stellt die Finite-Elemente-Methode eine reproduzierbare numerische Möglichkeit dar, den mechanischen Einfluss verschiedener Operationsverfahren a priori zu ermitteln. In dieser Arbeit ist ein Finite-Elemente-Modell der Lendenwirbelsäule erstellt worden, welches mit Hilfe vorhandener Ergebnisse aus In-vivo- und In-vitro-Untersuchungen validiert werden konnte und das die Simulation verschiedener Operationsverfahren ermöglicht. Weiterhin wurde eine Methode zur Abschätzung der Muskelkräfte entwickelt, die eine realistischere Belastung des Modells erlaubt als bisher üblich. Die Anwendung des Modells erstreckte sich in dieser Arbeit auf Dekompressionsverfahren zur Entlastung des Spinalkanals und Fusionsverfahren zur Herstellung der lumbalen Stabilität. Der Einfluss der Variation verschiedener Modell- und Operationsparameter wurde ermittelt. Hierzu zählen insbesondere die Steifigkeiten der Bänder, der Resektionsgrad bei der Dekompression des Spinalkanals und die unterschiedlichen Charakteristika des für die Fusion nötigen Knochenspans. Die Ergebnisse erweitern das biomechanische Verständnis der Wirbelsäule und geben Aufschluss über die Einflüsse wichtiger Operationsparameter.The success of a surgical treatment at the lumbar spine depends on several, often unknown, factors. Mechanical values are one possible unknown factor. During in vivo studies these values are often not measurable and their relevance during in vitro experiments is limited. The finite element method is a reproducible numerical method which allows to determine the mechanical influence of different surgical techniques a priori. A finite element model of the lumbar spine has been created in this study. It was validated with existing values from in vivo and in vitro investigations and therefore makes the simulation of surgical techniques possible. Additionally, a method to estimate muscle forces was created. This method allows a more realistic loading of the model than usual. In this study, the model was used to simulate decompressional procedures to release the spinal cord and fusional techniques to regain lumbar stability. The influence of variations in model and surgical parameters on the mechanical behaviour was determined. In particular, the effects of ligament stiffness, the degree of decompression and different bone graft characteristics was determined. The results extend biomechanical knowledge about the spine and reveal the influence of important surgical parameters

A Review of Policies and the Regulatory Environment Concerning Soil Conservation in the EU

Agricultural soils are increasingly targeted by European Union (EU) policy measures including measures within the Common Agricultural Policy. Member states have implemented a variety of measures at the national and regional level that regulate the use of soils or offer incentives for the adoption of soil conservation practices. Up to date, no comprehensive policy overview exists for the EU-27, which would allow a comparative analysis. For this purpose, a policy survey was conducted based on a classification system for agricultural policies that allows the analysis of their impact concerning soil conservation. Policy measures were described with their attributes such as the soil quality objectives within the policy and the technical measures required. Data were gathered by a voluntary online survey among experts in national and regional ministries and administrative bodies. More than 50 experts and institutions from 24 EU member states participated in the survey and more than 400 policy measures were entered in the database. The survey enabled a detailed and comparative analysis of the interrelationships between soil conservation practices, soil degradation processes and policy measures across member states at the national or regional level

Sex-Dependent Estimation of Spinal Loads During Static Manual Material Handling Activities — Combined in vivo and in silico Analyses

Manual material handling (MMH) is considered as one of the main contributors to low back pain. While males traditionally perform MMH tasks, recently the number of females who undertake these physically-demanding activities is also increasing. To evaluate the risk of mechanical injuries, the majority of previous studies have estimated spinal forces using different modeling approaches that mostly focus on male individuals. Notable sex-dependent differences have, however, been reported in torso muscle strength and anatomy, segmental mass distribution, as well as lifting strategy during MMH. Therefore, this study aimed to use sex-specific models to estimate lumbar spinal and muscle forces during static MHH tasks in 10 healthy males and 10 females. Motion-capture, surface electromyographic from select trunk muscles, and ground reaction force data were simultaneously collected while subjects performed twelve symmetric and asymmetric static lifting (10 kg) tasks. AnyBody Modeling System was used to develop base-models (subject-specific segmental length, muscle architecture, and kinematics data) for both sexes. For females, female-specific models were also developed by taking into account for the female's muscle physiological cross-sectional areas, segmental mass distributions, and body fat percentage. Males showed higher absolute L5-S1 compressive and shear loads as compared to both female base-models (25.3% compressive and 14% shear) and female-specific models (41% compressive and 23.6% shear). When the predicted spine loads were normalized to subjects' body weight, however, female base-models showed larger loads (9% compressive and 16.2% shear on average), and female-specific models showed 2.4% smaller and 9.4% larger loads than males. Females showed larger forces in oblique abdominal muscles during both symmetric and asymmetric lifting tasks, while males had larger back extensor muscle forces during symmetric lifting tasks. A stronger correlation between measured and predicted muscle activities was found in females than males. Results indicate that female-specific characteristics affect the predicted spinal loads and must be considered in musculoskeletal models. Neglecting sex-specific parameters in these models could lead to the overestimation of spinal loads in females

Why computing students learn on their own: motivation for self-directed learning of computing

In this article, we address the question of why computing students choose to learn computing topics on their own. A better understanding of why some students choose to learn on their own may help us to motivate other students to develop this important skill. In addition, it may help in curriculum design; if we need to leave some topics out of our expanding curriculum, a good choice might be those topics that students readily learn on their own. Based on a thematic analysis of 17 semistructured interviews, we found that computing students’ motivations for self-directed learning fall into four general themes: projects, social and peer interactions, joy of learning, and fear. Under these, we describe several more specific subthemes, illustrated in the words of the students. The project-related and social motivations are quite prominent. Although these motivations appear in the literature, they received greater emphasis from our interviewees. Perhaps most characteristic of computing is the motivation to learn to complete some project, both projects done for fun and projects required for school or work.</jats:p

BeEAM Conditioning including High-Dose Bendamustine before Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Is Safe and Effective in Patients with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia.

High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an option to consolidate remission in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM), particularly in selected younger patients with chemosensitive disease. BEAM, consisting of BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan, is often used as a conditioning regimen. However, problems with BCNU, including pneumotoxicity, tolerance, and availability, necessitate the search for alternatives. In this pilot study, we investigated high-dose chemotherapy with BeEAM, in which BCNU is replaced with high-dose bendamustine as an alternative conditioning regimen in six subsequent patients with WM. Bendamustine treatment was well tolerated without unexpected toxicities. The overall response rate was 6/6 patients (2 very good partial responses (VGPR) and 4 PR). After a median follow-up of 72 months, two (33%) patients relapsed. Median progression-free and overall survivals were not reached, and no severe late-onset toxicities were observed so far. In this pilot study, BeEAM conditioning before ASCT seems feasible, safe, and effective in patients with WM