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Study Design Multicenter prospective cohort studyObjective To analyse therapeutical strategies applied to osteoporotic thoracolumbar OF 4 injuries, to assess related complications and clinical outcome.Methods A multicenter prospective cohort study (EOFTT) including 518 consecutive patients who were treated for an Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). For the present study, only patients with OF 4 fractures were analysed. Outcome parameters were complications, Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, Timed Up & Go test, EQ-5D 5L, and Barthel Index after a minimum follow-up of 6 weeks.Results A total of 152 (29%) patients presented with OF 4 fractures with a mean age of 76 years (range 41-97). The most common treatment was short-segment posterior stabilization (51%; hybrid stabilization in 36%). Mean follow up was 208 days (±131 days), mean ODI was 30 ± 21. Dorsoventral stabilized patients were younger compared to the other groups (P< .001) and had significant better TuG compared to hybrid stabilization (P= .049). The other clinical outcomes did not differ in the therapy strategies (VAS pain: P= 1.000, ODI: P> .602, Barthel: P> .252, EQ-5D 5L index value: P> .610, VAS-EQ-5D 5L: P= 1.000). The inpatient complication rate was 8% after conservative and 16% after surgical treatment. During follow-up period 14% of conservatively treated patients and 3% of surgical treated patients experienced neurological deficits.Conclusions Conservative therapy of OF 4 injuries seems to be viable option in patients with only moderate symptoms. Hybrid stabilization was the dominant treatment strategy leading to promising clinical short-term results. Stand-alone cement augmentation seems to be a valid alternative in selected cases.

Study Design Subgroup analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort studyObjective To analyse surgical strategies applied to osteoporotic thoracolumbar osteoporotic fracture (OF) 5 injuries with anterior or posterior tension band failure and to assess related complications and clinical outcome.Methods A multicenter prospective cohort study (EOFTT) was conducted at 17 spine centers including 518 consecutive patients who were treated for an osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF). For the present study, only patients with OF 5 fractures were analysed. Outcome parameters were complications, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODI), Timed Up & Go test (TUG), EQ-5D 5L, and Barthel Index.Results In total, 19 patients (78 ± 7 years, 13 female) were analysed. Operative treatment consisted of long-segment posterior instrumentation in 9 cases and short-segment posterior instrumentation in 10 cases. Pedicle screws were augmented in 68 %, augmentation of the fractured vertebra was performed in 42%, and additional anterior reconstruction was done in 21 %. Two patients (11 %) received short-segment posterior instrumentation without either anterior reconstruction or cement-augmentation of the fractured vertebra. No surgical or major complications occurred, but general postoperative complications were observed in 45%. At a follow-up of mean 20 ± 10 weeks (range, 12 to 48 weeks), patients showed significant improvements in all functional outcome parameters.Conclusions In this analysis of patients with type OF 5 fractures, surgical stabilization was the treatment of choice and lead to significant short-term improvement in terms of functional outcome and quality of life despite a high general complication rate.

Study Design Multicenter prospective cohort study.Objective The study aims to validate the recently developed OF score for treatment decisions in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF).Methods This is a prospective multicenter cohort study (EOFTT) in 17 spine centers. All consecutive patients with OVCF were included. The decision for conservative or surgical therapy was made by the treating physician independent of the OF score recommendation. Final decisions were compared to the recommendations given by the OF score. Outcome parameters were complications, Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, Timed Up & Go test, EQ-5D 5 L, and Barthel Index.Results In total, 518 patients (75.3% female, age 75 ± 10) years were included. 344 (66%) patients received surgical treatment. 71% of patients were treated following the score recommendations. For an OF score cut-off value of 6.5, the sensitivity and specificity to predict actual treatment were 60% and 68% (AUC .684, P< .001). During hospitalization overall 76 (14.7%) complications occurred. The mean follow-up rate and time were 92% and 5 ± 3.5 months, respectively. While all patients in the study cohort improved in clinical outcome parameters, the effect size was significantly less in the patients not treated in line with the OF score’s recommendation. Eight (3%) patients needed revision surgery.Conclusions Patients treated according to the OF score’s recommendations showed favorable short-term clinical results. Noncompliance with the score resulted in more pain and impaired functional outcome and quality of life. The OF score is a reliable and save tool to aid treatment decision in OVCF.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced Tuesday an additional $100 million in donations to local governments to pay for polling place rentals, poll workers, personal [...]

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has become an indispensable solid electrolyte material in modern solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells (SOFCs/SOECs) as well as oxygen sensors. The oxygen ionic conductivity of YSZ is among the highest known so far. For energy efficiency optimization of SOFCs and lowering the high-temperature degradation of electrodes, the oxygen ionic conductivity needs to be further enhanced. This would allow for a reduction in application temperature. Despite extensive regular point defect-doping strategies, this key issue remains unsolved. Here, we investigate the role of mechanically induced dislocations (line-defects) on electrical conductivity and oxygen transport in bulk YSZ. An advanced mechanical deformation approach is employed to generate distinctly aligned dislocation-rich and -deficient regions. The in-depth electrical characterization of these regions exhibited highly conducting effects of dislocation-induced strain inside the bulk material. Furthermore, targeted oxygen tracer diffusion experiments prove enriched oxygen incorporation within the dislocation bundles. Therefore, the potential of mechanically induced dislocations is elucidated as a design element to tune the bulk ionic transport in YSZ.

ABSTRACTPrenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals can interfere with development, and has been associated with social-cognitive functioning and adverse health outcomes later in life. Exposure-associated changes of DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns have been suggested as a possible mediator of this relationship. This study investigated whether prenatal low-dose exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) is associated with altered DNAm patterns across the genome in a Western urban-industrial population. In 142 mother-infant pairs from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study, PCBs and PCDD/Fs levels were quantified from maternal blood during late pregnancy and associated with DNAm levels in cord blood using the Illumina EPIC beadchip. The epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) identified 32 significantly differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and eight differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with six congeners of PCB and PCDD in females or males (FDRs < 0.05). DMPs and DMRs mapped to genes involved in neurodevelopment, gene regulation, and immune functioning. Weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) showed 31 co-methylated modules (FDRs < 0.05) associated with one congener of PCDF levels in females. Results of both analytical strategies indicate that prenatal exposure to PCBs and PCDD/Fs is associated with altered DNAm of genes involved in neurodevelopment, gene expression and immune functioning. DNAm and gene expression levels of several of these genes were previously associated with EDC exposure in rodent models. Follow-up studies will clarify whether these epigenetic changes might contribute to the origin for adverse mental and health outcomes.

After years of struggling, the gin category may finally be poised to make a comeback, regaining the prominence it once enjoyed in the lexicon of American cocktail culture. Despite declining [...]

The article reports on violence at the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017, that has become a new touchstone in the nation’s debate over racism, free speech and violence. White nationalists and counterprotesters clashed in one of the bloodiest fights to date over the removal of Confederate monuments across the South. U.S. president Donald Trump said that not all of those people were white supremacists.

The article discusses how U.S. businessman Donald Trump Jr.'s emails have put his family in trouble. It mentions Trump Jr. has shared an email with U.S. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and former campaign manager Paul Manafort with subject line "Russia -Clinton - private and confidential." It also mentions hacking of the Democratic National Committee by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

The article discusses whether U.S. President Donald Trump could improve his leadership. It is noted that a well-scheduled and prepared President could avoid major missteps, which is proved in Trump's overseas trip, organized by Jared Kushner and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. It is also mentioned that despite regular disruptions from the President, the White House has also fallen into a set rhythm of weekly meetings.

The article offers information on the democratic family of Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the U.S. president Donald Trump and the cipher of the White House. It discusses the call for suspension of Kushner's security clearance and his role in firing of FBI Director James Comey. It also mentions Kushner's services as discreet agent and protector during the presidential campaign.

The article offers information regarding the impact of the announcement of U.S. President Donald Trump that he shared sensitive classified information to the Russian Ambassador and the Russian Foreign Minister on the approach of Trump's administration and staff in terms of leading the country. It mentions several members of the Trump administration that were mostly affected by Trump's announcement including Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, and Andrew McCabe.

The article looks at the lifestyle and after work hours life of the U.S. President Donald Trump. It mentions Trump uses Oval Office as like a royal court or meeting hall, unlike former President Barack Obama who made the office accessible only for a limited number of advisers. It also discusses firing of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey after his meeting with security advisor.

The article discusses various aspects of a U.S. federal government investigation into any potential links between the Russian government and then-American presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign in 2016, and it mentions the relationships between Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and U.S. political advisers such as Roger Stone and Carter Page. Truth and falsehoods are addressed in relation to Trump's microblog messages and political views.

The article discusses the truth in relation to the author's claim that U.S. President Donald Trump's method of governing involves the use of falsehoods and conspiracy theories as of 2017. Trump's claim that former American President Barack Obama carried out a wiretapping surveillance campaign at the Trump Tower building in New York, New York is addressed, along with Trump's accusations about terrorism in Sweden. Apologizing and hyperbole are also assessed.

The article profiles Stephen K. Bannon, chief strategist of U.S. President Donald Trump, and examines his influence in the administration. It looks at Bannon's role in developing Trump's executive order banning refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, how his personality is similar to that of Trump's, and how he positioned himself on the National Security Council. Information is also included on his childhood, career at the news website Breitbart, and his opposition to political elites.

The article presents a roundtable discussion involving 18 current and former aides to outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama who offer advice for the members of American President-elect Donald Trump's Administration, and it mentions the views of political staff members such as ex-staff secretary Lisa Brown, press secretary Josh Earnest, and Obama's senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. U.S. presidential successions are addressed, along with political decision making and time management skills.

The article focuses on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as the 2016 Person of the Year. Topics discussed include characterization of his public life, disrespect as his strategy to connect with the masses and comparisons with the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign strategy . It also discusses the demographics of those who voted for him, his rally for bringing back jobs to Americans and position on immigration.

The article discusses truth in politics in relation to political debate in America and the 2016 U.S. presidential election featuring candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The views of various Trump and his political supporters such as Allan Thiel, Roxanne Noble, and Adam Watkins are examined, along with falsehoods told during the 2016 presidential campaign and accusations levied at Clinton and American President Barack Obama. Conspiracy theories are assessed.

AT ITS SOUTHERN BORDER, where the United States of America ends in a tangle of barbed wire and manzanita bushes, the red dirt desert fills each night with thousands of [...]

Dr. David Graham is losing weight again. His wife noticed first, then his colleagues at the Food and Drug Administration. Graham is a skinny man, and when he drops weight, [...]

In a season of campaign rallies and million-dollar ad buys, President Bush opted for one decidedly understated ceremony. On October 22, just 11 days before the election, he boarded Air [...]

The auctioning off of Iraq began in the summer of 2003 in a packed conference room at the Grand Hyatt in Amman, Jordan. More than 300 executives had gathered from [...]

JEFFREY JONES KNOWS HOW TO FUEL A WAR. As the Director of the Pentagon's Defense Energy Support Center, he traveled the Persian Gulf in the Months before Operation Iraqi Freedom [...]

Grover G. Norquist is in fine form as he warms up the crowd at his Wednesday morning meeting. The conference room at Americans for Tax Reform headquarters is packed on [...]

LIKE MANY of President Bush's lower-court nominees, William H. Pryor Jr. has had a hand in just about every legal social theory that drives Senate Democrats to outrage. As the [...]

SHORTLY AFTER 4:30 P.M. ON MONDAY, April 14, 2003, the power went out at the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. The massive plant shut down instantly and, as is [...]

Payers and consumers across the United States are expressing discontent with their health plans. We are witnessing a market-based demand for accreditation as a guarantee of acceptable quality in health [...]

Graphical abstract:

For millennia, ceramics have been densified viasintering in a furnace, a time-consuming and energy-intensive process. The need to minimize environmental impact calls for new physical concepts beyond large kilns relying on thermal radiation and insulation. Here, we realize ultrarapid heating with intense blue and UV-light. Thermal management is quantified in experiment and finite element modelling and features a balance between absorbed and radiated energy. With photon energy above the band gap to optimize absorption, bulk ceramics are sintered within seconds and with outstanding efficiency (2 kWh kg−1) independent of batch size. Sintering on-the-spot with blacklight as a versatile and widely applicable power source is demonstrated on ceramics needed for energy storage and conversion and in electronic and structural applications foreshadowing economic scalability.

NEARLY THREE DECADES after leaving his job as a marketing manager at Colgate-Palmolive, Ed McAteer, considered one of the godfathers of the modern Religious Right, still sounds like a salesman. [...]

The article focuses on a mass shooting done by a terrorist at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in June 2016, leading to the deaths of 49 people. Topics covered include the perception by some people that the mass shooting was done by a homophobic young man struggling with his own sexuality, the renewal of anti-Muslim sentiments following the incident, and the revival of the issue of gun control. Also mentioned are the implications of the incident for the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

The article discusses a battle for transgender rights in America in relation to the passage of state laws in places such as North Carolina which restrict access to bathrooms in public places such as state legislature buildings and schools. The views of Texas' Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick are examined, along with the efforts of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to ensure equality regardless of gender identity. Fear of change is assessed, along with protections for students.

A cover story is presented that article examines Ted Cruz, Republican politician and presidential candidate. Particular focus is given to how he and his politics compare to that of the businessman and presidential nominee Donald Trump. Additional topics discussed include his campaigning in the state of Wisconsin, how the Republican politician John McCain referred to Cruz as a "wacko bird" and how Trump has been endorsed by politicians including New York Governor Chris Christie. Insights on the GOP ("Grand Old Party") chairman Reince Priebus and his efforts to dissuade voters from supporting Trump are also offered.

The article discusses the potential impacts that first-time (apprentice) voters could have on the 2016 U.S. presidential race, and it mentions political supporters such as John Fisher, Eric Moorman, and Nick McNamara and their views about American politics and presidential candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Political activity by young adults across America is examined, along with the attitudes of middle-aged and older voters in the country. Voter turnout in Iowa is assessed.

The article discusses the author's claim that U.S. presidential candidate Donald J. Trump has taken over the nation's Republican Party (GOP) by forging a connection with angry voters in America, and it mentions Trump's political views and the crowds that he has garnered at political campaign events across the country. Trump's use of social media is addressed, along with political power in the U.S. Fellow American presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz are also assessed.

Managed behavioral system has emerged in the field of managed health care as a response to member, payer, legislative and market demands. The basic principles involved in managed behavioral health care trend, including the nature of carve-out organizations, carved-in services and payment schemes between managed behavioral care organizations and mental health care providers are presented. The types of delivery systems and mechanisms used to control utilization are provided in the context of continuing health care change., Managed behavioral health is a relatively new and rapidly evolving area of managed health care. The entire managed care field finds itself in a state of flux as legislative changes, [...]

The article discusses businessman and 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump who made it onto the short list for the journal's Person of the Year award in 2015. Trump's impact on the U.S. Republican Party (GOP) and the nation's Republican presidential primary are examined, along with Trump's views about the Islamic State terrorist group and Muslim travelers to America. Trump's political supporters are assessed, along with Trump's popularity in various presidential opinion polls.

Fragestellung:Einstellung von Pflegekräften zur SARS-CoV-2-Impfung und einer etwaigen Impfpflicht.

The article discusses former conservative American political consultant David Brock who has become one of 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's biggest supporters. According to the article, Brock is considered to be one of the most powerful players in Democratic politics in America as of 2015. Brock's work in slandering African American attorney Anita Hill is mentioned, along with Brock's ability to raise funds from rich liberals and his relationship with Clinton.

The article discusses the success of U.S. Republican Party candidate Donald John Trump's presidential campaign as of August 2015, and it mentions the views of the members of America's political elite with regards to Trump's popularity and the manner in which he is conducting himself during various campaign events. Trump's views about illegal immigration and border security in America, the Islamic State terrorist group, and U.S. military policy are examined. Public opinion polls are also assessed.

The cover story is presented, which examines the American Oklahoma-born politician Elizabeth Warren. Particular focus is given to her aim to get corporate money out of politics in the U.S. Additional topics discussed include her support for the Vermont-based independent politician Bernie Sanders in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, her work with U.S. President Barack Obama and economic inequality in the U.S. The Democratic party's associations with Wall Street and big business is also examined.

The article discusses how years of U.S. government-prevented marijuana research has resulted in a lack of information about the dangers and benefits of marijuana use as of 2015, and it mentions a marijuana legalization movement in America. Scientist Yasmin Hurd and her tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) experiments involving rats are mentioned, along with the potential impacts that marijuana exposure might have on human genetics and, specifically, on adolescent development. The therapeutic aspects of marijuana are examined.

The article discusses the relationship between crime and politics in America as of May 2015, and it mentions how cities have become a central topic in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaigns of candidates such as Democrat Hillary Clinton. Political issues such as mandatory minimum prison sentences and voting rights for certain ex-convicts are mentioned, along with political rhetoric in America. Justice reform, Clinton's political and social views, and police-related deaths are examined.

The article discusses the decades-long history of systemic failure in Baltimore, Maryland which led-up to the riots in the city following the funeral of resident Freddie Gray who died after sustaining injuries while in police custody in 2015. According to the article, the Baltimore, Maryland city government has paid out close to six millions dollars to settle claims filed by over 100 victims of police brutality. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and race-related violence are also examined.

The article discusses how former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have conducted their political careers according to their own set of rules, and it mentions a scandal involving potential 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's decision to erase several emails from her family's private computer server. Influence and concerns about the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation's fundraising activities are also examined.

The article discusses a global war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Iraq involving the U.S. military and several of its allies. Shi'ite militiamen and Kurdish Peshmerga Army soldiers are mentioned, along with the U.S. Central Command's claim that up to 2,000 ISIS troops are posted in Mosul, Iraq. Military coalition bombing attacks are examined, along with the mass execution of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians and the burning death of a Jordanian pilot.

The article discusses the possibility that former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will officially launch her campaign to win the nation's presidency in 2016, focusing on several issues involving the relationships between the team members who worked to support Clinton and then-American presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008. It states that many of the people who worked for Obama, including advertising executive Jim Margolis, have become members of Clinton's campaign team as of 2015.

The article discusses the career of American and Mexican news presenter and journalist Jorge Ramos. Topics discussed include Ramos' coverage of Hispanic and Latin-American issues which he feels are underrepresented in American news, his English and Spanish-language reporting on the "Noticiero Univision" program for Univision Communications, and criticism that his coverage is politically left-leaning.

The article discusses the success of the U.S. Republican Party (GOP) during the nation's midterm elections in 2014, focusing on Republican U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election victory in Kentucky, as well as the prospect that McConnell may achieve his goal of becoming the U.S. Senate's Majority Leader. According to the article, the GOP is unpopular among young people and nonwhite voters across America. U.S. President Barack Obama's political agenda is also examined.