Psychological factors influencing consumer intentions to consume cultured meat, fish and dairy.

This study investigates the structure of factors that influence consumer intentions to both try and to consume cultured proteins, and their intentions to substitute vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets with these alternative protein sources. Comprehensive survey data (N = 3862) was collected from three Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, and Norway) and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Theoretically, this article draws from behavioural models of environmental psychology, identity theory, and attitude theory. Results indicate that beliefs about the necessity of an industry producing cultured proteins and impacts of cultured proteins on the global economy are significant predictors of consumer intentions. Moreover, participants who exhibited high levels of general and food innovativeness were more likely to express positive intentions to consume cultured proteins. Social norms influenced consumer intentions: Individuals surrounded by positive attitudes and intentions toward cultured proteins within their social networks were more inclined to want to consume these products. The predictor variables in the final model accounted for between 39% and 66% of the variance in the different cultured proteins related intentions. Understanding consumer intentions better can inform targeted communication strategies aimed at promoting the advantages of cultured proteins and facilitating its adoption.

A wise person plants a tree a day before the end of the world: coping with the emotional experience of climate change in Poland.

It is now widely accepted that we are in a climate emergency, and the number of people who are concerned about this problem is growing. Yet, qualitative, in-depth studies to investigate the emotional response to climate change were conducted either in high-income, western countries, or in low-income countries particularly vulnerable to climate change. To our knowledge, there are no qualitative studies conducted in countries that share great barriers to decarbonization while being significant contributors to carbon emissions. Since climate change affects people globally, it is crucial to study this topic in a variety of socio-political contexts. In this work, we discuss views and reflections voiced by highly concerned residents of Poland, a Central European country that is a major contributor to Europe's carbon emissions. We conducted 40 semi-structured interviews with Polish residents, who self-identified as concerned about climate change. A variety of emotions related to climate change were identified and placed in the context of four major themes: dangers posed by climate change, the inevitability of its consequences, attributions of responsibility, and commonality of concern. Our findings highlight a variety of often ambivalent and conflicting emotions that change along with the participant's thoughts, experiences and behaviours. Furthermore, we describe a wide repertoire of coping strategies, which promoted well-being and sustained long-term engagement in climate action. As such, our work contributes to research on a broad array of climate-related emotions. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03807-3.

Nonequilibrium Properties of Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Phase Transitions.

We employ a novel, unbiased renormalization-group approach to investigate nonequilibrium phase transitions in infinite lattice models. This allows us to address the delicate interplay of fluctuations and ordering tendencies in low dimensions out of equilibrium. We study a prototypical model for the metal to insulator transition of spinless interacting fermions coupled to electronic baths and driven out of equilibrium by a longitudinal static electric field. The closed system features a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition between a metallic and a charge-ordered phase in the equilibrium limit. We compute the nonequilibrium phase diagram and illustrate a highly nonmonotonic dependence of the phase boundary on the strength of the electric field: for small fields, the induced currents destroy the charge order, while at higher electric fields it reemerges due to many-body Wannier-Stark localization physics. Finally, we show that the current in such an interacting nonequilibrium system can counter-intuitively flow opposite to the direction of the electric field. This nonequilibrium steady state is reminiscent of an equilibrium distribution function with an effective negative temperature.

Assessment of self-rated health 5 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for severe obesity.

Background: Patients' perceptions of health change after bariatric surgery are complex. The aim of this study was to explore whether self-rated health (SRH), a widely used tool in public health research, might be relevant as an outcome measure after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for severe obesity. Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective study of a local quality registry. SRH score was registered at baseline and 5 years after RYGB. SRH, one of the 36 items in the quality-of-life Short Form 36 (SF-36®) questionnaire, is the answer to this single question: 'In general, would you say your health is excellent (1), very good (2), good (3), fair (4) or poor (5)?' Change in SRH was analysed in relation to change in weight, co-morbidities and quality of life after 5 years. Results: Of a total of 359 patients who underwent RYGB between September 2006 and February 2011, 233 (64·9 per cent) reported on SRH before and 5 years after surgery. Of these, 180 (77·3 per cent) were women, and the mean(s.d.) age was 40(9) years. Some 154 patients (66·1 per cent) reported an improvement in SRH, 60 (25·8 per cent) had no change, and SRH decreased in 19 patients (8·2 per cent). SRH in improvers was related to better scores in all SF-36® domains, whereas SRH in non-improvers was related to unchanged or worsened scores in all SF-36® domains except physical function. Conclusion: Two-thirds of patients reported improved SRH 5 years after RYGB for severe obesity. In view of its simplicity, SRH may be an easy-to-use outcome measure in bariatric surgery.

Antecedentes: Las percepciones de los pacientes del cambio de su salud tras la cirugía bariátrica son complejas. El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar si la autovaloración de la salud (self­rated health, SRH), una herramienta ampliamente utilizada en investigación en salud pública, podría ser relevante como medida de resultado después del bypass gástrico en Y de Roux (Roux­en­Y gastric bypass, RYGB) para la obesidad severa. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio retrospectivo de un registro de calidad local de un único centro. La SRH se recogió en situación basal y a los 5 años tras el RYGB. SRH es una de las 36 preguntas del cuestionado de calidad de vida SF­36 (forma corta) y consiste en la respuesta a esta única pregunta: "En general, diría que su salud es excelente (1), muy buena (2), buena ( 3), razonable (4) o pobre (5)?". Resultados: De un total de 359 pacientes sometidos a un RYGB en el periodo entre septiembre de 2006 y febrero de 2011, 233 (65%) informaron del SRH antes y a los 5 años de la cirugía. De ellos, 180 (77,3%) eran mujeres y la edad media era de 40 (DE 9) años. La SRH mejoró en 154 (66,1%) pacientes, no experimento cambios en 60 (25,8%) y disminuyó en 19 (8,2%). En tanto que la mejoría de la SRH se relacionó con mejores puntuaciones en todos los dominios de cuestionario SF­36, la no mejoría se relacionó con puntuaciones iguales o peores en todos los dominios del SF­36, a excepción de la función física. Conclusión: Dos tercios de los pacientes reportaron mejoría de la SRH a los 5 años tras un RYGB por obesidad grave, y debido a su simplicidad, la SRH podría constituir una medida de resultado, de fácil uso, en cirugía bariátrica.

Spectral properties of one-dimensional Fermi systems after an interaction quench.

We show that the single-particle spectral properties of gapless one-dimensional Fermi systems in the Luttinger liquid state reached at intermediate times after an abrupt quench of the two-particle interaction are highly indicative of the unusual nonequilibrium nature of this state. The line shapes of the momentum-integrated and -resolved spectral functions strongly differ from their ground state as well as finite temperature equilibrium counterparts. Using an energy resolution improved version of radio-frequency spectroscopy of quasi-one-dimensional cold Fermi gases, it should be possible to experimentally identify this nonequilibrium state by its pronounced spectral signatures.

[Gold standard for implant selection in operative therapy of spondylitis/spondylodiscitis]. / Goldstandard bei der Implantatwahl zur operativen Therapie der Spondylitis/Spondylodiszitis.

The operative therapy management of vertebral osteomyelitis including debridement and stabilization is well established. Autologous bone is the preferred graft material but is limited due to availability, failure of consolidation in large defects and donor morbidity. Titanium mesh cages are alternatively equally well evaluated and other materials are also mentioned. Immobilization of affected segments is the fundamental requirement for healing of osteomyelitis. The operative therapy of choice is meticulous debridement and internal stabilization of the defect. Autologous bone seems to provide the best conditions to bridge and consolidate defects. Bone marrow aspirate, reaming irrigator aspiration (RIA) and bone marrow protein (BMP) in combination with cages have the same qualities considering bone healing but they are not yet sufficiently evaluated for management of vertebral osteomyelitis. Autologous bone graft remains the gold standard, nevertheless, its disadvantages point out the need for alternative grafts. Titanium is well proven to provide stability but bone substitutes are not sufficiently evaluated but seem to be promising.

[Therapy of unspecific destructive spondylodiscitis with special consideration to sagittal alignment]. / Therapie der unspezifischen destruierenden Spondylodiszitis unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des sagittalen Profils.

Nonspecific destructive spondylodiscitis is a severe illness which is accompanied by a high mortality rate. There is agreement in the literature on the indications for surgical treatment of destructive spondylodiscitis and sagittal alignment has to be considered for the operative procedure. Therefore, the operative procedure has to make considerations for the deformity, the extent of destruction, the clinical characteristics of the patient and the extent of spondylodiscitis.

[Importance of sagittal alignment in spinal revision surgery]. / Bedeutung des sagittalen Profils bei Revisionseingriffen an der Wirbelsäule.

Ignoring the sagittal profile in primary spinal fusion surgery is a common reason for revision surgery. Therefore, it is important that in cases of spinal revision surgery the sagittal alignment is realized. The physiological alignment of the instrumented spine should also indirectly influence the profile of the non-stabilized spine cranial and caudal to the fusion. Patients with normal C7 plumb-line and a physiological sacral inclination have a lower incidence of adjacent segment degeneration. Sagittal imbalance after revision surgery is a risk factor for recurrent pseudarthrosis. In cases of pseudarthrosis a combined approach may be more effective in realizing sagittal balance und enhancing rates of fusion.

[Polysegmental Dynesys system]. / Polysegmentale Dynesys-Instrumentation.

INTRODUCTION: The advantages of using the Dynesys System are claimed to be sufficient and polysegmental dorsal stabilization of the spine while preserving a certain amount of motion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 20 patients with a polysegmental spinal pathology were treated with polysegmental decompression and using the Dynesys Dynamic Stabilization system. None of the patients had had spinal surgery previously. Bone density was measured in all patients preoperatively. RESULTS: All 20 patients were followed up for an average of 11.8 months postoperatively. The ability to walk was improved from 581.5 m to 1640.0 m after surgery. Complications observed were one leakage of the dura and one hypertensive crisis. Implant loosening was observed in one female patient, which was revised and dorso-ventral fusion was carried out. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the Dynesys Dynamic Stabilization system is a reasonable treatment in patients with polysegmental pathology of the spine. However, the system does not allow restoration of extensive malalignments or deformities of the spine.

[Long-term results of the Dynesys implant]. / Langzeitergebnisse der Dynesys-Implantation.

Dynamic stabilization was introduced in 1994 as a motion preserving device in an attempt to overcome the disadvantages of fusion and to provide sufficient stability, to restore normal segmental kinematics, to prevent instability, and to avoid adjacent segmental degeneration. The results in patients with spinal stenosis with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis can be considered good. Decompression should be performed in the most cases. Disc degeneration of the bridged and the adjacent segment seems to continue despite Dynesys stabilization. It is likely that this continuing degeneration is due to natural disease progression rather than an effect of stabilization.

[Instrumental fixation in spinal surgery. Particular characteristics in patients with manifest osteoporosis]. / Wirbelsäulenchirurgische instrumentierte Versorgung. Besonderheiten bei Patienten mit manifester Osteoporose.

A number of factors need to be borne in mind in the planning and performance of instrumental fixation of the spine in patients with osteoporosis. Improved implant anchoring using special screws and cement augmentation can help to avoid implant dislocations. Nevertheless, particular attention should be paid to spinal balance in these patients.

Influence of a screw with a hinge on the pull-out force at the cranial end vertebra in ventral derotation spondylodesis (VDS).

INTRODUCTION: Pull-out of the cranial end-vertebra screw following a correction of a scoliosis with the VDS implant is a common complication, especially in the thoracic region. It requires an extension of the fusion length or at least reduces the outcome of the correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We therefore looked for a new approach to solve the problem of end-vertebra screw pull-out. It was postulated that the axial pull-out force at the end-vertebra screw is reduced by a screw with a hinge between the head and threaded part. The aim of our study was to calculate theoretically and then determine experimentally the screw pull-out force of regular and modified VDS screws with a hinge during lateral shifting of the screw heads in the frontal plane. RESULTS: The use of a modified end-vertebra screw with a hinge on the cranial end vertebra of the correction region changes the shape of the threaded rod between the last two screws. Theoretically estimated, this leads to a reduction of the pull-out force to one-fourth of the value for the original VDS screw. Experimentally, the mean pull-out force for the modified end-vertebra screw was 110+/-8.6 N in comparison with the original screw, where the pull-out force was 214+/-7.2 N. CONCLUSION: A reduction of screw pull-out can be expected when a screw with a hinge is used for the cranial end vertebra.

Influence of graded facetectomy and laminectomy on spinal biomechanics.

Facetectomy and laminectomy are techniques for decompressing lumbosacral spinal stenosis. Resections of posterior bony or ligamentous parts normally lead to a decrease in stability. The degree of instability depends on the extent of resection, the loading situation and the condition of the intervertebral discs. The correlation between these parameters is not well understood. In order to investigate how these parameters relate to one another, a three-dimensional, non-linear finite element model of the lumbosacral spine was created. Intersegmental rotations, intradiscal pressures, stresses, strains and forces in the facet joints were calculated while simulating an intact spine as well as different extents of resection (left and bilateral hemifacetectomy, hemilaminectomy and bilateral laminectomy, two-level laminectomy), disc conditions (intact and degenerated) and loading situations (pure moment loads, standing and forward bending). The results of the modelling showed that a unilateral hemifacetectomy increases intersegmental rotation for the loading situation of axial rotation. Expanding the resection to bilateral hemifacetectomy increases intersegmental rotation even more, while further resection up to a bilateral laminectomy has only a minor additional effect. Hemilaminectomy and laminectomy only differ in their effect for ventriflexion and muscle-supported forward bending. Two-level laminectomy increases the intersegmental rotation only for standing. Degenerated discs result in smaller intersegmental rotations and higher disc stresses at the respective levels. Decompression procedures affect the examined biomechanical parameters less markedly in degenerated than in intact discs. Resection of posterior bony or ligamentous elements has a stronger influence on the amount than on the distribution of stresses and deformations in a disc. It has only a minor effect on the biomechanical behaviour of the adjacent region. Spinal stability is decreased after a laminectomy for forward bending, and after a two-level laminectomy for standing. For axial rotation, spinal stability is decreased even after a hemifacetectomy. Patients should therefore avoid excessive axial rotation after such a treatment.

Instrumented forceps for measuring tensile forces in the rod of the VDS implant during correction of scoliosis.

Ventral derotation spondylodesis (VDS) is the standard in ventral scoliosis surgery. Especially in the thoracic spine, there are no alternatives to VDS with compression and derotation as its correction forces. However, pull-out of the end-vertebra screw during correction of scoliosis with the VDS implant is a common complication involving particularly the cranial end-vertebra screw in the thoracic region. This complication requires an extension of the fusion length or reduces at least the outcome of the correction. There are no in vivo data on correction forces in ventral scoliosis surgery. Thus the correction depends on the skill and experience of the surgeon. An instrumented forceps developed and built to measure forces in the longitudinal rod allows axial tensile forces to be determined in the longitudinal rod during surgery. The instrumented forceps has the advantage of reducing the risk of screw pull-out. Furthermore, viscoelastic behavior of the spine can be measured during ventral correction. In addition, knowledge of the correction forces improves our biomechanical understanding of the spine, especially during correction of scoliosis. Intraoperative force measurement is in no way detrimental to the patient.

[Effect of implants for replacement of a vertebral body on the mechanical function of the lumbar spine]. / Einfluss von Implantaten zum Ersatz eines Wirbelkörpers auf das mechanische Verhalten der Lendenwirbelsäule.

A three-dimensional, nonlinear finite element model of the lumbar spine was created. A bisegmental internal spinal fixation device and successively two kinds of vertebral body replacements were integrated into the computer model. The model was loaded with pure moments in the three anatomical main planes as well as with forces that are expected during standing. A vertebral body replacement drastically reduces the mobility in the implant region. An implant has only a minor influence on the mobility and stresses in the adjacent regions for the loading cases chosen. A preload, for example, caused by additional distraction from the precisely fitted ventral implant, exerts a very strong effect on the stresses in the end plates that are in contact with the implant. Different sizes of the contact area between implant and vertebral body have only a local effect on stress distribution.

[Effect of a double intervertebral cage on the mechanical behavior of the lumbar spine]. / Einfluss eines doppelten Zwischenwirbelkäfigs auf das mechanische Verhalten der Lendenwirbelsäule.

A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model of the lumbar spine was developed. Paired threaded cages and a monosegmental internal spinal fixation device were integrated into the computer model. The model was loaded with such forces as apply during standing, as well as with pure moments in the three main anatomical planes, plus an additional preload. The latter was generated by shortening the distance between the pedicle screws on the longitudinal rod of the fixator. With the exception of torsional loading, an implant appreciably reduces the mobility in the segment concerned. At the loads studied, cages had only a minor impact on the movements and stresses in the adjacent regions, but a strong influence on the stresses in the endplates in contact with them. A preload increases these stresses dramatically. Contact conditions between vertebral body and cages also have a marked effect on the stress distribution in the corresponding vertebral endplate, especially in the case of extension loading. Owing to the preload, maximum stresses were higher for the rigid bond than when contact elements were used.

[Surgical possibilities in the treatment of diseases and injuries of the spine in patients with manifest osteoporosis ]. / Operative Möglichkeiten zur Behandlung von Erkrankungen und Verletzungen der Wirbelsäule bei Patienten mit manifester Osteoporose.

In the presence of a vertebral injury or disease, manifest osteoporosis affects preoperative planning. Thus, if surgery is indicated, bone density should be determined in cases of suspected or diagnosed osteoporosis. Instrumentation of the spine is frequently not required in surgical interventions. However, if indicated, instrumentation should be fixed multifocally and the deformity should be corrected with special care. It is absolutely necessary to avoid ending instrumentation within a kyphosis.

[The biomechanics of kyphosis]. / Biomechanik der Kyphose.

Kyphosis is a dorsally convex curvature of the spine in the sagittal plane. A pathological kyphosis of the thoracic spine has a Cobb angle greater than 50 degrees. It occurs when the anterior and/or posterior load-transferring elements of the spine are overloaded or damaged. Wedge-shaped vertebral bodies may be found at one or several levels. A wedge-shaped vertebral body increases the curvature of the spine and moves the centre of gravity of the body parts above of the corresponding vertebral body in a ventral direction. This increases the flexion-bending moment acting on the spine. In the case of a wedge-shaped deformation of a vertebral body, the relative increase of the flexion moment is a function of the wedge angle and of the original position of the centre of gravity of the upper body.