Bern University of Applied Sciences

Implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation with an equity perspective and its potential regulatory impacts on forests and livelihoods

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) seeks to ban commodities associated with deforestation from the EU market. Even though uncertainty about regulatory enforcement and its impacts persists, governments, companies and civil society in origin countries of cocoa, coffee and other...

Volumetric Wear of Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene Sockets in Total Hip Arthroplasty Differs Among Brands: A Retrieval Study

Outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain limited by wear and wear particle reaction. Although highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) mitigated this issue, there are major differences among the various brands available. This study quantified, for the first time, the vo...

Effect of Sevoflurane, Propofol, and Remifentanil on Hemodynamic Response to Pneumoperitoneum and Laparoscopic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Although the interaction of sevoflurane, propofol, and opioids has been investigated regarding motor response to laryngoscopy, their hemodynamic impact during surgical stimulation remains unexplored. We therefore assessed the effect of sevoflurane, propofol, and remif...

Construction of personal health knowledge graphs for clinical data harmonization in breast cancer

Integrating heterogeneous personal health data and maintaining clinical registries for breast cancer management is labor-intensive. This study presents an AI-powered virtual assistant transforming identifiable breast cancer patient data into interoperable personal health knowledg...

Recent and Cumulative Cannabis Use and Sleep in Middle-Aged Adults

Importance Cannabis is widely used and often promoted as a sleep aid, but evidence of its long-term implications for sleep is limited. Objective To examine the associations of cumulative cannabis exposure from young adulthood to middle age and recent cannabis use with objective a...

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of thyroid nodules

OBJECTIVES: This is a protocol for a Cochrane review (diagnostic). The objectives are as follows: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of US, CT, and MRI - each considered separately - in identifying malignant thyroid nodules, using histopathological examination as the reference sta...

Building digital societies as ecosystems: how recognition and repeat relationships sustain cross-community work in open source

Abstract We measure cross-boundary collaboration in an open-source software (OSS) ecosystem by reconstructing the bipartite contributor–repository graph of 464 cybersecurity-focused projects and $11{,}372$ 11 , 372 contributor identities active over October 2001–May 2022, seeded...

Demining and revitalising war-affected landscapes in Ukraine: multi-actor governance responses

Abstract Ukraine faces one of the world’s largest and most complex explosive-ordnance contamination problems, affecting agricultural land, settlements, forests, and other natural ecosystems. This paper examines how global demining strategies are adapted within Ukraine’s multi-act...

Exploring patients' and family members’ perspectives on intensive care unit experiences through unsolicited feedback: A qualitative content analysis

Background Intensive care unit (ICU) stays are profound and distressing experiences for critically ill patients and their family members, often resulting in physical, psychological, cognitive, and social sequelae. Existing knowledge stems largely from structured interviews or que...

AI-Assisted Scoring Improves Interobserver Agreement in Breast Cancer Biomarker Evaluation

Background: Immunohistochemical assessment of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), proliferation marker Ki67, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) represents a central component of the diagnostic workflow in invasive breast carcinoma, directly influe...

Accuracy of CT-derived interarterial and intramural anomalous coronary arteries anatomy compared with 3D-reconstructed IVUS in-vivo reference

In anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA), coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is the primary tool for anatomical assessment. However, CCTA measurements lack validation against a high-resolution in-vivo standard. To assess CCTA reliability for lumen dimensions and intram...

Clinical Management of Myocardial Infarction

Despite notable advancements in the acute and long-term management, coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction (MI) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Atherothrombosis overlying coronary plaque rupture or erosion is the main pathophysiological mechanism of MI...

Sleep-stage dynamics predict current sleep-disordered breathing and future cardiovascular risk

ABSTRACT Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and disrupts both the macrostructure and dynamics of sleep stages (W, N1, N2, N3, REM). While specific alterations in sleep macrostructure, such as reduced durations of N3 and REM, have b...

Clinical utility of ultrasound by general practitioners: a systematic review

Abstract Background The clinical use of ultrasound by general practitioners has expanded rapidly, but uncertainty persists in clinical practice regarding which indications can improve diagnostic process and which rather represent low-value care. Methods We conducted a systematic...

Lie structures in homotopy and isotopy calculi

Abstract We establish compatibility of Lie structures that appear in homotopy calculus of functors and isotopy calculus of embeddings. On one hand, we give a new proof of the Johnson–Arone–Mahowald result describing the layers of the Goodwillie tower of the identity functor, and...

404: Personal data not found — Anonymous vs. account-based internet self-help for social anxiety in a partially randomized patient preference trial

Background Privacy and data security concerns are frequently cited barriers to the adoption of internet-based interventions. Allowing anonymous use may reduce these barriers, but whether anonymity affects clinical outcomes is unclear. Objective This study compared an internet-bas...

Policy (dis)integration in water management: a historical analysis of a Swiss case

Abstract Over the past 170 years, water management in Switzerland has undergone a profound transformation. What began as a localized, event-driven practice shaped by immediate needs and local initiative—such as efforts to ensure flood protection—gradually evolved into a complex,...

Factors influencing female physicians’ careers in the German-speaking part of Switzerland

Despite an increase in female physicians in Swiss hospitals, most executive positions are still held by male physicians. This study aimed to identify obstacles and institutional factors influencing female physicians' careers and to evaluate ways to support their professional adva...

Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Training for Thoracentesis - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Thoracentesis is a common bedside procedure. Complication rates are, among other factors, associated with the clinicians' skills. Simulation-based training (SBT) for teaching procedural skills is widely recommended in medical education. However, the current evidence o...

Alignment-free convolutional neural network classification of glycemic states in type 1 diabetes from GC–IMS breath spectra

Abstract Reliable detection of glycemic dysregulation, particularly hypoglycemia, is essential for people with diabetes, yet current approaches rely on capillary blood sampling or require subcutaneous sensor insertion. Breath analysis offers a non-invasive alternative by capturin...