University of Bern

Surface Quadrilateral Meshing from Integrable Odeco Fields

Abstract We present a method for generating orthogonal quadrilateral meshes subject to user‐defined feature alignment and sizing constraints. The approach relies on computing integrable orthogonal frame fields, whose symmetries are implicitly represented using orthogonally decomp...

Dopaminergic state modulates shame and contextual emotional responses in Parkinson's disease

Background Shame is frequent in Parkinson's disease (PD) and negatively affects quality of life, yet its dopaminergic modulation remains unclear. Methods We investigated the effect of dopaminergic replacement therapy (DRT) on shame in 41 fluctuating PD patients using an experimen...

Short Dental Implants as Strategic Support for Removable Partial Dentures in Mandibular Free‐End Situations: A 3‐Year Prospective Cohort Study

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to assess the mid‐term clinical performance of short implants as strategic support for mandibular removable partial dentures (RPDs) with free‐end situations. Methods Subjects wearing lower RPDs in Kennedy Class I situations received two suppor...

Land use intensification results in abrupt transitions between extensively and intensively managed grasslands

Abstract Understanding whether land use intensification causes regime shifts (i.e. persistent, large changes in ecosystem states) is of key importance for management, particularly if these shifts occur abruptly as thresholds in land use intensity are crossed. Further, these thres...

Netlist Reverse Engineering Practice: Effects of Prior Knowledge, Cognitive Abilities, and Personality Traits

Netlist Reverse Engineering (NRE) is a critical human-computer interaction task for identifying security threats at the microchip level. Yet, little is known about how individual factors shape NRE performance and practice effects. We conducted a mixed experimental and quasi-exper...

Outcomes of front-line tagraxofusp in patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) in a real-world scenario

Abstract Tagraxofusp (TAG), a CD123-directed protein-drug conjugate, is approved in front-line and relapsed/refractory blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). Multicenter real-world outcomes and the contribution of up-front consolidation post-TAG remain less defined...

The disfluency effect revisited: processing demands moderate memory performance

“Desirable difficulties” describe encoding conditions that enhance memory. Recently, this principle has been extended to perceptual difficulties, such as hard-to-read fonts. Although several studies report a memory benefit of disfluency, other findings fail to replicate this effe...

Data driven approach to identify vulnerable plaques in carotid atherosclerosis using computed tomography imaging and computational fluid dynamics: A pilot study

The current clinical gold standard for identifying vulnerable plaque is plaque Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). However, owing to its limited availability, many patients do not have access. This pilot study aims to explore whether computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, es...

Using multi-trait polygenic scores to predict lithium responsiveness in patients with bipolar disorder

Background The predictive power of polygenic scores (PGSs) for lithium treatment response in bipolar disorder remains limited. Aims To enhance the prediction of lithium responsiveness by developing a multi-trait PGS (mt-PGS) combining genetic information from multiple phenotypes...

Developmental divergence in gene regulation underlies trophic innovation in Lake Victoria cichlids

Abstract The role of developmental shifts in the emergence of ecological diversity during adaptive radiation remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we investigate the developmental gene regulatory landscape of trophic innovation in the rapid adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes f...

Bos indicus cattle resistant to digital dermatitis exhibit a balanced proinflammatory cytokine response upon exposure to Treponema phagedenis in contrast to Bos taurus cattle

Abstract Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is a globally distributed infectious hoof disease that negatively impacts the wellbeing and productivity of the affected animal. Treponema species and in particular Treponema phagedenis are the microbes strongly associated with the disease...

Money Creation for Crypto Space: Stablecoins or Central Bank Digital Currencies?

Stablecoins are the current go-to digital money to settle transactions on the blockchain. We explore the implications of introducing competing tokenized public digital monies (i.e., tokenized central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)). When they pay a moderate interest rate and gua...

Forecasting European temperature-related mortality in Summer 2024: data-driven vs. physics-based forecast approaches

Heat has emerged as a major public health concern. Over 62 000 heat-related deaths were estimated to have occurred during the European summer of 2024, exemplifying the pressing need to develop effective early warning systems. Such systems depend critically on the quality of the u...

Mapping the Evidence on Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Individuals Experiencing Disability: A Scoping Review.

Objective To map the existing evidence on CVD risk among individuals with complex and disabling health conditions including traumatic brain injury (TBI), multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), cerebral palsy (CP), spina bifida (SB), and poliomyelitis and identify gaps...

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...

Simultaneous T 1 and T 2 Mapping in the Brain With QuantoRAGE : An MP2RAGE Variant Using T 2 ‐Prepared Inversion

ABSTRACT Purpose To develop and validate a repeatable and reproducible approach, QuantoRAGE, for simultaneous whole‐brain T 1 and T 2 mapping using adiabatic magnetization preparation. Methods QuantoRAGE is a 3D FLASH‐based sequence using an adiabatic T 2 ‐prepared inversion foll...

Customized chatbot for patient education in vitreoretinal diseases

Abstract Purpose To develop and evaluate the accuracy and safety of a customized, domain-restricted chatbot providing postoperative patient education after vitreoretinal surgery. Methods We evaluated a domain-restricted GPT-4 chatbot accessed through the OpenAI API and implemente...

Lake size is associated with the relationship between body mass and gut microbiota alpha diversity in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Lake size is associated with ecological conditions that can affect the microbiome of hosts, such as diet and habitat characteristics. However, whether host-microbe interactions are affected by lake size remains poorly understood. We characterized the gut microbiota of 191 wild th...

Evaluating information security in reimbursement decisions for digital health technologies in Germany and Switzerland – stretching the fourth hurdle too far?

Digital health technologies (DHTs) can improve healthcare delivery but also raise concerns about data protection and cybersecurity. Germany and Switzerland take contrasting approaches to these issues in reimbursement decision-making: in Germany, the Fast-Track procedure assigns e...

Late Glacial temperature, anoxia, and primary production in Lago di Mezzano, Central Italy

In the North Atlantic domain, the Late Glacial period (19–11.8 cal ka BP) is characterized by rapid, high-amplitude climatic changes. The amplitude of temperature change in the Central Mediterranean region remains debated because reconstructions are limited and often contradictor...