Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based spin-spin relaxation time (T2) mapping has been shown to be associated with cartilage matrix composition (hydration, collagen content &orientation). To determine the impact of early radiographic knee osteoarthritis (ROA) and ROA risk factors on femorotibial cartilage composition, we studied baseline values and one-year change in superficial and deep cartil...

OBJECTIVES We sought to validate direct planimetry of mitral regurgitant orifice area from three-dimensional echocardiographic reconstructions. BACKGROUND Regurgitant orifice area (ROA) is an important measure of the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) that up to now has been calculated from hemodynamic data rather than measured directly. We hypothesized that improved spatial resolution of ...

We report the first observation of Raman optical activity (ROA) by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. Thanks to the more freedom of polarization configurations in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering than in spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, the contrast ratio of the chiral signal to the achiral background has been improved markedly. For (-)-β-pinene, it is 2 orders of magnitude better than ...

convergence zone. Methods and Results. In an in vitro study, we showed the feasibility and the accuracy of calculating effective ROA by the proximal flow convergence method throughout a range of driving pressures. The calculated and true ROA showed an excellent correlation with r=.992, AROA= -1.4±2.9 mm2. We then applied this concept clinically in 77 patients with mitral regurgitation and showe...

BACKGROUND Nonmedical prescription opioid use has emerged as a major public health concern in recent years, particularly in rural Appalachia. Little is known about the routes of administration (ROA) involved in nonmedical prescription opioid use among rural and urban drug users. The purpose of this study was to describe rural-urban differences in ROA for nonmedical prescription opioid use. ME...

J U N E 1 , 2 0 0 7 / A N A LY T I C A L C H E M I S T R Y 3 9 5 3 Werner Hug and colleagues at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) have tested the limits of their newly designed Raman optical activity (ROA) spectrometer by determining the absolute configuration of (R)-[H1, H2, H3]-neopentane. This molecule has a very subtle chirality, which is determined solely by substitution of deuteriu...

A major obstacle in the structural analysis of intrinsically unstructured proteins (IUPs), at least from a classical biological perspective, is precisely that: lack of structure. While the dynamic nature of IUPs makes crystallographic studies virtually impossible, even solution based NMR studies of this group of proteins are difficult, due to the fast, fluid changes in back bone torsion angles....

OBJECTIVE To examine associations between disability and socioeconomic status (SES) in persons with hip radiographic OA (rOA) or symptomatic OA (sxOA) in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project. METHODS Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on individuals with hip rOA (708) or sxOA (251). rOA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence ≥ 2. Educational attainment (<12 years or ≥12 years) and occupa...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to examine data from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis (OA) Project for independent associations of educational attainment, occupation and community poverty with tibiofemoral knee OA. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 3,591 individuals (66% Caucasian and 34% African American). Educational attainment (< 12 years or ≥12 years), occup...

It is argued that sufficient is known about the broad causal factors underlying crashes to prompt action. The challenge for society has been and remains whether we are prepared to take action to reduce casualties. There are key philosophical arguments and psychological processes at the heart of this debate. Given that these arguments and these psychological processes operate as the gatekeepers ...