Establishment of reference intervals for osteoarthritis-related soluble biomarkers: the FNIH/OARSI OA Biomarkers Consortium.

Objective: To establish reference intervals for osteoarthritis (OA)-related biomarkers used in the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) OA Biomarkers Consortium Project.

Methods: A total of 129 'multijoint controls' were selected from 2722 African-American and Caucasian men and women in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project. The majority (79%) of those eligible (with biospecimens and baseline data) also had one or more follow-up evaluations 5-15 years later.

Predictive validity of biochemical biomarkers in knee osteoarthritis: data from the FNIH OA Biomarkers Consortium.

Objective: To investigate a targeted set of biochemical biomarkers as predictors of clinically relevant osteoarthritis (OA) progression.

Methods: Eighteen biomarkers were measured at baseline, 12 months (M) and 24 M in serum (s) and/or urine (u) of cases (n=194) from the OA initiative cohort with knee OA and radiographic and persistent pain worsening from 24 to 48 M and controls (n=406) not meeting both end point criteria. Primary analyses used multivariable regression models to evaluate the association between biomarkers (baseline and time-integrated concentrations (TICs) over 12 and 24 M, transposed to z values) and case status, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, race, baseline radiographic joint space width, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, pain and pain medication use.

Opportunities and challenges of rural practice: managing self amid ambiguity.

Living and practicing psychology in a small, rural community has opportunities and challenges. We describe the context of rural communities and identify several of those challenges and opportunities. A case study demonstrates the influence of multigenerational involvement, complex professional and social situations, and the potential difficulties facing the responsible clinician.

Measured neutralizing titers of IFN-beta neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) can depend on the preparations of IFN-beta used in the assay.

An immune response to recombinant human protein therapeutics, including type I interferons (IFNs), has the potential to have a serious negative impact on safety and efficacy. Monitoring of patients for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) often is advisable. In the case of IFN-beta therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), we obtained reproducible quantitative titers of NAbs using an improved and well-characterized assay based on a 10-fold reduction of a challenge dose of IFN-beta.

Overlap among clinical, counseling, and school psychology: implications for the profession and Combined-Integrated training.

Health care providers within psychology currently fall into three dominant practice areas: clinical, counseling, and school psychology. This article reviews data from four different sources-archival descriptions, training curricula, internship and employment outcomes, and professional activities-to examine the overlap among the three practice areas. Archival descriptions revealed substantial similarities, with smaller but interesting differences.