Arthritis Foundation/HSS Workshop on Hip Osteoarthritis, Part 2: Detecting Hips at Risk: Early Biomechanical and Structural Mechanisms.

Far more publications are available for osteoarthritis of the knee than of the hip. Recognizing this research gap, the Arthritis Foundation (AF), in partnership with the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), convened an in-person meeting of thought leaders to review the state of the science of and clinical approaches to hip osteoarthritis. This article summarizes the recommendations gleaned from 5 presentations given in the "early hip osteoarthritis" session of the 2023 Hip Osteoarthritis Clinical Studies Conference, which took place on February 17 and 18, 2023, in New York City.

Effect of the Mode of Fermentation on the Behavior of in Conditions of Abiotic Stress.

The ability of a strain to support acid production and simultaneously solubilize inorganic sources of phosphate in conditions of submerged, solid-state fermentation (SSF) and immobilized cell system was examined in this study. Abiotic stress factors such as NaCl and different values of pH were introduced into the different fermentation process schemes to measure the fungal response. The results showed a higher tolerance of when the fermentation process was carried out in solid-state and immobilized-cell conditions, which mimics the natural state of the soil microorganisms.

Fungi, P-Solubilization, and Plant Nutrition.

The application of plant beneficial microorganisms is widely accepted as an efficient alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It was shown that annually, mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria are responsible for 5 to 80% of all nitrogen, and up to 75% of P plant acquisition. However, while bacteria are the most studied soil microorganisms and most frequently reported in the scientific literature, the role of fungi is relatively understudied, although they are the primary organic matter decomposers and govern soil carbon and other elements, including P-cycling.

Fermentation Strategies to Improve Soil Bio-Inoculant Production and Quality.

The application of plant beneficial microorganisms has been widely accepted as an efficient alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Isolation and selection of efficient microorganisms, their characterization and testing in soil-plant systems are well studied. However, the production stage and formulation of the final products are not in the focus of the research, which affects the achievement of stable and consistent results in the field.

: From Soil to Industry and Back.

is an important saprophytic filamentous fungus that can be found in soils. Like many other soil microorganisms, demonstrates multiple functions and offers various important metabolites, which can be used in different fields of human activity. The first application of on an industrial level is the production of itaconic acid, which is now considered as one of the most important bioproducts in the Green Chemistry field.

Formulation of Microbial Inoculants by Encapsulation in Natural Polysaccharides: Focus on Beneficial Properties of Carrier Additives and Derivatives.

In the last 10-15 years, the wide application of bioformulated plant beneficial microorganisms is accepted as an effective alternative of chemical agro-products. Two main problems can be distinguished in their production and application: (a) economical competiveness based on the overall up-stream and down-stream operational costs, and (b) development of commercial products with a high soil-plant colonization potential in controlled conditions but not able to effectively mobilize soil nutrients and/or combat plant pathogens in the field. To solve the above problems, microbe-based formulations produced by immobilization methods are gaining attention as they demonstrate a large number of advantages compared to other solid and liquid formulations.

Historical overview of regulatory framework development on pricing and reimbursement of medicines in Bulgaria.

: The current study aims to analyze, from a historical perspective, the regulatory framework of prices and reimbursement in Bulgaria with emphasis on the introduction of economic evaluation.: The study explores all regulatory changes during the period 1995-2016 combining the macroeconomic and regulatory analysis on medicines pricing and reimbursement. A roadmap summarizing the current regulatory requirements for the medicinal product entrance on national market and access to public funding was elaborated.

Production of a potential liquid plant bio-stimulant by immobilized Piriformospora indica in repeated-batch fermentation process.

Piriformospora indica, a mycorrhizal-like fungus able to establish associations with roots of a wide range of plants, supporting plant nutrition and increasing plant resistance and tolerance to stress, was shown to solubilise phosphate applied in the form of animal bone char (HABO) in fermentation systems. The process of P solubilisation was caused most likely by proton extrusion and medium pH lowering. The fungal mycelium was successfully immobilized/retained in a polyurethane foam carrier.

Potential application of glycerol in the production of plant beneficial microorganisms.

This review highlights the importance of research for development of biofertilizer and biocontrol products based on the use of glycerol for further process scale-up to industrial microbiology. Glycerol can be used successfully in all stages of production of plant beneficial microorganisms. It serves as an excellent substrate in both submerged and solid-state fermentation processes with free and immobilized microbial cells.

Standardized Mixed-Meal Tolerance and Arginine Stimulation Tests Provide Reproducible and Complementary Measures of β-Cell Function: Results From the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium Investigative Series.

Objective: Standardized, reproducible, and feasible quantification of β-cell function (BCF) is necessary for the evaluation of interventions to improve insulin secretion and important for comparison across studies. We therefore characterized the responses to, and reproducibility of, standardized methods of in vivo BCF across different glucose tolerance states.

Research Design And Methods: Participants classified as having normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 23), prediabetes (PDM; n = 17), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; n = 22) underwent two standardized mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTT) and two standardized arginine stimulation tests (AST) in a test-retest paradigm and one frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT).

Comparison of Handgrip and Leg Extension Strength in Predicting Slow Gait Speed in Older Adults.

Objectives: To compare the relative predictive power of handgrip and leg extension strength in predicting slow walking.

Design: Report of correlative analysis from two epidemiological cohort studies.

Setting: Foundation of the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project.

Carotid magnetic resonance imaging for monitoring atherosclerotic plaque progression: a multicenter reproducibility study.

This study sought to determine the multicenter reproducibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the compatibility of different scanner platforms in assessing carotid plaque morphology and composition. A standardized multi-contrast MRI protocol was implemented at 16 imaging sites (GE: 8; Philips: 8). Sixty-eight subjects (61 ± 8 years; 52 males) were dispersedly recruited and scanned twice within 2 weeks on the same magnet.

Arginine is preferred to glucagon for stimulation testing of β-cell function.

A key aspect of research into the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes is the availability of reproducible clinical research methodology to assess β-cell function. One commonly used method employs nonglycemic secretagogues like arginine (arg) or glucagon (glgn). This study was designed to quantify the insulin response to arg and glgn and determine test repeatability and tolerability.

Strength and function response to clinical interventions of older women categorized by weakness and low lean mass using classifications from the Foundation for the National Institute of Health sarcopenia project.

Background: The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project developed data-driven cut-points for clinically meaningful weakness and low lean body mass. This analysis describes strength and function response to interventions based on these classifications.

Methods: In data from four intervention studies, 378 postmenopausal women with baseline and 6-month data were evaluated for change in grip strength, appendicular lean mass corrected for body mass index, leg strength and power, and short physical performance battery (SPPB).

An evidence-based comparison of operational criteria for the presence of sarcopenia.

Background: Several consensus groups have previously published operational criteria for sarcopenia, incorporating lean mass with strength and/or physical performance. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the prevalence, agreement, and discrepancies between the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) criteria with other operational definitions for sarcopenia.

Methods: The FNIH Sarcopenia Project used data from nine studies including: Age, Gene and Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study; Boston Puerto Rican Health Study; a series of six clinical trials from the University of Connecticut; Framingham Heart Study; Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study; Invecchiare in Chianti; Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study; Rancho Bernardo Study; and Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.

Criteria for clinically relevant weakness and low lean mass and their longitudinal association with incident mobility impairment and mortality: the foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) sarcopenia project.

Background: This analysis sought to determine the associations of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project criteria for weakness and low lean mass with likelihood for mobility impairment (gait speed ≤ 0.8 m/s) and mortality. Providing validity for these criteria is essential for research and clinical evaluation.

Cutpoints for low appendicular lean mass that identify older adults with clinically significant weakness.

Background: Low lean mass is potentially clinically important in older persons, but criteria have not been empirically validated. As part of the FNIH (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health) Sarcopenia Project, this analysis sought to identify cutpoints in lean mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry that discriminate the presence or absence of weakness (defined in a previous report in the series as grip strength <26kg in men and <16kg in women).

Methods: In pooled cross-sectional data stratified by sex (7,582 men and 3,688 women), classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to derive cutpoints for appendicular lean body mass (ALM) that best discriminated the presence or absence of weakness.

Grip strength cutpoints for the identification of clinically relevant weakness.

Background: Weakness is common and contributes to disability, but no consensus exists regarding a strength cutpoint to identify persons at high risk. This analysis, conducted as part of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project, sought to identify cutpoints that distinguish weakness associated with mobility impairment, defined as gait speed less than 0.8 m/s.

The FNIH sarcopenia project: rationale, study description, conference recommendations, and final estimates.

Background: Low muscle mass and weakness are common and potentially disabling in older adults, but in order to become recognized as a clinical condition, criteria for diagnosis should be based on clinically relevant thresholds and independently validated. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium Sarcopenia Project used an evidence-based approach to develop these criteria. Initial findings were presented at a conference in May 2012, which generated recommendations that guided additional analyses to determine final recommended criteria.

Public-private partnerships: the evolving role of industry funding in nutrition research.

The global burdens of morbidity and mortality associated with obesity-related chronic diseases are crippling public health and are predicted to exponentially increase over the next 3 decades. Meanwhile, the resources necessary to conduct research that may offer solutions to the obesity epidemic continue to decline and funding has become increasingly difficult to secure. Alternative models for funding nutrition and health research are necessary to make considerable and timely progress to improve public health.

Biochar of animal origin: a sustainable solution to the global problem of high-grade rock phosphate scarcity?

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for all living organisms. However, in soil-plant systems, this nutrient is the most limiting, leading to frequent applications of soluble P fertilisers. Their excessive use provokes alterations in the natural P cycle, soil biodiversity and ecological equilibrium and is the main reason for the eutrophication of water, with consequences on food safety.

Spectral pattern of urinary water as a biomarker of estrus in the giant panda.

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been successfully used for non-invasive diagnosis of diseases and abnormalities where water spectral patterns are found to play an important role. The present study investigates water absorbance patterns indicative of estrus in the female giant panda. NIR spectra of urine samples were acquired from the same animal on a daily basis over three consecutive putative estrus periods.