Morphological alterations of lumbar intervertebral discs in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background Context: Etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is still unknown. Prior in vitro research suggests intervertebral disc pathomorphology as a cause for the initiation and progression of the spinal deformity, however, this has not been well characterized in vivo.

Purpose: To quantify and compare lumbar disc health and morphology in AIS to controls.

Influence of rye cover cropping on denitrification potential and year-round field NO emissions.

Cover cropping is beneficial for reducing soil erosion and nutrient losses, but there are conflicting reports on how cover cropping affects emissions of nitrous oxide (NO), a potent greenhouse gas. In this study, we measured NO fluxes over a full year in Illinois corn plots with and without rye cover crop. We compared these year-round measurements to NO emissions predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 equation and the Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model.

Quantifying the effect of posterior spinal instrumentation on the MRI signal of adjacent intervertebral discs.

Study Design: Ex vivo porcine imaging study.

Objectives: Quantitatively evaluate change in MRI signal at the discs caudal to spinal fusion instrumentation. Individuals who receive posterior spinal instrumentation are at risk of developing accelerated disc degeneration at adjacent levels.

Validation of an automated shape-matching algorithm for biplane radiographic spine osteokinematics and radiostereometric analysis error quantification.

Biplane radiography and associated shape-matching provides non-invasive, dynamic, 3D osteo- and arthrokinematic analysis. Due to the complexity of data acquisition, each system should be validated for the anatomy of interest. The purpose of this study was to assess our system's acquisition methods and validate a custom, automated 2D/3D shape-matching algorithm relative to radiostereometric analysis (RSA) for the cervical and lumbar spine.

Mechanical Performance of Posterior Spinal Instrumentation and Growing Rod Implants: Experimental and Computational Study.

Study Design: Experimental and computational study of posterior spinal instrumentation and growing rod constructs per ASTM F1717-15 vertebrectomy methodology for static compressive bending.

Objective: Assess mechanical performance of standard fusion instrumentation and growing rod constructs.

Summary Of Background Data: Growing rod instrumentation utilizes fewer anchors and spans longer distances, increasing shared implant loads relative to fusion.

Prediction of NO emissions under different field management practices and climate conditions.

Due to the contributions of nitrous oxide (NO) to global climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction, it is important to understand how climate and agricultural management affect NO emissions. Although the process-based Denitrification Decomposition (DNDC) model is often used for quantifying emissions of NO, the accuracy of these predictions remains in question, and it is not clear which input variables, environmental or field management, have the greatest effect on model performance. In this study, DNDC was evaluated for prediction of NO fluxes from two climatically-different corn-field sites in the United States (a Colorado irrigated field and a Minnesota rainfed field).

Noninvasive Assessment of Biochemical and Mechanical Properties of Lumbar Discs Through Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Asymptomatic Volunteers.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a prevalent phenomenon associated with back pain. It is of critical clinical interest to discriminate disc health and identify early stages of degeneration. Traditional clinical T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), assessed using the Pfirrmann classification system, is subjective and fails to adequately capture initial degenerative changes.

Tumor Cell Detection by Mass Spectrometry Using Signal Ion Emission Reactive Release Amplification.

A method is presented for the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) using mass spectrometry (MS), through reporter-ion amplification. Particles functionalized with short-chain peptides are bound to cells through antibody-antigen interactions. Selective release and MS detection of peptides is shown to detect as few as 690 cells isolated from a 10 mL blood sample.