Longitudinal in vivo cationic contrast-enhanced computed tomography classifies equine articular cartilage injury and repair.

Cationic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) capitalizes on increased contrast agent affinity to the charged proteoglycans in articular cartilage matrix to provide quantitative assessment of proteoglycan content with enhanced images. While high resolution microCT has demonstrated success, we investigate cationic CECT use in longitudinal in vivo imaging at clinical resolution. We hypothesize that repeated administration of CA4+ will have no adverse side effects or complications, and that sequential in vivo imaging assessments will distinguish articular cartilage repair tissue from early degenerative and healthy cartilage in critically sized chondral defects.

Retrograde Intramedullary Nailing Versus Locked Plating for Extreme Distal Periprosthetic Femur Fractures: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: To compare clinical and radiographic outcomes after retrograde intramedullary nailing (rIMN) versus locked plating (LP) of "extreme distal" periprosthetic femur fractures, defined as those that contact or extend distal to the anterior flange.

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Eight academic level I trauma centers.

Virtual reality and immersive technologies to promote workplace wellbeing: a systematic review.

Background: Work-related stress negatively impacts employee wellbeing. Stress-management interventions that reduce workplace stress can be challenging. Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), may provide an alternative.

Virtual reality relaxation for people with mental health conditions: a systematic review.

Purpose: Vulnerability to stress is linked to poor mental health. Stress management interventions for people with mental health conditions are numerous but they are difficult to implement and have limited effectiveness in this population. Virtual reality (VR) relaxation is an innovative intervention that aims to reduce stress.

Health Impact Assessment: A Missed Opportunity for MCH Professionals in Their Quest to Address the Social Determinants of Health.

Introduction: Public health professionals, especially ones concerned with maternal and child health (MCH), need to engage in cross-sector collaborations to address social determinants of health. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) systematically brings public health perspectives into non-health decision-making contexts that influence social determinants. Alignment of MCH and HIA practice has not previously been documented.

Tantalum Oxide Nanoparticles for the Quantitative Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography of Human Cartilage: Assessment of Biochemical Composition and Biomechanics.

Nanoparticle-based contrast agents, when used in concert with imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), enhance the visualization of tissues and boundary interfaces. However, the ability to determine the physiological state of the tissue via the quantitative assessment of biochemical or biomechanical properties remains elusive. We report the synthesis and characterization of tantalum oxide (TaO) nanoparticle (NP) contrast agents for rapid, nondestructive, and quantitative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) to assess both the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content and the biomechanical integrity of human metacarpal phalangeal joint (MCPJ) articular cartilage.

Therapeutic engagement in robot-assisted psychological interventions: A systematic review.

Purpose: Therapeutic engagement is a key component of psychological interventions. Robot-assisted psychological interventions appear to have therapeutic benefits for service users that are challenging to engage. However, engagement with robots in robot-assisted psychological interventions is not well understood.

Random Forest Modelling of High-Dimensional Mixed-Type Data for Breast Cancer Classification.

Advances in high-throughput technologies encourage the generation of large amounts of multiomics data to investigate complex diseases, including breast cancer. Given that the aetiologies of such diseases extend beyond a single biological entity, and that essential biological information can be carried by all data regardless of data type, integrative analyses are needed to identify clinically relevant patterns. To facilitate such analyses, we present a permutation-based framework for random forest methods which simultaneously allows the unbiased integration of mixed-type data and assessment of relative feature importance.

Cationic contrast-enhanced computed tomography distinguishes between reparative, degenerative, and healthy equine articular cartilage.

Cationic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is a quantitative imaging technique that characterizes articular cartilage, though its efficacy in differentiating repair tissue from other disease states is undetermined. We hypothesized that cationic CECT attenuation will distinguish between reparative, degenerative, and healthy equine articular cartilage and will reflect biochemical, mechanical, and histologic properties. Chondral defects were created in vivo on equine femoropatellar joint surfaces.

Nanotechnology and Osteoarthritis. Part 2: Opportunities for advanced devices and therapeutics.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease of the entire joint which afflicts 140 million individuals worldwide regardless of economic or social status. Current clinical treatments for OA primarily center on reducing pain and increasing mobility, and there are limited therapeutic interventions to restore degraded cartilage or slow disease pathogenesis. This second installment of a two-part review on nanotechnology and OA focuses on novel treatment strategies.

Nanotechnology and osteoarthritis; part 1: Clinical landscape and opportunities for advanced diagnostics.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the entire joint, often triggered by cartilage injury, mediated by a cascade of inflammatory pathways involving a complex interplay among metabolic, genetic, and enzymatic factors that alter the biochemical composition, microstructure, and biomechanical performance. Clinically, OA is characterized by degradation of the articular cartilage, thickening of the subchondral bone, inflammation of the synovium, and degeneration of ligaments that in aggregate reduce joint function and diminish quality of life. OA is the most prevalent joint disease, affecting 140 million people worldwide; these numbers are only expected to increase, concomitant with societal and financial burden of care.

Mega macromolecules as single molecule lubricants for hard and soft surfaces.

A longstanding goal in science and engineering is to mimic the size, structure, and functionality present in biology with synthetic analogs. Today, synthetic globular polymers of several million molecular weight are unknown, and, yet, these structures are expected to exhibit unanticipated properties due to their size, compactness, and low inter-chain interactions. Here we report the gram-scale synthesis of dendritic polymers, mega hyperbranched polyglycerols (mega HPGs), in million daltons.

Hyperglycemia Alters the Structure and Hemodynamics of the Developing Embryonic Heart.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) represent the most common form of human birth defects; approximately one-third of heart defects involve malformations of the outflow tract (OFT). Maternal diabetes increases the risk of CHD by 3-5 fold. During heart organogenesis, little is known about the effects of hyperglycemia on hemodynamics, which are critical to normal heart development.

Development of a Sexual Needs Rehabilitation Framework in Women Post-Spinal Cord Injury: A Study From Iran.

Objective: To develop a sexual needs rehabilitation framework in women after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Mixed-methods study. The study consisted of 3 steps: (1) a primary needs assessment with quantitative and qualitative methods; (2) prioritization of identified needs by expert panels; and (3) development of a framework.