Assessment of joint space narrowing with conventional standing antero-posterior radiographs: relief in mild-to-moderate pain is not a confounder in recent osteoarthritis structure-modifying drug trials

in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2006), 14(Suppl. A), 14-18

Objective: Knee pain relief has been suggested to potentially alter radioanatomic positioning in conventional standing antero-posterior knee radiographs. This study was performed to determine whether this ... [more ▼]

Objective: Knee pain relief has been suggested to potentially alter radioanatomic positioning in conventional standing antero-posterior knee radiographs. This study was performed to determine whether this is always the case and in particular if it applied to two recent randomised, placebo-controlled trials showing both symptom- and structure-modification with glucosamine sulfate in knee osteoarthritis. Design: Patients in the two studies were selected if they completed the 3-year evaluations and, irrespectively of treatment, (1) were pain-improvers in that they underwent Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) pain decrease at least equal to the mean improvement observed with glucosamine sulfate, or (2) if their baseline standing knee pain (item #5 of the WOMAC pain scale) was "severe" or "extreme" and improved by any degree at the end of the trials. Changes in minimum joint space width were then compared between treatments. Results: Knee pain was of mild-to-moderate severity in the two original studies and in all patient subsets identified here. Obviously, there were more pain-improvers in the glucosamine sulfate than in the placebo subsets (N 76 vs 57 in pooling the two studies), but WOMAC pain scores improved to the same extent (over 50% relative to baseline). Notwithstanding such a major pain relief, patients in the placebo subsets of both studies suffered a definite mean (SE) joint space narrowing, that was of -0.22 (0.15) mm in the pooled analysis, and that was not observed with glucosamine sulfate: +0.15 (0.07) mm; P= 0.003. Similar evidence was found in the smaller subsets with at least severe baseline standing knee pain improving after 3 years. Conclusions: Knee pain relief did not bias the report of a structure-modifying effect of glucosamine sulfate in two recent long-term trials, possibly due to the mild-to-moderate patient characteristics. Consensus deliverables should acknowledge that the potential limitations of conventional standing antero-posterior radiographs should not be overestimated since they may not apply to all patient populations and to all studies using this gold standard technique. (C) 2006 OsteoArthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [less ▲]

Assessment of kidney function: estimating GFR in children.

in Nature Reviews Nephrology (2012), 8(9), 503-504

Assessment of Lake Sediment Sensitivity to Earthquakes and Climate Cycles along the North Anatolian Fault,

in Geophysical Research Abstracts (2007, April), 9

Assessment of lipoxygenase activity in seed extracts from 35 plant species

in Grasas y Aceites (1995), 46(1), 6-10

Lipoxyganase activity in 35 seed extracts was determined an the basis of hydroperoxide synthesis using linoleic acid as substrate. The results referring to the extracted protein content show that several ... [more ▼]

Lipoxyganase activity in 35 seed extracts was determined an the basis of hydroperoxide synthesis using linoleic acid as substrate. The results referring to the extracted protein content show that several species of Vigna (V. unguiculata, V. radiata and V. mungo) and one of Trifolium exhibit stronger lipoxygenase activity than soybean enzyme extracts. The pH-activity relationship was also established for 4 very active samples. GCMS analysis revealed equal amounts of 9- and 13 hydroperoxides of linoleic acid In these seed extracts, indicating no enzyme positional specificity. [less ▲]

Assessment of lumbopelvic movement control in tennis players with and without low back pain

Poster (2012, October)

Relevance: LBP is common among tennis players. More than one third of professional tennis players reported LBP as reason for missing at least one tournament. As impaired lumbar motor functions have been ... [more ▼]

Relevance: LBP is common among tennis players. More than one third of professional tennis players reported LBP as reason for missing at least one tournament. As impaired lumbar motor functions have been associated with LBP, it appears particularly relevant to assess lumbopelvic movement control in tennis players. Methods: Twenty amateur tennis players (male, 22.9 ± 3.0 years) were included. Subjects were pooled into two groups: 10 players with chronic LBP (mean pain duration: 3.1 ± 2.6 years, pain severity score: 3.5/10 on a pain visual analogue scale) and 10 players without LBP. The Bent Knee Fall Out (BKFO) test was used to assess the players’ ability to control movement of lumbopelvic region. BKFO was performed in supine position and monitored by means of two pressure biofeedback units inflated to 40 mmHg and positioned under the lumbar spine of the participant. The reliability of this test has been previously assessed. Players were instructed to make an active abduction-external rotation movement of the hip (45°) without concomitant lumbopelvic movement of the pelvis and low back. Pressure modification (mmHg) was recorded, each side was assessed. Results: Tennis players with LBP had a worse lumbopelvic movement control than players without LBP both for dominant (9.0 mm Hg vs 3.4 mmHg, P<0.05) as well for the non-dominant side (9.1 mmHg vs 4.6 mmHg, P<0.05). Conclusions: Tennis players with LBP experience similar alterations of motor control as those observed in sedentary people with LBP. However, it remains unclear if these alterations are the cause of the consequence of chronic LBP. Implications: Further prospective studies should assess the cause or effect relationship and should determine whether motor control exercises are effective in tennis players with chronic LBP. [less ▲]

Assessment of microbiological criteria for regular checks of faecal contamination and general hygiene in Belgian establishments producing meat

in Sciences des Aliments (2003), 23(1), 104-106

Assessment of modelling uncertainties in long-term climate and sea level change projections "Aster"

Report (2009)

Assessment of modelling uncertainties in long-term climate projections: the ASTER project

Conference (2010, October)

Assessment of muscle oxygenation in the horse by near infrared spectroscopy

in Equine Veterinary Journal (2000), 32(1), 59-64

This study examined the ability of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to noninvasively determine changes to muscle oxygenation in the resting horse. Five horses had (NIRS) performed over extremity muscle ... [more ▼]

This study examined the ability of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to noninvasively determine changes to muscle oxygenation in the resting horse. Five horses had (NIRS) performed over extremity muscle while under general anaesthesia, first with 8 min limb ischaemia, then systemic hypoxaemia for 5 min. A second group of 6 awake horses had NIRS performed over extremity muscle while being administered hypoxic gas (F(I)O2 0.10) for 5 min, and after return to steady state, limb ischaemia was induced for an additional 5 min. In the anaesthetised horses' ischaemia induced marked and significant muscle deoxygenation of haemoglobin/myoglobin (P<0.01), with corresponding arterial saturation decreasing from 98.9 to 81.9%. Hypoxaemia induced small yet significant muscle deoxygenation (P<0.01) that was 3.2% of the ischaemia deoxygenation signal, with a corresponding decrease in arterial saturation from 98.6 to 90.4%. In the awake horses muscle deoxygenation was not detectable during hypoxia despite reduction of arterial saturation from 97.8 to 86.8%, whereas ischaemia induced rapid and significant deoxygenation of muscle (P<0.05), with corresponding reduction of venous saturation from 78.4 to 75.4%. In neither group of horses was there evidence of cytochrome aa3 reduction, despite complete ischaemia for up to 8 min. NIRS changes in the resting horse muscle clearly differed between ischaemia and hypoxaemia, and can readily show muscle deoxygenation in clinically relevant hypoxaemia in the horse under anaesthesia. Further, as the deoxygenation signal induced by ischaemia was clearly detectable above a background movement artefact, NIRS application to study of muscle oxygenation in the working horse should be explored. [less ▲]

Assessment of new biocompatible Poly(N-(morpholino)ethyl methacrylate)-based copolymers by transfection of immortalized keratinoc

in Drug Delivery (2012), 16(2), 102-111