Compression of glycolide-h4 to 6 GPa

This study details the structural characterisation of glycolide-h4 as a function of pressure to 6 GPa using neutron powder diffraction on the PEARL instrument at ISIS Neutron and Muon source. Glycolide-h4, rather than its deuterated isotopologue, was used in this study due to the difficulty of deuteration. The low-background afforded by Zirconia-Toughened Alumina (ZTA) anvils nevertheless enabled the collection of data suitable for structural analysis to be obtained to a pressure of 5 GPa. Glycolide-h4 undergoes a reconstructive phase transition at 0.15 GPa to a previously identified, form-II, which is stable to 6 GPa

Characteristics of Fibromyalgia Independently Predict Poorer Long‐Term Analgesic Outcomes Following Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111198/1/art39051.pd

Sonographic Elasticity Imaging of Acute and Chronic Deep Venous Thrombosis in Humans

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135317/1/jum20062591179.pd

Pressure-induced polymorphism of caprolactam : a neutron diffraction study

Caprolactam, a precursor to nylon-6 has been investigated as part of our studies into the polymerization of materials at high pressure. Single-crystal X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data have been used to explore the high-pressure phase behavior of caprolactam and we have observed two new high pressure solid forms. The transition between each of the forms requires a substantial rearrangement of the molecules and we observe that the kinetic barrier to the conversion can aid retention of phases beyond their region of stability. Form II of caprolactam shows a small pressure region of stability between 0.5 and 0.9 GPa with Form III being stable from 0.9 GPa to 5.4 GPa. The two high-pressure forms have a catemeric hydrogen-bonding pattern compared with the dimer interaction observed in the ambient pressure Form I. The interaction between the chains has a marked effect on the directions of maximal compressibility in the structure. Neither of the high-pressure forms can be recovered to ambient pressure and there is no evidence of any polymerization occurring

Modelling human embryoid body cell adhesion to a combinatorial library of polymer surfaces

Designing materials to control biology is an intense focus of biomaterials and regenerative medicine research. Discovering and designing materials with appropriate biological compatibility or active control of cells and tissues is being increasingly undertaken using high throughput synthesis and assessment methods. We report a relatively simple but powerful machine-learning method of generating modelsthat link microscopic or molecular properties of polymers or other materials to their biological effects. We illustrate the potential of these methods by developing the first robust, predictive, quantitative, and purely computational models of adhesion of human embryonic stem cell embryoid bodies (hEB) to the surfaces of 496-member polymers

Vastus medialis cross-sectional area is positively associated with patella cartilage and bone volumes in a pain-free community-based population

INTRODUCTION: Although vastus medialis and lateralis are important determinants of patellofemoral joint function, their relationship with patellofemoral joint structure is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine potential determinants of vastus medialis and lateralis cross-sectional areas and the relationship between the cross-sectional area and patella cartilage and bone volumes. METHODS: Two hundred ninety-seven healthy adult subjects had magnetic resonance imaging of their dominant knee. Vastus medialis and lateralis cross-sectional areas were measured 37.5 mm superior to the quadriceps tendon insertion at the proximal pole of the patella. Patella cartilage and bone volumes were measured from these images. Demographic data and participation in vigorous physical activity were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: The determinants of increased vastus medialis and lateralis cross-sectional areas were older age (P <or= 0.002), male gender (P < 0.001), and greater body mass index (P <or= 0.07). Participation in vigorous physical activity was positively associated with vastus medialis cross-sectional area (regression coefficient [beta] 90.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 38.2, 141.7) (P < 0.001) but not with vastus lateralis cross-sectional area (beta 10.1; 95% CI -18.1, 38.3) (P = 0.48). The cross-sectional area of vastus medialis only was positively associated with patella cartilage volume (beta 0.6; 95% CI 0.23, 0.94) (P = 0.001) and bone volume (beta 3.0; 95% CI 1.40, 4.68) (P < 0.001) after adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results in a pain-free community-based population suggest that increased cross-sectional area of vastus medialis, which is associated with vigorous physical activity, and increased patella cartilage and bone volumes may benefit patellofemoral joint health and reduce the long-term risk of patellofemoral pathology

Taguchi Loss Function for Varus/Valgus Alignment in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Methods of designing equipment to improve quality have been developed by Taguchi. A key feature of these methods is the development of loss function, which quantifies the financial cost (loss) resulting from deviations from target dimensions. Total knee arthroplasties can fail due to prosthetic component malalignment. A Taguchi loss function for varus/valgus alignment of the prosthesis and revision rates was developed. Six studies were identified from a comprehensive literature search. Varus and extreme valgus alignments correlated with an increased percentage of prosthetic failure. A loss function of L( y) = $326.80y2 , where y was deviation from ideal varus/valgus angle, was determined. The expected loss function was EL=$326.80y¯2+s2 , where y¯ was the mean deviance from the ideal varus/valgus angle and s2 was the variance in varus/valgus angle. This loss function was used to estimate the cost savings of using computer-assisted surgical navigation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The average savings of a navigated TKA versus a conventional TKA, based on the expected loss equation derived from the Taguchi loss function, was $2,304 per knee. The expected loss function derived here can serve as a tool for biomedical engineers seeking to use Taguchi quality engineering methods in designing orthopaedic devices

Citrullinated Inhibitor of DNA Binding 1 Is a Novel Autoantigen in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150530/1/art40886_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150530/2/art40886.pd

The Reproducibility of a Kinematically-Derived Axis of the Knee versus Digitized Anatomical Landmarks using a Knee Navigation System

Component position is critical to longevity of knee arthroplasties. Femoral component rotation is typically referenced from the transepicondylar axis (TEA), the anterior-posterior (AP) axis or the posterior condylar axis. Other studies have shown high variability in locating the TEA while proposing digitization of other landmarks such as the AP axis as a less-variable reference. This study uses a navigation system to compare the reproducibility of computing a kinematically-derived, navigated knee axis (NKA) to digitizing the TEA and AP axis. Twelve knees from unembalmed cadavers were tested. Four arthroplasty surgeons digitized the femoral epicondyles and the AP axis direction as well as flexed and extended the knee repeatedly to allow for NKA determination. The variance of the NKA axis determined under neutral loading conditions was smaller than the variance of the TEA axis when the kinematics were measured in the closed surgical condition (P<0.001). However, varus, valgus, and internal loading of the leg increased the variability of the NKA. Distraction of the leg during knee flexion and extension preserved the low variability of the NKA. In conclusion, a kinematically-derived NKA under neutral or distraction loading is more reproducible than the TEA and AP axis determined by digitization

3 to 12 millimetre studies of dense gas towards the western rim of supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946

The young X-ray and gamma-ray-bright supernova remnant RXJ1713.7-3946 (SNR G347.3-0.5) is believed to be associated with molecular cores that lie within regions of the most intense TeV emission. Using the Mopra telescope, four of the densest cores were observed using high-critical density tracers such as CS(J=1-0,J=2-1) and its isotopologue counterparts, NH3(1,1) and (2,2) inversion transitions and N2H+(J=1-0) emission, confirming the presence of dense gas >10^4cm^-3 in the region. The mass estimates for Core C range from 40M_{\odot} (from CS(J=1-0)) to 80M_{\odot} (from NH3 and N2H+), an order of magnitude smaller than published mass estimates from CO(J=1-0) observations. We also modelled the energy-dependent diffusion of cosmic-ray protons accelerated by RXJ1713.7-3946 into Core C, approximating the core with average density and magnetic field values. We find that for considerably suppressed diffusion coefficients (factors \chi=10^{-3} down to 10^{-5} the galactic average), low energy cosmic-rays can be prevented from entering the inner core region. Such an effect could lead to characteristic spectral behaviour in the GeV to TeV gamma-ray and multi-keV X-ray fluxes across the core. These features may be measurable with future gamma-ray and multi-keV telescopes offering arcminute or better angular resolution, and can be a novel way to understand the level of cosmic-ray acceleration in RXJ1713.7-3946 and the transport properties of cosmic-rays in the dense molecular cores.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures and 5 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS 2012 February 1