Effects of Ageing, Oestrogen Level and Altered Dietary Loading on Rat Mandibular Cartilage-A Polarised Light Microscopy Study.

Objective: The mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) of rats was examined with polarised light microscopy (PLM) to study the effects of ageing, oestrogen level, and altered dietary loading on the structure of the MCC.

Materials And Methods: 96 Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into 12 groups based on their age (5 months [young] and 14 months [old]), oestrogen status (ovariectomised [OVX], non-ovariectomised [non-OVX]), and diet (hard, normal, or soft). The MCC specimens were examined using PLM to evaluate the orientation and retardation of collagen fibrils.

Diagnostic performance of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy for detecting osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis from blood serum.

Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the two most common rheumatic diseases worldwide, causing pain and disability. Both conditions are highly heterogeneous, and their onset occurs insidiously with non-specific symptoms, so they are not always distinguishable from other arthritis during the initial stages. This makes early diagnosis difficult and resource-demanding in clinical environments.

Fourier-transform infrared study on effects of ageing, oestrogen level and altered dietary loading on rat mandibular condylar cartilage.

Objective: Mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) of the rat was examined with the Fourier-transform infrared (FITR) spectroscopic imaging to study the effects of ageing, oestrogen level and altered dietary loading on the structure of MCC.

Materials And Methods: The Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 96) aged 5 and 14 months were divided into 12 subgroups according to age, oestrogen status (ovariectomized [OVX], non-ovariectomized [non-OVX)]) and diet (hard, normal, soft). Specimens of the MCC were examined with FTIR spectroscopic imaging to quantify the distribution of collagens and proteoglycans.

Micro-computed Tomography-Based Collagen Orientation and Anisotropy Analysis of Rabbit Articular Cartilage.

The collagen network is the highly organized backbone of articular cartilage providing tissue tensile stiffness and restricting proteoglycan bleaching out of the tissue. Osteoarthritis (OA) diminishes proper collagen network adaptation. Our aim was to provide quantitative three-dimensional (3D) information of the cartilage collagen network adaptation in early osteoarthritis using high resolution micro-computed tomography (µCT)-imaging.

Diagnostic performance of attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for detecting COVID-19 from routine nasopharyngeal swab samples.

Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with machine learning-based partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to study if severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could be detected from nasopharyngeal swab samples originally collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Our retrospective study included 558 positive and 558 negative samples collected from Northern Finland. Overall, we found moderate diagnostic performance for ATR-FTIR when PCR analysis was used as the gold standard: the average area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) was 0.

Suitable Cathode NMP Replacement for Efficient Sustainable Printed Li-Ion Batteries.

-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is the most common solvent for manufacturing cathode electrodes in the battery industry; however, it is becoming restricted in several countries due to its negative environmental impact. Taking into account that ∼99% of the solvent used during electrode fabrication is recovered, dimethylformamide (DMF) is a considerable candidate to replace NMP. The lower boiling point and higher ignition temperature of DMF lead to a significant reduction in the energy consumption needed for drying the electrodes and improve the safety of the production process.

Preclassification of Broadband and Sparse Infrared Data by Multiplicative Signal Correction Approach.

Preclassification of raw infrared spectra has often been neglected in scientific literature. Separating spectra of low spectral quality, due to low signal-to-noise ratio, presence of artifacts, and low analyte presence, is crucial for accurate model development. Furthermore, it is very important for sparse data, where it becomes challenging to visually inspect spectra of different natures.

Preprocessing Strategies for Sparse Infrared Spectroscopy: A Case Study on Cartilage Diagnostics.

The aim of the study was to optimize preprocessing of sparse infrared spectral data. The sparse data were obtained by reducing broadband Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance spectra of bovine and human cartilage, as well as of simulated spectral data, comprising several thousand spectral variables into datasets comprising only seven spectral variables. Different preprocessing approaches were compared, including simple baseline correction and normalization procedures, and model-based preprocessing, such as multiplicative signal correction (MSC).

Optimization of measurement mode and sample processing for FTIR microspectroscopy in skin cancer research.

The use of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy to study cancerous cells and tissues has gained popularity due to its ability to provide spatially resolved information at the molecular level. Transmission and transflection are the commonly used measurement modes for FTIR microspectroscopy, and the tissue samples measured in these modes are often paraffinized or deparaffinized. Previous studies have shown that variability in the spectra acquired using different measurement modes and sample processing methods affect the result of the analysis.

Discrimination of melanoma cell lines with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

Among skin cancers, melanoma is the lethal form and the leading cause of death in humans. Melanoma begins in melanocytes and is curable at early stages. Thus, early detection and evaluation of its metastatic potential are crucial for effective clinical intervention.

Infrared Fiber-Optic Spectroscopy Detects Bovine Articular Cartilage Degeneration.

Objective: Joint injuries may lead to degeneration of cartilage tissue and initiate development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Arthroscopic surgeries can be used to treat joint injuries, but arthroscopic evaluation of articular cartilage quality is subjective. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with fiber optics and attenuated total reflectance crystal could be used for the assessment of tissue quality during arthroscopy.

Mineralization of dental tissues and caries lesions detailed with Raman microspectroscopic imaging.

Dental caries is the most common oral disease that causes demineralization of the enamel and later of the dentin. Depth-wise assessment of the demineralization process could be used to help in treatment planning. In this study, we aimed to provide baseline information for the development of a Raman probe by characterizing the mineral composition of the dental tissues from large composition maps (6 × 3 mm2 with 15 μm step size) using Raman microspectroscopy.

Near Infrared Spectroscopy Enables Differentiation of Mechanically and Enzymatically Induced Cartilage Injuries.

This study evaluates the feasibility of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to distinguish between different cartilage injury types associated with post-traumatic osteoarthritis and idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA) induced by mechanical and enzymatic damages. Bovine osteochondral samples (n = 72) were subjected to mechanical (n = 24) and enzymatic (n = 36) damage; NIR spectral measurements were acquired from each sample before and after damage, and from a separate control group (n = 12). Biomechanical measurements were then conducted to determine the functional integrity of the samples.

Raman microspectroscopic analysis of the tissue-specific composition of the human osteochondral junction in osteoarthritis: A pilot study.

This study investigates the influence of osteoarthritis (OA) disease severity on the bio-composition of the osteochondral junction at the human tibial plateau using Raman microspectroscopy. We specifically aim to analyze the spatial composition of mineralized osteochondral tissues, i.e.

Histochemical quantification of collagen content in articular cartilage.

Background: Articular cartilage (AC) is mainly composed of water, type II collagen, proteoglycans (PGs) and chondrocytes. The amount of PGs in AC is routinely quantified with digital densitometry (DD) from Safranin O-stained sections, but it is unclear whether similar method could be used for collagens.

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify whether collagens can be quantified from histological AC sections using DD.

Dataset on equine cartilage near infrared spectra, composition, and functional properties.

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a well-established technique that is widely employed in agriculture, chemometrics, and pharmaceutical engineering. Recently, the technique has shown potential in clinical orthopaedic applications, for example, assisting in the diagnosis of various knee-related diseases (e.g.

Quantitative susceptibility mapping of articular cartilage: Ex vivo findings at multiple orientations and following different degradation treatments.

Purpose: We investigated the feasibility of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) for assessing degradation of articular cartilage by measuring ex vivo bovine cartilage samples subjected to different degradative treatments. Specimens were scanned at several orientations to study if degradation affects the susceptibility anisotropy. T2*-mapping, histological stainings, and polarized light microscopy were used as reference methods.

Critical-sized cartilage defects in the equine carpus.

Aim: The horse joint, due to its similarity with the human joint, is the ultimate model for translational articular cartilage repair studies. This study was designed to determine the critical size of cartilage defects in the equine carpus and serve as a benchmark for the evaluation of new cartilage treatment options.

Material And Methods: Circular full-thickness cartilage defects with a diameter of 2, 4, and 8 mm were created in the left middle carpal joint and similar osteochondral (3.

Aggravated Postinfarct Heart Failure in Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated with Impaired Mitophagy and Exaggerated Inflammasome Activation.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor for heart disease. Mortality rates after myocardial infarction (MI) are significantly increased in T2DM patients because of dysfunctional left ventricle (LV). However, molecular pathways underlying accelerated heart failure (HF) after MI in T2DM remain unclear.

Combination of optical coherence tomography and near infrared spectroscopy enhances determination of articular cartilage composition and structure.

Conventional arthroscopic evaluation of articular cartilage is subjective and poorly reproducible. Therefore, implementation of quantitative diagnostic techniques, such as near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), is essential. Locations (n = 44) with various cartilage conditions were selected from mature equine fetlock joints (n = 5).

Orientation anisotropy of quantitative MRI relaxation parameters in ordered tissue.

In highly organized tissues, such as cartilage, tendons and white matter, several quantitative MRI parameters exhibit dependence on the orientation of the tissue constituents with respect to the main imaging magnetic field (B). In this study, we investigated the dependence of multiple relaxation parameters on the orientation of articular cartilage specimens in the B. Bovine patellar cartilage-bone samples (n = 4) were investigated ex vivo at 9.

Optimal Regression Method for Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Evaluation of Articular Cartilage.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been successful in nondestructive assessment of biological tissue properties, such as stiffness of articular cartilage, and is proposed to be used in clinical arthroscopies. Near-infrared spectroscopic data include absorbance values from a broad wavelength region resulting in a large number of contributing factors. This broad spectrum includes information from potentially noisy variables, which may contribute to errors during regression analysis.

Alterations in structural macromolecules and chondrocyte deformations in lapine retropatellar cartilage 9 weeks after anterior cruciate ligament transection.

The structural integrity and mechanical environment of the articular cartilage matrix directly affect chondrocyte deformations. Rabbit models of early osteoarthritis at 9 weeks following anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) have been shown to alter the deformation behavior of superficial zone chondrocytes in mechanically loaded articular cartilage. However, it is not fully understood whether these changes in cell mechanics are caused by changes in structural macromolecules in the extracellular matrix.

Ultrasound Assessment of Human Meniscus.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the applicability of ultrasound imaging to quantitative assessment of human meniscus in vitro. Meniscus samples (n = 26) were harvested from 13 knee joints of non-arthritic human cadavers. Subsequently, three locations (anterior, center and posterior) from each meniscus were imaged with two ultrasound transducers (frequencies 9 and 40 MHz), and quantitative ultrasound parameters were determined.

Correlations of low-field NMR and variable-field NMR parameters with osteoarthritis in human articular cartilage under load.

NMR experiments carried out at magnetic fields below 1 T provide new relaxation parameters unavailable with conventional clinical scanners. Contrast of T generally becomes larger towards low fields, as slow molecular reorientation processes dominate relaxation at the corresponding Larmor frequencies. This advantage has to be considered in the context of lower sensitivity and frequently reduced spatial resolution.