Trace Elements in Surface Soils and Megascolecidae Earthworms in Urban Forests Within Four Land-Uses Around Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.

Amynthas agrestis and Metaphire hilgendorfi are being distributed across North America with unknown ecosystem impacts. Forest soils in urban areas sequester trace elements and earthworms may be bioaccumulating them. This study examined Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in soils and earthworm tissues at 28 urban forest sites in and surrounding Poughkeepsie, NY, USA. Megascolecidae were present at 22 sites with means of 12 to 27 individuals m-2 and 4 to 12 dry weight g m-2. Urban forest soils within commercial uses had Mn, Pb, and Zn concentrations higher than within residential and agricultural uses. Earthworm trace element concentrations were poorly predicted by their respective soil concentrations, except for Pb. Urban forests in commercial uses and land-preserves, earthworm Cd and Pb concentrations were at or above concentrations known to negatively impact small mammal and bird health ( > 10 mg kg-1) with Co and V approaching toxic concentrations.

Impact of human platelet lysate on the expansion and chondrogenic capacity of cultured human chondrocytes for cartilage cell therapy.

High hopes have been pinned on regenerative medicine strategies in order to prevent the progression of cartilage damage to osteoarthritis, particularly by autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The loss of chondrocyte phenotype during in vitro monolayer expansion, a necessary step to obtain sufficient cell numbers, may be a key limitation in ACI. In this study, it was determined whether a shorter monolayer expansion approach could improve chondrogenic differentiation. The effects of two supplement types, foetal bovine serum (FBS) and Stemulate™ (a commercial source of human platelet lysate), on the expansion and re-differentiation potential of human chondrocytes, isolated from five individuals, were compared. Chondrocytes were expanded with 10 % FBS or 10 % Stemulate™. Pellets were cultured for 28 d in chondrogenic differentiation medium and assessed for the presence of cartilage matrix molecules and genes associated with chondrogenicity. Stemulate™ significantly enhanced the proliferation rate [average population doubling times: FBS, 25.07 ± 6.98 d (standard error of the mean, SEM) vs. Stemulate™, 13.10 ± 2.57 d (SEM)]. Sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG), total collagen and qRT-PCR analyses of cartilage genes showed that FBS-expanded chondrocytes demonstrated significantly better chondrogenic capacity than Stemulate™-expanded chondrocytes. Histologically, FBS-expanded chondrocyte pellets appeared to be more stable, with a more intense staining for toluidine blue, indicating a greater chondrogenic capacity. Although Stemulate™ positively influenced chondrocyte proliferation, it had a negative effect on chondrogenic differentiation potential. This suggested that, in the treatment of cartilage defects, Stemulate™ might not be the ideal supplement for expanding chondrocytes (which maintained a chondrocyte phenotype) and, hence, for cell therapies (including ACI).

Exotic Earthworms Decrease Cd, Hg, and Pb Pools in Upland Forest Soils of Vermont and New Hampshire USA.

Exotic earthworms are present in the forests of northeastern USA, yet few studies have documented their effects on pollutant metals in soil. The objective of this study was to identify if Cd, Hg, and Pb strong-acid extractable concentrations and pools (bulk inventories) in forest soils decreased with the presence of exotic earthworms. We compared 'Low Earthworm Abundance' (LEA) sites (≤10 g m-2 earthworms, n = 13) and 'High Earthworm Abundance' (HEA) (>10 g m-2 earthworms, n = 17) sites at five watersheds across Vermont and New Hampshire. Organic horizon Cd, Hg, and Pb concentrations were lower at HEA than LEA sites. Organic horizon and total soil pools of Cd and Hg were negatively correlated with earthworm biomass. Soil profile Cd and Hg concentrations were lower at HEA than LEA sites. Our results suggest earthworms are decreasing accumulation of Cd, Hg, and Pb in forest soils, potentially via greater mobilization through organic matter disruption or bioaccumulation.

Nutrient and pollutant metals within earthworm residues are immobilized in soil during decomposition.

Earthworms are known to bioaccumulate metals, making them a potential vector for metal transport in soils. However, the fate of metals within soil upon death of earthworms has not been characterized. We compared the fate of nutrient (Ca, Mg, Mn) and potentially toxic (Cu, Zn, Pb) metals during decomposition of Amynthas agrestis and Lumbricus rubellus in soil columns. Cumulative leachate pools, exchangeable pools (0.1 M KCl + 0.01 M acetic acid extracted), and stable pools (16 M HNO3 + 12 M HCl extracted) were quantified in the soil columns after 7, 21, and 60 days of decomposition. Soil columns containing A. agrestis and L. rubellus had significantly higher cumulative leachate pools of Ca, Mn, Cu, and Pb than Control soil columns. Exchangeable and stable pools of Cu, Pb, and Zn were greater for A. agrestis and L. rubellus soil columns than Control soil columns. However, we estimated that > 98 % of metals from earthworm residues were immobilized in the soil in an exchangeable or stable form over the 60 days using a mass balance approach. Micro-XRF images of longitudinal thin sections of soil columns after 60 days containing A. agrestis confirm metals immobilization in earthworm residues. Our research demonstrates that nutrient and toxic metals are stabilized in soil within earthworm residues.

ADAMTS-4 activity in synovial fluid as a biomarker of inflammation and effusion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential of ADAMTS-4 (aggrecanase -1) activity in synovial fluid (SF) as a biomarker of knee injury and joint disease. DESIGN: We have measured ADAMTS-4 activity in the synovial fluid of 170 orthopaedic patients with different degrees of joint pathology, using a commercial ADAMTS-4 fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) substrate assay. Patients were classified at arthroscopy as (i) macroscopically normal, (ii) with an injury of the meniscus, anterior cruciate ligament or chondral/osteochondral defects or (iii) with osteoarthritis, and the influence of independent factors (age, patient group, effusion and synovial inflammation) on ADAMTS-4 activity levels was assessed. RESULTS: In most patients (106/170) ADAMTS-4 activity was undetectable; ADAMTS-4 ranged from 0 to 2.8 ng/mL in synovial fluid from patients with an injury, 0-4.1 ng/mL in osteoarthritic patients and 4.0-12.3 ng/mL in patients with large effusions. Four independent variables each significantly influenced ADAMTS-4 activity in synovial fluid (all P < 0.001): age (concordance = 0.69), presence of osteoarthritis (OA) (concordance = 0.66), level of effusion (concordance = 0.78) and inflammation (concordance = 0.68). Not only did effusion influence the amount of ADAMTS-4 activity most strongly, but it also did this in an ordered manner (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The main finding of this study is that ADAMTS-4 levels in synovial fluid are most strongly correlated with inflammation and severity of effusion in the knee. Further study is required to determine if it could provide a useful tool to aid clinical diagnoses, indicate treatment, to monitor progression of joint degeneration or OA or alternatively the success of treatment.

Trace Metals and Metalloids in Forest Soils and Exotic Earthworms in Northern New England, USA.

Trace metals and metalloids (TMM) in forest soils and invasive earthworms were studied at 9 uncontaminated sites in northern New England, USA. Essential (Cu, Mo, Ni, Zn, Se) and toxic (As, Cd, Pb, Hg and U) TMM concentrations (mg kg-1) and pools (mg m-2) were quantified for organic horizons (forest floor), mineral soils and earthworm tissues. Essential TMM tissue concentrations were greatest for mineral soil-feeding earthworm Octolasion cyaneum. Toxic TMM tissue concentrations were highest for organic horizon-feeding earthworms Dendobaena octaedra, Aporrectodea rosea and Amynthas agrestis. Most earthworm species had attained tissue concentrations of Pb, Hg and Se potentially hazardous to predators. Bioaccumulation factors were Cd > Se > Hg > Zn > Pb > U > 1.0 > Cu > As > Mo > Ni. Only Cd, Se Hg and Zn were considered strongly bioaccumulated by earthworms because their average bioaccumulation factors were significantly greater than 1.0. Differences in bioaccumulation did not appear to be caused by soil concentrations as earthworm TMM tissue concentrations were poorly correlated with TMM soil concentrations. Instead, TMM bioaccumulation appears to be species and site dependent. The invasive Amynthas agrestis had the greatest tissue TMM pools, due to its large body mass and high abundance at our stands. We observed that TMM tissue pools in earthworms were comparable or exceeded organic horizon TMM pools; earthworm tissue pools of Cd were up 12 times greater than in the organic horizon. Thus, exotic earthworms may represent an unaccounted portion and flux of TMM in forests of the northeastern US. Our results highlight the importance of earthworms in TMM cycling in northern forests and warrant more research into their impact across the region.

NASHA hyaluronic acid vs. methylprednisolone for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective, multi-centre, randomized, non-inferiority trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare NASHA hyaluronic acid gel as single-injection intra-articular (IA) treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA) against methylprednisolone acetate (MPA). DESIGN: This was a prospective, multi-centre, randomized, active-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority clinical trial. A unique, open-label extension phase (OLE) was undertaken to answer further important clinical questions. Subjects with painful unilateral knee OA were treated and followed for 26 weeks (blinded phase). All patients attending the clinic at 26 weeks were offered NASHA treatment, with a subsequent 26-week follow-up period (extension phase). The primary objective was to show non-inferiority of NASHA vs MPA in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain responder rate (percentage of patients with ≥40% improvement from baseline in WOMAC pain score and an absolute improvement of ≥5 points) at 12 weeks. RESULTS: In total, 442 participants were enrolled. The primary objective was met, with NASHA producing a non-inferior response rate vs MPA at 12 weeks (NASHA: 44.6%; MPA: 46.2%; difference [95% CI]: 1.6% [-11.2%; +7.9%]). Effect size for WOMAC pain, physical function and stiffness scores favoured NASHA over MPA from 12 to 26 weeks. In response to NASHA treatment at 26 weeks, sustained improvements were seen in WOMAC outcomes irrespective of initial treatment. No serious device-related adverse events (AEs) were reported. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that single-injection NASHA was well tolerated and non-inferior to MPA at 12 weeks. The benefit of NASHA was maintained to 26 weeks while that of MPA declined. An injection of NASHA at 26 weeks conferred long-term improvements without increased sensitivity or risk of complications. STUDY IDENTIFIER: NCT01209364 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Forest Floor Lead Changes from 1980 to 2011 and Subsequent Accumulation in the Mineral Soil across the Northeastern United States.

Quantifying the transport rate of anthropogenic lead (Pb) in forest soils is essential for predicting air pollution impacts on northeastern United States soil quality. In 2011, we resampled the forest floor at 16 sites across the northeastern United States previously sampled in 1980, 1990, and 2002 and also sampled the upper two mineral soil horizons. The mean forest floor Pb concentration decreased from 151 ± 29 mg kg in 1980 to 68 ± 13 mg kg in 2011. However, the mean forest floor Pb amount per unit area remained similar (10 ± 2 kg ha in 1980 and 11 ± 4 kg ha in 2011). Study sites were divided into three geographic regions: western, central, and northern. The modeled forest floor Pb response time (1/) was longer at frigid soil temperature regime sites (61 ± 15 yr) compared with mesic sites (29 ± 4 yr). Mineral soil Pb concentration and amount were approximately four times greater at western and central sites compared with northern sites for both mineral horizons. Furthermore, mean isotope ratios of Pb/Pb (1.201 ± 0.006) and Pb/Pb (2.060 ± 0.021) indicated that Pb in the western and central forest floor and mineral soil was primarily gasoline derived. Our combined analytical approach using long-term forest floor monitoring and stable Pb isotopes suggest that the majority of anthropogenic Pb deposited on soils in the western and central sites has been transported to the mineral soil, whereas it continues to reside in the forest floor at northern sites.

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty: A new method to assess and quantify learning phase.

Hip resurfacing had initially gained acceptance and popularity as it helps preserve femoral bone stock. In this study we tried to answer the following questions; 1. Whether there is a learning curve for hip resurfacing? 2. Is it present in surgeons from non-developer centres? 3. Is it present in surgeons from developer centres as well? The Oswestry outcome centre was setup to serve an independent international registry for collecting, analysing and reporting outcomes following hip resurfacing. Over a 10 year period, 4535 patients (5000 hips) were recruited from different countries and within the UK from different centres in this study by 139 surgeons from 37 different countries. Our study has shown that function can be used to assess the level of surgical competence. The results from this multilevel analysis have helped to answer the questions posed in the introduction. Hip resurfacing is a surgical procedure with a learning phase and this learning effect is more pronounced in non-developer surgeons as compared to developer surgeons. Hip scores can be used to assess proficiency and competence of surgeons undertaking hip resurfacing arthroplasty.

Clinical outcome of autologous chondrocyte implantation is correlated with infrared spectroscopic imaging-derived parameters.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS), a modality based on molecular vibrations, is a viable alternative to histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for assessment of tissue quality and patient clinical outcome. METHODS: Osteochondral biopsies were obtained from patients (9-65 months post-surgery) who underwent an autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) procedure to repair a cartilage defect (N = 14). The repair tissue was evaluated histologically by OsScore grading, for the presence of types I and II collagen by IHC, and for proteoglycan (PG) distribution and collagen quality parameters by FT-IRIS. Patient clinical outcome was assessed by the Lysholm score. RESULTS: Improvement in Lysholm score occurred in 79% of patients. IHC staining showed the presence of types I and II collagen in all samples, with a greater amount of collagen type II in the deep zone. The amount and location of immunostaining for type II collagen correlated to the FT-IRIS-derived parameters of relative PG content and collagen helical integrity. In addition, the improvement in Lysholm score post-ACI correlated positively with the OsScore, type II collagen (IHC score) and FT-IRIS-determined parameters. Regression models for the relation between improvement in Lysholm score and either OsScore, IHC area score or the FT-IRIS parameters all reached significance (p < 0.01). However, the FT-IRIS model was not significantly improved with inclusion of the OsScore and IHC score parameters. CONCLUSION: Demonstration of the correlation between FT-IRIS-derived molecular parameters of cartilage repair tissue and patient clinical outcome lays the groundwork for translation of this methodology to the clinical environment to aid in the management of cartilage disorders and their treatment.