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Regional variation in vertebral bone morphology and its contribution to
vertebral fracture strength
P.A. Hulmea,⁎, S.K. Boydb, S.J. Fergusona
aMEM Research Center, University of Bern, Stauffacherstrasse 78, CH 3014, Bern, Switzerland
bSchulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Received 12 April 2007; revised 6 August 2007; accepted 7 August 2007
Available online 17 August 2007
Vertebral fractures may result in pain, loss of height, spinal instability, kyphotic deformity and ultimately increased morbidity. Fracture risk can
be estimated by vertebral bone mineral density (BMD). However, vertebral fractures may be better defined by more selective methods that account
for micro-architecture.
Our aim was to quantify regional variations in bone architecture parameters (BAPs) and to assess the degree with which regional variations in
BAPs affect vertebral fracture strength. The influence of disc health and endplate thickness on fracture strength was also determined.
The soft tissue and posterior elements of 20 human functional spine units (FSU) were removed (T9 to L5, mean 74.45±4.25 years). After
micro-CT scanning of the entire FSU, the strength of the specimens was determined using a materials testing system. Specimens were loaded in
compression to failure. BAPs were assessed for 10 regions of the vertebral cancellous bone. Disc health (glycosaminoglycan content of the
nucleus pulposus) was determined using the degree of binding with Alcian Blue.
Vertebrae were not morphologically homogeneous. Posterior regions of the vertebrae had greater bone volume, more connections, reduced
trabecular separation and more plate-like isotropic structures than their corresponding anterior regions. Significant heterogeneity also exists
between posterior superior and inferior regions (BV/TV: posterior superior 12.6±2.8%, inferior 14.6±3%; anterior superior 10.5±2.2%, inferior
10.7±2.4%). Of the two endplates that abutted a common disc, the cranial inferior endplate was thicker (0.44±0.15 mm) than the caudal superior
endplate (0.37±0.13 mm). Our study found good correlations between BV/TV, connective density and yield strength. Fracture risk prediction,
using BV/TV multiplied by the cross sectional area of the endplate, can be improved through regional analysis of the underlying cancellous bone
of the endplate of interest (R20.78) rather than analysis of the entire vertebra (R20.65) or BMD (R20.47). Degenerated discs lack a defined
nucleus. A negative linear relationship between disc health and vertebral strength (R20.70) was observed, likely due to a shift in loading from the
weaker anterior vertebral region to the stronger posterior region and cortical shell.
Our results show the importance of considering regional variations in cancellous BAPs and disc health when assessing fracture risk.
© 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Micro-CT; Vertebral body; Trabecular bone; Microstructural properties; Regional variation
Osteoporosis isestimatedtoafflict200millionwomen world-
wide [1]. In the US alone, osteoporotic fractures are estimated to
affect 24 million individuals. 1.5 million new fractures, nearly
half of which are vertebral (700,000), are reported each year,
outnumbering fractures of the hip and ankle combined [2–5].
Vertebral fracture may result in pain at the fracture site, loss of
height due to vertebral collapse, spinal instability and in many
cases a kyphotic deformity [6]. Chronic pain and kyphotic
deformity may lead to depression, decreased appetite (leading to
and a reduction in the quality of life, the ultimate result being a
significant increase in morbidity [7–10]. The World Health
Organization defines osteoporosis as a bone mineral density
(BMD)ofmorethan2.5standarddeviations belowthe meanofa
young healthy reference population of the same gender. How-
ever, BMD only partially determines fracture risk [11]. Various
investigators have found that bone quality, and hence fracture
Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
⁎Corresponding author. Fax: +41 31 631 5960.
E-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com (P.A. Hulme).
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Page 2
risk, is independent of BMD, as determined through dual energy
X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and have suggested a role for
micro-architecture, turnover, damage accumulation and mineral-
ization [12–17]. DEXA itself does not account for regional
variabilityinbone qualityorvertebralgeometryandmayinclude
structures that do not add to the mechanical strength of the
vertebra, including posterior elements and osteophytes [18].
Furthermore, osteoporosis drug treatment strategies have shown
poor correlations between BMD and the risk of vertebral fracture
[19–24]. Hence, vertebral fracture risk may be better defined by
more selective methods.
Regional vertebral morphology has been examined using
histological methods [11] or using micro-CT measurement of
bone cores [25,26], but few studies consider the analysis of the
vertebral body as a whole [27]. Bone volume for vertebrae has
been determined to be between 6.5% and 16% [11,15,25,28].
Observed age-related architectural changes to the cancellous
bone include: a decrease in bone volume compared with the
total vertebra volume (BV/TV), a shift from plate-like trabe-
culae to more rod-like structures (SMI), a decrease in connec-
tivity density (Conn.D), an increase in orientation of trabeculae
along the axis of principle loading (DA), an increase in trabe-
cular separation (Tb.Sp) and a corresponding decrease in trabe-
culae number (Tb.N) [11,29–31]. Trabecular thickness (Tb.Th)
has been reported to increase or decrease with age [11,31]. An
increase in trabecular thickness has been explained as either
adaptive remodeling of the remaining vertical trabeculae or
removal of the thinner struts resulting in an increase in mean
trabecular thickness [15,26,32]. The etiology of these structural
changes remains unclear, whether it is excessive osteoclastic
resorption or incomplete osteoblast activity resulting in perfora-
tion and thinning of trabecular elements [31,33,34]. However,
the net result is a reduction in vertebral fracture strength.
The aim of this study was to describe the regional morpho-
logy of the elderly human thoracolumbar vertebra using micro-
CTand to relate its derived bone architecture parameters (BAP)
to vertebral failure. The micro-CT gantry allows for entire
functional spine units (FSU) to be scanned non-destructively,
allowing subsequent material tests to be performed using phy-
siologically relevant loading configurations. We hypothesize
that the bone architecture parameters (BAP) of the less dense
anterior and central vertebral body regions will be a better
predictor of failure than those of the whole vertebra or DEXA
measurements [25,28]. We extended our regional analysis to
determine if BAPs can help explain the reported preferential
failure of the superior endplate [35]. Additionally, we consi-
dered the role of disc health on endplate thickness, the under-
lying trabecular bone and vertebral failure.
Sample preparation
The surrounding soft tissue and posterior elements of 22 osteoporotic ca-
daveric human functional spine units (FSU) were removed (average 74.45±
4.25 years). Vertebrae were grouped as follows: one T9–T10, three T11–T12,
five T12–L1, five L1–L2, four L2–L3, two L3–L4 and two L4–L5. Previous
investigators have found little difference between male and female bone mor-
phology and no major difference in BV/TV between T9 and L5 (1% T9 to L5,
0.5% T11 to L5). Since morphologic changes due to the aforementioned con-
founding factors are minimal, we pooled all the vertebrae together for analysis
[15,26,36]. Our study population consisted of vertebrae that were used in a
preceding experiment that involved submaximal uniaxial compressive loading
of the FSU. Six of 22 specimens had polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, Verte-
cem, Synthes, Switzerland) present in the caudal vertebra. Morphology was
assessed prior to cement injection. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed
using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) (Discovery C, Hologic, Bed-
ford, MA).
Impressions were made of the cranial and caudal endplates in semi-cured
bone cement (Sulfix, Sulzer Orthopaedics Ltd). A jig ensured that the two end
caps were parallel to each other. The molded end caps only extended to the
cortical rim, thereby not adding any structural strength to the FSU. Specimens
were stored in air evacuated polyethylene bags at −20 °C until testing.
Micro-CT scanning and determination of morphology
All measurements were performed on a microcomputed tomography system
(XtremeCT, Scanco Medical AG, Bassersdorf, Switzerland). Scans ranged from
770 to 990 slices with a nominal isotropic resolution of 82 μm (field of view
125 mm, 1536×1536 pixels, integration time 200 ms). Scans were performed in
air, before mechanical testing. Total scan time per specimen approached
30 minutes. Regions of interest (ROI) were identified for trabecular bone and
endplate thickness analysis. The region for trabecular bone analysis included the
cancellous bone from just below the cranial endplate to just above the caudal
endplate, separated into 10 regions (Fig. 1). ROI were filtered using a Laplace–
Hamming filter and segmented using a global threshold. Bone architecture
parameters (BAP) analyzed included (Image Processing Language, v4.29d,
Scanco Medical AG, Bassersdorf, Switzerland): bone volume ratio (BV/TV),
connectivity density (Conn.D), structure model index (SMI), trabecular number
(Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and degree
of anisotropy (DA) (Table 1). Trabecular thickness, number and separation were
based on direct measures using a distance transformation and not using trabe-
cular model assumptions [37].
Endplate thickness was determined using a region of interest (ROI) that
to reduce noise. The segmentation threshold was chosen to preserve as much of
Fig. 1. Regions of the vertebra for which bone architecture parameters were
determined. Regions were composed of superior (S), inferior (I), anterior (A),
posterior (P), left (L), right (R) and central (CE) regions.
947 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
Page 3
the interconnecting trabeculae as possible without artificially thickening the
endplate or any of the trabeculae. Endplate thickness was determined by
identification of the upper and lower surface of the endplate (custom programs
written in C; Visual Studio 6.0, Microsoft; and Matlab, MathWorks Inc., Natick,
MA). Exploiting the difference in area between trabeculae and trabecular
separation, a 2D median filter was used to remove trabeculae that mayhave been
included in the determination of the lower endplate surface. Endplate thickness
endplate was separated into the ring apophysis and the central endplate region.
The central endplate region was determined by visual inspection of the endplate
height map (the central endplate region is lower than the ring apophysis). User
selected points defined the transition between the ring apophysis and the central
Inc., Natick, MA). The ring apophysis and central endplate region were further
separated into anterior and posterior regions.
Mechanical testing
Prior to mechanical testing, samples were defrosted overnight in a 0.15-M
NaCl bath at 5 °C. Three hours prior to mechanical testing, the samples were
removed from the refrigerator and allowed to reach room temperature. Testing
was performed on an MTS 858 Mini Bionix II servohydraulic testing machine
(MTS, Eden Prairie, MN, USA). The samples were kept moist with saline
soaked gauze throughout the test. Loading was performed in a similar manner to
our previous FSU mechanical testing procedure [38]. The FSUs were loaded to
50 N and cycled for 600 cycles between 50 and 450 N at 1 Hz for pre-
conditioning.Immediately followingcyclic loading, the sample was compressed
under displacement control at 0.5 mm/s to a total compression of 10 mm. During
compression, load and displacement data were recorded at 100 Hz. Ante-
roposterior and lateral single section scans using micro-CTwere performed after
mechanical testing of the failed FSU to determine the location of the fracture. It
shouldbe notedthat 9 of 22 analyzedspecimens failed duringthe loadingstep of
the preceding experimental series in which specimens were also tested under
axial compression but at a slower loading rate, 0.004±0.003 mm/s. The reduced
loading rate is not thought to have altered the experimental outcome. Ochiva
et al. [39] found no difference in endplate fracture load between low (10 mm/s)
and high loading rates (2500 mm/s), thus differences between the loading rate of
0.5 mm/s and the lower loading rate used in the previous experimental series
should be negligible.
Disc health assessment
A decrease in the proteoglycan content of the nucleus pulposus has been
associated with disc degeneration [40–43]. To determine proteoglycan content
of the nucleus pulposus (NP), samples were removed from the specimen,
weighed (wet weight) and lyophilized (dry weight). Samples were then digested
with papain (Sigma) in a cysteine buffer (L-cysteine hydrochloride, Fluka) [44].
Proteoglycan content was determined using the degree of binding with Alcian
Blue (Alcian Blue 8 GX, Fluka) and reported as the ratio of the weight of the
glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains divided by the weight of the dry tissue
sample [45]. GAG content was normalized by dry tissue weight since the effect
of mechanical testing, scanning and NP sample removal on disc hydration may
not have been consistent between samples.
Regional variations in bone architecture parameters and endplate thickness
were explored using a one-way ANOVA (Statistica, StatSoft, Tulsa). Newman–
Keuls post hoc analysis was used to identify differences between trabecular
regions. A significance value of p=0.05 was defined. Relationships between
bone quality, endplate thickness, disc health (GAG content) and mechanical
strength; endplate thickness, disc health and bone quality; and disc health and
endplate thickness were assessed using linear regression. The quality of the fit is
reported as the correlation coefficient R2.
Two specimens were removed from the analysis due to an
imaging error on one and the presence of extensive vertebral
sclerosis on the other. The remaining specimens had an average
age of 74.2±4.3 years and were grouped as follows: one T9–
T10, three T11–T12, five T12–L1, four L1–L2, four L2–L3,
one L3–L4 and two L4–L5. The average BAPs for the sample
population (n=20) are given in Table 2. The mean water content
of the nucleus pulposus of the discs was 70±3% and the mean
GAG content was 0.17±0.06 (mg GAG/mg dry tissue, n=20).
Regional morphological variations—trabecular bone
The posterior regions of the vertebrae had greater bone
volume, more connections, more trabeculae, reduced trabecular
separation and more plate-like isotropic structures than their
corresponding anterior regions (Fig. 2). Vertical inhomogeneity
was observed only in the posterior regions. The posterior in-
ferior region had higher bone volume ratio, greater connectivity
density and a greater number of trabeculae, which were more
plate-like in structure and isotropic than its corresponding su-
perior region. It should be noted that there was no statistical
differences noted between any regions using a direct 3D mea-
sure of trabecular thickness [37]. Semi-derived trabecular thick-
ness assessment [31] resulted in lower thickness measurements
Table 2
Bone architectural parameters for whole vertebrae
Number of
Mean MinimumMaximum SD
Age (years)
Failure load (N)
BMD (g/cm2)
Conn.D (1/mm3)
Tb.N (1/mm)
Tb.Th (mm)
Tb.Sp (mm)
74.263.080.0 4.2
2918 125054071227
Table 1
Explanation of bone architecture parameters
Term Units Explanation
BV/TV Ratio or % Proportion or percentage of the volume of
interest that is bone
Connectivity density: Indicates the number of
connections normalized by the volume of interest
Structural model index: a quantification of the
prevalent type of trabecular element. 0 for
parallel plate, 3 for cylindrical rods.
Trabecular number: the number of trabeculae
encountered per unit length
Trabecular thickness
Trabecular separation: the average
separation between trabeculae (marrow space)
Degree of anisotropy: a measure of preferential
alignment of the trabeculae along a directional
axis. (1=isotropic, N1 anisotropic)
Tb.N 1/mm
948 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
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(total: 0.139±0.022 mm), less variability but no change in
overall regional distribution. Regions of low trabecular thick-
ness include anterior and central regions.
Regional morphological variations—endplate
The endplate was thinnest in the center and the anterior of the
central endplate region and greatest in the posterior ring apo-
physis (Fig. 3). Differences in endplate thickness were noted
between endplates abutting a common disc. The mean thickness
of the cranial inferior endplate within the central region was
0.44±0.15 mm (max 0.87 mm, min 0.27 mm, n=19) while the
caudal superior endplate thickness was 0.37±0.13 mm (max
0.70 mm, min 0.19 mm, n=19). The inferior cranial endplate
was thicker than the superior caudal endplate for all regions
except the anterior ring apophysis. However, differences were
only statistically significant for the posterior central endplate
region (Fig. 3).
Fig. 2. Regional variation in bone architecture parameters. Data are displayed as the mean bone architecture parameter±95% C.I. (1) Significant difference between
transverseregions(i.e. anteriorandposterior)of the samevertical region(i.e.superiororinferior);(2) significantdifferencebetweenvertical regionsof sametransverse
region (⁎pb0.05,⁎⁎pb0.005).
949P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
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There were large variations in endplate thickness between
specimens, dependent upon the presence of sclerotic bone
formation. The molded endcaps, created to facilitate mechan-
ics testing, were present during the micro-CT scans. Unfor-
tunately, the contrast between the molds and the endplate was
not sufficient to resolve the two components; thus, analysis
of the superior cranial and inferior caudal endplate was not
A positive correlation was noted between the central region's
endplate thickness and the BV/TVof the underlying trabecular
bone (R20.44, pb0.001).
Bone morphology parameters that best predict vertebral failure
Pearson's correlation coefficients between regional BAPs
Correlations were improved through consideration of vertebral
geometry (BAP×CSA). Cross-sectional area (CSA) of the
endplates was determined from the micro-CTscans, after digital
removal of the osteophytes. While the BAPs derived from the
analysis of an entire vertebra had good correlations with failure
strength, it was not until regional variations were taken into
consideration that significant improvements were noted over
traditional BMD measurements (Figs. 5, 6). Regional measures
of connectivity density and BV/TV best predicted vertebral
failure load (BV/TV R2=0.78 Fig. 7, Conn.D R2=0.70
Table 3). The best correlations between BAPs and fracture
strength were obtained when the trabecular zone below the
fractured endplate was analyzed (Fig. 5), confirming the role of
regional BAPs in fracture prediction. There was also significant
transverse variability in the ability of BAPs to predict vertebral
strength. With few exceptions the posterior region correlated
best with fracture load (Fig. 6), possibly due to the loading
protocol and the effects of disc health [46,47].
Preferential failure of the superior endplate may be explained
through morphological analysis of the vertebrae which abut a
common disc [35,48,49]. During our experimental series, 13 of
14 FSUs (without cement present in the caudal vertebra) expe-
rienced caudal superior endplate fractures. Cranial inferior end-
plate fractures occurred in those FSUs whose caudal vertebrae
were augmented with PMMA. The superior endplate caudal to a
only the posterior region's differences reached statistical signi-
ficance(Fig. 3). However, since only a moderate correlation was
determined between endplate thickness and vertebral yield
is the sole cause for preferential superior endplate failure. The
While no difference could be detected between the underlying
anterior trabecular bone region of the cranial inferior and caudal
superior endplate, the cranial posterior trabecular region does
density, more plate like elements and increased trabecular num-
ber (p=0.04, 0.01, 0.05, 0.01, respectively, n=20).
Disc health (GAG content of the NP) and morphology
There was a weak negative correlation noted between BV/
TV beneath the endplate and disc health (R20.19, p=0.006). A
negative correlation was found between disc health and the
central endplate thickness (R20.33, pb0.001). Disc health was
assessed by determining the ratio of mg GAG to mg dry tissue.
The effect of disc degeneration on vertebral fracture strength
Disc health had a significant effect on vertebral failure load
(Fig. 8). Disc health had a negative linear relationship with
vertebral failure strength (R20.70, pb0.001).
Fig. 3. Regional thickness of the caudal and cranial endplate. Insert illustrates a typical endplate thickness map, the white boundary indicates the central endplate
region.Darkregionsarethinnerthanlighterregions(n=19 inferior,19 superior endplates;RA:ring apophysis;CER:centralendplateregion;⁎pb0.05betweencranial
inferior and caudal superior endplates;#pb0.05 between regions on either the cranial or caudal endplate). Data are displayed as the mean±1 SD.
950P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
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Vertebrae are not morphologically homogeneous. While
vertical homogeneity was observed for the anterior trabecular
regions, there is considerable posterior vertical and transverse
inhomogeneity, confirming previous reports. The presented
methodology differs from previous investigations in that it is not
limited to histological analysis of specific regions or the
analysis of regional bone plugs, thus allowing non-invasive
morphology assessment of the entire vertebral body, followed
by mechanical analysis [11,17,25,26,28,36,50]. This method-
ology allows the direct assessment of the relation between
structure and function. Banse et al. [28] reported a 25% and
20% difference in bone volume between the superior and
inferior posterior regions for thoracolumbar and lumbar
vertebrae, respectively. Our results are similar, with a combined
Table 3
Pearson's correlation coefficients relating bone architecture parameters and vertebral failure strength
Bone architecture parameter Region closes to fractureRegion furthest from FxSuperior regionInferior region
BAP−Load BAP−Stress BAP×CSA−Load BAP×CSA−Load BAP×CSA−Load
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
Average anterior
Average posterior
Average anterior and posterior
951 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
Page 7
thoracolumbar and lumbar difference of 16%. The ratio of the
average anterior and posterior ash density (1.24), reported by
Nepper-Rasmussen and Mosekilde [50], agrees with the trans-
verse variation of BV/TV found in the current study (1.28, ratio
of mean posterior BV/TV to mean anterior BV/TV). The re-
vertebral fracture location. Low energy compression fractures
can occur in the anterior or posterior superior regions of the
vertebra, but rarely the inferior posterior region [28,51,52]. One
rationale fortheregionalinhomogeneityofBV/TV,higherinthe
inferior posterior region, is that the cortical shell of the superior
posterior regionis re-enforced by the posterior elements, relying
less on the trabeculae for strength (Fig. 9). However, the inferior
posterior region of the cortical shell does not have re-enforce-
ment, lacking any posterior elements and thus must rely on the
trabecular core for strength [28].
The increased BV/TV of the posterior inferior vertebral re-
gion, and to a lesser extent a thickening of the posterior end-
plate, likely strengthens the inferior endplate resulting in a
preferential failure of the superior endplate. Our results show
how vertebral morphology can influence function. In the study
by Grant et al. [48], only the posterior inferior endplate was
found to be significantly stronger than the superior endplate.
Similarly, in the present study the greatest increase in bone
quality and endplate thickness was noted in the inferior poste-
rior region (Fig. 3).
The relationship between vertebral strength and structure is
complex, involving contributions from the endplate, cortical
shell, trabeculae and intervertebral disc health [11]. The present
study found good correlations between BV/TVand Conn.D and
yield strength (Fig. 5). There was greater variability in Conn.D
and to a lesser extent BV/TV between specimens, compared
with the other BAP parameters. A high standard deviation could
indicate BAPs that are sensitive to remodeling changes (hence
useful for fracture prediction), or a reflection of measurement
inaccuracies. However, both BV/TV and Conn.D correlated
strongly with fracture strength; thus, the first hypothesis is more
probable. It should be noted that a small variability in BAP does
not necessarily reflect poor ability to predict fracture strength,
only that appropriate equipment is required to resolve the dif-
ferences between samples.
its importance in the maintenance of bone strength (Table 3). As
bone volume decreases, there is a corresponding decrease in
connectivity density (Fig. 10), possibly due to the loss of small
interconnecting trabeculae with small initial diameter [36]. The
ratio of vertical trabeculae to horizontal, while almost 2:1 for
Fig. 4. Correlation of bone architecture parameters evaluated for the vertebra as
a whole with measured failure strength (n=20, SMI is divided by CSA, all
correlations pb0.05).
Fig. 5. Correlation between regional BAP×CSA and failure load for various vertebral regions (SMI is divided by CSA,§pN0.05).
952 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
Page 8
young individuals, increases with age [32,55]. Thus, trabecular
perforation and subsequent removal occurs preferentially for
an increased susceptibility to buckling, a recognized primary
mode of failure for cancellous bone [53,55–57].
A linear regression model was used to determine the corre-
lation between bone architecture and failure load and stress.
Although the use of a power model is more biologically correct,
Cody et al. [58] and Ebbesen et al. [59] found minimal im-
provement using the power relationship. The inclusion of ex-
variation in bone volume, a linear model is valid [59].
Correlation between failure and bone architecture parameters
(BAP) can be improved if, as other authors have suggested, load
is correlated to BAP×CSA [60–62]. In addition to multiplying
BAP by CSA, we tried other fracture prediction schemes [58].
the standard deviation of regional BAP or the relative density
index (ratio of the maximum and minimum regional BAP), two
schemes postulated to reflect bone remodeling changes [58].
The correlation of BAPs with failure stress or load differed
according to the region analyzed. We did not find improved
correlations between BAPs and yield for the anterior or central
region as was hypothesized (Table 3, Fig. 6), possibly due to the
loading protocol which preferentially loads the posterior regions
[46]. For both the normal and degenerated FSU, the majority of
the load is carried by the posterior vertebral body during upright
postures [46]. Cody et al. [58] found that bone mineral density
had the highest correlation with failure load in the inferior
region. This region had moderate correlation between BV/TV
and fracture load in the present study but correlation was higher
when analyzing the superior region or the entire vertebra [58].
One would expect that the weakest zone (superior half of the
vertebra) would dictate at what load the vertebra would fail.
While good correlations were found between the BAPs of the
Fig. 6. Correlation of BAP×CSA and vertebral failure load for various transverse regions (SMI is divided by CSA, all correlations pb0.05).
Fig. 7. A linear relationship exists between BV/TV×CSA and vertebral fracture strength. The subchondral bone below the fractured endplate was analyzed (mean of
the anterior and posterior region).
953 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
Page 9
superior region and vertebral strength, there was no improve-
ment over using analysis of the entire vertebra, likely due to the
two fracture modalities that were created (caudal superior
endplate fracture vs. cranial mixed fracture mode). Vertebral
fracture strength could not be explained through analysis of one
specific region, instead BAPs from the region in which the
fracture occurred (Fig. 5) correlated best with vertebral fracture
strength. This result highlights the importance of regional
assessments for fracture risk.
The loading protocol of this study was limited to uniaxial
compression, resulting in ostensibly endplate fractures with
some cortical involvement. However, most elderly fractures that
occur are wedge fractures, the result of applied compression and
bending moment to induce flexion [63,64].One would expect in
this situation that the importance of BAPs of the anterior ver-
tebral body region might predict fracture strength more effec-
tively. Due to the bore size of the micro-CT, posterior elements
were removed from the specimens; therefore, the contribution
of the neural arch to load bearing was not considered. The
neural arch only carries a minor fraction of the load for an FSU
with a normal disc under axial compression. However, the
presence of a degenerative disc shifts a considerable portion of
the load to the neural arch [46,65]. Thus, our experimental
construct represents a worst case scenario, when the entire load
fraction is carried by the vertebral body. The lack of posterior
elements may also explain the low failure loads recorded.
Changes in loading pattern from the in vivo situation (i.e.,
elimination of the neural arch) may shift regional trabecular
loading anteriorly resulting in early failure of the vertebra.
Previous quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and
DEXA studies have found correlations between vertebral
strength and the product of QCT bone minimal density (or
DEXA) and cross-sectional area between R2=0.45 to 0.88 for
multiple vertebral segment constructs [58,60,66–68] and 0.26 to
0.82 for single vertebra tests [61,62,69–71]. Given our study
population and the relatively unrestrictive inclusion criteria, the
correlation between micro-CT derived BAP×CSA and failure
load was good (R2=0.78). We hypothesize that strict inclusion
have shownonly moderatecorrelationbetweenBMD×CSAand
Fig. 8. Correlation of disc health (GAG content of the nucleus pulposus) with vertebral failure strength.
Fig. 9. Vertical morphological heterogeneity is evident in this sagittal slice through a vertebral specimen. Bone volume ratio and connectivity density are higher in the
posterior inferior region. Sections (a) and (b) illustrate a transverse slice near the superior and inferior endplates, note both the presence of transverse heterogeneity
within the slicesand vertical heterogeneitybetween the posteriorregions of the slices. Boxes highlightthe regions from whichthe slices wereconstructed (sagittalslice
is 1.64 mm thick, transverse slices are 2.46 mm thick). Arrows indicate osteophytes.
954 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
Page 10
load (R2=0.47). AP DEXA is a general measurement of bone
quality, including contributions from the cancellous bone, cor-
tical shell and posterior elements, and is influenced by sclerotic
growth andosteophytes. The experimental protocol required that
and micro-CT scanning. However, remnants still remained to a
varying degree on the FSU, which would affect the BMD, in-
creasing values for those with greater remnants without a corres-
ponding increase in mechanical strength. Some specimens also
had considerable osteophytes (evident on Fig. 9a), which do not
addto themechanicalstrength of thevertebrae,butincrease their
of allowing the volume of analysis to be specified, allowing the
user to remove any anomalous regions.
We did not consider the contribution of the cortical shell to
vertebral fracture strength. The percentage of the load carried by
the cancellous bone and cortical shell varies dependent upon the
distance from the endplates [27,47,72–74]. Near the endplates,
the majority of the load is carried by the cancellous bone, which
changes to about equal sharing between the cortical shell and
cancellous bone at the midtransverse plane [27,47,72–74]. All
of the specimens in this experimental series had endplate
fractures, a region in which most of the load is carried by the
cancellous core [27,47,72–75]. Thus, only BAPs for the can-
cellous core were correlated to fracture strength. However, this
is not to say that the cortical shell has no role in fracture
prediction. An improvement in fracture prediction was noted by
Andresen et al. [76] after considering the contribution of both
the BMD of the cancellous bone and cortical shell. The impor-
tance of the cortical shell for structural strength, especially for
osteoporotic vertebrae, has been highlighted by various other
investigators [27,74,76,77]. Future studies should consider the
combined role of cortical shell and cancellous bone in fracture
We found a strong negative correlation between disc health
(GAG content) and endplate failure load (Fig. 8). A negative
correlation also exists between disc health and endplate thick-
ness and BV/TV. While specimens with poor disc health typi-
cally had increased BV/TVand endplate thickness, the effect of
disc health on bone quality alone cannot explain the correlation
between disc health and fracture strength. A shift in load trans-
fer between vertebral bodies also occurs for degenerative discs.
Degenerative discs lack a defined nucleus and under axial
compressive loads typically have lower stresses in the anterior
half of the disc [46]. Load shift towards the periphery of the
vertebral body and the posterior elements decreases the amount
of bone at risk of fracture. A shift in loading from the weaker
anterior vertebral region to the stronger posterior region results
in higher vertebral fracture strength [46,47].
A limitation to the micro-CT analysis is that the measure-
ments were performed using a nominal resolution of 82 μm,
which is close to the mean thickness of human trabeculae, thus
partial volume effects may result in a measurement bias. How-
ever, to reasonably determine bone architecture, resolutions
below 100 μm have been shown to be acceptable [78,79]. The
performance of the micro-CT scanner used in this study
(XtremeCT) has been assessed versus the gold standard of a
high-resolution micro-CT scanner (19 μm) [79]. It was found
that bone architecture parameters BV/TV, Conn.D, Tb.N, Tb.Sp
and DA performed well. Although BV/TV was over estimated
by 28%, it was a significant improvement over the 60% re-
ported by Banse et al. [28] using different equipment. The
resolution of the scanner can result in measurement inaccura-
cies for the parameters, Tb.Th and SMI [79]; however, it should
be noted that in the present study, we were not constrained to in
vivo scanning protocols, thus integration time could be in-
creased. This yields improved image contrast and likely im-
proved determination of bone architecture parameters over the
previously reported in vivo protocol-based accuracy and pre-
cision assessments [79,80].
Our research has demonstrated the relation between whole
vertebra micro-architectural parameters and fracture strength
using micro-CT and identified regional variation in trabecular
morphology. In addition we have identified disc health as an
Fig. 10. A linear relationship exists between bone volume ratio and the connectivity density—as the bone volume ratio decreases, connections are lost between
955 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957
Page 11
important contributor to vertebral fracture prediction. Micro-CT
currently cannot be used clinically to directly assess bone qua-
lity of vertebral bodies and to date the relation between peri-
pheral X-ray-based analysis and vertebral failure strength lacks
adequate correlation [66,70]. In vivo assessment using lower
resolution clinical CT scanners permit reasonable estimates of
BV/TV but may not have the resolution required to estimate
Conn.D, the two parameters that this study identifies as best
correlating with fracture strength [68]. However, an under-
standing of regional morphology may be used to focus DEXA
or clinical CT analysis to specific trabecular zones to further
improve fracture prediction for specific fracture modalities.
Funding for this research was provided by AOSpine (Grant #
SRN 02/105). The authors wish to thank Josh MacNeil for his
assistance with micro-CT data acquisition and analysis, Jennifer
Vuong for lyophilizing the NP samples and Ladina Ettinger for
her assistance with the GAG analysis.
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957 P.A. Hulme et al. / Bone 41 (2007) 946–957


text:
Dr. Barry L. Huey, MD
Cardiovascular Disease
- 1690 Skylyn Dr Ste 230
Spartanburg, SC 29307
- 2 Locations
- (864) 583-8647
Dr. Barry L. Huey graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine in 1981. He works in Spartanburg, SC and 1 other location and specializes in Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Huey is affiliated with Mary Black Memorial Hospital and Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. He speaks English and Spanish.
Gender: Male
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Cardiovascular Disease
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine; Graduated 1981
*This physician has multiple office locations. See Office Information for details.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A Message from the Vicar and Vicaress
Unto the Barony of Elfsea and Canton of Dragonsfire Tor do
Duke Drake and Countess Sibri send warmest greetings.
The weather has been terribly cold, but hopefully will be warming soon, and then it will be time for WAR! Duke Drake will be attending Gulf Wars this year. I know that many plans are being made to make Elfsea's camp a wonderful home away from home again...(a meal plan, hot shower, etc) and it should be loads of fun. Good luck in your endeavors getting ready for war, whether it be repairing armor, sewing new garb or practicing your melee skills! There are lots of opportunities within the barony to help with those needs, or at least work together to have more fun while doing them. Be sure to volunteer at War, and log your hours. It is a great way to support your Kingdom while having fun giving back a little of your time.
We are looking forward to the end of March and our joint fighter practice with Steppes on the fifth Sunday. As of yet, plans are still in the works... this will discussed at the next Populace meeting. Steppes was a very gracious host last time, and I know that Elfsea will be as well!
Looking a little farther ahead, Elfsea Springfaire is being planned for the beginning of April. Lord Herries and Lady Aiofe are working hard, but I know they would appreciate all the help they can get. Many hands make light work, and we would love to showcase the great people of Elfsea. Please volunteer where you can.
There are many great events coming up now that Tourney season is almost upon us that are within a few hours drive of home. We hope to see you out and about!
Yours in Service,
Drake and Sibri
The Canton of Dragonsfire Tor is a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the study and recreation of the medieval era. We study the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.
To get in touch with members of our group and to keep up with what's going on in our corner of the Knowne World, there is the Dragonsfire Tor e-mail list. Sign up or read the archives here.
The canton of Dragonsfire Tor is a protectorate of the Barony Elfsea located in the SCA Kingdom of Ansteorra. Mundanely this is known as Stephenville, TX and the surrounding area including members who are students at Tarleton State University.
Members of our Canton participate in a wide variety of activities associated with the medieval era and its surrounding times. These activities are usually divided into three different categories: Combat, Arts & Sciences, and Events.
Combat in the SCA is based on styles prevalent during the Age of Chivalry; Chivalric Fighting, Rapier Fighting, and Archery. Each of these types of combat are practiced under the purview of experienced fighters.
Weapons commonly used by the SCA include greatswords, rapiers, glaives, pollaxes, daggers, longbows, and crossbows.
Great focus in the SCA is given to learning and preserving the old arts and sciences of the period.
Arts included are blacksmithing, cooking, weapons making, sewing,
, shoemaking, beekeeping, and
The Canton hosts several events across the course of the year in addition to the events hosted by other SCA groups in the region. These events are opportunities for members to gather among friends, wear period clothing, eat period food, and camp using period tents and equipment. Among these these greater events we have a monthly meeting of the Canton's Populace.


text:
March 30, 2015
Killing Spree: Were RCMP cops ready for the call?
|16x9 investigates the horrific June 2014 rampage against Canadian police officers by a gunman wearing camo and wielding multiple firearms.
February 21, 2015
Reveal body cam captures 'sickening' attack on UK cop
|Female officer's head was repeatedly slammed into the ground during the vicious assault. The video was filmed on a Reveal RS2-X2 body camera. Learn more about the Reveal RS2-X2 body camera.
February 13, 2015
India 'disturbed' by Ala. use of force incident, cop fired
|Officer Eric Parker was arrested and is being fired after man from India was slammed to the ground and injured while visiting relatives in Alabama.
January 09, 2015
Raw: French police swarm near hostage situation
|France has been high alert since the country's worst terror attack in decades — the massacre Wednesday in Paris at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead.
January 07, 2015
12 dead in terrorist attack on Paris weekly; gunmen escape
|Three masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people, including two police officers.
November 17, 2014
Turkey students clash with police after refusing to be searched
|Clashes broke out between police and a group of students after they allegedly refused to be searched before entering the Ankara University campus, Monday. Police used tear gas and detained several students near the security point of the university's Faculty of Language History and Geography.
November 07, 2014
UK man kills woman, eats face in suspected cannibal attack
|British media say a man has killed a woman in a suspected act of cannibalism in a Welsh village.
October 20, 2014
Occupy protester tries to make police laugh, fails
|A protester tries and fails to make police laugh by showing off some Dragonball-Z-style moves in Hong Kong.
October 09, 2014
Horse wanders into police HQ, gets escorted out
|A small horse strode into the Cheshire Police headquarters in the Winsford, UK. Thursday, prompting the security to attempt to push him out the door to no avail. An officer then entered and escorted the horse out of the building.


text:
The Good Wife Quotes
Finn: Still got some hard feelings there, Cary.
Cary: You mean from you trying to put me in jail for 15 years? Oh no, that's ancient history.
You may not want Peter as a friend but you certainly don't want him as an enemy.Eli
Maybe he can find other ways of facilitating the killing of Jews.David Lee
And this being Chicago there's never any fraud at the polls.Josh
It's too new for the State Department to make a determination and I'm not spending ten years in a Federal prison for aiding and abetting terrorists.David Lee
The truth isn't this happened or that happened. The truth to me is about doing good and the only way to put yourself in a position to do good is by getting elected. That's the greater truth.Jonathan Elfman
Mr. Canning, you've been leaving this earth for three months now so excuse my incredulity.Alicia
You have a great bedside manner. Don't worry about it but if you screw this up, everyone will die.Marisa Gold
Hardest thing I've ever had to do; be a parent.Lemond Bishop
I'm notorious. The white OJ.Colin Sweeney
Alicia: You are pretty fresh aren't you.
Redmayne: It's my best feature. I've got the testicles of a twenty year old.
Alicia: Where? In your briefcase?
I hate people. I love mankind but I hate people. Especially when they eat.Guy Redmaybe


text:
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Beautiful Kitchens, Cabinets Colors, Dreams Kitchens, House Ideas, Hardwood Floors, Subway Tile, Dreams House, Rustic White Kitchen, White Cabinets
Rustic white kitchen
Walnut Hardwood Flooring, subway tile, white cabinets. Perfection.
Love the taupe subway tile, white cabinets, gray island and the wide wood plank floor. My dream kitchen...
House ideas
This is so pretty dream house
What a BEAUTIFUL kitchen! I love the green island with the white cabinets, dark counter and subway tile. I could do this!!
White cabinets. Colored island
What a BEAUTIFUL kitchen! | Modern Home Decor
Like the glass cabinets at the top. Great addition to normal cabinet, a place for the fine china above the everyday kitchen things.
Decor, Lights, Kitchens Design, Dreams Kitchens, Dark Cabinets, Black Cabinets, Kitchens Ideas, Black Kitchens, Kitchens Cabinets
I like the lighted glass in the top of the cabinets. The colors are great too. I like the island and layout! >> Black Kitchen Cabinets Bar Design, Pictures, Remodel, Decor and Ideas - page 5
Dream kitchen idea for new house. Love the dark cabinets all the way to the ceiling and the lighting over the island
hardwood floors with black cabinets and light marble counter tops. This is my dream kitchen. It's perfect!!
Dark Cabinets Light Granite Kitchen Design Ideas, Pictures, Remodel and Decor
Black Kitchen Cabinets Bar Design, Pictures, Remodel, Decor and Ideas....oh. My. Goodness. Definitely my dream kitchen!
Etched Wooden Spoons DIY gift idea
Gift Ideas, Etchings Wooden, Diy Tutorial, Diy Gift, Design Mom, Diy Etching, Wood Burning, Food Safe, Wooden Spoons
Etched Wooden Spoons DIY gift idea with wood burning pen.
Christmas gift idea .... DIY: Etched Wooden Spoons. No paint, so they're food safe! | Design Mom
DIY: Etched Wooden Spoons. No paint, so they're food safe! | Design Mom -- I would LOVE to try wood burning! What a cool idea!
DIY Tutorial: Etched Wooden Spoons. No paint, so they're food safe! Could wood burn?
The Perfect Gift: Etched Wooden Spoons
jean de merry lumiere chandelier
Dining Rooms, Trees Trunks, Lights Fixtures, Elle Decor, Tables Based, Sea Urchins, Diningroom, Trees Stumps, Dining Tables
Ashley Stark's Dining Room. #diningroom #contrast # chandelier #chandy #light #lighting
tree stumps as dining table base
sea urchin lighting fixture and wood detail on dining room table
Love the white tree trunk table base and the dark top. This photo was on the cover of Elle Decor Magazine.
Ashley Stark dining room shown in Elle Decor: A Jean de Merry light fixture hangs above a dining table by the Groundwork Group and 18th-century Italian chairs; the mirror is vintage, the cabinet is by Tommi Parzinger, and the hand-painted wallpaper and cowhide rug are from Stark.
Elle decoration
Elle Decor, Zellige Kitchens, Black And White Aga, Interiors, Black Cabinets, Black Kitchens, House, Decor Black, Aga Stoves
Elle decoration. rustic black kitchen
Elle decoration Black
Elle decoration, Aga Stove
Kitchen with Black Aga, Black cabinets, no kick. Elle decoration
Elle decoration - Studio All Day
Lovely open kitchen style
Floors Plans, Dark Floors Kitchens, Dark Floors White Kitchens, Open Kitchen, Kitchens Ideas, Dreams House, Industrial Stainless, White Cabinets, Stainless Steel
Love the dark floors. #kitchen #kitchendesign
Dark floors, white kitchen & stainless steel appliances.
I like the dark floors with the industrial stainless steel look and the bright white cabinets!
Dark floors, stainless steel appliances, open kitchen
love the openness! My dream house!
Kitchen Idea, white cabinets
I like this. I like the dark floors with the stainless steel look! Open floor plan
rustic wood island
Ball Jars, Rustic Island, Lights Fixtures, Rustic Kitchens, Kitchens Islands, Jars Lights, Mason Jars, Rustic Wood, Kitchen Islands
A great diy rustic wood island made with barnwood. #DIY #Rustic #Kitchen #Island #BarnWood #Reclaimed #Upcycle #Home #Decor
Mason Ball Jar Light and Rustic Island - Nest of Bliss. Omg dying - so my dream kitchen island.
30 Rustic DIY Kitchen Island Ideas Cool idea .... mason jar lighting Light fixture for island
Rustic Kitchen Island Ideas Cool.... mason jar lighting
brilliant use of a cabinet door
Organic, Chalkboards Painting, Kitchens Ideas, Chalkboard Paint, Cabinet Doors, Measuring Cups, Diy, Kitchens Cabinets, Cabinets Doors
Keep measuring cups and spoons organized on the inside of a cabinet door with a coat of chalkboard paint.
Kitchen Idea: Use the Inside of a Cabinet Door To Hang Measuring Cups.
Chalkboard paint & measuring cups. Brilliant use of cabinet doors. Kitchen DIY.
kitchen cabinet door painted inside with chalkboard paint, with hooks for measuring cups and notes on conversions
what a gorgeous and spacious kitchen! every women's dream! lol LOVE the big heavy wood counter top!
Dreams Kitchens, Lights Fixtures, Rustic Kitchens, Range Hoods, Kitchens Islands, Wood Countertops, Lanterns, Rustic Wood, Dream Kitchens
rustic wood island and lantern lights dream kitchen
Copper range hood - gorgeous! I'm not a fan of lanterns over a kitchen island because they provide only ambient light. Lots of us choose them anyway since they do look so attractive, so be sure to provide additional light by adding fixtures overhead.
rustic kitchen island. Oh my dream kitchen!
lantern lights and rustic wood countertop. love the copper vent
Rustic wood island top, lantern light fixtures, & copper - love.
How to organize your home pantry using the dollar store!
Kitchens, Stores Pantries, Dollar Stores, Organic Pantries, Organized Pantry, Pantries Organic, Pantry Organization, Printables Labels, Pantries Makeovers
Dollar Store Pantry Organizing/ printable labels
pantry organizing Dollar Store Pantry Makeover
Dollar Store Pantry Makeover & printable labels! For the new kitchen!!!
dollar store pantry organization Pantry
Luxe Moderne Gold Champagne Flutes
Luxe Modern, Champagne Glasses, Modern Champagne, Glasses Flute, Modern Glasses, Modern Flute, Rosanna Luxe, Flute Sets, Champagne Flute
champagne glasses
Rosanna Luxe Moderne Flute Set of 4 @Zinc_Door #glassware #barware #modern #zincdoor
Rosanna Luxe Moderne Glass Flutes | Kitchen-Tabletop
Rosanna Luxe Moderne Champagne Flute Set of 4 $60
Engraved MURANO Glasses
Rare Renzo, Glasses Engraving, Murano Glasses, Waris Rare, Toso Fei, Fei Sets, Engraving Murano, Love Conquers All, Three Engraving
House of Waris RARE Renzo Toso Fei set of three engraved Murano... found on Polyvore THIS SAYS LOVE CONQUERS ALL in Latin!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Coffee cup shelving! Brilliant! better than stackin them in cupboards! Mike Tucker Tucker Tucker Tucker Tucker Tucker Tucker Neff I LOVE THIS
Kitchens, Ideas, Coffee Bar, Teas Cups, Coffe Cups, Coffee Cups, Tea Cups, Teacups, Coffee Mugs
Coffee cup shelving. I need to build one of these for my coffe cup obsession.
Coffee cup shelving! Great idea to display pretty coffee and tea cups!
Coffee cup shelving! Cute for a coffee bar! #modern kitchen design #kitchen design #kitchen design ideas| http://kitchendesignrebecca.blogspot.com
No idea if this would fit anywhere, but think of all of the coffee mugs and tea cups we must have together (kitchen)
Ever wonder what do with those favorite but lone coffee mugs and teacups? I love this idea! Let your guests choose.
Elegant white and blue wedding centerpiece. Jackie Gregory Photography @GreatestExpectations
Blue Wedding Centerpiece Ideas, Blue And White Wedding Ideas, Wedding Centerpieces Blue, Blue And White Centerpieces, Blue Wedding Centerpieces, Blue Centerpieces, Elegant Centerpieces Wedding, White And Blue Wedding, Center Piece
Elegant white and blue centerpieces -- LOVE the blue stones
Elegant white and blue wedding center pieces
Elegant white and blue wedding centerpiece. @simplyphoto @GreatestExpectations
Lots of clever kitchen gadgets that you would actually use! Great gift ideas.
Mom Gift, Genius Gadgets, Kitchen Gadgets, Diy Crafts, Gift Ideas, Kitchen Gift, Kitchens Gadgets, Clever Kitchens, Diy Projects
great kitchen gifts~
Genius Gadgets You Dont Even Know About - DIY Crafts For Moms
50 Genius Kitchen Gadgets You Don't Even Know About - DIY Crafts For Moms
Lots of clever kitchen gadgets that you would actually use! Great gift ideas. I'm gonna need most of these!
Diy Projects: 50 Useful Kitchen Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed
Ideas, Tricks, Otters Pop, Food, Lifehacks, Ice Pop, Lips Rouge, Life Hacks, Freezers Pop
36 Kitchen Tips and Tricks That Nobody Told You About [ CLICK HERE! ] Borsarifoods.com | #tips #kitchen #spice #flavor #food
Ensure your freezer pops get a clean cut by standing them upright. | 25 Clever Tricks To Make Your Summer So Much Better #lifehacks
Freezing Otter Pops - life hack
life hacks 6 Full of life hacks (20 photos) ice pops! Best idea ever
Leah Church
Tarah Church
Live edge counter - for bar in kitchen
Nature Wood, Stainless Counter, Wood Slab Counter, S'Mores Bar, Bar Tops, Bar Countertop, Wood Bar, Wood Countertops Island, Counter Tops
Natural wood bar countertop
I like the rustic wood against the stainless counter tops.
Wood slab counter top. Bar top!
under shelf basket for breads--won't fall or get smashed. Other good pantry organizing tips on this link.
Organic Tips, Organizing Tips, Pantry Cabinet, Breads Storage, Pantries Organic, Pantry Organization, Shelf Baskets, Under Shelf, Breads Won T Fall
Put in tall pantry cabinet
Under shelf basket for bread storage. Other pantry organization tips on site.
Organize Your Pantry by Zones
Faceted mirror chandeliers!
Crystals, Lamps, Hanging Lights, Mirrors, Lights Fixtures, Trav'Lin Lights, Interiors Design, Pendants Lights, Bec Brittain
Sparkling crystal shaped light fixtures. Gorgeous! Maxhedron by Bec Brittain
Faceted mirror chandeliers. #interior design #interior decorating #modern interior design #luxury house design| http://homeinteriordeja.blogspot.com
Maxhedron by Bec Brittain #GOLD pendant lights #home decor
Maxhedron by Bec Brittain - hanging geometric crystal lights #home #lighting #lamp
crystal hanging lights
Bec Brittain: Mirrored Lights. Multi faceted light fixture. Mirrored surface when turned off, translucent when turned on. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Qz94uqjO3E/UNC2KKvk5EI/AAAAAAAAAw8/FBYk8xVtSnA/s1600/bec+brittain+2.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4xDZlcr7Htw/UNC2LErTDoI/AAAAAAAAAxE/ZFWPr9Om9E8/s1600/bec+brittain+3.jpg
Rotating Sink, Has Cutting Board, Colander & More
Decor, Cutting Boards, Ideas, Cut Boards, Dreams House, Kitchen Sinks, Design, Rotator Sinks, Kitchens Sinks
A Rotating Sink, with Colander and Cutting Board and 26 other dream house ideas....
Rotating Sink - with Colander & Cutting Board - great concept - interesting idea - would be nice as secondary sink area but still need a regular, large kitchen sink (not sure if I like how it looks & it takes up lots of counter space, but it is certainly functional)
dream sink - complete with rotating sink, cutting board, and #kitchen design #kitchen decorating before and after #modern kitchen design #kitchen interior #kitchen design ideas| http://colorful-roses-9034.blogspot.com
cupa whiskey
Cupa Rocks Tumblers, Whiskey, Red Wine, Gift Ideas, Wine Glasses, Drinks, Products, Cuparock Tumblers, Design
Cupe Rocks Tumbler glasses ... Because it would be amusing to watch your guests constantly think they're about to spill red wine all over your carpet.
Cupa Rocks Tumblers – $60
Sempli, Cupa whiskey tumbler 2 pack by Daniele Semeraro. Also available in shot glass size and wine glass.
Cupa - Rocks Whiskey Tumbler Good gift idea
This set of two hand blown Cupa tumblers can enhance the sensory pleasure of drinking brandy or whiskey. The contemporary glasses create a swirling rotation when set down, which assists the oxygenation of your fine spirit and promotes an aromatic experience for the drinker. Constructed to fit perfectly in your hand, the glass naturally works to warm your beverage. Made of lead-free crystal and inspired by Swedish and Italian design, these stunningly styled... $36fab $50 retail price
Cupa - Rocks Whiskey Tumblers #product
DIY Kitchen Island - apparently SOOO many of my pins are from this girls house!! I just want her house and then I can stop pinning. ;0) Click this link and you can tour the ultimate pinterest house...


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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said on Wednesday that bishops and priests must take care to avoid temptations in order to be effective shepherds, protecting their flocks from dangers.
He urged the Catholic faithful to pray for bishops and priests, "because if we go on the road to riches, if we go on the road to vanity, we become wolves and not shepherds."
The Pope's words came in his May 15 homily in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence at the Vatican.
"A bishop is not a bishop for himself," Pope Francis said. "He is for the people, and a priest is not a priest for himself. He is for the people: to serve, to nurture them, to shepherd them, who are his flock — in order to...READ MORE


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Piedmont Tech's library catalog includes tools that allow borrowers to:
see what items they have on loan
check their due dates
view outstanding fine balances
renew borrowed materials *
Avoid overdue fines... If you have problems using this feature, contact the library staff so that we can renew your materials for you!
* Online renewal will not work when borrowed items are overdue or have been renewed too many times.
A list of your borrowed items along with due dates and fine estimates for overdue items will appear.


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Calamity Kvitty heads to Paris for Mud Digging, Shopping and some Indoor Tennis!!
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Jan 28th, 2013, 01:14 PM
bruce goose
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13,754
Re: Calamity Kvitty heads to Paris for Mud Digging, Shopping and some Indoor Tennis!
Originally Posted by
No HyggyBear? I guess she can play some good tennis after all, also in a way proves that she needs to change her coach
It's kind of simple-headed to suggest that Petra is 'happy' with her career;otherwise,she wouldn't be playing the Pity Game with her fans('Thank you for not giving up on me')after subpar results
Propaganda Director for the Olympic Slam Queen
aboard SS Dementieva
Ste. Kim, we didn't have you for long enough, but we appreciate what you gave us
Vivan Chile y Costa Rica-la Tierra Donde la Vida es Sagrada---VIVAN!!!
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Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) increased by 45 percent between 1990 and 2010, and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tons in 2010. Increased energy-efficiency, nuclear energy and the growing contributions of renewable energy are not compensating for the globally increasing demand for power and transport, which is strongest in developing countries.
On September 11, 2001, as the twin towers of the World Trade Center exploded and collapsed, clouds of dust billowed into the sky and across the city. Photographs from the outskirts show the thick clouds swallowing much of lower Manhattan. Satellite images reveal that the clouds were large enough to be seen from space. Survivors overtaken by the clouds emerged covered in a thick layer of dirt and debris. They reported that the clouds were so dense that they blacked out the sun.
Twelve people were charged yesterday with illegally distributing and selling unregistered and misbranded pesticides from multiple locations in Manhattan. Prosecutors charged two of the 12, Chen Yah Huang and Jai Ping Chen, with federal crimes, and the remaining ten were charged under state statutes
The black smoke that rose from the water's surface during the controlled burns pumped more than 1 million pounds of black carbon (soot) pollution into the atmosphere, according to a new study published last week by researchers at NOAA and its Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) in Boulder, Colo.
The federal and state natural resource trustees estimate that the spill killed 6,849 birds, affected 14 to 29 percent of the herring spawn that winter, oiled 3,367 acres of shoreline habitat and resulted in the loss of more than one million recreational user-days. A result of a multi-governmental effort by federal and state agencies, and municipal governments, the settlement is expected to fully compensate (in addition to previously reimbursed costs) for the natural resources and other damages and costs resulting from the spill.
The report identifies best practices and makes recommendations to help save more lives during future violent tornadoes. Most importantly, the assessment emphasizes that people must be prepared to take immediate action when a warning is issued.
Modifying soybean seed to increase phosphorus content can improve animal nutrition and reduce feed costs and nutrient pollution. However, further research is needed to commercialize this valuable technology.
DOE announces 16 projects supporting activities in 24 states and the District of Columbia to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in communities across the nation, and seven additional projects in seven states to help prepare college students for careers designing and building advanced vehicle technologies.
Worldwide energy consumption is projected to grow by 53 percent between 2008 and 2035, with much of the increase driven by strong economic growth in the developing nations especially China and India, according the Energy Information Administration's International Energy Outlook 2011.
The bill would give algae-based biofuels tax parity while leveling the playing field for all advanced biofuels by expanding the Clean Air Act's definition of an advanced biofuel.
A chemical manufacturing and distribution facility in South Portland, Maine, faces an EPA fine of up to $151,900 for improper storage of hazardous materials, in violation of federal and state laws.
EPA Region 10 issued final air quality permits to Shell on Sept. 19 for oil and gas exploration drilling in the Alaska Arctic. The permits will allow Shell to operate the Discoverer drillship and a support fleet of icebreakers, oil spill response vessels, and supply ships for up to 120 days each year in the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf starting in 2012.
Deforestation in the rainforests of West Africa reduces rainfall over the rest of the forest, according to new University of Leeds research published in Geophysical Research Letters. The study shows that changing land use from forest to crop land reduces rainfall over neighboring trees by about 50 percent due to changes in the surface temperature, which affects the formation of rain clouds.
Our most reliable models rely on data acquired through a range of complex measurements. Most of the important measurements - such as ice cover, cloud cover, sea levels and temperature, chlorophyll (oceans and land) and the radiation balance (incoming to outgoing energy) – must be taken from space, and for constraining and testing the forecast models, made over long timescales.
the Energy Department has awarded more than $30 million to 24 universities in 23 states across the country to train undergraduate- and graduate-level engineering students in manufacturing efficiency to help these students become the nation's next generation of industrial energy-efficiency experts.
Gulf War Illness (GWI)—the chronic health condition that affects about one in four military veterans of the 1991 Gulf War—appears to be the result of several factors, which differed in importance depending upon where veterans served during the war, according to a Baylor University study.
The planet's deep oceans at times may absorb enough heat to flatten the rate of global warming for periods of as long as a decade even in the middle of longer-term warming, according to a new analysis led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
The new material can store and release hydrogen extremely fast and at low temperatures compared with similar materials, and it's rechargeable. These attributes could make it ideal for use in onboard hydrogen storage for next-generation hydrogen or fuel cell vehicles.
A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology is using the Aquarius underwater laboratory off the coast of Florida to study how the diversity of seaweed-eating fish affects endangered coral reefs. The research mission, which began Sept. 13, may provide new information to help scientists protect and even restore damaged coral reefs in the Caribbean.
Farms of "underwater windmills" could affect how sand moves around our coastal seas, affecting beaches, sand banks and ultimately the risk of flooding, according to Bangor University oceanographer Dr. Simon Neill.
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US Politics
Don't miss Ed Schultz's RFRA meltdown after CRUSHED by guest
Armed and fabulous NRA women shoot #NRAWhores hashtag full of holes
How jackassy is Stephen King's Indiana RFRA tweet? THIS jackassy
'BURN IN HELL WITH INDIANA': Arkansas passes own religious freedom bill
'Not the bees!!!!!' Andrea Mitchell gets herself stung by mockery
Labor Dept. economist who claimed Christians vote Nazi vanishes from Twitter
RFRA ridicule: NY Gov. Cuomo sure showed Ind. — showed he's a joke, that is
Amazon Dash Button might not be real, but we're dying to push it
'What bias?' Digitas Daily busts MSM hacks for peddling RFRA nonsense [video]
Would a white Trevor Noah get 'as much pushback'? 'This clown' wants to know
Slate writer unloads on Trevor Noah: 'he's a giant dope'
Josh Earnest says today's Iran negotiations deadline is 'arbitrary'
'Utterly stupid': NASCAR weighs in on Indiana RFRA with 'puzzling' statement
New 'Daily Show' host deletes tweet responding to controversy [screenshot]
Gov. Pence blasts 'reckless reporting' on RFRA law; Pledges to 'fix' it
John Kerry haz a sad over missing Ted Kennedy dedication yesterday
De Blasio's NYC: 'Coyote' spotted on the roof of a bar in Queens [photos]
What do 9/11 and Indiana's RFRA law have in common? This…
'We will fix this': Gov. Mike Pence to hold news conference at 11:00 a.m.
Look who CNN turns to for its Trevor Noah coverage [screenshot]
erik loomis assistant professor002
Posted at 2:09 pm on December 18, 2012 by Twitchy Staff |
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Sour Edible Green, Purple Stem, River Bottom?
Any ideas? Botanical Name? Common Name? How to eat? It's sour...
Any help for any insight would be appreciated.
Well I'd ALSO urge against chomping on anything before you have a 100% ID - and some asian plants can be OK cooked but not so without careful prep.
Anyway after stopping my fingershaking, I'd suggest it looks like some sort of hibiscus and maybe hibiscus sabdariffa or "roselle" or whatever passes for it - and in that case I didn't know the leaves were edible (WE STILL DON'T KNOW THAT) but the flowers/fruits certainly could be.
Here is a link that might be useful: roselle- sour leaves
I'm not sure why an Asian edible would be growing wild in Missouri. Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) comes from West Africa. Has someone told you it is the same vegetable they use elsewhere?
Can you post any more pictures? Maybe a view of the whole plant? Or any flower buds which are coming? My best guess at the moment is a Rudbeckia.
Here is a link that might be useful:


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The policing revolution: back to the beat
Crime - The battle against crime is far from hopeless, as New York shows. But if we don't l
Crime - The battle against crime is far from hopeless, as New York shows. But if we don't l
by Ian Blair Published
The chattering classes, particularly those who are products of the Sixties and Seventies, instinctively oppose any extension of police activity. Yet the events of the past few years make many of them uneasy. Last autumn, following on from the saturation coverage of 11 September, the media reported a wave of crime stories. You could not go to a dinner party without hearing of another burglary or of a mobile phone robbery committed against the son or daughter of the household. An estate agent in Battersea was murdered in a carjacking; a young Asian woman was shot in the head during a mobile phone robbery. Major cities, it seemed, were being overwhelmed by crime.
In the spring, during the run-up to the local elections, the political parties' focus groups found crime was the issue of the moment, greater even than education, health or transport. But there is an important difference between crime and these other issues. You can buy private education or tuition, you can buy your own car, you can take out private health insurance. In other words, you can step outside state provision. That is far more difficult and a much greater step, when it comes to policing.
Overall, crime in Britain is falling and has been for about five years, whether you take the official statistics, based on police reports, or the British Crime Survey, based on the public's actual experience of crime. But the type of crime that is most feared - violent, personal, confrontational crime - is growing. Moreover, the number of calls to the police for emergency assistance - not only about crime but about the incivilities of life, such as the drunks, the gangs of youths, the road rage, the vice, the drug dealing - is growing at an exponential rate. In 1996-97, the control room at Scotland Yard received 1.5 million emergency calls; last year, that number rose to 2.5 million. That explains why you now so often see the police whizzing around in striped cars.
It also helps to explain why, as people so often complain, the bobby on the beat has become a threatened species. But that is not the only reason. New forms of crime and new legislation have combined to create a range of police tasks that simply did not exist 20 years ago. As well as coping with an increasingly complex criminal justice system, the police have to deal with child protection, counter-terrorism, drug trafficking, people smuggling and so on. The amount of time available for visible patrol has thus diminished, and the result has been a decline in public reassurance as well as a decline in police capacity to deny criminals the kind of habitat where they are most effective.
Yet both police leaders and government were complicit in the near-extinction of beat work. From the mid-Seventies, police leaders were increasingly conscious of the withdrawal of other agents of social cohesion - typified by caretakers and park keepers on the one hand, churches and trade unions on the other - that had underpinned an approach to policing which had worked for most of the 20th century. They were also faced with evidence that random patrol failed to deter anyone, and with the need to devote more resources to investigating increasingly numerous and complex crimes. So they turned to a new, community-based, problem-solving approach, trying to get upstream of the factors that cause crime: the built environment, school failure, drugs, alcohol or inequality itself. Although worthwhile, this approach also proved ineffective because it coincided with the disintegration of authority in western society. The problems causing criminal behaviour became ever more complex and, as it were, farther upstream and harder to beat.
At the same time, governments began to apply to the police the systems of measurement and monitoring they had applied to education and health. All these measures dealt with the response side of police work: speed of action on 999 calls, for example, or the success rate in solving burglaries. What gets measured gets done. What was not successfully measured was public perception, both of personal safety and of the quality of police service.
The Nineties saw a period of long decline in British policing, particularly in London. Although there were notable successes, the decade was characterised by a decline in public confidence, by a significant decline in police numbers and then by the excoriating report on the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. A recently published report by Mike Hough and Marian FitzGerald, two well-known criminologists, suggests a police force in London that is seen both by its public and by its own staff as increasingly remote and less visible and accessible. So when the street-crime-met-carjacking-met-homicide furore began at the end of last year, it is no wonder that commentators turned to New York.
Bill Bratton was commissioner of the New York Police Department from 1994 to 1996. As the alleged inventor of "zero tolerance" policing and as the undoubted architect of the extraordinary reduction in crime in New York, Bratton is one of the most famous police officers in history. During his period in office, murders fell from nearly 2,500 a year to fewer than 1,000, shootings from about 6,000 to fewer than 3,000, robberies from 85,000 to barely 50,000. In his last year in office, New York had 200,000 fewer crime victims than in his first year.
Could these startling results be translated across the Atlantic? There were five factors at work in Bratton's success. First, he had support across the board. It is worth remembering how bad New York had got: violence had made the city's subways unusable, open drugs markets were everywhere, and the murder rate was higher than in any comparable centre of finance and tourism, anywhere in the world. (London, for instance, has about 200 homicides a year.) People were afraid, very afraid. As a result, Bratton had complete political support from the mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, who had powers far in excess of what is available in London. Whatever Bratton wanted, Giuliani could and did give him. This included numbers. Bratton inherited about 27,000 police officers: by the time he left there were 42,000 - partly, it should be said, because Giuliani's predecessor, David Dinkins, had pushed through the tax rises to pay for them. Equally important, normally liberal New Yorkers and their media were prepared for policing tactics that would not be acceptable in London or anywhere else in the UK. Zero tolerance is a misnomer: it actually means targeted intolerance, and New York's finest did not always tread lightly.
Second, prosecutors in the US have to face election. If the mayor and the police chief were for rounding up the bad guys, then so were the district attorneys. With the different checks and balances in the British system, it is impossible to imagine lawyers of any sort, let alone judges, seeing a war on crime as part of their job in the way that their US counterparts did.
Third, the management of the NYPD was wide open for improvement: it had lines of accountability running in all sorts of directions and such a fear of corruption - the legacy of its previous history - that little priority was given to fighting crime. This appalling heritage allowed Bratton to turn the force upside down. Most notably, he introduced CompStat, a computerised crime statistics system, and quasi-theatrical weekly meetings at which he or his equally fiercesome first deputy commissioner ruthlessly examined precinct commanders in front of their peers about crime rates.
Fourth, Bratton believed the "broken windows" theory of James Wilson and George Kelling, who suggested that there is a causal link between tolerance of damage to the environment and the incidence of crime. They argued that if a community tolerated graffiti, vandalism, open drug dealing and aggressive begging, criminals would eventually believe that they were exempt from interference by authority. In his previous job as head of the New York transit police, Bratton had applied the same thesis, targeting fare dodgers on the grounds that people who wished to rob and murder on the subways were unlikely to pay for their tickets.
The final piece of Bratton's approach - and the one most often missed by commentators - is the self-belief that he engendered in his force. On his very first day in office, he made clear that the NYPD could and would reduce crime. He relentlessly pursued that idea, tearing up the previously received wisdom that only a change in social conditions would have an effect on crime.
Like everyone else, Londoners were stunned by the events of 11 September. On 11 and 12 September, crime fell markedly. By the evening of 11 September, however, the Metropolitan Police began to transfer hundreds of officers - at its height 1,500 - from outer London to the city centre. On 13 September, street crime began to rise in the outer boroughs and go down in the centre. By Christmas, the rise in street crime everywhere except central Westminster had become almost vertical, with nearly 7,000 robberies and snatch thefts in January this year, an increase of almost 54 per cent on the same month in 2001.
Yet that trend has been reversed, with fewer than 5,000 such crimes in June 2002, 14 per cent below the level of the year before. That pattern of decline in street crime was repeated across most major cities in Britain. It was, in microcosm, the New York story. Following the Prime Minister's focus on street crime, big city forces had redeployed hundreds and thousands of officers. The numbers matter. But these numbers are small in comparison with what is needed to restore public confidence.
This is where we must return to Bratton and to Wilson and Kelling. Further research into the "broken windows" thesis has shown a specific correlation between incivilities and disorder and street robbery in particular: successful street robbers seek out and hide behind a disorderly habitat, and that habitat is best combatted by an increase in police patrols.
If the answer to driving down crime is more police, then the answer must be to recruit them. The Met is growing by about 1,000 a year, which, with wastage, means about 2,500 new staff, probably about as many as it can absorb. But unlike New York, London and other big cities in Britain have large, powerful boroughs with tax-raising powers. These boroughs do not trust the police very much because, they almost invariably complain, the money they give to them is not reflected in visibly increased policing strength in their own area. Moreover, people do not care that the Met polices a city with the same population as the NYPD but with twice the geographic area, undertaking not only the functions of the NYPD but also of the FBI and the US Secret Service, with 14,000 fewer officers and a budget £1bn smaller. What they care about is that London feels less safe and they want something done about it.
The law contains an interesting lacuna: police forces are heavily constrained by numerous pieces of legislation, but there is no law preventing people setting up their own police force if they wish. A number of boroughs are thinking of doing just that: to patrol their streets, as well as their parks and housing estates.
Thus, just as the police service is finally waking up to the value of patrol, it is possible that we may see hundreds of different law-enforcement agencies springing up across Britain. We could return to the period before the first professional police in 1839 - it could be described as the Balkanisation of policing.
There is therefore no time to grow police numbers sufficiently and thus the police - and the Met in particular - have cajoled, pleaded and persuaded anyone who will listen, but particularly the legislators, that what is now needed is a new breed of police employee. The Police Reform Act, which received royal assent in July, has provided just this: a new form of patrolling officer called a police community support officer.
The first examples will arrive in central London in a few days. Their powers will be limited: to hand out fixed-penalty tickets for minor disorder. But because they cannot make arrests, do not need extensive training, and will not give evidence in court, they can just be deployed as a police presence wherever the local community decides. They will provide a permanent, visible patrol service, preventing the low-level disorder that leads to more serious crime. There will be six pilot sites around the country and, in the Met, plans are developing to franchise this service, allowing local authorities to buy it for deployment within their boundaries.
Thousands have applied for this new job. Many are people who, although physically and mentally well suited, say they do not want to be police officers because it is too long a commitment, too dangerous and too responsible. They want to patrol local communities and see that as a career in itself.
The police may thus have stumbled on something quite extraordinary. One of the ironies of police work is that, although everyone praises the bobby on the beat, most young people prefer something more glamorous. Just as in medicine, where everyone knows that public health provides the great advances but the Nobel prizes go to interventionist surgery, so the great reputations in policing are those of career detectives. Here, society may at last have found people who are genuinely committed to the police equivalent of public health.
And how we need them. We are not so far from a situation where community safety becomes a commodity to be bought and sold, with myriad different enforcement agencies holding different powers and with local authorities, residents' associations and even private individuals buying patrol services for their local streets and houses. In Miami, for instance, large parts of the city take the form of gated communities not accessible to the public police except in an emergency. The ghettos of affluence in South America and South Africa show what can happen to communities where the rich can buy security and the public police are reduced to responding to incidents in sink estates.
In 1994, the criminologists David Bailey and Clifford Shearing wrote: "Modern democratic countries like the United States, Britain and Canada have reached a watershed in the evolution of their systems of crime control and law enforcement. Future generations will look back on our era when one system of policing ended and another took its place."
That new system may well be something like what arrives on the streets of London this month. Although the parallels with nursing auxiliaries and teaching assistants are obvious, the advent of these new patrolling officers is a revolution in British policing. We may perhaps be comforted that Bill Bratton himself has written to Police Review backing their introduction.
Ian Blair is deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police