Numerical study of the most stable contact angle of drops on tilted surfaces

We present results for the most stable contact angle using a numerical implementation of the tilting plate method of Montes et al. (Montes Ruiz-Cabello, F. J.; Rodriguez-Valverde, M. A.; Cabrerizo-Vilchez, M. Soft Matter 2011, 7, 10457-10461). Comparison with the experimental results is made, obtaining a good agreement in most situations. In addition, the evolution of the contact angles of a tilted drop with a fixed circular line is analyzed. This analysis allows one to theoretically predict the most stable contact angle for tilted drops.

Quantifying environmental limiting factors on tree cover using geospatial data

Environmental limiting factors (ELFs) are the thresholds that determine the maximum or minimum biological response for a given suite of environmental conditions. We asked the following questions: 1) Can we detect ELFs on percent tree cover across the eastern slopes of the Lake Tahoe Basin, NV? 2) How are the ELFs distributed spatially? 3) To what extent are unmeasured environmental factors limiting tree cover? ELFs are difficult to quantify as they require significant sample sizes. We addressed this by using geospatial data over a relatively large spatial extent, where the wall-to-wall sampling ensures the inclusion of rare data points which define the minimum or maximum response to environmental factors. We tested mean temperature, minimum temperature, potential evapotranspiration (PET) and PET minus precipitation (PET-P) as potential limiting factors on percent tree cover. We found that the study area showed system-wide limitations on tree cover, and each of the factors showed evidence of being limiting on tree cover. However, only 1.2% of the total area appeared to be limited by the four (4) environmental factors, suggesting other unmeasured factors are limiting much of the tree cover in the study area. Where sites were near their theoretical maximum, non-forest sites (tree cover < 25%) were primarily limited by cold mean temperatures, open-canopy forest sites (tree cover between 25% and 60%) were primarily limited by evaporative demand, and closed-canopy forests were not limited by any particular environmental factor. The detection of ELFs is necessary in order to fully understand the width of limitations that species experience within their geographic range.

Using the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein level: results from the Portuguese register

OBJECTIVE

Our aims were to evaluate the correlation between Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 27-joint reduced count (JADAS27) with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and JADAS27 with C-reactive protein (CRP) scores and to test the agreement of both scores on classifying each disease activity state. We also aimed at verifying the correlation of the 2 scores across juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) categories and to check the correlation between JADAS27-ESR and clinical JADAS27 (JADAS27 without ESR).

METHODS

A nationwide cohort of patients with JIA registered in the Portuguese Register, Reuma.pt, was studied. JADAS27-CRP was adapted by replacing ESR with CRP level as the inflammatory marker. JADAS27-CRP was calculated similarly to JADAS27-ESR as the simple linear sum of its 4 components. Pearson's correlations and K statistics were used in the analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 358 children had full data to calculate JADAS27; 65.4% were female and the mean ± SD disease duration was 11.8 ± 9.1 years. The correlation coefficient between JADAS27-ESR and JADAS27-CRP was 0.967 (P < 0.0001), although the correlation coefficient between ESR and CRP level was 0.335 (P < 0.0001). The strong correlation between JADAS27-ESR and JADAS27-CRP was maintained when compared within each JIA category. The agreement between JADAS27-ESR and JADAS27-CRP across the 4 activity states was very good, showing 91.1% of the observations in agreement; K = 0.867 (95% confidence interval 0.824-0.91). The correlation between JADAS27 with ESR and JADAS27 without ESR was high (r = 0.97, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

JADAS27 based on CRP level correlated closely with JADAS27-ESR across all disease activity states and JIA categories, indicating that both measures can be used in clinical practice. Moreover, the correlation of JADAS27 with and without ESR was also high, suggesting that this tool might be useful even in the absence of laboratorial measures.

Characterization of damage in Portuguese lupus patients: analysis of a national lupus registry

Background: Although the survival rate has considerably improved, many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) develop irreversible organ damage. Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to characterize cumulative damage in SLE patients and identify variables associated with its presence and severity. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of SLE patients from the Portuguese Lupus register Reuma.pt/SLE in whom damage assessment using the SLICC/ACR-Disability Index (SDI) was available was performed. Predictor factors for damage, defined as SDI ≥ 1, were determined by logistic regression analyses. A sub-analysis of patients with severe damage (SDI ≥ 3) was also performed. Results: In total, 976 patients were included. SDI was ≥1 in 365 patients, of whom 89 had severe damage. Musculoskeletal (24.4%), neuropsychiatric (24.1%) and ocular (17.2%) domains were the most commonly affected. Older age, longer disease duration, renal involvement, presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and current therapy with steroids were independently associated with SDI ≥ 1. The subpopulation with severe damage had, in addition, a greater interval between the first manifestation attributable to SLE and the clinical diagnosis as well as and more frequently early retirement due to SLE. Conclusions: This large lupus cohort confirmed that demographic and clinical characteristics as well as medication are independently associated with damage. Additionally, premature retirement occurs more often in patients with SDI ≥ 3. Diagnosis delay might contribute to damage accrual.

Portuguese recommendations for the diagnosis and management of gout

OBJECTIVE

To develop Portuguese evidence-based recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Gout.

METHODS

As part of the 3e Initiative (Evidence, Expertise and Exchange), a panel of 78 international rheumatologists developed 10 relevant clinical questions which were investigated with systematic literature reviews. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL and abstracts from 2010-2011 EULAR and ACR meetings were searched. Based on the evidence found in the published literature, rheumatologists from 14 countries developed national recommendations that were merged and voted into multinational recommendations. We present the Portuguese recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Gout which were formulated and voted by Delphi method in April 2012, in Lisbon. The level of agreement and potential impact in clinical practice was also assessed.

RESULTS

Twelve national recommendations were elaborated from 10 international and 2 national questions. These recommendations addressed the diagnosis of gout; the treatment of acute flares and urate-lowering therapy; monitoring of gout and comorbidity screening; the influence of comorbidities in drug choice; lifestyle; flare prophylaxis; management of tophi and asymptomatic hyperuricaemia; the role of urine alkalinization; and the burden of gout. The level of agreement with the recommendations ranged from 6.8 to 9.0 (mean 7.7) on a 1-10 point visual analogue scale, in which 10 stands for full agreement.

CONCLUSION

The 12 Portuguese recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Gout were formulated according to the best evidence and endorsed by a panel of 42 rheumatologists, enhancing their validity and practical use in daily clinical practice.

Ocular and craniofacial phenotypes in a large Brazilian family with congenital aniridia

Congenital aniridia is a rare genetic disorder characterized by varying degrees of iris hypoplasia that are associated with additional ocular abnormalities. More than 90% of the causal mutations identified are found in the PAX6 gene, a transcription factor of critical importance in the process of neurogenesis and ocular development. Here, we investigate clinical, molecular, and craniofacial features of a large Brazilian family with congenital aniridia. Among the 56 eyes evaluated, phenotype variation encompassed bilateral total aniridia to mild iris defects with extensive variation between eyes of the same individual. PAX6 molecular screening indicated a heterozygous splice mutation (c.141 + 1G>A). Thus, we hypothesize that this splicing event may cause variation in the expression of the wild-type transcript, which may lead to the observed variation in phenotype. Affected individuals were more brachycephalic, even though their face height and cephalic circumference were not significantly different when compared to those of non-affected relatives. From this, we infer that the head shape of affected subjects may also be a result of the PAX6 splice-site mutation. Our data summarize the clinical variability associated with the ocular phenotype in a large family with aniridia, and help shed light on the role of PAX6 in neurocranial development.

Revisiting the octopicolid copepods (Octopicolidae: Octopicola Humes, 1957): comparative morphology and an updated key to species

A review of the present state of knowledge on the octopicolid copepods (Octopicolidae: Octopicola Humes, 1957) is presented. Characteristic morphological features are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs of Octopicola superba superba Humes, 1957. Comparative morphology analysis led to the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence to justify raising the two subspecies of O. superba to full species rank. A new identification key for the four species of Octopicola Humes, 1957, i.e. O. superba Humes, 1957, O. antillensis Stock, Humes & Gooding, 1963, O. stocki Humes, 1963 and O. regalis Humes, 1974, is proposed after evaluation of the morphological characters which vary more markedly between them. Among other characters, these species differ in the ornamentation of the third antennal segment, maxilla and male maxilliped. They are further distinguished by a combination of several character states concerning the fifth pedigerous somite.

Applicability of the EULAR recommendations on the role of the nurse in the management of chronic inflammatory arthritis in Portugal

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the level of agreement and applicability of the EULAR recommendations for the role of the nurse in the management of chronic inflammatory arthritis in Portugal.

METHODS

Nurses from all Portuguese rheumatology centers were invited to fill-in a questionnaire addressing the level of agreement (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) and the level of confidence (1=no confidence to 5=complete confidence) in the applicability of each of the recommendations. Comparisons were established between subgroups of nurses.

RESULTS

A total of 75 nurses (85% female; mean (SD) of 3.9 (4.1) years of practice, 32% with some type of training in rheumatology) participated in the study. The mean level of agreement with the recommendations was 4.8 (SD 0.3). The level of confidence in their full applicability was 3.6 (SD 0.8). Significantly more nurses with rheumatology training totally agreed with recommendations 7 (88% vs 73%, p=0.03) and 3 (96% vs 65% p=0.04) and were fully confident in the applicability of recommendations 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10, comparing with those without specific training.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall level of agreement with EULAR recommendations among Portuguese nurses is high, although rheumatology does not exist as a nursing specialty. Agreement and confidence in the applicability of these recommendations is higher among nurses with specific training, underlining the importance of continuous education for future commitment.

Regional assessment of urban impacts on landcover and open space finds a smart urban growth policy performs little better than business as usual

Assessment of landscape change is critical for attainment of regional sustainability goals. Urban growth assessments are needed because over half the global population now lives in cities, which impact biodiversity, ecosystem structure and ecological processes. Open space protection is needed to preserve these attributes, and provide the resources humans need. The San Francisco Bay Area, California, is challenged to accommodate a population increase of 3.07 million while maintaining the region’s ecosystems and biodiversity. Our analysis of 9275 km² in the Bay Area links historic trends for three measures: urban growth, protected open space, and landcover types over the last 70 years to future 2050 projections of urban growth and open space. Protected open space totaled 348 km² (3.7% of the area) in 1940, and expanded to 2221 km² (20.2%) currently. An additional 1038 km² of protected open space is targeted (35.1%). Urban area historically increased from 396.5 km² to 2239 km² (24.1% of the area). Urban growth during this time mostly occurred at the expense of agricultural landscapes (62.9%) rather than natural vegetation. Smart Growth development has been advanced as a preferred alternative in many planning circles, but we found that it conserved only marginally more open space than Business-as-usual when using an urban growth model to portray policies for future urban growth. Scenarios to 2050 suggest urban development on non-urban lands of 1091, 956, or 179 km², under Business-as-usual, Smart Growth and Infill policy growth scenarios, respectively. The Smart Growth policy converts 88% of natural lands and agriculture used by Business-as-usual, while Infill used only 40% of those lands. Given the historic rate of urban growth, 0.25%/year, and limited space available, the Infill scenario is recommended. While the data may differ, the use of an historic and future framework to track these three variables can be easily applied to other metropolitan areas.

Clinical Evaluation of Ceramic Inlays and Onlays Fabricated With Two Systems: Five-Year Follow-Up

This study evaluated the five-year clinical performance of ceramic inlays and onlays made with two systems: sintered Duceram (Dentsply-Degussa) and pressable IPS Empress (Ivoclar Vivadent). Eighty-six restorations were placed by a single operator in 35 patients with a median age of 33 years. The restorations were cemented with dual-cured resin cement (Variolink II, Ivoclar Vivadent) and Syntac Classic adhesive under rubber dam. The evaluations were conducted by two independent investigators at baseline, and at one, two, three, and five years using the modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. At the five-year recall, 26 patients were evaluated (74.28%), totalling 62 (72.09%) restorations. Four IPS restorations were fractured, two restorations presented secondary caries (one from IPS and one from Duceram), and two restorations showed unacceptable defects at the restoration margin and needed replacement (one restoration from each ceramic system). A general success rate of 87% was recorded. The Fisher exact test revealed no significant difference between Duceram and IPS Empress ceramic systems for all aspects evaluated at different recall appointments (p&gt;0.05). The McNemar chi-square test showed significant differences in relation to marginal discoloration, marginal integrity, and surface texture between the baseline and five-year recall for both systems (p&lt;0.001), with an increased percentage of Bravo scores. However, few Charlie or Delta scores were attributed to these restorations. In conclusion, these two types of ceramic materials demonstrated acceptable clinical performance after five years.

Synopsis of the species of Chloromyxum Mingazinni, 1890 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Chloromyxidae)

A synopsis of the species of Chloromyxum Mingazinni, 1890 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Chloromyxidae) is presented, including 140 nominal species. For each species the most relevant morphological and morphometric characteristics are indicated. Included are data on the site of infection within the host, the original host and the host locality, plus a full bibliography of the original records for these species. A diagrammatic illustration of a spore of each species is also provided.

Prosorhynchus crucibulum (Digenea: Bucephalidae) miracidium morphology and its passive transmission pattern

The characterization of Prosorhynchus crucibulum (Rudolphi, 1819) Odhner, 1905 egg and miracidium is important in order to better understand the transmission dynamics between the definitive host and the primary host, the mussel. In this way, the objective of this work was to study the miracidia morphology, in order to evaluate if this species belongs to the group of passive or active transmission larvae. The morphology of eggs is similar to the ones presented by other Prosorhynchus species, with a small size of 26 × 17 μm, and four-five times smaller than the ones of Fasciola hepatica. The number of eggs produced per worm was around 6,760 (4,236-8,401), which was four-five times higher than in F. hepatica. The miracidia presented small dimensions 24 × 15 μm (23-25 × 13-15 μm range), a long stylet, two ciliated epithelial plates, very long cilia (12.7 μm) and absence of terebratorium and eyespots. Those features of the miracidia suggest that P. crucibulum belongs to the group of passively infecting larvae.

Simulation analysis of contact angles and retention forces of liquid drops on inclined surfaces

A simulation study of liquid drops on inclined surfaces is performed in order to understand the evolution of drop shapes, contact angles, and retention forces with the tilt angle. The simulations are made by means of a method recently developed for dealing with contact angle hysteresis in the public-domain Surface Evolver software. The results of our simulations are highly dependent on the initial contact angle of the drop. For a drop with an initial contact angle equal to the advancing angle, we obtain results similar to those of experiments in which a drop is placed on a horizontal surface that is slowly tilted. For drops with an initial contact angle equal to the mean between the advancing and the receding contact angles, we recover previous results of finite element studies of drops on inclined surfaces. Comparison with experimental results for molten Sn-Ag-Cu on a tilted Cu substrate shows excellent agreement.

[Rheumatic expression of secondary syphilis]

Syphilis is a disease caused by Treponema pallidum infection with protean clinical manifestations. Musculoskeletal complaints are however uncommon and most of the time mild. Occasionally they can dominate the clinical picture and simulate a variety of rheumatic diseases. The authors present the clinical case of a 33-year-old woman who developed a lupus-like syndrome in the postpartum, characterized by polyarthritis, elevated acute phase reactants and positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA). Physical examination revealed a macular non-pruriginous skin rash involving the trunk, upper limbs and palms. The Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) and Treponema Pallidum Hemaglutination (TPHA) tests gave a positive result and the patient was diagnosed as secondary syphilis and medicated with 2.4 MU of benzathine penicillin intramuscular weekly for 3 weeks, with complete resolution of clinical signs and ANA negativation. The association of rash and arthritis may occur in several rheumatic diseases but in the presence of palmoplantar involvement, the possibility of syphilis infection should not be overlooked.