Universal limiting shape of worn profile under multiple-mode fretting conditions: theory and experimental evidence

We consider multiple-mode fretting wear in a frictional contact of elastic bodies subjected to a small-amplitude oscillation, which may include in-plane and out-of-plane translation, torsion and tilting (“periodic rolling”). While the detailed kinetics of wear depends on the particular loading history and wear mechanism, the final worn shape, under some additional conditions, occurs to be universal for all types and loading and wear mechanisms. This universal form is determined solely by the radius of the permanent stick region and the maximum indentation depth during the loading cycle. We provide experimental evidence for the correctness of the theoretically predicted limiting shape. The existence of the universal limiting shape can be used for designing joints which are resistant to fretting wear

Antibodies to the endoplasmic reticulum-resident chaperones calnexin, BiP and Grp94 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus

Objectives. To investigate the presence of autoantibodies against mammalian chaperones of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in patients with RA and other immune-mediated diseases. Methods. Sera from healthy donors, from early RA patients with two follow-up samples, patients with SLE, SSc and IBD were collected and analysed for anti-ER chaperone antibodies. Detection of serum IgG antibodies against immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP), glucose-regulated protein 94 (Grp94) and calnexin was carried out using ELISA. The specificity of sera positive for individual ER chaperones was confirmed by immunoblotting. Statistical analysis was performed using Welch's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, partial correlation and Pearson's correlation. Results. In patients with RA and SLE, autoantibody titres against BiP, Grp94 and calnexin were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. These autoantibodies were detectable in patients with early RA and titres remained stable for at least 6-12 months. Also several SSc and IBD patients exhibited autoantibodies against these ER chaperones; however, titres and frequencies were lower than in RA or SLE patients. Furthermore, anti-calnexin antibodies correlated significantly with the presence of BiP and Grp94 autoantibodies in patients with RA and SLE. Conclusion. Calnexin and Grp94 were identified as novel autoantigens in RA and calnexin in SLE. Since calnexin, Grp94 and BiP are ER-resident proteins of eukaryotic cells, our data suggest that autoantibody generation against ER chaperones is independent of initial exposure to the corresponding bacterial chaperones; rather, ER chaperones may represent genuine autoantigen

National registry for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Germany (ReCoVery): a valuable mean to gain rapid and reliable knowledge of the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with IRD

Objectives: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be at risk to develop a severe course of COVID-19. The influence of immunomodulating drugs on the course of COVID-19 is unknown. To gather knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with IRD, we established a registry shortly after the beginning of the pandemic in Germany. Methods Using an online questionnaire (www.COVID19-rheuma.de.), a nationwide database was launched on 30 March 2020, with appropriate ethical and data protection approval to collect data of patients with IRD infected with SARS-CoV-2. In this registry, key clinical and epidemiological parameters-for example, diagnosis of IRD, antirheumatic therapies, comorbidities and course of the infection-are documented. Results Until 25 April 2020, data from 104 patients with IRD infected with SARS-CoV-2 were reported (40 males;63 females;1 diverse). Most of them (45%) were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, 59% had one or more comorbidities and 42% were treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Hospitalisation was reported in 32% of the patients. Two-thirds of the patients already recovered. Unfortunately, 6 patients had a fatal course. Conclusions: In a short time, a national registry for SARS-CoV2-infected patients with IRD was established. Within 4 weeks, 104 cases were documented. The registry enables to generate data rapidly in this emerging situation and to gain a better understanding of the course of SARS-CoV2-infection in patients with IRD, with a distinct focus on their immunomodulatory therapies. This knowledge is valuable for timely information of physicians and patients with IRD, and shall also serve for the development of guidance for the management of patients with IRD during this pandemic

A novel approach to model cumulative stress:Area under the s-factor curve

OBJECTIVE: Using a large longitudinal sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, the present study extended a recently developed hierarchical model to determine how best to model the accumulation of stressors, and to determine whether the rate of change in stressors or traditional composite scores of stressors are stronger predictors of health outcomes.METHOD: We used factor analysis to estimate a stress-factor score and then, to operationalize the accumulation of stressors we examined five approaches to aggregating information about repeated exposures to multiple stressors. The predictive validity of these approaches was then assessed in relation to different health outcomes.RESULTS: The prediction of chronic conditions, body mass index, difficulty with activities of daily living, executive function, and episodic memory later in life was strongest when the accumulation of stressors was modeled using total area under the curve (AUC) of estimated factor scores, compared to composite scores that have traditionally been used in studies of cumulative stress, as well as linear rates of change.CONCLUSIONS: Like endogenous, biological markers of stress reactivity, AUC for individual trajectories of self-reported stressors shows promise as a data reduction technique to model the accumulation of stressors in longitudinal studies. Overall, our results indicate that considering different quantitative models is critical to understanding the sequelae and predictive power of psychosocial stressors from midlife to late adulthood.</p

Eine neue Sensortechnik zur Messung von elektrischen Potentialprofilen der menschlichen Haut anAkupunkturpunkten

Introduction: From an electro-physiological point of view human skin shows an inhomogeneous pattern regarding its electrical resistance: in certain areas a decreased electrical resistance can be observed. It has been postulated that these areas correspond to acupuncture points. Subsequently, devices have been developed as detectors for acupuncture points which are used for diagnosis and treatment in acupuncture. However, most of these devices are inconsistent: they show a remarkable inaccuracy in their measurements and are poorly evaluated. Further analyses have shown that the measuring pens often used are subject to various disturbances such as pressure, angle of measurement, humidity of the skin, different thickness of stratum corneum of the skin and external disturbances such as temperature and humidity in the measuring room. Material and Methods: We present a new device for standardized measuring of electrical skin resistance. It consists of a field of 64 electrodes (measuring array) on a surface of 60 x 60 mm(2) and a distance of 8 mm between electrodes. For a more precise spatial resolution a field of 32 electrodes on a surface of 3.5 x 3.5 mm(2) with a distance of 0.65 mm is available. A high, precise, temporal resolution of electric potentials in human skin is realized by fast scanning of the electrodes. Technical details are described. Conclusions: First analyses of collected data show that reliable and valid measurements are possible. Using this device in a controlled and blinded study design will help elucidate the issue of altered skin resistance at acupuncture points and clarify if this phenomenon is unique at acupuncture points

Plantas daninhas na pós-colheita de milho nas várzeas do rio São Francisco, em Minas Gerais.

Realizou-se um estudo na região do Alto São Francisco, Minas Gerais, no final da safra agrícola 1997/1998, visando identificar as plantas daninhas que permanecem nas áreas após a colheita do milho e sua distribuição ao longo da área estudada, destacando-se as mais importantes. As observações foram realizadas em 12 municípios. Em cada local foi lançado, por cem vezes, um quadrado de 0,50 x 0,50 m, a espaços de 10 m. Dentro do quadrado foram contadas as espécies e registrado o número de indivíduos de cada uma delas. Foram encontradas 151 espécies em 35 famílias, sendo Asteraceae a mais bem representada, com 25 espécies. As espécies com maior Índice de Valor de mportância (IVI) foram: Ageratum conyzoides, Sida glaziovii, Conyza bonariensis, Gaya sp., Sida rhombifolia e Blainvillea biaristata. As plantas daninhas remanescentes nas áreas recém-colhidas são fonte de alimento para insetos polinizadores e inimigos naturais das pragas; adequadamente manejadas, elas podem favorecer a manutenção do equilíbrio nos agroecossistemas

Acute Ethanol Effects on Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Nonfasted Rats

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66417/1/j.1530-0277.1997.tb03832.x.pd

Effect of preemengence herbicides diclosulam and metolochlor for Sida rhombifolia control in soybean

Com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos dos herbicidas diclosulam e metolachlor, aplicados sozinhos ou em mistura, no controle em pré-emergência de S. rhombifolia na cultura da soja, foi instalado um experimento em Latossolo Roxo distrófico, em Londrina-PR, no ano agrícola 1996/97.0 delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram: diclosulama 25 e 35 g/ha, diclosulam +rnetolachlor a 25+ 1200,25+ 1800,35+ 1200 e 35+ 1800 g/ha e metolach1or a 1200, 1800 e 2400 g/ha. Como padrão foram utilizados chlorimuron + lactofen (12,5+ 96 g/ha) e testemunhas, com capina e sem capina. A cultivar BR-16 foi semeada em 05/12/96 e a aplicação foi realizada na mesma data, utilizando-se pulverizador costal pressurizado a CO2, equipado com barra de quatro bicos 110-02XP, pressão de 2,45 kg/cm- e volume de pulverização de 200 l/ha. Diclosulam + metolachlor e diclosulam sozinho, ambos na menor dose, controlaram satisfatoriamente a guanxuma, não diferindo estatisticamente dos tratamentos com as doses maiores. Metolachlor sozinho, nas maiores doses, apresentou nível de controle em torno de 80%, diferindo estatisticamente dos melhores tratamentos. Devido às condições climáticas adversas, o padrão chlorimuron + lactofen foi aplicado quando as plantas de guanxuma estavam com 4 a 12 folhas e 5 a 25 em de altura. Aos 49 dias após aplicação verificou-se 80% de controle, equivalendo ao tratamento com metolachlor a 2400 g/ha. A fitotoxicidade do diclosulam sozinho e em mistura com o metolachlor atingiu níveis de controle inferiores a 5%. Conclui-se que o diclosulam (25 g/ha) e diclosulam + metolachlor (25+ 1200 g/ha), controlaram eficientemente a guanxuma.An experiment was conducted on a Cerrado oxisol during 1996/97. The objective of experiment was to evaluate the effects of diclosulam and metolochlor alone or in combination, in preemergence control of Sida rhombifolia in soybean. The experimental design was a complete randomized block with four replications. Treatrnents were as follows: diclosulam at 25 and 35 g/ha, diclosulam + metolachlor at 25+1200,25+1800,35+1200 and 35+1800 g/ha, metolachlor at 1200,1800 and 2400 g/ha, and a tank mix of chlorimuron + lactofem at 1.5+96 g/ha used for comparison. A weedy and a weeded control were also included. Soybean seeds (BR-16 cultivar) were sowed December 5. 1996 and herbicides applied in the same day using a back sprayer, with four 110-02XP nozzles, operated at 2,45 kg/cm- to deliver 200 Ilha. Diclosulam and diclosulam + metolachlor at the smaller rates gave good control of S. rhombifolia, with no significant differences to the highest dosages. Metolachlor at 1800 and 2400 g/ha contralled about 80% of the weed. These results were significantly different frorn the results with diclosulam and diclosulam + metolochlor. Due to adverse climate condition in the area, chlorimuron + lactofen was applied when S. rhombifolia had 4-12 leaves and 5-25 em high. After 49 days chlorimuron + lactofen had controlled 80% of S. rhombifolia, wich was equal to metolachlor (2400 g/ha) results. Diclosulam and diclosulam + metolachlor gave less than 5% toxicity to soybean. lt was concluded that diclosulam at 25 g/ha and diclosulam + metolachlor at 25+ 1200 g/ha gave good control of S. rhombifolia