The multifaceted presentation of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis: a series of 486 cases from the Eurofever international registry

Objectives: Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) or chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is an autoinflammatory disorder characterized by sterile bone osteolytic lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic data and clinical, instrumental and therapeutic features at baseline in a large series of CNO/CRMO patients enrolled in the Eurofever registry. Methods: A web-based registry collected retrospective data on patients affected by CRMO/CNO. Both paediatric and adult centres were involved. Results: Complete baseline information on 486 patients was available (176 male, 310 female). The mean age of onset was 9.9 years. Adult onset (>18 years of age) was observed in 31 (6.3%) patients. The mean time from disease onset to final diagnosis was 1 year (range 0-15). MRI was performed at baseline in 426 patients (88%), revealing a mean number of 4.1 lesions. More frequent manifestations not directly related to bone involvement were myalgia (12%), mucocutaneous manifestations (5% acne, 5% palmoplantar pustulosis, 4% psoriasis, 3% papulopustular lesions, 2% urticarial rash) and gastrointestinal symptoms (8%). A total of 361 patients have been treated with NSAIDs, 112 with glucocorticoids, 61 with bisphosphonates, 58 with MTX, 47 with SSZ, 26 with anti-TNF and 4 with anakinra, with a variable response. Conclusion: This is the largest reported case series of CNO patients, showing that the range of associated clinical manifestations is rather heterogeneous. The study confirms that the disease usually presents with an early teenage onset, but it may also occur in adults, even in the absence of mucocutaneous manifestations

Biological Earth observation with animal sensors

Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmen-tal change

Gastric pharmacobezoars in quetiapine extended-release overdose: a case series

OBJECTIVE: Although extended-release (XR) formulations are recognized to bear some risk of pharmacobezoar formation in overdose, there are no previously documented reports of this phenomenon with quetiapine. We describe nine cases of pharmacobezoar formation in acute quetiapine XR overdose. METHODS: Observational case series of all patients who underwent gastroscopy after quetiapine XR overdose, which were reported by physicians to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre between January 2010 and December 2012, with detailed analysis of cases with documented pharmacobezoar. RESULTS: Gastric pharmacobezoars were detected in 9 out of 19 gastroscopic evaluations performed during the study period. All these patients ingested a large dose of quetiapine XR (10-61 tablets; 6-24.4 g quetiapine). All patients but one also coingested at least one other substance, and in three cases another XR drug formulation. Gastroscopic pharmacobezoar removal was achieved without complications in all patients, but was difficult due to the particular "gelatinous-sticky-pasty" consistency of the concretion. The subsequent clinical course was favorable. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of pharmacobezoar formation following a large quetiapine XR overdose should be considered, as this may influence acute patient management. Complete endoscopic pharmacobezoar removal may be a promising approach in selected cases, but further studies are needed to define its role

Very Slow Creep Tests on Salt Samples

The objective of this paper is to assess the creep law of natural salt in a small deviatoric stress range. In this range, creep is suspected to be much faster than what is predicted by most constitutive laws used in the cavern and mining industries. Five 2-year, multistage creep tests were performed with creep-testing devices set in a gallery of the Altaussee mine in Austria to take advantage of the very stable temperature and humidity conditions in this salt mine. Each stage was 8-month long. Dead loads were applied, and vertical displacements were measured through gages that had a resolution of 12.5 nm. Loading steps were 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 MPa, which are much smaller than the loads that are usually applied during creep tests (5–20 MPa). Five salt samples were used: two samples were cored from the Avery Island salt mine in Louisiana, United States; two samples were cored from the Gorleben salt mine in Germany; and one sample was cored from a deep borehole at Hauterives in Drôme, France. During these tests, transient creep is relatively long (6–10 months). Measured steady-state strain rates (ε˙ = 10 −13 –10 −12  s −1 ) are much faster (by 7–8 orders of magnitude) than those extrapolated from relatively high-stress tests (σ = 5–20 MPa). When compared to n = 5 within the high-stress domain for Gorleben and Avery Island salts, a power-law stress exponent within the low-stress domain appears to be close to n = 1. These results suggest that the pressure solution may be the dominant deformation mechanism in the steady-state regime reached by the tested samples and will have important consequences for the computation of caverns or mines behavior. This project was funded by the Solution-Mining Research Institute

Salt Creep: Transition Between the Low and High Stress Domains

International audienc

Very Slow Creep Tests on Salt Samples

The objective of this paper is to assess the creep law of natural salt in a small deviatoric stress range. In this range, creep is suspected to be much faster than what is predicted by most constitutive laws used in the cavern and mining industries. Five 2-year, multistage creep tests were performed with creep-testing devices set in a gallery of the Altaussee mine in Austria to take advantage of the very stable temperature and humidity conditions in this salt mine. Each stage was 8-month long. Dead loads were applied, and vertical displacements were measured through gages that had a resolution of 12.5 nm. Loading steps were 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 MPa, which are much smaller than the loads that are usually applied during creep tests (5–20 MPa). Five salt samples were used: two samples were cored from the Avery Island salt mine in Louisiana, United States; two samples were cored from the Gorleben salt mine in Germany; and one sample was cored from a deep borehole at Hauterives in Drôme, France. During these tests, transient creep is relatively long (6–10 months). Measured steady-state strain rates (ε˙ = 10 −13 –10 −12  s −1 ) are much faster (by 7–8 orders of magnitude) than those extrapolated from relatively high-stress tests (σ = 5–20 MPa). When compared to n = 5 within the high-stress domain for Gorleben and Avery Island salts, a power-law stress exponent within the low-stress domain appears to be close to n = 1. These results suggest that the pressure solution may be the dominant deformation mechanism in the steady-state regime reached by the tested samples and will have important consequences for the computation of caverns or mines behavior. This project was funded by the Solution-Mining Research Institute

A 1-phytase type III effector interferes with plant hormone signaling

Plant pathogens translocate type III effector (T3E) proteins that may be recognized by plants to trigger immunity. Here, the authors show that the Xanthomonas T3E XopH possesses a novel 1-phytase activity that is required for XopH-mediated immunity of plants carrying the Bs7 resistance gene