One year in review: ultrasound in arthritis

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) has become a relevant part of rheumatology practice and research because it substantially allows us to optimize management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. This non-invasive imaging modality is a valuable point-of-care tool to accurately evaluate intra-articular and periarticular structures involved in a wide range of rheumatic diseases in adults and children. In addition, MSUS is an invaluable bedside aid for guiding accurate and safe musculoskeletal aspirations, injections and biopsies. This review provides an overview of the literature of the last year on the role of MSUS in arthritis

La Economía en evolución : invento y configuración de la economía en los siglos XVIII y XIX y sus consecuencias actuales

Los orígenes del pensamiento económico moderno hay que buscarlos en los siglos XVIII y XIX, en el seno de la fisiocracia y de la economía clásica. Desde aquellos tiempos, el pensamiento económico ha ido evolucionando junto a la política, la ecología y otras disciplinas afines. El sistema político democrático ha forjado, con el tiempo, los valores de la economía liberal. Ésta, sin embargo, está llena de contradicciones naturales que llevan hacia la degeneración del sistema. Conceptos como «libertad» y «propiedad» se contradicen. Desgraciadamente, el concepto de propiedad es indiscutible para el liberalismo. Esto ha llevado hacia el surgimiento del neoliberalismo, que ha hecho que el enfrentamiento se impusiera sobre la cooperación, y la extracción depredadora, sobre la producción renovable. Naredo propone posibles alternativas para poner fin a la degradación constante de la sociedad a la cual nos lleva el neoliberalismo: revisar la teoría de la propiedad y el marco institucional que la regula.Els orígens del pensament econòmic modern cal cercar-los en els segles XVIII i XIX, en el si de la fisiocràcia i de l'economia clàssica. D'aleshores ençà, el pensament econòmic ha anat evolucionant de bracet amb la política, l'ecologia i altres disciplines afins. El sistema polític democràtic ha forjat, amb el temps, els valors de l'economia liberal. Aquesta, però, està plena de contradiccions naturals que porten cap a la degeneració del sistema. Conceptes com ara «llibertat» i «propietat» es contradiuen. Malauradament, el concepte de propietat és indiscutible per al liberalisme. Això ha portat cap al sorgiment del neoliberalisme, que ha fet que l'enfrontament s'imposés sobre la cooperació, i l'extracció depredadora, sobre la producció renovable. Naredo proposa possibles alternatives per posar fi a la degradació constant de la societat vers la qual ens porta el neoliberalisme: revisar la teoria de la propietat i el marc institucional que la regula.Tracing the evolution of the economy as a science since the very moment of its birth, this autor propounds a revision of the concept of property and of its institutional regulation

Presión inmobiliaria y destrucción de sistemas agrarios y suelos de calidad. El ejemplo de la Comunidad de Madrid

This paper analyses the joint evolution of the urban and agricultural systems in the community of Madrid. The study is based on the information obtained directly with the interpretation of aerial photograph in 1956, 1980 and 2005. This has made possible to crate a geographic system of information very appropriate to obtain cartographic and statistical information about the evolution and quality of the agricultural land. The scale of the work is 1:25.000. The text analyzes this evolution, pointing out the key factors of the tendencies and processes observed in the period of time. It analyzes in depth the events occurred from 1930 to 2005, giving more detailed information about the quality and use of the involved agricultural land. In conclusion, it can be said that the introduction of the model of urban sprawl speeded up the destruction of good quality agricultural land, and the disorganization of the agricultural systems in the last period of time analyzed (1980-2005). This has been influenced by the last two building booms that have taken place in Madrid. This work is much more significant than a mere regional study, since it has established the rules of behaviour that have defined the interaction of the urban systems with the surrounding urban areas in Spain

Presión inmobiliaria y destrucción de sistemas agrarios y suelos de calidad. El ejemplo de la Comunidad de Madrid

This paper analyses the joint evolution of the urban and agricultural systems in the community of Madrid. The study is based on the information obtained directly with the interpretation of aerial photograph in 1956, 1980 and 2005. This has made possible to crate a geographic system of information very appropriate to obtain cartographic and statistical information about the evolution and quality of the agricultural land. The scale of the work is 1:25.000. The text analyzes this evolution, pointing out the key factors of the tendencies and processes observed in the period of time. It analyzes in depth the events occurred from 1930 to 2005, giving more detailed information about the quality and use of the involved agricultural land. In conclusion, it can be said that the introduction of the model of urban sprawl speeded up the destruction of good quality agricultural land, and the disorganization of the agricultural systems in the last period of time analyzed (1980-2005). This has been influenced by the last two building booms that have taken place in Madrid. This work is much more significant than a mere regional study, since it has established the rules of behaviour that have defined the interaction of the urban systems with the surrounding urban areas in Spain.Community of Madrid, building boom, urban systems, agricultural systems, urban sprawl

Crítica y revisión de las series históricas de renta nacional de la postguerra

En este trabajo se va a señalar cuáles son las principales incoherencias que se observan en las series del PNB español durante los últimos cincuenta años, tratando de analizar después sus posibles explicaciones. Finalmente, se ofrece -a partir de hipótesis de trabajo más razonables- una serie revisada sin más pretensión que la de evitar tales incoherencias y propiciar la discusión y el análisis sobre el tema que esperamos conduzcan a estimaciones más fundadas

Sobre la evolución de los balances energéticos de la agricultura española, 1950-2000

On the one hand, this article reviews the works presented on energetic analysis of Spanish agrarian systems since the 80's and, at the same time, we emphasize the originality and validity of those texts. On the other hand, we update to 2000 the estimates of the energy balance tor Spanish agriculture as a whole showing how the loss of energetic efficiency of agriculture has increased in the 90s. As a result of it, we have an agriculture with a growing and continuous dependence 01 energy, and not only due to the increasing use of machinery and fertilizers, but also because 01 the growing energy demand supported by electricity and petroleum, and related to the indiscriminate extension of the irrigable land with independence of the hydrological conditions of the territory

Las investigaciones sobre el mercado negro de productos agrarios en la postguerra: situación actual y perspectivas

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How does a cadaver model work for testing ultrasound diagnostic capability for rheumatic-like tendon damage?

To establish whether a cadaver model can serve as an effective surrogate for the detection of tendon damage characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, we evaluated intraobserver and interobserver agreement in the grading of RA-like tendon tears shown by US, as well as the concordance between the US findings and the surgically induced lesions in the cadaver model. RA-like tendon damage was surgically induced in the tibialis anterior tendon (TAT) and tibialis posterior tendon (TPT) of ten ankle/foot fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens. Of the 20 tendons examined, six were randomly assigned a surgically induced partial tear; six a complete tear; and eight left undamaged. Three rheumatologists, experts in musculoskeletal US, assessed from 1 to 5 the quality of US imaging of the cadaveric models on a Likert scale. Tendons were then categorized as having either no damage, (0); partial tear, (1); or complete tear (2). All 20 tendons were blindly and independently evaluated twice, over two rounds, by each of the three observers. Overall, technical performance was satisfactory for all items in the two rounds (all values over 2.9 in a Likert scale 1-5). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement for US grading of tendon damage was good (mean κ values 0.62 and 0.71, respectively), with greater reliability found in the TAT than the TPT. Concordance between US findings and experimental tendon lesions was acceptable (70-100 %), again greater for the TAT than for the TPT. A cadaver model with surgically created tendon damage can be useful in evaluating US metric properties of RA tendon lesions

Scoring ultrasound synovitis in Rheumatoid Arthritis: a EULAR-OMERACT Ultrasound Taskforce–Part 2: reliability and application to multiple joints of a standardized consensus-based scoring system

Objectives: To test the reliability of new ultrasound (US) definitions and quantification of synovial hypertrophy (SH) and power Doppler (PD) signal, separately and in combination, in a range of joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the European League Against Rheumatisms–Outcomes Measures in Rheumatology (EULAR-OMERACT) combined score for PD and SH. Methods: A stepwise approach was used: (1) scoring static images of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints in a web-based exercise and subsequently when scanning patients; (2) scoring static images of wrist, proximal interphalangeal joints, knee and metatarsophalangeal joints in a web-based exercise and subsequently when scanning patients using different acquisitions (standardised vs usual practice). For reliability, kappa coefficients (κ) were used. Results: Scoring MCP joints in static images showed substantial intraobserver variability but good to excellent interobserver reliability. In patients, intraobserver reliability was the same for the two acquisition methods. Interobserver reliability for SH (κ=0.87) and PD (κ=0.79) and the EULAR-OMERACT combined score (κ=0.86) were better when using a ‘standardised’ scan. For the other joints, the intraobserver reliability was excellent in static images for all scores (κ=0.8–0.97) and the interobserver reliability marginally lower. When using standardised scanning in patients, the intraobserver was good (κ=0.64 for SH and the EULAR-OMERACT combined score, 0.66 for PD) and the interobserver reliability was also good especially for PD (κ range=0.41–0.92). Conclusion: The EULAR-OMERACT score demonstrated moderate-good reliability in MCP joints using a standardised scan and is equally applicable in non-MCP joints. This scoring system should underpin improved reliability and consequently the responsiveness of US in RA clinical trials