Imbuia multissecular: caracterização morfológica das fibras da madeira de Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart.) Barroso no sentido radial

The objective of the present study was to execute the morphological evaluation of the fibers of the imbuia wood (Ocotea porosa), along the growth layers of an ancient imbuia tree. The sample used was rescued in 2018 from an illegal cut and donated to UFSC by the Environmental Military Police of Santa Catarina state. A disc was removed at a height of 2.3 m, and the complete series of growth from pitch to bark was measured. The sample was dated with other living trees in its first 91 years by the collaborating researchers, they concluded that the sample had 533 years old in a 95 cm of ray. From this, a radial shape of the disc was removed, which was marked in portions every 10% in the pitch-bark direction (0% = close to the pitch, 100% = close to the bark), totaling 11 positions. Each sample was submitted to maceration process, aiming the individualization of the fibers to measure the dimensions of length, width, lumen diameter and wall thickness, as well as the anatomical indicators of wall fraction, flexibility coefficient, felting index and Runkel index. The tree showed an oscillating growth rate throughout its life, which was evidenced by the different number of rings in the sampled radial portions, indicating slower growth periods and others accelerated. The dimensions of the fibers and the anatomical indicators varied significantly in the radial direction (pitch-bark), with the exception of the lumen diameter and the felting index. Studies with ancient or old trees are rare, so such evaluations make it possible to know a little more about one of the most relevant species in southern Brazil.O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar a avaliação morfológica das fibras da madeira de imbuia (Ocotea porosa) ao longo das camadas de crescimento de uma árvore multissecular. A amostra utilizada foi resgatada em 2018 de um corte ilegal e doada à UFSC pela Polícia Militar Ambiental de Santa Catarina. Foi retirado um disco a 2,3 m de altura, sendo medida a série completa de crescimento da medula à casca. A amostra foi datada com outras árvores vivas nos seus primeiros 91 anos por pesquisadores colaboradores que concluíram que esta apresenta 533 anos em um raio de 95 cm. A partir disso, retirou-se uma bagueta radial do disco, que foi marcada em porções a cada 10% no sentido medula-casca (0% = próximo à medula, 100% = próximo à casca), totalizando 11 posições. Cada uma dessas porções foi submetida ao processo de maceração, visando à individualização das fibras para mensuração das dimensões de comprimento, largura, diâmetro do lúmen e espessura da parede celular, bem como dos indicadores anatômicos de fração parede, coeficiente de flexibilidade, índice de enfeltramento e índice de Runkel. A árvore apresentou um ritmo de crescimento oscilante ao longo de sua vida, o que se constatou pelos diferentes números de anéis nas porções radiais amostradas, indicando períodos de crescimento mais lento e outros mais acelerados. As dimensões das fibras e os indicadores anatômicos variaram de forma significativa no sentido radial (medula-casca), com exceção do diâmetro do lúmen e do índice de enfeltramento. Estudos com árvores centenárias ou multisseculares são raros, assim, tais avaliações possibilitam conhecer um pouco mais sobre uma das espécies mais relevantes do sul do Brasil

Images in clinical medicine: gouty arthritis with osteomyelitis

Gout is one of the most common inflammatory arthropathies, characterized by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the synovial membrane, articular cartilage and periarticular tissues and leading to inflammation. The natural history of articular gout is typically composed of four periods: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, episodes of acute attacks of gout (acute gouty arthritis) with asymptomatic intervals (intercritical gout), and chronic tophaceous gout. Tophi develop in 12-35% of gouty patients without adequate control of uricemia. Initially, they do not cause significant complaints or function limitation of the nearby joints. However, if they become larger, joint instability and movement range limitation, joint function impairment and bone erosions and infection at the sites of their penetration can develop.We report a case of a poorly controlled polyarticular tophaceous gout complicated by osteomyelitis

Laboratory assessment in patients with suspected rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases: challenges, pitfalls and perspectives

Current patient care in rheumatology relies primarily on a combination of traditional clinical assessment and standard laboratory tests. Investigators seek to discover new biomarkers and novel technologies such as the 'omics' boosted the research in this field. Mechanistic biomarkers such as cytokines, cell types, antibodies, signaling molecules, are rooted in the mechanism underlying the disease and can guide the clinical management of the disease. Conversely, descriptive biomarkers are byproducts of the disease process, depict the state of a disease but are not involved in its pathogenesis. In this article we reviewed the field of common laboratory biomarkers in rheumatology, highlighting both their descriptive or mechanistic value as well as their role in clinical practice

Scaling exponents and probability distributions of DNA end-to-end distance

The scaling of the average gyration radius of polymers as a function of their length can be experimentally determined from ensemble measurements, such as light scattering, and agrees with analytical estimates. Ensemble techniques, yet, do not give access to the full probability distributions. Single molecule techniques, instead, can deliver information on both average quantities and distribution functions. Here we exploit the high resolution of atomic force microscopy over long DNA molecules adsorbed on a surface to measure the average end-to-end distance as a function of the DNA length, and its full distribution function. We find that all the scaling exponents are close to the predicted 3D values (nu=0.589 +/- 0.006 and delta=2.58 +/- 0.77). These results suggest that the adsorption process is akin to a geometric projection from 3D to 2D, known to preserve the scaling properties of fractal objects of dimension d(f)< 2

A Review of Known and Hypothetical Transmission Routes for Noroviruses

Human noroviruses (NoVs) are considered a worldwide leading cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis. Due to a combination of prolonged shedding of high virus levels in feces, virus particle shedding during asymptomatic infections, and a high environmental persistence, NoVs are easily transmitted pathogens. Norovirus (NoV) outbreaks have often been reported and tend to affect a lot of people. NoV is spread via feces and vomit, but this NoV spread can occur through several transmission routes. While person-to-person transmission is without a doubt the dominant transmission route, human infective NoV outbreaks are often initiated by contaminated food or water. Zoonotic transmission of NoV has been investigated, but has thus far not been demonstrated. The presented review aims to give an overview of these NoV transmission routes. Regarding NoV person-to-person transmission, the NoV GII. 4 genotype is discussed in the current review as it has been very successful for several decades but reasons for its success have only recently been suggested. Both pre-harvest and post-harvest contamination of food products can lead to NoV food borne illness. Pre-harvest contamination of food products mainly occurs via contact with polluted irrigation water in case of fresh produce or with contaminated harvesting water in case of bivalve molluscan shellfish. On the other hand, an infected food handler is considered as a major cause of post-harvest contamination of food products. Both transmission routes are reviewed by a summary of described NoV food borne outbreaks between 2000 and 2010. A third NoV transmission route occurs via water and the spread of NoV via river water, ground water, and surface water is reviewed. Finally, although zoonotic transmission remains hypothetical, a summary on the bovine and porcine NoV presence observed in animals is given and the presence of human infective NoV in animals is discussed. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York

Systematic review of pre-clinical models assessing implant integration in locally compromised sites and/or systemically compromised animals

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to systematically search the dental literature for pre-clinical models assessing implant integration in locally compromised sites (part 1) and systemically compromised animals (part 2), and to evaluate the quality of reporting of included publications. METHODS: A Medline search (1966-2011) was performed, complimented by additional hand searching. The quality of reporting of the included publications was evaluated using the 20 items of the ARRIVE (Animals in Research In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. RESULTS: One-hundred and seventy-six (part 1; mean ARRIVE score = 15.6 ± 2.4) and 104 (part 2; 16.2 ± 1.9) studies met the inclusion criteria. The overall mean score for all included studies amounted to 15.8 ± 2.2. Housing (38.3%), allocation of animals (37.9%), numbers analysed (50%) and adverse events (51.4%) of the ARRIVE guidelines were the least reported. Statistically significant differences in mean ARRIVE scores were found depending on the publication date (p < 0.05), with the highest score of 16.7 ± 1.6 for studies published within the last 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: A large number of studies met the inclusion criteria. The ARRIVE scores revealed heterogeneity and missing information for selected items in more than 50% of the publications. The quality of reporting shifted towards better-reported pre-clinical trials within recent years