Bibliometric Analysis on Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles for Concentrating Solar Power Applications.

In recent years, supercritical CO2 power cycles have received a large amount of interest due to their exceptional theoretical conversion efficiency above 50%, which is leading a revolution in power cycle research. Furthermore, this high efficiency can be achieved at a moderate temperature level, thus suiting concentrating solar power (CSP) applications, which are seen as a core business within supercritical technologies. In this context, numerous studies have been published, creating the need for a thorough analysis to identify research areas of interest and the main researchers in the field. In this work, a bibliometric analysis of supercritical CO2 for CSP applications was undertaken considering all indexed publications within the Web of Science between 1990 and 2020. The main researchers and areas of interest were identified through network mapping and text mining techniques, thus providing the reader with an unbiased overview of sCO2 research activities. The results of the review were compared with the most recent research projects and programs on sCO2 for CSP applications. It was found that popular research areas in this topic are related to optimization and thermodynamics analysis, which reflects the significance of power cycle configuration and working conditions. Growing interest in medium temperature applications and the design of sCO2 heat exchangers was also identified through density visualization maps and confirmed by a review of research projects.

Improved prediction of knee osteoarthritis progression by genetic polymorphisms: the Arthrotest Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a genetic prognostic tool to predict radiographic progression towards severe disease in primary knee OA (KOA) patients. METHODS: This investigation was a cross-sectional, retrospective, multicentric association study in 595 Spanish KOA patients. Caucasian patients aged ≥40 years at the time of diagnosis of primary KOA of Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3 were included. Patients who progressed to Kellgren-Lawrence score 4 or who were referred for total knee replacement within 8 years after diagnosis were classified as progressors to severe disease. Clinical variables of the initial stages of the disease (gender, BMI, age at diagnosis, OA in the contralateral knee, and OA in other joints) were registered as potential predictors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms and clinical variables with an association of P < 0.05 were included in the multivariate analysis using forward logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 23 single nucleotide polymorphisms and the time of primary KOA diagnosis were significantly associated with KOA severe progression in the exploratory cohort (n = 220; P < 0.05). The predictive accuracy of the clinical variables was limited: area under the curve (AUC) = 0.66. When genetic variables were added to the clinical model (full model), the prediction of KOA progression was significantly improved (AUC = 0.82). Combining only genetic variables (rs2073508, rs10845493, rs2206593, rs10519263, rs874692, rs7342880, rs780094 and rs12009), a predictive model with good accuracy was also obtained (AUC = 0.78). The predictive ability for KOA progression of the full model was confirmed on the replication cohort (two-sample Z-test; n = 62; P = 0.190). CONCLUSION: An accurate prognostic tool to predict primary KOA progression has been developed based on genetic and clinical information from OA patients.

Coccydynia related to the use of a contraceptive vaginal ring. / Coccigodinia relacionada con uso de anillo vaginal anticonceptivo.

Coccydynia is a syndrome that rheumatologists encounter frequently in the form of tailbone pain, which is usually worse when sitting. Although the most common origin is trauma, there are several other possible causes of pain in the coccyx. We present an unusual case in which coccydynia developed shortly after the insertion of a contraceptive vaginal ring and remitted completely upon removal of this system.

Virtual reality in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a pilot study.

The aim of this article is to present preliminary data on the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as an adjunct to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM). The sample comprised six women diagnosed with FM according to the American College of Rheumatology guidelines (1990). The treatment program consisted of 10 sessions of group CBT with the support of an adaptive virtual environment containing a specific content for developing relaxation and mindfulness skills. Patients were assessed at pretreatment, post-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up for the following outcome variables: functional status related to pain, depression, a negative and positive affect, and coping skills. The results showed the long-term benefits of significantly reduced pain and depression and an increased positive affect and use of healthy coping strategies. This is the first study showing a preliminary utility of VR in treating FM.

Value of Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and DAS28-3 compared to American College of Rheumatology-defined remission in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the criteria for remission based on Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and DAS28-3 (excluding patients' evaluation of disease activity) compared to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) preliminary criteria in established rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to examine the value of each ACR criterion individually. METHODS: The EMECAR study was designed to assess the burden of comorbidity and inflammatory activity for RA in Spain. A random sample of 788 patients with RA from 34 Spanish centers was selected. Remission was defined by preliminary ACR criteria applied specifically and the clinical activity assessed by the DAS28 and the DAS28-3. A receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was performed to identify cutoff values with the highest usefulness in defining remission on both DAS indices. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (4.1%) were in ACR-defined remission, 62 (7.9%) if fatigue was excluded from the criteria. The frequency of any single criterion that patients in remission fulfilled: no fatigue and joint pain by anamnesis in 31 patients (96.9%); morning stiffness < 15 min in 26 (81.3%); no swelling in joints in 21 (65.6%); normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in 29 (90.6%); and no joint tenderness in 21 (65.6%) patients. The positive predictive value for remission of each criterion: normal ESR 6.5%; morning stiffness < 15 min 8.4%; no fatigue 8.7%; no joint tenderness 13%; no swelling in joints 15.8%; and no joint pain by anamnesis 27.7%. The DAS28 cutoff values with higher discriminatory power for remission were 3.14 (sensitivity 87%; specificity 67%) when all the ACR criteria were used, and 2.81 (sensitivity 84%; specificity 81%) when fatigue was omitted. The equivalent cutoffs for the DAS28-3 were 3.52 (sensitivity 84%; specificity 66%) and 2.95 (sensitivity 82%; specificity 83%), respectively. CONCLUSION: DAS28 and DAS28-3 are good tools to define remission in established RA. No joint pain by anamnesis is the criterion with the highest value in defining remission, while normal ESR, an absence of morning stiffness, and fatigue are the least effective.

Increased risk of tuberculosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the risk of tuberculosis (TB) in an unselected sample of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to the risk in the general population. METHODS: The incidence of TB in the general population of Spain was obtained from the National Network of Epidemiological Surveillance reports. The incidence of TB was ascertained from a cohort of 788 patients with RA selected randomly from the registries of 34 participating centers throughout Spain. A patient was considered a TB case only if information about disease symptoms, microorganism identification, and TB treatment were confirmed in the clinical records. The relative risk of TB in RA was calculated by dividing the standardized mean incidence of TB from 1990 to 2000 in the RA cohort by the mean incidence of TB in Spain during the same years. RESULTS: The mean incidence of TB in the general population of Spain from 1990 to 2000 was 23 cases per 100,000. Seven cases of TB were identified in the RA cohort, yielding a mean annual incidence (1990-2000) of 134/100,000 patients. The incidence risk ratio of pulmonary TB in patients with RA compared to the general population is 3.68 (95% CI 2.36-5.92). CONCLUSION: We found a 4-fold increased risk of TB infection in patients diagnosed with RA. These results might help to interpret the magnitude of the problem attributable to the introduction of new therapies in RA.