In cold-formed steel members under tension and connected with bolts, the resistance capacity of the net section should be calculated, taking into account the shear lag phenomenon. This is done through the net section reduction coefficient, C _t . Different Standards show different equations for C _t . In this work, experimental laboratory data of cold-formed steel angles from the authors are used for the evaluation of the accuracy of the predictions of the net section capacity of members under tension. Such predictions are given by the equations of AISI, Eurocode-3, Brazilian standard NBR 14762, and also by a predictive equation previously proposed by the authors. The paper shows how each equation predicts the tension member resistance capacity in front of the experimental data. Most of the equations in the design standards have good predictions when more sections of the steel angles are connected. The results show that the AISI standard presented the best resistance capacity prediction and lower standard deviations of the output response upon uncertainty.

To avoid the intrinsic difficulties regarding the characterization of wood (i.e., different applications in different directions), various normative documents present the relationships between properties; the Brazilian standard is of particular interest in this regard, because Brazil has a huge diversity of tree species from tropical forests, usually used in construction. In view of this, this research aimed to propose a new list of properties to be inserted in future versions of the Brazilian standards in order to help identify the species shear strength. It is expected that there is a correlation between the characteristic values of flexural strength (f_m,k) and shear strength in the direction parallel to the wood fibers (f_v,0,k), leading to models that make it possible to estimate one of the properties if the other is known, which was the main objective of this research. After finding a strong correlation between the properties, various regression models were evaluated. It can be concluded that the linear model composed only by the angular coefficient (equation with only one variable) presented a determination coefficient of 76.45%, which shows the good precision achieved in the estimation of one of the two variables compared if the other is known. Additionally, an attempt was made to define which probability distribution represents the resistance data by applying maximum likelihood (MLE), concluding that there is little difference between the representation by the normal distribution and the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. Another approach was to define the undermining coefficient to ensure the reliability of the prediction equation by the experiment-based calibration methodology defined by Eurocode.

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by female predominance with male to female ratio around 1:10. Differences regarding clinical manifestations, disease activity, damage and mortality between men and women with SLE have been reported. Overall it is recognized that gender may affect SLE phenotype, but results concerning disease severity and prognosis are still a matter of debate. Objectives Characterization of Portuguese SLE male patients, focusing demographic, clinical, and laboratorial features. Methods All SLE patients from the Portuguese Lupus Register, Reuma.pt/LES were included. Demographic, clinical and therapeutic data were analyzed upon records from the last visit. Student t-tests, chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare male and female patients. Analyses were further adjusted to age and disease duration. Results Of the 1510 SLE patients registered in Reuma.pt/LES, 122 (8%) are men. Male patients had later onset (39.4±20.6y vs 35.6±14.1y; p=0.005) and shorter disease duration (10.7±7.6y vs 14.1±9.0 y; p=0.0001). Mean current age, racial distribution and education level was similar in the two groups. Serositis, renal involvement and hemolytic anemia were more prevalent in men while, photosensitivity, alopecia, oral ulcers and arthritis were more commonly found in women (Table 1). Thyroid disease was more frequent in women (11.4 vs 2.3%). Cardiovascular risk factors had a similar distribution between these groups. Accumulated damage assessed by the SLICC damage index (SDI) and disease activity, assessed by SLEDAI-2K at last visit were similar in the two groups, with adjustment to age and disease duration. Antimalarial drugs and steroids were used more frequently in women. Characteristics of SLE in male and female patients Conclusions Male patients with SLE are older at disease onset and present a distinct phenotype with less cutaneous, mucous membranes and articular manifestations. However, disease outcome evaluated by the SDI is comparable in men and women, which is in line with observations from other European cohorts. The acknowledgement of the effect of gender on disease manifestations may help physicians in the timely introduction of an appropriate care. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4615