Obstructive Sleep Apnea During Pregnancy – Myth or Functional Condition with Potentially Serious Complications

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) during pregnancy covers a diverse spectrum of pathological conditions provoked by physiological changes in maternal organism and growing fetus. Most of the symptoms (sleepiness, fatigue, vomiting, snoring, obstructed nasal breathing, etc.) are considered to be „normally“-related to the physiological changes during pregnancy. In fact, that subtle complains could be a harbinger of more complex disorders, which could remain neglected and undiagnosed by the consulting obstetric and gynecology specialist or primary physician. In view of the potential serious complications related to the SDB during pregnancy it is essential to consider even the mild complains of the pregnant woman as prospective alarming symptoms. Interdisciplinary consultation with otorhinolaryngologist and subsequent detailed polysomnographic study are essential for proper diagnosis in order to avoid possible life threatening complications

Created-by-current states in long Josephson junctions

Critical curves "critical current - external magnetic field" of long Josephson junctions with inhomogeneity and variable width are studied. We demonstrate the existence of the regions of magnetic field where some fluxon states are stable only, if the external current through the junction is different from zero. Position and size of such regions depend on length of the junction, its geometry, parameters of inhomogeneity and form of the junction. The noncentral (left and right) pure fluxon states are appeared in the inhomogeneous Josephson junction with increase in the junction length. We demonstrate new bifurcation points with change in width of the inhomogeneity and amplitude of the Josephson current through the inhomogeneity.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure