Trimester-specific reference intervals for thyroid function parameters in pregnant Caucasian women using Roche platforms: a prospective study

Background: Standard thyroid function parameters reference intervals (RI) are unsuitable during pregnancy, potentially resulting in incongruous treatments that may cause adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes. We aimed at defining trimester-specific TSH, FT4 and FT3 RI, using samples longitudinally collected from healthy Caucasian women. Materials and methods: Blood samples from 150 healthy Caucasian women, who had a physiological gestation and a healthy newborn at term, were collected in each trimester and at around six months post-partum. They showed mild iodine deficiency. After excluding women with overt TSH abnormalities (> 10 mU/L) and/or TPO antibodies, data from 139 pregnant women were analyzed by means of widely used Roche platforms, and TSH, FT4 and FT3 trimester-specific RI were calculated. Post-partum data were available for 55 subjects. Results: Serum TSH RI were 0.34-3.81 mU/L in the first trimester, and changed slightly to 0.68-4.07 U/L and 0.63-4.00 mU/L in the second and third trimester, respectively. Conversely, both FT4 and FT3 concentrations progressively decreased during pregnancy, the median values in the third trimester being 14.8% and 13.2% lower, respectively, than in the first trimester. Thyroid function parameters in the first trimester were similar to those measured after the end of pregnancy. Conclusions: This study calculates trimester-specific RI for thyroid function parameters in pregnancy, and proposes the reference limits that should be adopted when using Roche platforms in Caucasian women

Optical microrheology using rotating laser-trapped particles

We demonstrate an optical system that can apply and accurately measure the torque exerted by the trapping beam on a rotating birefringent probe particle. This allows the viscosity and surface effects within liquid media to be measured quantitatively on a micron-size scale using a trapped rotating spherical probe particle. We use the system to measure the viscosity inside a prototype cellular structure.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. v2: bibliographic details, minor text correction

Strain Effects on Point Defects and Chain-Oxygen Order-Disorder Transition in 123-Structure Cuprate Superconductors

The energetics of Schottky defects in 123 cuprate superconductor series, $\rm REBa_2Cu_3O_7$ (where RE = lanthandies) and $\rm YAE_2Cu_3O_7$ (AE = alkali-earths), were found to have unusual relations if one considers only the volumetric strain. Our calculations reveal the effect of non-uniform changes of interatomic distances within the RE-123 structures, introduced by doping homovalent elements, on the Schottky defect formation energy. The energy of formation of Frenkel Pair defects, which is an elementary disordering event, in 123 compounds can be substantially altered under both stress and chemical doping. Scaling the oxygen-oxygen short-range repulsive parameter using the calculated formation energy of Frenkel pair defects, the transition temperature between orthorhombic and tetragonal phases is computed by quasi-chemical approximations (QCA). The theoretical results illustrate the same trend as the experimental measurements in that the larger the ionic radius of RE, the lower the orthorhombic/tetragonal phase transition temperature. This study provides strong evidence of the strain effects on order-disorder transition due to oxygens in the CuO chain sites.Comment: In print Phys Rev B (2004

Correlations of visual scores and ultrasound carcass traits with economically relevant traits in Nellore cattle.

T17

Borrelia Lyme Group

Borreliaceae is a family of the phylum Spirochaetales and includes two genera, Borrelia and Cristispira genus. Borrelia genus is divided into three groups, namely Lyme group (LG), Echidna‐Reptile group (REPG) and Relapsing Fever group (RFG). All Borrelia species have an obligate parasitic lifestyle, as they depend on their hosts for most of their nutritional needs. Borreliæ are transmitted among vertebrate hosts by arthropod vectors (ticks and lice). Transtadial transmission within their carriers occurs for the Borreliæ RF Group, while this does not (or rarely occurs) for the Borreliæ Lyme Group. Phylogenetic data demonstrated that these two groups are genetically similar but distinct, forming independent clades sharing a common ancestor. In nature, the vectors of LB belong to the genus Ixodes spp. frequently found in the Northern Hemisphere, while the vectors of RF are usually the soft-ticks (Ornithodoros spp.). Borreliae share a unique genomic structure consisting of a single highly conserved linear chromosome and several linear and circular extrachromosomal plasmids which can vary widely between strains. In addition to Lyme and RF borreliosis, an intermediate group, called Echidna-Reptile borreliosis, has recently been identified. Lyme disease (LD) is caused by the spirochæte Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and transmitted to humans by the bite of a hard tick of the genus Ixodes, and LD reservoir are usually small rodents. LD is present in America, Eurasia, Africa, while its presence in Australia is not yet well documented. Not all Borreliæ Lyme Groups cause this disease in humans. Of the 23 Borreliæ burgdorferi s.l. currently known only 9 have been identified in human infection, namely Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B. bavarensis, B. bissettii, B. garinii, B. lusitaniae, B. spielmani, B. valaisiana, and B. mayonii. LD is an organotropic infection, but there is also a spirochætemic form, caused by Borrelia mayonii, which gives fever similarly to the Borreliosis RF Group. A third variant of LD is Baggio-Yoshinari Syndrome (BYS), which is transmitted by another hard tick, Amblyomma cajennense. This Borrelia has not been isolated in culture, therefore its membership in the Lyme Group is not yet proven. All three of these Sub-Groups can manifest early with erythema migrans. Clinical features of LD are wide and variable, with clinical manifestations linked to distinct tissue tropisms of specific Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. genospecies. The early infection is localized and, in the absence of treatment, the spirochete can spread. The organs most frequently involved are skin, joints, muscles, nervous system, heart and eyes. B. burgdorferi s.s. is more often associated with Lyme arthritis, Borrelia garinii with neuroborreliosis and B. afzelii with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans

Projectile Δ\Delta and target-Roper excitation in the p (d, d')X reaction

In this paper we compare a model that contains the mechanisms of $\Delta$ excitation in the projectile and Roper excitation in the target with experimental data from two (d, d') experiments on a proton target. The agreement of the theory with the experiment is fair for the data taken at T_d = 2.3 GeV. The $\Delta$ excitation in the projectile is predicted close to the observed energy with the correct width. The theory, however, underpredicts by about 40% the cross sections measured at T_d = 1.6 GeV at angles where the cross section has fallen by about two orders of magnitude. The analysis done here allows to extract an approximate strength for the excitation of the Roper [N^*(1440)] excitation and a qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions is also found.Comment: 8 ps figure

Genotypic and allelic frequencies of gene polymorphisms associated with meat tenderness in Nellore beef cattle.

The objectives of this study were to characterize the allelic and genotypic frequencies of polymorphisms in the μ-calpain and calpastatin genes, and to assess their association with meat tenderness and animal growth in Nellore cattle. We evaluated 605 Nellore animals at 24 months of age, on average, at slaughter. The polymorphisms were determined for the molecular markers CAPN316, CAPN530, CAPN4751, CAPN4753, and UOGACAST1. Analyses of meat tenderness at 7, 14, and 21 days of maturation were performed in samples of longissimus thoracis obtained between the 12th and 13th rib and sheared using a Warner Bratzler Shear Force. Significant effects were observed for meat tenderness at days 7, 14, and 21 of maturation for the marker CAPN4751, at day 21 for the marker CAPN4753, and at days 14 and 21 for the marker UOGCAST1. For genotypic combinations of markers, the results were significant for the combination CAPN4751/UOGCAST1 in the three maturation periods and CAPN4753/UOGCAST1 at days 14 and 21 of maturation

Information sharing and credit : firm-level evidence from transition countries

We investigate whether information sharing among banks has affected credit market performance in the transition countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, using a large sample of firm-level data. Our estimates show that information sharing is associated with improved availability and lower cost of credit to firms. This correlation is stronger for opaque firms than transparent ones and stronger in countries with weak legal environments than in those with strong legal environments. In cross-sectional estimates, we control for variation in country-level aggregate variables that may affect credit, by examining the differential impact of information sharing across firm types. In panel estimates, we also control for the presence of unobserved heterogeneity at the firm level, as well as for changes in macroeconomic variables and the legal environment

THE COST STRUCTURE OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Microfinance institutions are important, particularly in developing countries, because they expand the frontier of financial intermediation by providing loans to those traditionally excluded from formal financial markets. This paper presents the first systematic statistical examination of the performance of MFIs operating in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. A cost function is estimated for MFIs in the region from 1999-2004. First, the presence of subsidies is found to be associated with higher MFI costs. When output is measured as the number of loans made, we find that MFIs become more efficient over time and that MFIs involved in the provision of group loans and loans to women have lower costs. However, when output is measured as volume of loans rather than their number, this last finding is reversed. This may be due to the fact that such loans are smaller in size; thus for a given volume more loans must be made.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40195/3/wp809.pd

A Relativistic Thomas-Fermi Description of Collective Modes in Droplets of Nuclear Matter

Isoscalar collective modes in a relativistic meson-nucleon system are investigated in the framework of the time-dependent Thomas-Fermi method. The energies of the collective modes are determined by solving consistently the dispersion relations and the boundary conditions. The energy weighted sum rule satisfied by the model allows the identification of the giant ressonances. The percentage of the energy weighted sum rule exhausted by the collective modes is in agreement with experimental data, but the energies come too high.Comment: 21 pages (RevTex) and 2 postscript figures as a compressed uuencode fil