Longitudinal Reference Intervals For Doppler Velocimetric Parameters Of The Fetal Renal Artery Correlated With Amniotic Fluid Index Among Low-risk Pregnancies

Objective: To establish longitudinal reference intervals for pulsatility index (PI) and systolic velocity (SV) of the fetal renal artery, and to evaluate their correlation with the amniotic fluid index (AR). Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among women with low-risk pregnancies who attended outpatient clinics at the University of Campinas Medical School, Brazil, at 16-19 weeks of pregnancy between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2010. Doppler velocimetric measurements of the fetal renal artery and assessments of the AFI were undertaken at 4-week intervals to 36 weeks, and every 2 weeks thereafter until delivery. Results: A total of 63 women were enrolled. The PI of the fetal renal artery showed little variation during pregnancy, whereas SV values increased to 36-37 weeks of pregnancy and decreased thereafter. No correlations were found between the AFI and the fetal renal artery Doppler velocimetric parameters (P> 0.05 for all). The intraclass correlation coefficients for intra-observer and inter-observer variability indicated good reproducibility of SV, but the reproducibility of PI was lower. Conclusions: The AFI did not correlate with fetal renal artery Doppler velocimetric measures among low-risk pregnancies. However, investigations are needed among high-risk pregnancies. (C) 2015 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.1311454

Longitudinal Reference Intervals For Doppler Velocimetric Parameters Of The Fetal Renal Artery Correlated With Amniotic Fluid Index Among Low-risk Pregnancies.

To establish longitudinal reference intervals for pulsatility index (PI) and systolic velocity (SV) of the fetal renal artery, and to evaluate their correlation with the amniotic fluid index (AFI). A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among women with low-risk pregnancies who attended outpatient clinics at the University of Campinas Medical School, Brazil, at 16-19 weeks of pregnancy between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2010. Doppler velocimetric measurements of the fetal renal artery and assessments of the AFI were undertaken at 4-week intervals to 36 weeks, and every 2 weeks thereafter until delivery. A total of 63 women were enrolled. The PI of the fetal renal artery showed little variation during pregnancy, whereas SV values increased to 36-37 weeks of pregnancy and decreased thereafter. No correlations were found between the AFI and the fetal renal artery Doppler velocimetric parameters (P>0.05 for all). The intraclass correlation coefficients for intra-observer and inter-observer variability indicated good reproducibility of SV, but the reproducibility of PI was lower. The AFI did not correlate with fetal renal artery Doppler velocimetric measures among low-risk pregnancies. However, investigations are needed among high-risk pregnancies.13145-4

Longitudinal reference intervals for doppler velocimetric parameters of the fetal renal artery correlated with amniotic fluid index among low‐risk pregnancies

To establish longitudinal reference intervals for pulsatility index (PI) and systolic velocity (SV) of the fetal renal artery, and to evaluate their correlation with the amniotic fluid index (AFI). Methods A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among women with low‐risk pregnancies who attended outpatient clinics at the University of Campinas Medical School, Brazil, at 16–19 weeks of pregnancy between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2010. Doppler velocimetric measurements of the fetal renal artery and assessments of the AFI were undertaken at 4‐week intervals to 36 weeks, and every 2 weeks thereafter until delivery. Results A total of 63 women were enrolled. The PI of the fetal renal artery showed little variation during pregnancy, whereas SV values increased to 36–37 weeks of pregnancy and decreased thereafter. No correlations were found between the AFI and the fetal renal artery Doppler velocimetric parameters (P > 0.05 for all). The intraclass correlation coefficients for intra‐observer and inter‐observer variability indicated good reproducibility of SV, but the reproducibility of PI was lower. Conclusions The AFI did not correlate with fetal renal artery Doppler velocimetric measures among low‐risk pregnancies. However, investigations are needed among high‐risk pregnancies1311454

Different morphological and gene expression profile in placentas of the same sickle cell anemia patient in pregnancies of opposite outcomes

Environmentally induced changes in placental morphological and molecular phenotypes may provide relevant insight towards pathophysiology of diseases. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common inherited hemoglobin disorder characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia and vaso-occlusive crisis. SCD leads to higher morbidity and mortality, especially during pregnancy, with increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). To compare clinical findings, placental morphology, and gene expression in villous placental tissue using next generation sequencing. We included five cases. Two placentas from the same woman with homozygous SCD that had been pregnant twice and had different maternal and fetal outcomes (one early onset PE/eclampsia and a mostly non-complicated pregnancy); an early onset PE, a fetal growth restriction and a term, non-complicated pregnancy. Sixty-four differentially expressed genes were observed in the SCD+PE case, in comparison with the placenta from the SCD without PE, based on fold change. Among these genes, 59 were upregulated and 5 were downregulated. Enrichment analysis indicated two significant biological processes: response to copper ion (CYP1A1, AOC1, AQP1, and ATP5D) and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particle clearance (GPIHBP1, APOC1, and APOE). The rare opportunity to evaluate the same patient in two different pregnancies, of opposing outcomes, and compare to other conditions of known placental and vascular/inflammatory involvement, may further the understanding of the pathophysiology of PE in SCD. Our results suggest that the clinical association between SCD and PE may be supported by common pathophysiological mechanisms, but that pathways involving response to copper and triglyceride metabolism could be important drivers of PE pathophysiology2445395403CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP409605/2016–62015/08330–5; 2014/00984–3This study was supported by S~ao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) grant 2015/08330–5, grant 2014/00984–3 and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) grant 409605/2016–

Arrival Directions of Cosmic Rays above 32 EeV from Phase One of the Pierre Auger Observatory

A promising energy range to look for angular correlation between cosmic rays of extragalactic origin and their sources is at the highest energies, above few tens of EeV ($1\:{\rm EeV}\equiv 10^{18}\:$eV). Despite the flux of these particles being extremely low, the area of ${\sim}\:3{,}000 \: \text{km}^2$ covered at the Pierre Auger Observatory, and the 17-year data-taking period of the Phase 1 of its operations, have enabled us to measure the arrival directions of more than 2,600 ultra-high energy cosmic rays above $32\:\text{EeV}$. We publish this data set, the largest available at such energies from an integrated exposure of $122{,}000 \: \text{km}^2\:\text{sr}\:\text{yr}$, and search it for anisotropies over the $3.4\pi$ steradians covered with the Observatory. Evidence for a deviation in excess of isotropy at intermediate angular scale, with ${\sim}\:15^\circ$ Gaussian spread or ${\sim}\:25^\circ$ top-hat radius, is obtained at the $4\:\sigma$ significance level for cosmic-ray energies above ${\sim}\:40\:\text{EeV}$

Arrival Directions of Cosmic Rays above 32 EeV from Phase One of the Pierre Auger Observatory

International audienceA promising energy range to look for angular correlations between cosmic rays of extragalactic origin and their sources is at the highest energies, above a few tens of EeV (1 EeV ≡ 10$^{18}$ eV). Despite the flux of these particles being extremely low, the area of ∼3000 km$^{2}$ covered at the Pierre Auger Observatory, and the 17 yr data-taking period of the Phase1 of its operations, have enabled us to measure the arrival directions of more than 2600 ultra-high-energy cosmic rays above 32 EeV. We publish this data set, the largest available at such energies from an integrated exposure of 122,000 km$^{2}$ sr yr, and search it for anisotropies over the 3.4π steradians covered with the Observatory. Evidence for a deviation in excess of isotropy at intermediate angular scales, with ∼15° Gaussian spread or ∼25° top-hat radius, is obtained at the 4σ significance level for cosmic-ray energies above ∼40 EeV

Cosmological implications of photon-flux upper limits at ultra-high energies in scenarios of Planckian-interacting massive particles for dark matter

We present a thorough search for signatures that would be suggestive of super-heavy $X$ particles decaying in the Galactic halo, in the data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. From the lack of signal, we derive upper limits for different energy thresholds above ${\gtrsim}10^8$ GeV on the expected secondary by-product fluxes from $X$-particle decay. Assuming that the energy density of these super-heavy particles matches that of dark matter observed today, we translate the upper bounds on the particle fluxes into tight constraints on the couplings governing the decay process as a function of the particle mass. We show that instanton-induced decay processes allow us to derive a bound on the reduced coupling constant of gauge interactions in the dark sector: \alpha_X \alt 0.09, for 10^{9} \alt M_X/\text{GeV} < 10^{19}. This upper limit on $\alpha_X$ is complementary to the non-observation of tensor modes in the cosmic microwave background in the context of Planckian-interacting massive particles for dark matter produced during the reheating epoch. Viable regions for this scenario to explain dark matter are delineated in several planes of the multidimensional parameter space that involves, in addition to $M_X$ and $\alpha_X$, the Hubble rate at the end of inflation, the reheating efficiency, and the non-minimal coupling of the Higgs with curvature

Cosmological implications of photon-flux upper limits at ultra-high energies in scenarios of Planckian-interacting massive particles for dark matter

We present a thorough search for signatures that would be suggestive of super-heavy $X$ particles decaying in the Galactic halo, in the data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. From the lack of signal, we derive upper limits for different energy thresholds above ${\gtrsim}10^8$ GeV on the expected secondary by-product fluxes from $X$-particle decay. Assuming that the energy density of these super-heavy particles matches that of dark matter observed today, we translate the upper bounds on the particle fluxes into tight constraints on the couplings governing the decay process as a function of the particle mass. We show that instanton-induced decay processes allow us to derive a bound on the reduced coupling constant of gauge interactions in the dark sector: \alpha_X \alt 0.09, for 10^{9} \alt M_X/\text{GeV} < 10^{19}. This upper limit on $\alpha_X$ is complementary to the non-observation of tensor modes in the cosmic microwave background in the context of Planckian-interacting massive particles for dark matter produced during the reheating epoch. Viable regions for this scenario to explain dark matter are delineated in several planes of the multidimensional parameter space that involves, in addition to $M_X$ and $\alpha_X$, the Hubble rate at the end of inflation, the reheating efficiency, and the non-minimal coupling of the Higgs with curvature

Testing effects of Lorentz invariance violation in the propagation of astroparticles with the Pierre Auger Observatory

International audienceLorentz invariance violation (LIV) is often described by dispersion relations of the form E $_{i}$ $^{2}$ = m $_{i}$ $^{2}$+p $_{i}$ $^{2}$+δ$_{i,n}$ E $^{2+n}$ with delta different based on particle type i, with energy E, momentum p and rest mass m. Kinematics and energy thresholds of interactions are modified once the LIV terms become comparable to the squared masses of the particles involved. Thus, the strongest constraints on the LIV coefficients δ$_{i,n}$ tend to come from the highest energies. At sufficiently high energies, photons produced by cosmic ray interactions as they propagate through the Universe could be subluminal and unattenuated over cosmological distances. Cosmic ray interactions can also be modified and lead to detectable fingerprints in the energy spectrum and mass composition observed on Earth. The data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory are therefore possibly sensitive to both the electromagnetic and hadronic sectors of LIV. In this article, we explore these two sectors by comparing the energy spectrum and the composition of cosmic rays and the upper limits on the photon flux from the Pierre Auger Observatory with simulations including LIV. Constraints on LIV parameters depend strongly on the mass composition of cosmic rays at the highest energies. For the electromagnetic sector, while no constraints can be obtained in the absence of protons beyond 10$^{19}$ eV, we obtain δ$_{γ,0}$ > -10$^{-21}$, δ$_{γ,1}$ > -10$^{-40}$ eV$^{-1}$ and δ$_{γ,2}$ > -10$^{-58}$ eV$^{-2}$ in the case of a subdominant proton component up to 10$^{20}$ eV. For the hadronic sector, we study the best description of the data as a function of LIV coefficients and we derive constraints in the hadronic sector such as δ$_{had,0}$ < 10$^{-19}$, δ$_{had,1}$ < 10$^{-38}$ eV$^{-1}$ and δ$_{had,2}$ < 10$^{-57}$ eV$^{-2}$ at 5σ CL