53 research outputs found
Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension
and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions
available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeksâ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression
to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity
in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia
by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids
to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist â also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh
the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance.
This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia
Stretchable gold tracks on flat polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber substrate
A process to fabricate stretchable gold tracks on silicone rubber substrates is studied by XPS, static water contact angle measurement, AFM, and SEM. The process involves several steps: removing uncured oligomers by hexane Soxhlet extraction; pre-stretching the substrate; activating the strained silicone surface by an oxygen plasma treatment; coating the strained substrate with 5nm titanium and 80nm gold layers; and finally releasing the sample. The plasma treatment creates a thin brittle silica-like layer that temporarily increases the substrate's surface energy. Indeed, the plasma treatment is followed by a hydrophobic recovery. As a consequence, the delay between plasma treatment and metal deposition has to be reduced as much as possible. The silica-like layer can be nicely observed after release. The entire process allows us to obtain stretchable metallized samples that remain conductive even after an excessive deformation leading to electrical failure
La Poste: l'urgence de changer de cap!
Les Ă©vĂ©nements des derniers jours Ă Louvain-la-Neuve remettent crĂ»ment en lumiĂšre lâabsurditĂ© de la gestion actuelle de la Poste belge. La direction de la Poste entend rĂ©aliser par tous les moyens des Ă©conomies. Tous les moyens, cela signifie aussi de faire pression afin que lâon expulse des citoyens qui par leur action mettent en lumiĂšre les lĂ©gitimes revendications de la population. Les citoyens ne sont pas dupes : remplacer des bureaux de poste par des points poste, ce nâest pas amĂ©liorer le service rendu. [...
Frequency of specific anti-toxoplasma gondii lgM, lgA and IgE in Colombian patients with acute and chronic ocular toxoplasmosis
We studied the frequency of specific anti-Toxoplasma IgM, IgA and IgE
antibodies in serum of 28 immunocompetent Colombian patients, selected
by ophthalmologists and with lesions that were compatible with ocular
toxoplasmosis. Patients were classified in three groups: (i) group 1
consisted of ten patients with a first episode; (ii) group 2 with seven
patients with a recurrence and (iii) group 3, consisted of eleven
patients with chronic chorioretinal lesion without uveitis. We found
that 10/28 (35%) of Colombian patients with ocular toxoplasmosis
possessed at least one serological marker for Toxoplasma infection
different from IgG. In group 1 (first episode), we found simultaneous
presence of specific IgM plus IgA plus IgE in 1/10 (10%). In group 2
(recurrences) in 1/7(14%) we found IgM and IgA test positives and in
1/7(14%) we found IgM and IgE tests positives. In group 3 (toxoplasmic
chorioretinal scar) the IgA serological test was positive in 2/11(18%).
These results show that serum IgM or IgA or IgE can be present during
recurrences
Heinrich Heine. Poésie et histoire
Quiconque tente de dĂ©finir lâoriginalitĂ© de la position littĂ©raire de Heine a vite fait dâidentifier la poĂ©sie et lâhistoire comme deux registres essentiels de son activitĂ© crĂ©atrice. Les deux domaines Ă©taient, en fait, rapportĂ©s dâemblĂ©e lâun Ă lâautre et vont se recomposer, en une interaction permanente, tout le long de sa vie dâĂ©crivain. Le registre poĂ©tique vise la singularitĂ©: la voix du poĂšte fait rĂ©sonner une variĂ©tĂ© de destins individuels, son imagination met en scĂšne des figures et des reprĂ©sentations, son regard cherche la vie dans ce quâelle a dâirrĂ©ductible. La rĂ©flexion sur lâhistoire est, pour sa part, liĂ©e Ă lâexpĂ©rience rĂ©volutionnaire, au dĂ©fi que celle-ci a lancĂ© Ă lâentendement humain. FormĂ© Ă la philosophie idĂ©aliste et confrontĂ© Ă lâhistoricisme ambiant, Heine a expĂ©rimentĂ© diffĂ©rentes propositions pour penser le temps historique. Tout en restant, sur le fond, fidĂšle Ă une conception de lâhistoire dâinspiration hĂ©gĂ©lienne, il insiste sur le droit du prĂ©sent Ă dĂ©velopper sa propre logique et Ă nâĂȘtre infĂ©odĂ© ni au passĂ© ni au futur. Dans ses chroniques parisiennes, il met en pratique une « historiographie du prĂ©sent » qui se voudrait le pendant symĂ©trique du miroir tendu par le poĂšte. Les contributions Ă ce volume tentent de circonscrire les rapports complexes entre les deux modes dâĂ©criture en question. Elles redĂ©finissent, par lĂ , la place de Heine dans les dĂ©bats esthĂ©tiques et thĂ©oriques de son Ă©poque en mĂȘme temps quâelles Ă©clairent des aspects centraux de son Ćuvre
Le miroir allemand
Alors que la recherche sur la fortune dâune importation culturelle dans son contexte dâaccueil vise Ă mesurer une distance, un dĂ©placement, la fidĂ©litĂ© par rapport Ă lâoriginal, une tout autre approche reste possible. LâĂ©tude des imbrications franco-allemandes, Ă©ventuellement Ă©largie Ă des pays tiers, nâaboutit pas non plus Ă la comptabilisation de diffĂ©rences et de ressemblances qui pĂ©trifie les oppositions, mais Ă la dĂ©couverte que chacun est partiellement dans lâautre. Les cultures nationales ne doivent pas ĂȘtre conçues comme des instances distinctes se dĂ©finissant puis, dans un second temps, entrant en relation entre elles mais plutĂŽt comme des ensembles tels que chacun se structure dâemblĂ©e Ă partir dâune altĂ©ritĂ© prĂ©sente en lui dans la durĂ©e. Les articles ici rassemblĂ©s illustrent des aspects centraux de la rĂ©flexion engagĂ©e sur les transferts culturels et lâhistoire interculturelle de lâAllemagne. Ils explorent les possibilitĂ©s historiographiques dâapprĂ©hender les imbrications entre les aires culturelles, que ce soit au niveau macro-historique des fondations symboliques de deux empires, Ă celui dâentitĂ©s gĂ©ographiques aux dĂ©finitions contradictoires (lâEurope centrale), Ă celui de rĂ©gions (la Saxe) ou dâindividus (Chamisso). Ils montrent la place Ă©minente occupĂ©e par lâĂ©tranger dans la constitution dâune conscience nationale, ils sâattachent Ă Ă©tudier des moments de crise (Andler en 1908) mais aussi des rĂ©fractions plus discrĂštes et fondamentales (les assurances sociales). On ne sâĂ©tonnera pas que les communautĂ©s juives, mieux affranchies des Ă©vidences nationales, aient Ă©tĂ© parmi les vĂ©hicules les plus efficaces des importations culturelles. Mais les Ă©tudes juives se sont elles aussi constituĂ©es au miroir de lâAllemagne, un miroir dont les philologues français du XIXe siĂšcle nâont guĂšre pu Ă©viter la rĂ©fraction. Certes lâeffet de miroir joue par rapport Ă lâautre, et Dilthey a besoin de sâappuyer sur la limite française pour dessiner els contours dâune « histoire de lâesprit », mais il a aussi une fonction interne, comme celle de la langue allemande dans le lyrisme de Paul Celan. Il ne gĂ©nĂšre nullement lâuniformitĂ© â la peur allemande nâest pas la peur russe â mais suscite au contraire des constructions aussi singuliĂšres que cette Pologne prussienne et juive que Heinrich Heine parcourt en 1822. Le miroir fait coĂŻncider lâintĂ©rieur et lâextĂ©rieur
- âŠ