A Medição de Recém-Nascidos numa Maternidade Portuguesa. Sugestão de um Modelo de Neonatómetro

Com o propósito de dar um contributo para uma avaliação mais exacta do comprimento dos recém-nascidos da Maternidade do Hospital de Dona Estefânia, procedeu-se à comparação entre o método habitualmente realizado neste local e outro que foi considerado mais correcto pelos autores. Neste último participaram sempre dois observadores e foi testado um modelo de neonatómetro construído com materiais considerados acessíveis. As diferenças entre os dois métodos, na medição de 76 recém-nascidos, traduziram-se por um valor médio de 0,53 cm (p < 0,001), tendo sido superiores os valores registados com a metodologia proposta. Com base nos resultados obtidos, salienta-se a necessidade da colaboração sistemática de dois observadores para a avaliação do comprimento do recém- -nascido e a vantagem da utilização do neonatómetro em relação à tradicional craveira

Melhor Suporte Nutricional — «Melhor» Composição Corporal? Uma Análise em Recém-Nascidos de Baixo Peso

Objectivo: Avaliar o impacto de diferentes estratégias de suporte nutricional na composição corporal de recém-nascidos de baixo peso (RNBP), por intermédio não só do peso, mas também das áreas muscular braquial (AMB) e adiposa braquial (AAB). Indivíduos e métodos: Comparou-se a média do dia de recuperação do peso, da AMB e da AAB entre dois grupos de RNBP assistidos em períodos distintos, com suportes nutricionais diferentes — grupo I (n=10): 1991 versus grupo II (n=24): 1995/96. Os recém-nascidos foram incluidos de modo consecutivo e avaliados prospectivamente sob o ponto de vista antropométrico. Resultados: Não houve diferenças significativas da média das idades gestacionais e dos pesos de nascimento entre os dois grupos. Os recém-nascidos do grupo II, comparativamente com os do grupo I, receberam provisões mais precoces de energia, lípidos e proteínas através da alimentação parentérica. Não se observaram diferenças significativas no dia de recuperação do peso e da AMB entre os grupos. No entanto, os RN do grupo II recuperaram mais precocemente a AAB (dia 6,9 ± 2,5 vs dia 12,6 ± 5,1) (p<0,01), após um período inicial de declínio dos respectivos valores. Conclusões: O atraso na adequada provisão de energia e proteínas pode ter um impacto negativo na reserva lipídica, não detectada pela observação isolada da evolução ponderai. A medição das áreas braquiais representa um método simples e não invasivo de avaliação indirecta da composição corporal dos RNBP

Upper Arm Anthropometry Is Not a Valid Predictor of Regional Body Composition in Preterm Infants

Background: Upper arm anthropometry has been used in the nutritional assessment of small infants, but it has not yet been validated as a predictor of regional body composition in this population. Objective: Validation of measured and derived upper arm anthropometry as a predictor of arm fat and fat-free compartments in preterm infants. Methods: Upper arm anthropometry, including the upper arm cross-sectional areas, was compared individually or in combination with other anthropometric measurements, with the cross-sectional arm areas measured by magnetic resonance imaging, in a cohort of consecutive preterm appropriate-for-gestationalage neonates, just before discharge. Results: Thirty infants born with (mean 8 SD) a gestational age of 30.7 8 1.9 weeks and birth weight of 1,380 8 325 g, were assessed at 35.4 8 1.1 weeks of corrected gestational age, weighing 1,785 8 93 g. None of the anthropometric measurements are reliable predictors (r 2 ! 0.56) of the measurements obtained by magnetic resonance imaging, individually or in combination with other anthropometric measurements. Conclusion: Both measured anthropometry and derived upper arm anthropometry are inaccurate predictors of regional body composition in preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE IMPACT OF WATER-AIR FRONTS ON RADIONUCLIDE PLUMES IN HETEROGENEOUS MEDIA

The goal of this paper is to investigate the interaction of water-air fronts with radionuclide plumes in unsaturated heterogeneous porous media. This problem is modeled by a system of equations that describes both water-air flow and radionuclide transport. The water-air flow problem is solved numerically by a mixed finite element combined with a non-oscillatory central difference scheme. For the radionuclide transport equation we use the Modified Method of Characteristics (MMOC).We present results of numerical simulations for heterogeneous permeability fields taking into account sorption effects

Upper Arm Measurements of Healthy Neonates Comparing Ultrasonography and Anthropometric Methods

Objective: To compare measurements of the upper arm cross-sectional areas (total arm area,arm muscle area, and arm fat area of healthy neonates) as calculated using anthropometry with the values obtained by ultrasonography. Materials and methods: This study was performed on 60 consecutively born healthy neonates: gestational age (mean6SD) 39.661.2 weeks, birth weight 3287.16307.7 g, 27 males (45%) and 33 females (55%). Mid-arm circumference and tricipital skinfold thickness measurements were taken on the left upper mid-arm according to the conventional anthropometric method to calculate total arm area, arm muscle area and arm fat area. The ultrasound evaluation was performed at the same arm location using a Toshiba sonolayer SSA-250AÒ, which allows the calculation of the total arm area, arm muscle area and arm fat area by the number of pixels enclosed in the plotted areas. Statistical analysis: whenever appropriate, parametric and non-parametric tests were used in order to compare measurements of paired samples and of groups of samples. Results: No significant differences between males and females were found in any evaluated measurements, estimated either by anthropometry or by ultrasound. Also the median of total arm area did not differ significantly with either method (P50.337). Although there is evidence of concordance of the total arm area measurements (r50.68, 95% CI: 0.55–0.77) the two methods of measurement differed for arm muscle area and arm fat area. The estimated median of measurements by ultrasound for arm muscle area were significantly lower than those estimated by the anthropometric method, which differed by as much as 111% (P,0.001). The estimated median ultrasound measurement of the arm fat was higher than the anthropometric arm fat area by as much as 31% (P,0.001). Conclusion: Compared with ultrasound measurements using skinfold measurements and mid-arm circumference without further correction may lead to overestimation of the cross-sectional area of muscle and underestimation of the cross-sectional fat area. The correlation between the two methods could be interpreted as an indication for further search of correction factors in the equations

Characterization and differentiation of five “vinhos verdes” grape varieties on the basis of monoterpenic compounds

The aromatic profiles of three white grape varieties (Alvarinho, Loureiro, and Avesso) and two red varieties (Amaral and Vinhão) from the Vinhos Verdes region have been established with respect to the monoterpenic compounds, present either in free and in glycosidically bound fractions. Seventeen compounds have been identified and quantified in the free form and 21 in the glycosidically bound form. Loureiro variety is characterized by important levels of linalool in the free fraction, above the odour perception threshold; in contrast, Alvarinho and Avesso varieties do not contain compounds above the perception threshold. For Alvarinho, geraniol prevails, followed by linalool, while Avesso only has, in much low concentration, geraniol, nerol and citronellol; red varieties do not contain terpenic compounds. Loureiro and Alvarinho are still the richer varieties with regard to the glycosylated fraction; linalool and 3,7-dimethylocta-1,5-dien-3,7-diol have equivalent concentrations, and linalool is around the odour perception threshold; Avesso does not contain linalool. The isomers (Z) and (E) of 8-hydroxylinalool seem to differentiate white varieties; they are similar in Loureiro but the (Z) isomer prevails in Avesso and especially in Alvarinho; Avesso has a more balanced distribution. Amaral only contains α-terpineol, nevertheless of similar concentrator found in Loureiro; Vinhão has a more balanced distribution of isomers but the concentrations are very low. The results show that profiles of the terpenic compounds vary to a significant degree for the grape varieties studied and as is already known empirically, the white varieties are richer than red varieties, especially Loureiro.União Europeia - Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) - Programa Operacional Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural (PO AGRO) - Project no. 202

Reducing Discomfort While Measuring Crown-Heel Length in Neonates

To assess the degree of discomfort caused by length measurement in neonates, performed with one or both lower limbs extended, on the first and second day after birth, with either one or both lower limbs extended. METHODS: Healthy full-term neonates were systematically sampled during the months of February and March 2004. Crown-heel length was measured, using a 1-mm precision neonatometer, at approximately 8 h and 32 h after birth, with one and both lower limbs extended. The Neonatal Facial Coding System was used to assess discomfort during measurements. Data were analysed by parametric and non-parametric tests as appropriate. RESULTS: Whatever the measurement technique, discomfort scores are significantly higher during the length measurement than at baseline. Whenever length measurements are performed, discomfort scores are significantly higher when extending both lower limbs rather than one lower limb (p < 0.006). The measured length is greater with one lower limb extended; however, the difference decreases over time, being 0.19 cm (95% CI 0.1-0.3; p < 0.001) at approximately 32 h of age. No significant differences in length were found between measurements at approximately 8 or 32 h, regardless of the technique used. The best correlation between length measurements with one or both lower limbs extended was observed at approximately 32 h after birth (r = 0.98). CONCLUSION: Measuring crown-heel length is a distressful procedure for the neonate. Measurements with one lower limb extended result in less discomfort than when both lower limbs are extended, without decreasing the accuracy

An approach on the in vitro maintenance of sugarcane with views for conservation and monitoring of plant nuclear DNA contents via flow cytometry.

In vitro conservation techniques can be utilized for germplasm maintenance. However, few reports on the in vitro conservation of sugarcane species are present in the literature. The objective of this study was to subject sugarcane plants to in vitro under minimal growth conditions and to evaluate the survival, regeneration, and the monitoring of nuclear DNA content levels of the plants. Shoots from 10 sugarcane varie-ties (Saccharum spp.) were introduced into two media: MC1, consisting of half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts and 3% sorbitol, or MC2, similar to the first formulation, but additionally supplemented with 3.8 ?Mabscisicacid(ABA)