207 research outputs found
Fetal major cardiac defects and placental dysfunction at 11-13 weeks' gestation
Objectives: To investigate the relationship between fetal major cardiac defects and markers of placental perfusion and function.
Methods: This was a prospective screening study in singleton pregnancies at 11-13 weeks’ gestation. Uterine artery pulsatility index (UTPI), serum pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and placental growth factor (PLGF) were measured and the values were converted into multiples of the normal median (MoM). Median MoM values in fetuses with isolated major cardiac defects were compared to those in fetuses without major defects.
Results: The 50,094 singleton pregnancies fulfilling the entry criteria included 49,898 pregnancies with a normal cardiac anatomy and 196 (0.39%) with major congenital cardiac defects; 73 (37.2%) with conotruncal defects, 63 (32.1%) with left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) defects and 60 (30.6%) with valvular defects. In the group of cardiac defects, compared to controls, there was lower median PAPP-A MoM (0.81 vs 1.00, p<0.0001) and PLGF MoM (0.78 vs 1.00, p<0.0001) but no significant difference in UTPI MoM (1.01 vs 1.00, p=0.162).
Conclusions: In pregnancies with isolated major cardiac defects there is evidence of placental dysfunction in the absence of impaired placental perfusion
Symphytum Species: A Comprehensive Review on Chemical Composition, Food Applications and Phytopharmacology
Symphytum species belongs to the Boraginaceae family and have been used for centuries for
bone breakages, sprains and rheumatism, liver problems, gastritis, ulcers, skin problems, joint pain
and contusions, wounds, gout, hematomas and thrombophlebitis. Considering the innumerable
potentialities of the Symphytum species and their widespread use in the world, it is extremely
important to provide data compiling the available literature to identify the areas of intense research
and the main gaps in order to design future studies. The present review aims at summarizing the
main data on the therapeutic indications of the Symphytum species based on the current evidence,
also emphasizing data on both the e cacy and adverse e ects. The present review was carried
out by consulting PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Database, Science
Direct and Google Scholar (as a search engine) databases to retrieve the most updated articles on this
topic. All articles were carefully analyzed by the authors to assess their strengths and weaknesses,
and to select the most useful ones for the purpose of review, prioritizing articles published from 1956
to 2018. The pharmacological e ects of the Symphytum species are attributed to several chemical
compounds, among them allantoin, phenolic compounds, glycopeptides, polysaccharides and some
toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Not less important to highlight are the risks associated with its use.
In fact, there is increasing consumption of over-the-counter drugs, which when associated with
conventional drugs can cause serious and even fatal adverse events. Although clinical trials sustain
the folk topical application of Symphytum species in musculoskeletal and blunt injuries, with minor
adverse e ects, its antimicrobial potency was still poorly investigated. Further studies are needed to
assess the antimicrobial spectrum of Symphytum species and to characterize the active molecules both
in vitro and in vivo
Exciton properties in zincblende InGaN-GaN quantum wells under the effects of intense laser fields
ABSTRACT: In this work, we study the exciton states in a zincblende InGaN/GaN quantum well using a variational technique. The system is considered under the action of intense laser fields with the incorporation of a direct current electric field as an additional external probe. The effects of these external influences as well as of the changes in the geometry of the heterostructure on the exciton binding energy are discussed in detail
Glutathione-Related Antioxidant Defense System in Elderly Patients Treated for Hypertension
The purpose of this study was to analyze glutathione antioxidant defense system in elderly patients treated for hypertension. Studies were carried out in the blood collected from 18 hypertensive and 15 age- and sex-matched controls, all subjects age over 60. Hypertensives were on their usual antihypertensive treatment at the time of blood collection. The concentration of glutathione (GSH) in whole blood and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1), glutathione transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR) in erythrocytes were measured. The data from patients and controls were compared using independent-samples t test. P value of 0.05 and less was considered statistically significant. We observed increased glutathione-related antioxidant defense in treated hypertensive elderly patients (HT) when compared with healthy controls (C). Mean GSH concentration was significantly higher in HT when compared with C: 3.1 ± 0.29 and 2.6 ± 0.25 mmol/L, respectively, P < 0.001. Mean activity of GR was significantly higher in HT group if compared with C: 83.4 ± 15.25 U/g Hb versus 64.2 ± 8.26 U/g Hb, respectively, P < 0.001. Mean activity of GST was significantly higher in HT group compared with C: 3.0 ± 0.60 mmol CDNB-GSH/mgHb/min and 2.6 ± 0.36 mmol CDNB-GSH/mgHb/min, respectively, P < 0.05. No difference in GPx activity was observed between two groups. These results show that glutathione-related antioxidant defense system was enhanced in elderly hypertensive patients treated for their conditions. This suggests important role of glutathione system in blood pressure regulation. Alterations in concentration and activity of antioxidants observed during antihypertensive medication are likely to be related to the effect of the treatment on NO bioavailability
Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]
Microwave Assisted Combustion Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Nickel-doped Cobalt Ferrites
The NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 2 is a suppressor of microglial activation and brain inflammation
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