Genetic Factors in Pregnancy Loss

Pregnancy loss is the most common obstetric complication. Multiple factors have been associated with recurrent or sporadic pregnancy loss, and genetic factors, particularly at earlier gestational ages, are the most important ones. The proportion of miscarriages due to chromosomal factors decreases with increasing gestational age. The most common chromosomal abnormalities in early losses are autosomal trisomies, monosomy X and polyploidy. In later losses, aneuploidies are similar to those found in live newborns (trisomies 21,18 and 13, X monosomy and polysomy of sex chromosomes. In cases of recurrent miscarriage the most common cytogenetic changes are trisomies, polyploidy, monosomy X and unbalanced translocations. Identification of the causes of pregnancy loss facilitates the families’ grief and may indicate if there is the risk of repetition, in order to reduce recurrence. The investigation recommended in each case is far from consensual, and the cost/benefit analysis of diagnostic exams is essential. The determination of the karyotype of the products of conception is indicated in cases of fetal loss and recurrent miscarriage, while the parental karyotypes should be performed only in selected cases. Couples with identified genetic conditions should be counseled about reproductive options, including prenatal or pre-implantation diagnosis. Surveillance of a future pregnancy should be multidisciplinary and adjusted in each case. The cytogenetic factors, due to their high prevalence and complexity, have a fundamental, but still not completely clear, role in pregnancy loss

Phenolic acids and derivatives: studies on the relationship among structure, radical scavenging activity, and physicochemical parameters

The antiradical activity of caffeic acid (1), dihydrocaffeic acid (5), and their corresponding n-alkyl esters was evaluated by using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(*)) method. Dihydrocaffeic acid (5) was the most potent compound, having an antiradical effect higher than that of (+/-)-alpha-tocopherol, whereas caffeic acid (1) was less efficient. Esterification of the carboxyl group of dihydrocaffeic acid (5) had a dramatic effect on its antiradical potency, but similar effects were not observed for caffeic acid (1) derivatives. The n-alkyl esters of both phenolic series had similar potencies, and their antiradical activities were independent of the alkyl chain length. Dose-dependent scavenger effects were found in both series. Acid-base properties of the compounds, evaluated by using potentiometry and spectrophotometry, showed that the catechol moiety had pK(a2) and pK(a3) values of 9. 24-9.02 and 11.38-10.99 in the dihydrocaffeic series and 8.48-8.24 and 11.38-11.07 in the caffeic series, respectively. Antiradical activity and pK(a) values of the compounds were not related.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The VISIR+ Project – Helping Contextualize Math in an Engineering Course

[EN]The long-term goal of engineering education is to prepare students to work as engineers. Being a practical profession, laboratories play a crucial role in illustrating concepts and principles as well as improving technical skills. In the last decades the use of online resources (simulators and remote labs) has been growing, either as a complementary and/or as an alternative way of developing experimental competences. In the scope of the VISIR+ Project, this work presents the first results of a didactical implementation using simultaneously the remote laboratory VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality), simulation and calculus in a Math Course at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). The preliminary results indicate that the use of several resources increases students’ performance, boosting their learning and competence development

Institutional assessment as an instrument of rationalization back to the school as a formal organisation

O papel central da avaliação, da avaliação institucional e dos processos de garantia da qualidade de escolas e universidades nas políticas educacionais é objeto de discussão, também considerando a reforma do Estado. As teorias da nova gestão pública e as perspectivas gestionárias são consideradas como algumas das principais fontes de inspiração e de legitimação no contexto dominante de uma educação contábil. Dados empíricos preliminares resultantes do processo de avaliação externa de escolas básicas e secundárias portuguesas são apresentados e interpretados de acordo com os principais conceitos e representações organizacionais de escola presentes nos relatórios externos. Examinando algumas das imagens e dos significados de escola, cultura de escola, autonomia, objetivos, liderança e eficácia presentes nos relatórios de avaliação, o autor releva a importância das imagens formais, racionais e burocráticas de escolas. Várias questões de investigação são apresentadas tendo por base aquilo a que o autor chama o processo da hiperburocratização das organizações educativas. Algumas dimensões do conceito de burocracia de Max Weber são revisitadas, em articulação com perspectivas neocientíficas de garantia da qualidade e com as tecnologias da informação e comunicação. O autor sugere que maior relevância deve ser atribuída aos modelos formais e racionais de interpretação das organizações educativas, pois os processos de avaliação e de garantia da qualidade estão a contribuir para a formalização de escolas e universidades e para a intensificação do seu processo de racionalização, isto é, para a emergência de uma imagem analítica das escolas como hiperburocracias.The central role of evaluation, institutional assessment and quality assurance processes of schools and universities in education policy is object of discussion also considering the reform of the state. New Public Management theories and managerialist perspectives are considered some of the main sources of inspiration and legitimation in the dominant context of an audit education. Preliminary empirical data from external assessment of Portuguese primary and secondary schools are introduced and interpreted according to the main concepts and organizational representations of school found in external reports. Examining some of the central organizational images and meanings of school, school culture, autonomy, goals, leadership and effectiveness included in the external reviews, the author stresses the importance of formal, rational and bureaucratic images of schools. Several new research questions are presented for further inquiry based on the hypothesis of what it is called by the author the process of hyperbureaucratization of educational organizations. Some of the main dimensions of the concept of bureaucracy as presented by Max Weber are revisited in close relation with neo-scientific approaches of quality assurance and taking in consideration the use of information and communication technologies. Accordingly the author suggests that much more importance must be given to formal and rational models of interpreting educational organizations because assessment and quality assurance procedures are contributing to the formalization of schools and universities and to the intensification of their process of rationalization, i. e., to the emergence of an analytic image of schools as hyperbureaucracies.(undefined

Matching conducted EMI to international standards

In this paper, the authors present a methodology that allows them to accommodate the conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by power factor correctors to international standards in the design step. EMI filter design considerations and EMI predictive procedures are presented. The predictive procedures are based in a family of curves that allows to determine the conducted EMI, generated for the basic PFC converters (boost, buck-boost, Zeta, Sepic, Cuk, and buck converters). Using these curves, one can determine the amplitude of the first harmonic in dB/μV in accordance with the CISPR 16 standard. Therefore, with this information, it is possible to design EMI filter

Energetic metabolic profile of ewes presenting low body condition score induced to subclinical hypocalcemia in early postpartum

The aim of the present study is to assess plasma concentrations of metabolites related to energy balance in ewes showing low body condition score (BCS) induced to subclinical hypocalcemia in early postpartum. Sixteen crossbred ewes (Ideal x Corriedale) presenting BCS <3 were divided in two groups: 1) control group (n = 9), which received no treatment, and 2) hypocalcemia group (n = 7), which was subjected to twelve hours of induced subclinical hypocalcemia through intravenous Na2EDTA infusion six hours postpartum. Ionized calcium levels were monitored and kept between 0.62 and 0.87 mmol/L. All ewes were subjected to daily blood sampling for five days in order to set the postpartum metabolic profile. There was no interaction between day and treatment in total and ionized calcium concentrations (P>0.05), whereas the mean concentrations of these marks after five days were lower in the hypocalcemia group (P<0.05). However, neither the mean group were different at glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate and insulin (P>0.05) level. These results evidence that, despite the subclinical hypocalcemia induction at early postpartum, ewes presenting low body condition do not change the concentrations of energy balance-related metabolites in the following five days

Analysis of Strict Social Isolation (SSI-Lockdown) Measures Impacts on Atmospheric Pollutant Emissions and Health Risks on Roads with Intense Vehicle Flow in the City of Fortaleza-Ceara/Brazil

In early 2020, governments of many countries adopted strict social isolation (SSI) measures to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Disease (COVID-19). Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the influence of those SSI measures on atmospheric pollutants emissions and their potential health risks in the city of Fortaleza - Ceará. To this end, static and dynamic analyses were carried out in order to investigate the levels of some atmospheric pollutants found in four main avenues during SSI and post-SSI periods.  In addition, some health indicators were investigated by analyzing potential Particulate Matter (PM) deposition in the respiratory tract of populations exposed to those environments. Our results for both dynamic and static analyses show that all pollutant concentrations from those avenues displayed an increase between SSI and the post-SSI period. The total PM2.5 dose deposited in the respiratory tract and potential total PM10 respiratory deposition showed increases between the SSI and post-SSI periods. The inhaled-dose numbers also showed considerable increases for all avenues when comparing SSI and post-SSI periods. According to our results, SSI contributed to decreases in atmospheric pollutant emissions, in potential particulate matter respiratory tract deposition and, consequently, in the inhaled particulate matter dose

Cardiotoxicity in haematological diseases : are the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib and nilotinib safe?

Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017.Introduction: Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity is a growing concern. The true cardiotoxic impact of new drugs such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors is unknown, especially the ones used for chronic myeloid leukaemia. We aim to evaluate nilotinib and imatinib induced cardiotoxicity. Methods: Single-center prospective study of consecutive patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors during 2015. Patients underwent an initial clinical, laboratorial and echocardiographic evaluation, repeated one year after therapy initiation. Results: Eleven patients were included [60.0 (11) years, 63.6% of males; 7 patients treated with imatinib and 4 with nilotinib]. After one year of follow-up, all patients remained in functional NYHA class I, with a similar Minnesota quality of life score [21 (20) vs. 21 (19), p = NS]. Also there was no difference in the biomarkers evaluated: cystatin-C [0.9 (0.2) vs. 0.8 (0.2) mg/L, p = NS; NT-proBNP 46.0 (45.0) vs. 42.0 (34.0) pg/mL, p = NS]. Previous to the TKI treatment, all patients had normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) [(median 67% (63–69)], without structural abnormalities. During the follow-up, there weren't differences regarding the LVEF, left atrium volume, E/A ratio, deceleration time, septal e', lateral e', E/e' ratio and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. With regard to myocardial deformation, all patients presented normal values of longitudinal, circumferential and radial strain in the baseline study, without changes during follow-up [DML -21.3 (6, 1) vs. -21.7 (6.0)%, p = NS; DMC -20.0 (9.3) vs. -22.3 (5.3)%, p = NS; DMR 36.9 (21.3) vs. 39.2 (19.2)%, p = NS]. In addition, there were no differences between the two tyrosine kinase inhibitors used, considering all the aforementioned variables. Conclusion: No clinical, laboratory or echocardiographic evidence of nilotinib and imatinib induced cardiotoxicity was observed, even when myocardial deformation analysis was performed. However, these results should be confirmed in larger studies, ideally multicentre, given the low incidence of chronic myeloid leukaemia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio