Acute maternal exercise during the third trimester of pregnancy, influence on foetal heart rate = Ejercicio físico durante el tercer trimestre de embarazo, influencia en la frecuencia cardiaca fetal

A substantial amount of research has investigated the influence of physical exercise during pregnancy on certain maternal and foetal parameters. Regarding the behaviour of the foetal heart rate (FHR) during the maternal exercise certain controversy exists; as several investigations have studied this parameter obtaining varied results. To test the hypotheses that the foetal heart rate (FHR) increases during maternal exercise, performed on a static bicycle during the third trimester. To know if the magnitude of the increase is related to gestational age or parity. This research involved a collaboration with the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Service of “Severo Ochoa” Hospital (Madrid) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). The approval of the Committee of Investigation as well as of the Ethical Commission of the Hospital was obtained. Twenty healthy pregnant women have been studied, in the last trimester. No women showed any medical complications in their pregnancy or contraindications for the practice of physical exercise. Informed consent was obtained. The exercise protocol consisted in the first part (rest), followed by a session of 20 minutes of moderate work (static bicycle exercise) and then rest until the FHR returned to the pre-exercise levels. Data for the evaluation of the FHR was obtained using an Electronic Foetal Monitor, Philips FM 20; and an Accurex Plus, Polar Electro OY was used for the control of the maternal heart rate. The clinical history of the pregnant women provided data about medical and personal factors. For the statistical analysis, Pearson correlation and Student’s t test for unpaired data were used. Our results show increases (11 - 36 beats/min, mean= 24 beats/min) of the FHR in all the studied cases. The gestational age shows no correlation with increments of FHR (Pearson 0.06) and there are larger increments of FHR in secundigravid (mean=152 ± 6.0 beats/min) than in primigravid (mean=147 ± 4.6 beats/min). Maternal aerobic and moderate exercise developing during last trimester increments FHR without harmful effects. These increments do not depend on the maternal age. Parity has influence on the level of increments of the FHR. Una cantidad importante de investigaciones han valorado la influencia del ejercicio físico durante el embarazo en ciertos parámetros fetales. En relación al comportamiento de la frecuencia cardiaca fetal (FCF) durante la realización del ejercicio existe cierta controversia, muchas investigaciones han estudiado este parámetro con resultados variados. El objetivo de este estudio fue comprobar la hipótesis de un aumento de la FCF durante la realización de ejercicio en bicicleta estática en el tercer trimestre de embarazo. También conocer si esos aumentos se relacionan con la edad gestacional o la paridad de la gestante. Este estudio se ha desarrollado mediante una colaboración entre el Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Hospital Severo Ochoa de Leganés y la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Se obtuvo la aprobación del Comité de Investigación así como de la Comisión Ética. Fueron estudiadas 20 gestantes en el último trimestre, sin complicaciones ni contraindicaciones médicas para el ejercicio, cada mujer firmó un consentimiento informado. El protocolo de ejercicio consistió en una primera parte de reposo, una sesión de 20 minutos de trabajo moderado en bicicleta estática y el reposo final con retorno a los niveles normales de FCF. Los datos correspondientes a la FCF se obtuvieron por medio de un Monitor Fetal Electrónico Philips FM 20, y un pulsómetro Accurex Plus, Polar Electro OY, fue usado para el control de la frecuencia cardiaca materna. La historia clínica de cada gestante aportó datos relativos a características médicas y personales. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizaron mecanismos descriptivos, el índice de correlación de Pearson y la t de Student para comparación de medias. Nuestros resultados muestran aumentos de la FCF de 11-36 lat/min (media de 24 lat/min). Los días de gestación no presentaron una correlación positiva con el nivel de los incrementos (Pearson 0.06). Hubo mayores aumentos en gestantes secundigrávidas (media=152 ± 6.0 lat/min) que en primigrávidas (media=147 ± 4.6 lat/min). El ejercicio aeróbico y moderado materno desarrollado durante el tercer trimestre de embarazo incrementa la FCF sin efectos perjudiciales. Los aumentos no dependen de la edad gestacional de la madre. La paridad de la gestante tiene influencia en el nivel de los incrementos

The usefulness of c-Kit in the immunohistochemical assessment of melanocytic lesions

C-Kit (CD117), the receptor for the stem cell factor, a growth factor for melanocyte migra- tion and proliferation, has shown differential immunostaining in various benign and malig- nant melanocytic lesions. The purpose of this study is to compare c-Kit immunostaining in benign nevi and in primary and metastatic malignant melanomas, to determine whether c-Kit can aid in the differential diagnosis of these lesions. c-Kit immunostaining was per- formed in 60 cases of pigmented lesions, including 39 benign nevi (5 blue nevi, 5 intra- dermal nevi, 3 junctional nevi, 15 cases of pri- mary compound nevus, 11 cases of Spitz nevus), 18 cases of primary malignant melanoma and 3 cases of metastatic melanoma. The vast majority of nevi and melanomas examined in this study were posi- tive for c-Kit, with minimal differences between benign and malignant lesions. C-Kit cytoplasmatic immunoreactivity in the intraepidermal proliferating nevus cells, was detected in benign pigmented lesions as well as in malignant melanoma, increasing with the age of patients (P=0.007) in both groups. The patient’s age at presentation appeared to be the variable able to cluster benign and malignant pigmented lesions. The percentage of c-Kit positive intraepidermal nevus cells was better associated with age despite other vari- ables (P=0.014). The intensity and percentage of c-Kit positivity in the proliferating nevus cells in the dermis was significantly increased in malignant melanocytic lesions (P=0.015 and P=0.008) compared to benign lesions (compound melanocytic nevi, Spitz nevi, intradermal nevi, blue nevi). Immunostaning for c-Kit in metastatic melanomas was nega- tive. Interestingly in two cases of melanoma occurring on a pre-existent nevus, the melanoma tumor cells showed strong cytoplas- matic and membranous positivity for c-kit, in contrast with the absence of any immunoreac- tivity in pre-existent intradermal nevus cells. C-Kit does not appear to be a strong immuno- histochemical marker for distinguishing melanoma from melanocytic nevi, if we consid- er c-Kit expression in intraepidermal prolifer- ating cells. The c-Kit expression in proliferat- ing melanocytes in the dermis could help in the differential diagnosis between a superfi- cial spreading melanoma (with dermis inva- sion) and a compound nevus or an intradermal nevus. Finally, c-Kit could be a good diagnostic tool for distinguishing benign compound nevi from malignant melanocytic lesions with der- mis invasion and to differentiate metastatic melanoma from primary melanoma

Modeling a biological reactor using sparse identification method

In this work a model-based controller for a fermentation bioreactor has been developed. By simulating the model of the process that acts as a virtual plant, input-output data have been generated and used to identify the system using sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics methodology. The obtained model is then used in a model-based algorithm to control the bioreactor temperature, where the manipulated action is obtained as a result of a constrained nonlinear optimization problem which minimizes the mismatch between the predicted trajectory and the desired one. Good performances have been obtained by applying the proposed control strategy for set-point changes and disturbance rejection

Relativistic global and local divergences in hydrogenic systems: A study in position and momentum spaces

Relativistic effects in one-particle densities of hydrogenic systems are quantified by means of global and local density functionals: the Jensen-Shannon and the Jensen-Fisher divergences, respectively. The Schrödinger and Dirac radial densities are compared, providing complementary results in position and momentum spaces. While the electron cloud gets compressed towards the origin in the Dirac case, the momentum density spreads out over its domain, and the raising of minima in position space does not occur in the momentum space. Regarding the dependence on the nuclear charge and the state quantum numbers for all divergences here considered, as well as their mutual interconnection, accurate powerlike laws y˜Cxa are found systematically. The parameters {C,a} defining the respective dependences are extremely sensitive to the closeness of the system to the ground and/or the circular state. Particularly interesting are the analyses of (i) the plane subtended by the Jensen-Shannon and Jensen-Fisher divergences, in a given space (position or momentum), and (ii) either of the above two divergences in the position-momentum plane. These kinds of results show the complementary role of global and local divergences and that of both conjugate spaces

A quasi-isodynamic configuration with good confinement of fast ions at low plasma β\beta

A new quasi-isodynamic stellarator configuration optimized for the confinement of energetic ions at low plasma $\beta$ is obtained. The numerical optimization is carried out using the STELLOPT suite of codes. New proxies to measure closeness to quasi-isodynamicity and quality of fast ion confinement have been included. The new configuration has poloidally closed contours of magnetic field strength, low magnetic shear and a rotational transform profile allowing an island divertor. It shows ideal and ballooning magnetohydrodynamic stability up to $\beta = 5$, reduced effective ripple, with $\epsilon_{eff} < 0.5$ in the plasma core. Even at low $\beta$, the configuration approximately satisfies the maximum-$J$ property, and the confinement of fast ions is good at $\beta \sim 1.5$ and becomes excellent at reactor values, $\beta \sim 4$. An evaluation of the $D_{31}$ neoclassical mono-energetic coefficient supports the expectation of a reduced bootstrap current for plasmas confined in quasi-isodynamic configurations. A set of filamentary coils that preserve the good confinement of fast ions in the core is presented.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figure

Predicting workout quality to help coaches support sportspeople

The support of a qualified coach is crucial to keep the motivation of sportspeople high and help them pursuing an active lifestyle. In this paper,we discuss the scenario in which a coach follows sportspeople remotely by means of an eHealth platform, named u4fit. Having to deal with several users at the same time, with no direct human contact, means that it is hard for coaches to quickly spot who, among the people she follows, needs a more timely support. To this end, in this paper we present an automated approach that analyzes the adherence of sportspeople to their planned workout routines. The approach is able to suggest to the coach the sportspeople who need earlier support due to a poor performance. Experiments on real data, evaluated through classic accuracy metrics, show the effectiveness of our approach

Modelling anharmonic spectra of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons at high temperatures

Anharmonicity plays a crucial role in determining the band profile and position of the interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Here we modeled the infrared spectrum of pyrene (C16H10) using \textrm{ab initio} simulations. We used our new AnharmoniCaOs code to describe the detailed structures of hot band transitions up to moderately high temperatures (600K), using Monte Carlo sampling of the states but beyond that due to high computational cost it is difficult to extend such fancy calculation up to very high temperature relevant for astrophysics. IR spectra of C16H10 beyond 600K was calculated using Density functional based tight binding molecular dynamics simulation. A gradual red shift of the band position and increasing band width is observed with increasing temperatures. The band positions at different temperatures were fitted with a linear regression and the anharmonicity factors were retrieved from the linear fits. Theoretical anharmonicity factors were compared to the recent laboratory results and previous gas phase analyses. This is an extension of a previous project, aimed at completing the calculations to obtain (relatively) high temperature anharmonic vibrational spectra of the pyrene (C16H10) Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, using our AnharmoniCaOs code to describe the detailed structures of hot band transitions. We achieved our scientific goal, but the calculation was significantly more demanding than anticipated. The results have been submitted to the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy by Chakraborty et al., I here describe the technical challenges we faced and the improvements we plan to overcome or mitigate them...

Evolución petrológico geoquímica de los granitoides hercínicos del NO gallego

[Resumen] Se estudia el conjunto de rocas graníticas hercínicas del sector noroeste de Galicia, desde el punto de vista petrológico y geoquímico. Por características tect6nicas y mineral6gicas se han distinguido cuatro grupos de granitoides: Granotáides precoces, granitoides inhomogneos,/granitos de dos micas pre-fase 3, y granitos postcinemáticos. Todos los grupos, a excepci6n de los granitoides precoces, tienen una tendencia geoquímica más ácida y evolucionada que la media total de los granitoides gallegos. Los contenidos en Li,Rb,Ba,Sr, demuestran igualmente un alto grado de diferenciación. L1 y Rb por un lado, y Ba y Sr. por otro, se comportan de manera análoga en todos los grupos.[Abstract] This paper deals with the petrological and geochémical aspects of Hercynian granitic rocks in the northwestern part of Galicia. Based on minerological and structural criteria four granitoid groups are distinguished: Early-Hercynian granitoids, " inhomogeneus granitoids " , an'older group of two-micas granite (prior to the third Hercynian deformation) and postcinematic granites. Geochemically al1 the granitic rocks, with the exception of the EarlyHercynian granitoids, are more acid than the average value of all Galician granitoids. Also the abundances of Li, Rb, Ba, and Sr demonstrate a high degree of differentiation. The element pairs Li-Rb and Ba-Sr, tend to behave similarly in the granitoid groups