Emergence of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) is influenced by the landscape position in which seeds developed

In a 2-yr field study, we evaluated the emergence and early growth of Chenopodium album L. (common lambsquarters) seedlings as affected by the landscape position in which the seeds (i) developed, (ii) overwintered, and (iii) were planted. Results indicated that a higher proportion of seeds originating from lower slope positions emerged compared with seeds originating from the backslope or upper slope. The timing of emergence was the same for all seed source locations. There was no influence of overwintering location on weed emergence. Regardless of the seed source, we observed faster emergence and growth of C. album planted in the lower slope, where soil conditions were more conducive to growth. These experiments will support the development of new strategies and decision aids to improve weed management

Reference population for international comparisons and time trend surveillance of preterm delivery proportions in three countries

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>International comparison and time trend surveillance of preterm delivery rates is complex. New techniques that could facilitate interpretation of such rates are needed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We studied all live births and stillbirths (≥ 28 weeks gestation) registered in the medical birth registers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway from 1995 through 2004. Gestational age was determined by best estimate. A reference population of pregnant women was designed using the following criteria: 1) maternal age 20–35, 2) primiparity, 3) spontaneously conceived pregnancy, 4) singleton pregnancy and 5) mother born in the respective country. National preterm delivery rate, preterm delivery rate in the reference population and rate of spontaneous preterm delivery in the reference population were calculated for each country.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The total national preterm delivery rate (< 37 completed gestational weeks), increased in both Denmark (5.3% to 6.1%, p < 0.001) and Norway (6.0% to 6.4%, p = 0.006), but remained unchanged in Sweden, during 1995–2004. In Denmark, the preterm delivery rate in the reference population (5.3% to 6.3%, p < 0.001) and the spontaneous preterm delivery rate in the reference population (4.4% to 6.8%, p < 0.001) increased significantly. No similar increase was evident in Norway. In Sweden, rates in the reference population remained stable.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Reference populations can facilitate overview and thereby explanations for changing preterm delivery rates. The model also permits comparisons over time. This model may in its simplicity prove to be a valuable supplement to assessments of national preterm delivery rates for public health surveillance.</p

Maternal care and birth outcomes among ethnic minority women in Finland

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Care during pregnancy and labour is of great importance in every culture. Studies show that people of migrant origin have barriers to obtaining accessible and good quality care compared to people in the host society. The aim of this study is to compare the access to and use of maternity services, and their outcomes among ethnic minority women having a singleton birth in Finland.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study is based on data from the Finnish Medical Birth Register in 1999–2001 linked with the information of Statistics Finland on woman's country of birth, citizenship and mother tongue. Our study data included 6,532 women of foreign origin (3.9% of all singletons) giving singleton birth in Finland during 1999–2001 (compared to 158,469 Finnish origin singletons).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most women have migrated during the last fifteen years, mainly from Russia, Baltic countries, Somalia and East Europe. Migrant origin women participated substantially in prenatal care. Interventions performed or needed during pregnancy and childbirth varied between ethnic groups. Women of African and Somali origin had most health problems resulted in the highest perinatal mortality rates. Women from East Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Somalia had a significant risk of low birth weight and small for gestational age newborns. Most premature newborns were found among women from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Primiparous women from Africa, Somalia and Latin America and Caribbean had most caesarean sections while newborns of Latin American origin had more interventions after birth.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Despite good general coverage of maternal care among migrant origin women, there were clear variations in the type of treatment given to them or needed by them. African origin women had the most health problems during pregnancy and childbirth and the worst perinatal outcomes indicating the urgent need of targeted preventive and special care. These study results do not confirm either healthy migrant effect or epidemiological paradox according to which migrant origin women have considerable good birth outcomes.</p

Risk perception of women during high risk pregnancy: A systematic review

Risk perception in women with high risk pregnancies can affect their attitude to medical care and therefore influence the wellbeing of mother and baby. This article reviews quantitative measures of risk perception in women with high risk pregnancies. A systematic search of eight electronic databases was conducted. Additional articles were obtained through searching references of identified articles. Seven studies were identified that reported quantitative measures of risk perception in relation to high risk pregnancy. The main findings were that women with high risk pregnancies perceive themselves and the pregnancies to be at risk. However, mean risk scores consistently fall below the midpoint on risk perception measures suggesting women do not perceive this risk as extreme. Women with high risk pregnancies consistently rated their risk as being greater than that of women with low risk pregnancies. Results were inconsistent for the association between women's risk perception and that of healthcare professionals. Women with higher socio-economic status were more likely to be concerned about risk, although lower socio-economic status is associated with increased risk in pregnancy. There was a consistent association between high risk pregnancy and higher levels of anxiety. This review indicates that women at high risk during pregnancy do not perceive this risk to be extreme and that there is poor agreement between women's and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of risk. This is likely to have implications for medical care and pregnancy outcomes

Apoptosis of CD4+CD25high T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes May Be Partially Mediated by IL-2 Deprivation

from T1D subjects. in T1D may be caught up in a relatively deficient cytokine milieu. function in subjects predisposed to T1D

Subsurface mapping and modelling for petroleum prospecting, CCS and geothermics in Poland : results, tools and potential

Digital subsurface mapping on a wide scale started in Poland at the beginning of the 1990s. A team of the Department of Fossil Fuels was engaged in this activity from its beginning. In the first stage simple techniques were based on digitalization of archival maps, which gradually were replaced by development of local and regional maps based on 2D grids. In that period the most significant achievements of the team were Geothermal Atlases of the Polish Lowlands. After 2006, 3D grid-based techniques, comprising static structural and parametric models, gradually replaced the 2D grid-based techniques. They were used in completion of the 3D grid-based models lying behind the maps presented in Geothermal Atlases of the western part of the Polish Carpathians, the Carpathian Foredeep and the eastern part of the Polish Carpathians. According to the world trends in the field of petroleum geology, quantitative petroleum resources assessments were carried out using 2D, 2.5 and 3D grid-based generation, migration and expulsion models. At the same time, numerous 3D static models for CCS purposed were developed. At present, our research moves toward better data integration, uncertainty assessment and 4D modelling for petroleum geology (especially unconventional hydrocarbons), geothermal resources and CCS purposes

Numerical seismic maps of north-western margin of the Holy Cross Mountains; methodology of numerical processing

Rozwój mocy obliczeniowej komputerów oraz oprogramowania stwarzają zupełnie nowe możliwości interpretacyjne pozwalające na znaczne zwiększenie dokładności osiąganych rozwiązań i szybkie testowanie alternatywnych modeli geologicznych. Do wykonania cyfrowych map sejsmicznych NW obrzeżenia Gór Świętokrzyskich zastosowano oprogramowanie firmy Landmark Graphics Corp. Oprogramowanie to umożliwia przeprowadzenie pełnej procedury interpretacyjnej wymaganej do skonstruowania cyfrowych map sejsmicznych w domenie głębokościowej, kreślonych w wyniku wizualizacji komputerowych modeli (ang. grid). Wykorzystanie wspomaganej komputerowo interpretacji i najnowocześniejszego oprogramowania nie gwarantuje jednak automatycznego podniesienia jakości wyników. Decyduje o tym właściwe wykorzystanie dostępnych narzędzi. Artykuł przedstawia metodykę przetwarzania numerycznego zastosowaną do opracowania głębokościowych map (modeli) strukturalnych na podstawie interpretacji sejsmiki refleksyjnej w domenie czasowej. Szczególnie uwypuklono w nim techniki estymacji modeli numerycznych z zastosowaniem programu Z-MAP Plus.Increase of computers efficiency and development of geologically oriented software, opens completely new interpretation abilities, comprising - among others - considerable improvement of accuracy and opportunity of fast testing of alternative geological models. Landmark Graphic Corp. software which was applied to realise the grid-based numerical maps of NW margin of the Holy Cross Mountains, allow to establish full workflow necessary to estimate and visualise grid-based seismic maps in depth domain. However, computer-aided interpretation and the most modern software do not guarantee automatically, increase of result quality. It predominantly depends on appropriate utilisation of tool. Presented paper describes methodology of numerical processing, which was introduced to elaborate grid-based structural maps in depth domain, based on seismic interpretation in depth domain. Stress was put to Z-MAP Plus's techniques of grid estimation