The Programming Power of the Placenta.

Size at birth is a critical determinant of life expectancy, and is dependent primarily on the placental supply of nutrients. However, the placenta is not just a passive organ for the materno-fetal transfer of nutrients and oxygen. Studies show that the placenta can adapt morphologically and functionally to optimize substrate supply, and thus fetal growth, under adverse intrauterine conditions. These adaptations help meet the fetal drive for growth, and their effectiveness will determine the amount and relative proportions of specific metabolic substrates supplied to the fetus at different stages of development. This flow of nutrients will ultimately program physiological systems at the gene, cell, tissue, organ, and system levels, and inadequacies can cause permanent structural and functional changes that lead to overt disease, particularly with increasing age. This review examines the environmental regulation of the placental phenotype with particular emphasis on the impact of maternal nutritional challenges and oxygen scarcity in mice, rats and guinea pigs. It also focuses on the effects of such conditions on fetal growth and the developmental programming of disease postnatally. A challenge for future research is to link placental structure and function with clinical phenotypes in the offspring.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Frontiers via https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.0003

How Does a Child with Sensory Processing Problems Play?

The occupation of play during one’s childhood years serves as a foundation for the development of future occupations in an individual’s life. By understanding a child’s extant play skills and deficits, one may then provide the necessary interventions needed to promote development and successful growth into new occupations. The purpose of this paper was to understand how a child with sensory processing deficits plays in a naturalistic environment. The findings revealed an interplay between the child’s underlying sensory processing deficits and his play skills and behaviors. Increased understanding of how a child with sensory processing deficits plays will provide information for other occupational therapists and help in the treatment of children with similar deficits

Full Spectroscopic Model and Trihybrid Experimental-Perturbative-Variational Line List for ZrO

Zirconium monoxide (ZrO) absorption lines define rare S-type stars and are currently being sought on exoplanets. Successful detection is dependent on an accurate and comprehensive line list, with existing data not ideal for many applications. Specifically, the Plez \etal{} line list is near-complete but has insufficient accuracy for high-resolution cross-correlation, while the Sorensen \& Bernath data has high accuracy but only considers a small number of spectral bands. This article presents a novel spectroscopic model, variational line list and trihybrid line list for the main \ZrO{} isotopologue, as well as isotopologue-extrapolated hybrid line lists for the \isoa{}, \isob{}, \isoc{}, \isod{}~and \isoe{} isotopologues. These were constructed using \DUO{} based on icMRCI-SD/CASSCF~\abinitio{} electronic data calculated using \MOLPRO{}, experimental energies obtained from a previous \Marvel{} data compilation and perturbative energies from Sorensen \& Bernath. The new \ZrO{} \EXOMOL{}-style trihybrid line list, \LLname{}, comprises \noenergies{} energies (\noMaenergies{} experimental) and \notransitions{} transitions up to 30,000~\cm{} (333~nm) between ten low-lying electronic states (\ZrOX{}, \ZrOaa{}, \ZrOA{}, \ZrObb{}, \ZrOB{}, \ZrOC{}, \ZrOdd{}, \ZrOee{}, \ZrOff{} and \ZrOF{}). The inclusion of experimental energy levels in \LLname{} means ZrO will be much easier to detect using high-resolution ground-based telescopes in the 12,500 -- 17,500~\cm{} (571 -- 800~nm) spectral region. The inclusion of variational energy levels means that the ZorrO line list has very high completeness and can accurately model molecular absorption cross-sections even at high temperatures. The \LLname{} data will hopefully facilitate the first detection of ZrO in the atmosphere of a hot Jupiter exoplanet, or alternatively more conclusively exclude its presence

A cross-sectional study on prevalence and predictors of burnout among a sample of pharmacists employed in pharmacies in Central Italy

Burnout is defined as an occupational phenomenon linked to chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed and included among the factors influencing health status or contact with health services. Although several studies were performed for assessing this phenomenon, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of burnout and associated predictors, due to different definitions of the syndrome and heterogeneity of assessment methods. One of the well-known evidences on burnout is related to the highest risk professions, which include policemen, firemen, teachers, psychologists, medical students, nurses, physicians, and other health professionals, such as pharmacists. Objective. The aims of the present study were to (1) assess the occurrence of burnout syndrome among a sample of pharmacists employed in public and private pharmacies located in Rome province (Latium Region; central Italy); (2) evaluate the role of some potential predictors for the development of the syndrome. Materials and Methods. A questionnaire elaborated ad hoc was administered online to 2,000 members of the Association of Professional Pharmacists of Rome and its province and employed in public or private pharmacies. The questionnaire included the 14-item Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM) tool and questions on demographic characteristics and working conditions. Results. Physical exhaustion was the burnout dimension with the highest score; besides, approximately 11% of the studied pharmacists were categorized as having clinically relevant burnout levels (≥4.40). Several of the investigated variables significantly influenced the single burnout dimensions at the univariate analyses; multivariate analyses demonstrated that alcohol consumption and workplace location have a significant independent role on the overall SMBM index, while working time significantly influences clinically relevant burnout level. Conclusions. The results revealed that pharmacists are at risk of burnout, and thus, it is necessary to perform specific preventive intervention for managing this occupational threat

Playing not once, not twice but three times in a day: the effect of fatigue on performance in junior tennis players

© 2018 Cardiff Metropolitan University. This study examined physical and perceptual responses to multiple daily tennis matches. Six junior males completed 3 × 90 min singles matches, each separated by 45 min recovery. Physical capacity (agility, countermovement jump [CMJ]), shoulder internal and external rotation (IR, ER), serve performance, creatine kinase (CK) and perceptual (soreness, pain and fatigue) measures were performed before match 1 and following each match. During matches, distances and speeds covered, stroke count and stroke acceleration magnitudes were assessed. Between-match changes (effect size ±90% confidence interval [CI]) ≥75% likely to exceed the smallest important effect size (ES =.20) were considered practically important. Movement distance (−.63 ±.90, 81% likely) and mean speed (−.61 ±.82, 82% likely) decreased only in match 2. Total strokes played also reduced in match 2 (−11.0 ± 17.7, 84% likely), without changes in stroke acceleration magnitudes. Serve accuracy declined post-match 3 (.76 ± 1.15, 81% likely), though speed did not change. CMJ height was unchanged, though shoulder IR and ER declined (−.57 ±.44, 92% likely), as did agility (.75 ±.35, 99% likely) by post-match 3. CK, pain, fatigue and soreness ratings increased throughout. Same-day tennis matches impair physical capacities and increase fatigue and soreness. Between-match fluctuations in stroke count and movement also infer altered technical elements of match-play

Near to One's Heart: The Intimate Relationship Between the Placenta and Fetal Heart.

The development of the fetal heart is exquisitely controlled by a multitude of factors, ranging from humoral to mechanical forces. The gatekeeper regulating many of these factors is the placenta, an external fetal organ. As such, resistance within the placental vascular bed has a direct influence on the fetal circulation and therefore, the developing heart. In addition, the placenta serves as the interface between the mother and fetus, controlling substrate exchange and release of hormones into both circulations. The intricate relationship between the placenta and fetal heart is appreciated in instances of clinical placental pathology. Abnormal umbilical cord insertion is associated with congenital heart defects. Likewise, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, where monochorionic twins have unequal sharing of their placenta due to inter-twin vascular anastomoses, can result in cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in both fetuses. Moreover, epidemiological studies have suggested a link between placental phenotypic traits and increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adult life. To date, the mechanistic basis of the relationships between the placenta, fetal heart development and later risk of cardiac dysfunction have not been fully elucidated. However, studies using environmental exposures and gene manipulations in experimental animals are providing insights into the pathways involved. Likewise, surgical instrumentation of the maternal and fetal circulations in large animal species has enabled the manipulation of specific humoral and mechanical factors to investigate their roles in fetal cardiac development. This review will focus on such studies and what is known to date about the link between the placenta and heart development