The cardiovascular risk of young women with polycystic ovary syndrome: an observational, analytical, prospective case-control study

To evaluate the cardiovascular risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), we investigated lipid profile, metabolic pattern, and echocardiography in 30 young women with PCOS and 30 healthy age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched women. PCOS women had higher fasting glucose and insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment score of insulin sensitivity, total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and TC/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and lower HDL-C levels than controls. Additionally, PCOS women had higher left atrium size (32.0 +/- 4.9 vs. 27.4 +/- 2.1 mm; P < 0.0001) and left ventricular mass index (80.5 +/- 18.1 vs. 56.1 +/- 5.4 g/m(2); P < 0.0001) and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (64.4 +/- 4.1 vs. 67.1 +/- 2.6%; P = 0.003) and early to late mitral flow velocity ratio (1.6 +/- 0.4 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.2; P < 0.0001) than controls. When patients and controls were grouped according to BMI [normal weight (BMI, >18 and <25 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI, 25.1-30 kg/m(2)), and obese (BMI, >30 kg/m(2))], the differences between PCOS women and controls were maintained in overweight and obese women. In normal weight PCOS women, a significant increase in left ventricular mass index and a decrease in diastolic filling were observed, notwithstanding no change in TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio, and TG compared with controls. In conclusion, our data show the detrimental effect of PCOS on the cardiovascular system even in young women asymptomatic for cardiac disease

Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of fetal chest wall cystic lymphangioma: An Italian case series

Fetal lymphangioma is a rare congenital malformation of lymphatic system that involve the skin and the subcutaneous tissue. The vast majority of the lymphangioma occurs in the neck. More rarely lymphangiomas may occur in the axillary region, including chest wall. Our consecutive case series study included three cases of fetal chest wall cystic lymphangiomas. In our cohort, fetal chest wall cystic lymphangiomas were the 18.8% of the all cases of lymphangiomas of axillary region. In all the three cases no other fetal abnormalities were evaluated, and the chest wall cystic lymphangiomas were unilateral, honeycombed in appearance, with multiple echo-free area of varying size in the mass, with no color flow on Doppler sonography, and with a trend to increase during the gestation. The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities was 33.3%, with one case out of the three being trisomy 21.The literature review revealed only seven cases of fetal chest wall cystic lymphangiomas. The cases were not associated with other abnormalities, nor with abnormal karyotype and only one case of fetal death was reported. Three women delivered vaginally. In summary, fetal chest wall cystic lymphangioma is a very rare malformations with only seven cases reported in the literature. This malformation is usually not associated with abnormal karyotype or other abnormalities and the neonatal outcome is favorable after surgical removal. Spontaneous vaginal delivery may be a safe approach for delivery women with fetal chest wall cystic lymphangioma. CONDENSATION: Fetal chest wall cystic lymphangioma is a very rare malformations with only seven cases reported in the literature. This malformation is usually not associated with abnormal karyotype or other abnormalities and the neonatal outcome is favorable after surgical removal. Spontaneous vaginal delivery may be a safe approach for delivery women with fetal chest wall cystic lymphangioma

Cephalopods Between Science, Art, and Engineering: A Contemporary Synthesis

ABSTRACT Cephalopods are outstanding animals. For centuries, they have provided a rich source of inspiration to many aspects of human cultures, from art, history, media and spiritual beliefs to the most exquisite scientific curiosity. Given their high esthetical value and 'mysteriously' rich behavioral repertoire they have functioned as boundary objects (or subjects) connecting seemingly distinct thematic fields. Interesting aspects of their being span from the rapid camouflaging ability inspiring contemporary art practices, to their soft and fully muscular body that curiously enough inspired both gastronomy and (soft) robotics. The areas influenced by cephalopods include ancient mythology, art, behavioural science, neuroscience, genomics, camouflage technology and bespoken robotics. Although these might seem far related fields, in this manuscript we want to show how the increasing scientific and popular interest in this heterogeneous class of animals have indeed prompted a high level of integration between scientific, artistic and sub-popular culture. We will present an overview of the birth and life of cephalopod investigations from the traditional study of ethology, neuroscience, and biodiversity to the more recent and emerging field of genomics, material industry and soft robotics. Within this framework, we will attempt to capture the current interest and progress in cephalopod scientific research that lately met both the public interest and the 'liberal arts' curiosity

Embodiment design of soft continuum robots

This article presents the results of a multidisciplinary project where mechatronic engineers worked alongside biologists to develop a soft robotic arm that captures key features of octopus anatomy and neurophysiology. The concept of embodiment (the dynamic coupling between sensory-motor control, anatomy, materials and environment that allows for the animal to achieve adaptive behaviours) is used as a starting point for the design process but tempered by current engineering technologies and approaches. In this article, the embodied design requirements are first discussed from a robotic viewpoint by taking into account real-life engineering limitations; then, the motor control schemes inspired by octopus nervous system are investigated. Finally, the mechanical and control design of a prototype is presented that appropriately blends bio-inspiration and engineering limitations. Simulated and experimental results show that the developed continuum robotic arm is able to reproduce octopus-like motions for bending, reaching and grasping

Incidence of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy in Campania: A population-based study on screening, treatment, and outcome

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy and to describe the characteristics of the serological status, management, follow-up and treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a population-based cohort study of women referred for suspected toxoplasmosis during pregnancy from January, 2001 to December, 2012. Suspected toxoplasmosis was defined as positive IgM antibody during pregnancy. Women with suspected toxoplasmosis during pregnancy were classified into three groups: seroconversion, suspected infection, or no infection in pregnancy. Women in the first and second group were treated according to local protocol, and amniocentesis with toxoplasmosis PCR detection and serial detailed ultrasound scans were offered. Neonates were investigated for congenital toxoplasmosis at birth and were monitored for at least one year after birth. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 738,588 deliveries in Campania. Of them 1159 (0.2%) were referred to our Institution for suspected toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: 183 (15.8%) women were classified as seroconversion, 381 (32.9%) were suspected infection, and 595 (51.3%) were not infected in pregnancy. Neonatal outcome was available for 476 pregnancies, including 479 neonates (3 twins, 473 singletons), out of the 564 pregnancies with seroconversion or suspected infection. 384 (80.2%) babies were not infected at birth and at follow-up, 67 (14.0%) had congenital toxoplasmosis, 10 (2.1%) were voluntary induced termination of pregnancy, 15 (3.1%) were spontaneous miscarriage, and 4 (0.8%) were stillbirth (of which one counted already in the infected cohort). Considering cases of congenital toxoplasmosis, the transmission rate in women with seroconversion was 32.9% (52/158), and in women with suspected infection was 4.7% (15/321). CONCLUSIONS: Toxoplasmosis is uncommon in pregnancy with overall incidence of seroconversion and suspected infection in pregnancy of 0.8 per 1000 live births and incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis 0.1 per 1000 live births when applying a strict protocol of screening, follow-up, and treatment. 51.3% (595/1159) of women referred to our center for suspected infection were actually considered not infected

Formazione dei turni per il personale viaggiante in un'azienda di trasporti urbani

In this work, the problem of the bus driver scheduling is dealt with. It is presented a mathematical model, that takes into account the constraints and the aims common to all the urban transit companies. The solution approach consists in decomposing the problem in more easily and rapidly solvable sub-problems; the implementation of this approach allows the use of software interactivity. Given the bus-lines time -tables, a solution technique for the computing bus driver sheduling is described in order to find the sets of shifts

Molecular Determinants of Cephalopod Muscles and Their Implication in Muscle Regeneration

The ability to regenerate whole-body structures has been studied for many decades and is of particular interest for stem cell research due to its therapeutic potential. Several vertebrate and invertebrate species have been used as model systems to study pathways involved in regeneration in the past. Among invertebrates, cephalopods are considered as highly evolved organisms, which exhibit elaborate behavioral characteristics when compared to other mollusks including active predation, extraordinary manipulation, and learning abilities. These are enabled by a complex nervous system and a number of adaptations of their body plan, which were acquired over evolutionary time. Some of these novel features show similarities to structures present in vertebrates and seem to have evolved through a convergent evolutionary process. Octopus vulgaris (the common octopus) is a representative of modern cephalopods and is characterized by a sophisticated motor and sensory system as well as highly developed cognitive capabilities. Due to its phylogenetic position and its high regenerative power the octopus has become of increasing interest for studies on regenerative processes. In this paper we provide an overview over the current knowledge of cephalopod muscle types and structures and present a possible link between these characteristics and their high regenerative potential. This may help identify conserved molecular pathways underlying regeneration in invertebrate and vertebrate animal species as well as discover new leads for targeted tissue treatments in humans

Stimulus-induced modification in the network CFP based on spike and burst events.

<p>A, B) Box plots of the percentage of electrode pairs showing a directional variation of spike train CFP (CFP-ST) strength (A) and width (B) in the post stimulus stage. C, D) Percentage of electrodes pairs showing a directional variation of burst event CFP (CFP-BE) strength (C) and width (D) in the post stimulus stage. *, p<0.05; t test.</p

Selection and application of the stimulation sequence and network frequency-dependent modifications.

<p>A) The activity recorded from one electrode is chosen for the design of the spike pattern stimulation (see right traces). After network stabilization, its activity is extracted over a period of 2 min and a spike detection algorithm is applied to extract its spike timing pattern. A train of biphasic rectangular voltage pulses (750 mV, 250 µsec for phase, positive phase first) is built based on the spike pattern of the designed electrode and delivered through it. Three distinct stimulation protocols of the same duration (see right traces) are alternatively applied: single (SS), repetitive stimulation (RS) and Poisson stimulation (POISSON). B) Conditional Firing Probability (CFP): function and relative parameters. Left: A representative CFP histogram (black profile) and the relative fitting (red profile) between two channels during a ‘SHAM’ condition. Right: Extraction of the main parameters from the fitting of the CFP by using the <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0049299#pone.0049299.e001" target="_blank">equation 1</a> (cf. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0049299#s2" target="_blank">Methods</a> section). The strength represents the maximum probability above offset, the width is computed as the amplitude of the peak at the height ‘offset+0.8 strength’, and the offset refers to background noise and unrelated background activity.</p