The uterine cervical length is an important risk factor for preterm birth. The aim of this study was to assess cervical length distribution in women with singleton pregnancies, measured by ...transvaginal ultrasound between 16 and 24 weeks, and its association with population characteristics.
We searched electronic databases and other sources for studies published from April 1, 1990 to July 21, 2020. Of the 2019 retrieved publications, full-text versions of 137 articles were considered. We included 77 original articles that reported cervical length measurements of 363,431 women. The main aim of this study was to identify the pattern of cervical length in different populations. We collected demographic and clinical data concerning the population, in addition to information regarding the ultrasound examination and cervical length measurement. Regarding study bias, 56 were at low risk of bias and 21 were at medium risk of bias.
The meta-analysis included 57 articles with data from 158,346 women. The mean cervical length was 37.96. mm (95% CI 36.68, 39.24). Cervical length was shorter in women from Africa and Asia, in those from low-income countries, with a lower body weight, and in those who delivered before 37 gestational weeks. We found that the cervical length from pooled studies is longer than that usually discussed in the literature. Regarding limitations, we had difficulty assessing our main variable because there was no consistent pattern in the way authors reported cervical length measurement. Another limitation was the great heterogeneity between studies.
The use of a single cutoff value to define a short cervix diagnosis, an important risk factor for preterm birth, may not be correct and cervical length must be considered according to maternal population characteristics. Future studies should identify different specific curves and cutoff values for cervical length in different populations. This meta-analysis was registered in the PROSPERO database under CRD42017070246 at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=70246.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the water status, photosynthetic pigments, and photochemical efficiency of mini watermelon plants under salt stress and phosphate fertilization. ...The experiment was conducted in pots under greenhouse conditions in Pombal, PB, Brazil. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme, with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.3, 1.3, 2.3, 3.3, and 4.3 dS m-1) and four doses of phosphorus (60, 80, 100, and 120% of the recommendation), with three replicates. The relative water content in the tissues decreased with the increase in ECw levels in all phosphorus doses, with decreases of 7.05, 7.81 and 8.83% per unit increase in ECw, in plants fertilized with 80, 100 and 120% P2O5. On the other hand, ECw levels increased electrolyte leakage, regardless of phosphorus doses of the recommendation. The synthesis of photosynthetic pigments and the quantum efficiency of photosystem II were inhibited by increasing water salinity from 0.3 dS m-1 in plants grown under phosphorus doses above 60% of the recommendation. Water salinity from 0.3 dS m-1 reduced chlorophyll b contents, initial, maximum, and variable fluorescence of mini watermelon plants, with a decrease of 11.86, 4.51, 4.53, and 4.54% per unit increment of ECw, respectively.
Resumo Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o status hídrico, os pigmentos fotossintéticos e a eficiência fotoquímica em plantas de mini melancia sob estresse salino e adubação fosfatada. O experimento foi conduzido em vasos sob condições de casa de vegetação em Pombal - PB. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 5 × 4, sendo cinco níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação - CEa (0,3; 1,3; 2,3; 3,3 e 4,3 dS m-1), quatro doses de fósforo (60; 80; 100 e 120% da recomendação), com três repetições. O conteúdo relativo de água nos tecidos diminuiu com o aumento dos níveis de CEa em todas as doses de fósforo, sendo os decréscimos de 7,05, 7,81 e 8,83% por aumento unitário da CEa, nas plantas adubadas com 80, 100 e 120% de P2O5. Por outro lado, os níveis crescentes de CEa aumentaram o extravasamento de eletrólitos, independente das doses de fósforo. A síntese de pigmentos fotossintéticos e a eficiência quântica do fotossistema II foi inibida pelo aumento da salinidade da água a partir de 0,3 dS m-1 nas plantas cultivadas sob doses de fosforo acima de 60% da recomendação. A salinidade da água a partir de 0,3 dS m-1 reduziu os teores de clorofila b, a flourescência inicial, a máxima e a variável das plantas de mini melancia, sendo a diminuição de 11,86; 4,51; 4,53 e 4,54% por incremento unitário da CEa, respectivamente.
Extracted babassu coconut (
Orbignya speciosa) mesocarp (BCM) was applied as a biosorbent for aqueous Blue Remazol R160 (BR 160), Rubi S2G (R S2G), Red Remazol 5R (RR 5), Violet Remazol 5R (VR 5) and ...Indanthrene Olive Green (IOG) dye solutions. The natural sorbent was processed batchwise while varying several system parameters such as stirring time, pH and temperature. The interactions were assayed with respect to both pseudo-first-order and second-order reaction kinetics, with the latter the more suitable kinetic model. The maximum adsorption was obtained at pH 1.0 for all dyes due to available anionic groups attached to the structures, which can be justified by pH
pzc 6.7 for the biosorbent BCM. The ability of babassu coconut mesocarp to adsorb dyes gave the order R S2G
>
VR 5
>
BR 160
>
IOG
>
RR 5, which data were best fit to Freundlich model, but did not well-adjusted for all dyes. The dye/biopolymer interactions at the solid/liquid interface are all spontaneous as given by free Gibbs energy, with exothermic enthalpic values of −26.1, −15.8, −17.8, −15.8 and −23.7
kJ
mol
−1 for BR 160, R S2G, RR 5, IOG and VR 5, respectively. In spite of the negative entropic values contribution, the set of thermodynamic data is favorable for all dyes removal. However, the results pointed to the effectiveness of the mesocarp of babassu coconut as a biosorbent for removing textile dyes from aqueous solutions.
Expression of estrus near timed artificial insemination (TAI) is associated with greater fertility, and estrus detection could improve TAI fertility or direct TAI management, although accurate estrus ...detection can be difficult and time-consuming using traditional methods. The aim of this study is to evaluate influence of estrus on pregnancy (artificial insemination pregnancy rates (P/AI)) and to validate an alternative method to classify estrus/heat expression using tail chalking (HEATSC) in postpartum Bos indicus cows subjected to TAI in progesterone-estrogen-based protocols. In experiment 1 (Exp. 1), cows (5491) were subjected to visual observation of estrus after progesterone device removal, before TAI, and P/AI was evaluated according to estrus and body condition score (BCS). Cows received a progesterone device and 2 mg estradiol benzoate (EB). After 8 days, the device was removed and 150 μg of d-cloprostenol and 300 IU equine chorionic gonadotrophin was given. Later, animals in Exp. 1 received 1 mg EB and TAI 44 to 48 h. In the Exp. 2 - 3830 cows using similar protocol, received different ovulation inducers: 1 mg EB (n=1624) or 1 mg estradiol cypionate (EC; n=2206) on day 8 (D8). Cows were then marked with chalk, and HEATSC evaluated at TAI on D10 (HEATSC1 - no chalk removal=no estrus expression; HEATSC2 - partial chalk removal=low estrus expression; HEATSC3 - near complete/complete chalk removal=high estrus expression). In Exp. 1, cows showing estrus presented greater P/AI (48.4% v. 40.2%, P<0.05). In Exp. 2, P/AI (HEATSC1 - 40.0%; HEATSC2 - 49.7%; HEATSC3 - 60.9%; P<0.001), and larger follicle timed artificial insemination (LFTAI) (<0.001) varied according to HEATSC. There was no difference in P/AI (P=0.41) or LFTAI (P=0.33) according to ovulation inducer. Cows with greater BCS showed greater P/AI in both experiments (P<0.05). Estrus presence and greater HEATSC improved P/AI, and EC v. EB used promoted differential estrus manifestation (cows showing HEATSC2 and HEATSC3: 79.5% with EB v. 69.98% with EC use, P<0.001), however, with similar P/AI. The use of HEATSC in B. indicus cows subjected to TAI is useful to identify cows with greater estrus expression and consequently improved pregnancy rates in TAI, allowing the cows with low HEATSC to be targeted for additional treatments aimed at improving P/AI.
The concepts of matched-beam, self-guided laser propagation and ionization-induced injection have been combined to accelerate electrons up to 1.45 GeV energy in a laser wakefield accelerator. From ...the spatial and spectral content of the laser light exiting the plasma, we infer that the 60 fs, 110 TW laser pulse is guided and excites a wake over the entire 1.3 cm length of the gas cell at densities below 1.5 × 10(18) cm(-3). High-energy electrons are observed only when small (3%) amounts of CO2 gas are added to the He gas. Computer simulations confirm that it is the K-shell electrons of oxygen that are ionized and injected into the wake and accelerated to beyond 1 GeV energy.
Terpenoids, also named terpenes or isoprenoids, are a family of natural products found in all living organisms. Many plants produce terpenoids as secondary metabolites, and these make up a large part ...of essential oils. One of most important characteristic is that the compounds are volatile, have odor and can be used in a variety of applications in different industrial segments and traditional medicine. Brazil has a rich and diverse flora that can be used as a source of research for obtaining new molecules. Within the Brazilian flora, it is worth mentioning the Caatinga as an exclusively Brazilian biome where plants adapt to a specific series of weather conditions and therefore become a great storehouse of the terpenoid compounds to be described herein. Fungal infections have become increasingly common, and a great demand for new agents with low toxicity and side effects has thus emerged. Scientists must search for new molecules exhibiting antifungal activity to develop new drugs. This review aims to analyze scientific data from the principal published studies describing the use of terpenes and their biological applications as antifungals.
In this second paper of a series, we present a treatment procedure for data cubes obtained with the Spectrograph for Integral Field Observations in the Near Infrared of the Very Large Telescope. We ...verified that the treatment procedure improves significantly the quality of the images of the data cubes, allowing a more detailed analysis. The images of the Br γ and H2λ21 218 emission lines from the treated data cube of the nuclear region of NGC 5643 reveal the existence of ionized and molecular-gas clouds around the nucleus, which cannot be seen clearly in the images from the non-treated data cube of this galaxy. The ionized-gas clouds represent the narrow-line region, in the form of a bicone. We observe a good correspondence between the positions of the ionized-gas clouds in the Br γ image and in an O iii image, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, of the nuclear region of this galaxy convolved with an estimate of the point spread function of the data cube of NGC 5643. The morphologies of the ionized and molecular gas seem to be compatible with the existence of a molecular torus/disc that collimates the active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission. The molecular gas may also flow along this torus/disc, feeding the AGN. This scenario is compatible with the unified model for AGNs.
•Melatonin receptors type 1A/B are expressed in bovine preantral and antral follicles.•Melatonin stimulates follicle growth through its membrane receptors.•Luzindole blocks the effects of melatonin ...on follicle growth.•Luzindole blocks the effects of melatonin on expression of antioxidant enzymes.
This study aims to investigate the (1) expression of melatonin receptors types 1A/B (MTNR1A/B) in bovine ovaries and (2) the in vitro effects of melatonin on secondary follicle development, antrum formation, viability, and expression of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) and peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6). The expression of MTNR1A/B in bovine ovarian follicles was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. To choose the most effective concentration of melatonin on follicular growth and viability, isolated secondary follicles were cultured individually at 38.5°C, with 5% CO2 in air, for 18 d in TCM-199+ alone or supplemented with 10−11, 10−9, 10−7 or 10−5 M melatonin. Then, melatonin receptor antagonist, luzindole, was tested to further evaluate the mechanisms of actions of melatonin, that is, the follicles were cultured in control medium alone or supplemented with 10−7 M melatonin, 10 µM luzindole and both 10−7 M melatonin and 10 µM luzindole. Follicular growth, morphology and antrum formation were evaluated at days 6, 12 and 18. At the end of culture, viability of secondary follicles was analyzed by calcein-AM and ethidium homodimer-1, and the relative levels of mRNA for SOD, CAT, GPX1 and PRDX6 were evaluated by real time polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry results showed expression of MTNR1A/B in oocyte and granulosa cells of primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicles. Secondary follicles cultured in medium supplemented with melatonin at different concentrations had well preserved follicles after 18 d of culture. Furthermore, follicles cultured in presence of 10−7 M melatonin presented significantly higher diameters than those cultured in other treatments. The presence of melatonin receptor antagonist, luzindole, blocked the effects of melatonin on follicular growth and viability. In addition, follicles cultured in medium containing only melatonin had significantly higher rates of antrum formation. Follicles cultured in medium containing only melatonin had higher relative levels of mRNA for CAT, SOD and PRDX-6 than those cultured with both melatonin and luzindole. Follicles cultured with luzindole only or both melatonin and luzindole had lower relative levels of mRNA for PRDX6 and GPX1 than those cultured control medium. In conclusion, melatonin promotes growth of bovine secondary follicles through its membrane-coupled receptors, while luzindole blocks the effects of melatonin on follicle growth and reduces the expression of antioxidant enzymes in cultured follicles.
Differentiating the structure of isobaric glycopeptides represents a major challenge for mass spectrometry-based characterisation techniques. Here we show that the regiochemistry of the most common ...N-acetylneuraminic acid linkages of N-glycans can be identified in a site-specific manner from individual glycopeptides using ion mobility-mass spectrometry analysis of diagnostic fragment ions.
In order to examine (i) the association between weight status and musculoskeletal complaints (MSC) in children, and (ii) whether overweight and obese children have a higher risk of developing MSC ...than normal‐weight children Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane were searched (all years up to 2 January 2013) for observational studies studying direct associations between body mass index (or weight status) and MSC in children. Forty studies, together studying over one million children, were included. There was moderate quality of evidence that being overweight in childhood is positively associated with musculoskeletal pain (risk ratio RR 1.26; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.09–1.45). In addition, low quality of evidence was found for a positive association between overweight and low back pain (RR 1.42; 95% CI: 1.03–1.97) and between overweight and injuries and fractures (RR 1.08; 95% CI: 1.03–1.14). Although the risk of developing an injury was significantly higher for overweight than for normal‐weight adolescents (RR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.42 to 4.10), this evidence was of very low quality. Overweight and obesity are associated with musculoskeletal pain, injuries and fractures as early as childhood. More high‐quality prospective cohort studies are needed to study the nature of this relationship.
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