Background. Taking into account the probable role that race/skin color may have for determining outcomes in maternal health, the objective of this study was to assess whether maternal race/skin color ...is a predictor of severe maternal morbidity. Methods. This is a secondary analysis of the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity, a national multicenter cross-sectional study of 27 Brazilian referral maternity hospitals. A prospective surveillance was performed to identify cases of maternal death (MD), maternal near miss (MNM) events, and potentially life-threatening conditions (PLTC), according to standard WHO definition and criteria. Among 9,555 women with severe maternal morbidity, data on race/skin color was available for 7,139 women, who were further divided into two groups: 4,108 nonwhite women (2,253 black and 1,855 from other races/skin color) and 3,031 white women. Indicators of severe maternal morbidity according to WHO definition are shown by skin color group. Adjusted Prevalence Ratios (PRadj - 95%CI) for Severe Maternal Outcome (SMO=MNM+MD) were estimated according to sociodemographic/obstetric characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and perinatal results considering race. Results. Among 7,139 women with severe maternal morbidity evaluated, 90.5% were classified as PLTC, 8.5% as MNM, and 1.6% as MD. There was a significantly higher prevalence of MNM and MD among white women. MNMR (maternal near miss ratio) was 9.37 per thousand live births (LB). SMOR (severe maternal outcome ratio) was 11.08 per 1000 LB, and MMR (maternal mortality ratio) was 170.4 per 100,000 LB. Maternal mortality to maternal near miss ratio was 1 to 5.2, irrespective of maternal skin color. Hypertension, the main cause of maternal complications, affected mostly nonwhite women. Hemorrhage, the second more common cause of maternal complication, predominated among white women. Nonwhite skin color was associated with a reduced risk of SMO in multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Nonwhite skin color was associated with a lower risk for severe maternal outcomes. This result could be due to confounding factors linked to a high rate of Brazilian miscegenation.
If weight and height data given by the patients were accurate, direct measurements would be made redundant and unnecessary, bringing about substantial savings in terms of cost and time, during ...epidemiological studies. Data from direct measurements were compared to those given by the individuals, during a house visit. In order to assemble a representative population of 119,570 people, domiciles that met certain criteria were chosen at random. Individuals who were 15 years old or older from the selected domicile were interviewed and their social and demographic data were taken down, as informed. Both weight and height figures were verified through the use of electronic scales and laser estadiometer. Among the 3084 interviews, which were conducted, 739 individuals didn't know their weight and 1340 could not remember their height. The authors analyzed 2345 answers which mentioned weight and 1744 with figures for height. Among patients who were able to remember their weight, 49.7% were males. Most of those who remembered their height were also males (56.6%). According to the investigators' criteria, errors caused by rounding up figures were not taken into consideration. If the difference was less than 2.5%, the error was considered acceptable, while all other values were considered discrepant errors. The proportion test was used to verify whether the discrepant error was significantly bigger than zero. (See Table) Informed value Weight Height N % N % Correct 583 24.86 690 39.56 Acceptable error 1225 52.24 565 32.40 Discrepant error 537* 22.90 489* 28.04 *p< 0.0001 for discrepant errors bigger than zero Discrepant errors continued to be significantly bigger than zero, even when data was analyzed in terms of different genders and age brackets. It was possible to verify that informed weight and height values were not very accurate and figures obtained through direct measurement were different, both for the group as a whole or for subgroups, such as gender- and age-matched cohorts. On the basis of this investigation, the authors don't recommend the use of informed weight and height figures for population studies.
The wild boar is a natural inhabitant of Europe, Asia, and North Africa and is phylogenetically the ancestor of the domestic pig. Because of its phylogenetic and economic importance, this species is ...an interesting model for studying testis function in boars. Therefore, the present study was performed to investigate the testis structure, spermatogenic cycle length, and Sertoli cell (SC) and spermatogenic efficiencies in eight adult wild boars. Each spermatogenic cycle lasted 9.05 days, and the total duration of spermatogenesis was estimated as lasting approximately 41 days. The percentages of testis volume occupied by seminiferous tubules and by Leydig cells were 87% and 6%, respectively. The mean number of SCs per gram of testis was 42 million. The SC (round spermatids per SC) and spermatogenic (daily sperm production per gram of testis) efficiencies were 6.6 cells and 28.6 million, respectively. In general, the testis structure, overall germ cell associations at the different stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle, and duration of spermatogenesis in the wild boar were similar to those in domestic pigs. Probably because of the small size of Leydig cells (400 μm3), their number per gram of testis (157 million) was the highest among investigated mammalian species. Although the SC efficiency in wild boars was low, their spermatogenic efficiency was comparable to that observed in domestic pigs, mainly because of the higher number of SCs per gram of testis in wild boars. These data suggest that SCs became more efficient during evolution, genetic selection, and domestication in pigs.
Objective
To evaluate the distribution of women with severe maternal morbidity according to Robson Ten Group Classification System (RTGCS).
Methods
Secondary analysis of a multicenter cross‐sectional ...study in 27 obstetric units in Brazil, using RTGCS. Cases were classified into potentially life‐threatening condition or a maternal near miss or death, according to severity. Certain groups were subdivided for further analysis. Cesarean delivery (CD) rates were reported.
Results
Among 7,247 women with severe maternal morbidity, 73.2 percent underwent CD. Group 10 (single, cephalic, preterm) was the most prevalent (33.9%). Groups mostly associated with a severe maternal outcome were: 7 (multiparous, breech), 9 (all abnormal lies, single, term), 8 (all multiple), and 10. Groups 1 (nulliparous, single, cephalic, term, spontaneous) and 3 (multiparous, single, cephalic, term, spontaneous) were associated with better maternal outcome. Group 3 had one severe maternal morbidity to 29 cases of potentially life‐threatening, but the ratio was 1:10 for women undergoing CD, indicating a worse outcome. Group 4a (multiparous, no previous CD, single, cephalic, term, induced labor) had a better maternal outcome than those delivered by CD before labor (group 4b). Hypertension was the most common condition of severity.
Conclusions
The RTGCS was useful to consider severe maternal morbidity, showing groups with higher CD rates and worse maternal outcomes.
Progesterone production and release in vitro, and mRNA expression for key steroidogenic enzymes, were studied in luteal tissue recovered in the immediate postovulatory period from cyclic gilts ...allocated to one of three treatments: moderate feed restriction during the first (RH) or second week of the estrous cycle, with (HR+I) or without (HR) concomitant injections of long-acting insulin. Time of feed restriction affected neither progesterone production or release, nor mRNA expression for several key steroidogenic enzymes. However, luteal tissue from RH but not from HR gilts responded to LH stimulation by increasing progesterone production and release (P < 0.05). Insulin treatment increased progesterone production and release, restored luteal tissue responsiveness to LH, up-regulated steroidogenic enzyme mRNA expression, and down-regulated the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-I mRNA expression in HR+I compared with HR gilts (P < 0.05). In vitro progesterone production and gene expression were affected by time of tissue collection after ovulation in RH and HR gilts but not in HR+I gilts, and were correlated with temporal changes in oviductal and peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations. Inherent differences in luteal function therefore appear to mediate latent effects of nutrition and insulin treatment on circulating progesterone concentrations in the critical postovulatory period in gilts.
The nor-clerodane diterpene trans-crotonin isolated from the bark of Croton cajucara BENTH. was investigated for its ability to prevent the formation of gastric-mucosa ulceration in different ...experimental models in mice. The results obtained from crotonin were compared with those obtained with another diterpene, DHC (trans-dehydrocrotonin) in the same models. When previously administered (p.o.) at the dose of 100 mg/kg, crotonin, as well as DHC, significantly reduced (p<0.05) gastric injury induced by stress (72, 67%), indomethacin/bethanechol (78, 29%) and pylorus ligature (35, 30%). In the HCl/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model, at oral doses of 100 and 250 mg/kg, crotonin significantly prevented (p<0.05) the formation of gastric lesions by 51 and 56%, respectively, when compared to the control group. Gastric injury was also of significantly less magnitude in the DHC treatment group (p<0.05). In the pylorus-ligature model, crotonin (p.o.), like cimetidine, increased the volume of gastric juice when compared to the control group (p<0.05). No significant modifications where found in gastric parameters such as pH or total acid content after oral crotonin treatment. However, systemic alterations were observed when crotonin (100 mg/kg) was previously administered intraduodenally to mice. We observed significant changes (p<0.001) in gastric-juice parameters such as an increase in volume and a decrease in gastric acidity. Those pre-treated with crotonin as well as with DHC did not increase free mucus production (p>0.05). The results suggest that crotonin presents a significant anti-ulcer effect when assessed in these ulcer-induced models. As with DHC, the antiulcerogenic effects of crotonin are probably related to anti-secretory or/and gastroprotective properties of this substance. In light of results obtained with DHC and natural trans-crotonin in the present study, we concluded that the A-ring of both diterpenes is not directly involved in the antiulcerogenic activity.
The preservation of the genetic variability of hatchery stocks used to supplement natural populations is a priority. Current study employed RAPD markers to examine the genetic diversity of dourado ...samples from the middle Paranapanema river and from the broodstock used in the stock enhancement program of the Aquaculture and Hydrobiology Station at the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant. Nineteen RAPD primers were analyzed, which generated 299 bands and the latter were used for genetic analysis. The percentage of polymorphic fragments was higher in stock captured in the Paranapanema river than from fry stocks. The genetic diversity was lower in the broodstock than in natural population. Amova results showed that most interpopulation genetic variation lay within stocks (83.9%) and not between them (16.1%). Moderate genetic differentiation (FST = 0.16) was reported. Nevertheless, differentiation decreased when the four fry stocks were mixed and analyzed as a single population (FST = 0.07). Instead of releasing each lot separately into the water, mixing specimens produced in the various fry stocks before releasing them in the river would be more feasible. The restocked population will have a genetic structure closer to natural populations.
Solanum asterophorum Mart. (Solanaceae) is a shrub popularly known as “jurubeba-defogo” in the northeast of Brazil. In the present work, the methanol extract (SA-MeOH, 3-750 μg/mL) and isojuripidine ...(10
- 3 x 10
ᴍ), a steroidal alkaloid obtained from S. asterophorum Mart. leaves, inhibited phasic contractions induced by both 1 μᴍ histamine IC
= (225.8 ± 47.4) μg/mL and (3.5 ± 0.8) x 10
ᴍ or 1μᴍ acetylcholine IC
= (112.5 ± 20.6) μg/mL and (2.3 ± 0.4) \ 10
ᴍ in guinea-pig ileum, respectively. The extract and isojuripidine also relaxed the ileum (SA-MeOH, 1-750 μg/mL, and isojuripidine, 10
- 3 x 10
ᴍ) pre-contracted with 1 μᴍ histamine EC
= (101.1 ± 17.4) μg/mL and (1.2 ± 0.3) x 10
ᴍ or 1 μm acetylcholine EC
= (136.8 ± 21.1) μg/mL and (1.9 ± 0.4) x 10
ᴍ or 40 mᴍ KCl EC
= (149.4 d 19.5) μg/mL and (1.8 ± 0.7) x 10
ᴍ, respectively, in an equipotent and concentration-dependent manner. This effect is probably due to inhibition of calcium influx through voltage-operated calcium (Ca
) channels. To confirm this hypothesis, we evaluated their effect on cumulative CaCl
curves in depolarizing medium nominally without Ca
. SA-MeOH (27, 243, 500, and 750 μg/mL) and isojuripidine (3 x 10
, 10
, 3 x 10
, and 3 x 10
m) inhibited the contractions induced by CaCl
, in a concentrationdependent manner. The concentration-response curves to CaCl
, in the presence of SAMeOH and isojuripidine, were shifted downward in relation to a control curve in a nonparallel manner resulting in reduction of the maximum effect E
= (71.2 ± 9.2); (57.4 ± 9.2); (43.8 ± 3.4); (41.5 ± 2.4) and (90.6 ± 4.8); (74.7 ± 8.7); (66.4 ± 3.9); (31.3 ± 4.1)%, respectively. SA-MeOH and isojuripidine present spasmolytic action in guinea-pig ileum due to a partially blockade of calcium influx through Ca
channels.
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