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1.
J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng ; 116: 67-80, 2020 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33282011

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, promoter of COVID-19, already infected millions of people around the world, resulting in thousands of fatal victims. Facing this unprecedented crisis in human history, several research groups, industrial companies and governments have been spending efforts to develop vaccines and medications. People from distinct knowledge fields are doing their part in order to overcome this crisis. Chemical Engineers are also contributing in the development of actions to control the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, many chemical engineers still do not know how to use the knowledge acquired from Chemical Engineering school to collaborate in the fight against the COVID-19. In this context, the present paper aims to discuss several knowledge fields within the Chemical Engineering and correlated areas successfully applied to create innovative and effective solutions in the fight against the COVID-19.

2.
Med Eng Phys ; 74: 33-40, 2019 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31611180

ABSTRACT

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive alternative to analyze the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on heart functioning. Many tools have been developed to analyze collected cardiac data. Among them, the Central Tendency Measure (CTM) is a quantitative method for variability analysis of RR intervals. The values of the CTM must be between 0 and 1 (inclusive) for different radius, which follows the intrinsic characteristics of each time series. Using the conventional CTM, the successive differences of the time series may be calculated, and it can classify and differentiate the disturbances in the ANS involving HRV. This method was extended (e-CTM) to analyze the differences between RR interval time series. In this extension, a new parameter is added, which allows analysis of long time intervals, instead of successive and adjacent RR intervals. The ability of the e-CTM to differentiate the groups of the RR interval time series was verified with 145 RR interval time series divided into three groups: subjects with congestive heart failure, healthy subjects, and nurses during one hour of their workday. Results evidence that the new parameter added differentiates the group with pathology (and subsequent impairment of ANS) and group under stress at work (temporary impairment of ANS). These results suggest that the e-CTM is capable of detection long-term variations in the HRV according to the ANS impairment.


Subject(s)
Electrocardiography , Heart Rate , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted , Time Factors
3.
Molecules ; 24(12)2019 Jun 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31234400

ABSTRACT

A new series of thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine bromide salt derivatives 7a-d were synthesized from 3,4-dihydropyrimidinethione precursors. The target compounds were fully characterized by 1D- and 2D-NMR, high resolution ESI-MS/MS and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which confirmed a regioselective 5H cyclization of the dihydropyrimidinethiones. All target compounds were evaluated in vitro as human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) inhibitors via an Ellman-based colorimetric assay and showed good inhibition activities (better than 70% at 10 µM and IC50 values in the 1 µM range). Molecular docking simulations for all target products into hAChE were performed and confirmed strong binding to the enzyme. These results provide a promising and new starting point to improve acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and explore novel treatment options against Alzheimer's disease.


Subject(s)
Acetylcholinesterase/chemistry , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Pyrimidines/chemical synthesis , Acetylcholinesterase/drug effects , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry , Crystallography, X-Ray , Humans , Molecular Docking Simulation , Pyrimidines/chemistry , Tandem Mass Spectrometry
4.
J Urol ; 201(2): 284-291, 2019 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30153435

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The NCCN Guidelines® recently endorsed a subclassification of intermediate risk prostate cancer into favorable and unfavorable subgroups. However, this subclassification was developed in a treatment heterogeneous cohort. Thus, to our knowledge the natural history of androgen deprivation treatment naïve favorable and unfavorable intermediate risk prostate cancer cases remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Groups at 3 academic centers pooled data on patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer treated with radical monotherapy (dose escalated external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy or radical prostatectomy) without combined androgen deprivation treatment. We used the cumulative incidence with competing risk analysis to estimate biochemical recurrence, distant metastasis and prostate cancer specific mortality. RESULTS: A total of 2,550 men at intermediate risk were included in study, of whom 1,063 and 1,487 were at favorable and unfavorable risk, respectively. Of the men 1,149 underwent radical prostatectomy, 1,143 underwent dose escalated external beam radiotherapy and 258 underwent brachytherapy. Median followup after the different treatments ranged from 60.4 to 107.4 months. The 10-year cumulative incidence of distant metastasis in the favorable vs unfavorable risk groups was 0.2% (95% CI 0.2-0.2) vs 11.6% (95% CI 7.7-15.5) for radical prostatectomy (p <0.001), 2.8% (95% CI 0.8-4.8) vs 13.5% (95% CI 9.6-17.4) for dose escalated external beam radiotherapy (p <0.001) and 3.5% (95% CI 0-7.4) vs 10.2% (95% CI 4.3-16.1) for brachytherapy (p = 0.063). The 10-year rate of prostate cancer specific mortality in the favorable vs unfavorable risk groups was 0% (95% CI 0-0) vs 3.7% (95% CI 1.7-5.7) for radical prostatectomy (p = 0.016), 0.5% (95% CI 0.5-0.5) vs 5.6% (95% CI 3.6-7.6) for dose escalated external beam radiotherapy (p = 0.015) and 0% (95% CI 0-0) vs 2.5% (95% CI 0.5-4.5) for brachytherapy (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter international effort independently validates the prognostic value of the intermediate risk prostate cancer subclassification in androgen deprivation treatment naïve cases across all radical treatment modalities. It is unlikely that treatment intensification would meaningfully improve oncologic outcomes in men at favorable intermediate risk.


Subject(s)
Brachytherapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnosis , Prostatectomy , Prostatic Neoplasms/therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cohort Studies , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Incidence , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/epidemiology , Patient Selection , Predictive Value of Tests , Prognosis , Prostate/pathology , Prostate/surgery , Prostatic Neoplasms/mortality , Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology , Radiotherapy Dosage , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Treatment Outcome
5.
PLoS One ; 11(4): e0154405, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27124733

ABSTRACT

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) and coagulopathies are often associated with aberrant maternal inflammation. Moderate-intensity exercise during pregnancy has been shown to increase utero-placental blood flow and to enhance fetal nutrition as well as fetal and placental growth. Furthermore, exercise is known to reduce inflammation. To evaluate the effect of moderate-intensity exercise on inflammation associated with the development of maternal coagulopathies and FGR, Wistar rats were subjected to an exercise regime before and during pregnancy. To model inflammation-induced FGR, pregnant rats were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on gestational days (GD) 13.5-16.5 and sacrificed at GD 17.5. Control rats were injected with saline. Maternal hemostasis was assessed by thromboelastography. Moderate-intensity exercise prevented LPS-mediated increases in white blood cell counts measured on GD 17.5 and improved maternal hemostasis profiles. Importantly, our data reveal that exercise prevented LPS-induced FGR. Moderate-intensity exercise initiated before and maintained during pregnancy may decrease the severity of maternal and perinatal complications associated with abnormal maternal inflammation.


Subject(s)
Fetal Growth Retardation/prevention & control , Physical Conditioning, Animal , Animals , Blood Coagulation/drug effects , Female , Fetal Growth Retardation/chemically induced , Fetal Growth Retardation/physiopathology , Fetus , Gestational Age , Inflammation/chemically induced , Inflammation/physiopathology , Inflammation/therapy , Leukocyte Count , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Pregnancy , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Thrombelastography
6.
J Med Chem ; 58(10): 4250-65, 2015 May 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25906385

ABSTRACT

Selenium-containing chrysin (SeChry) and 3,7,3',4'-tetramethylquercetin (SePQue) derivatives were synthesized by a microwave-based methodology. In addition to their improvement in terms of DPPH scavenging and potential GPx-like activities, when tested in a panel of cancer cell lines both selenium-derivatives revealed consistently to be more cytotoxic when compared with their oxo and thio-analogues, evidencing the key role of selenocabonyl moiety for these activities. In particular, SeChry elicited a noteworthy cytotoxic activity with mean IC50 values 18- and 3-fold lower than those observed for chrysin and cisplatin, respectively. Additionally, these seleno-derivatives evidenced an ability to overcome cisplatin and multidrug resistance. Notably, a differential behavior toward malignant and nonmalignant cells was observed for SeChry and SePQue, exhibiting higher selectivity indexes when compared with the chalcogen-derivatives and cisplatin. Our preliminary investigation on the mechanism of cytotoxicity of SeChry and SePQue in MCF-7 human mammary cancer cells demonstrated their capacity to efficiently suppress the clonal expansion along with their ability to hamper TrxR activity leading to apoptotic cell death.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Flavonoids/chemistry , Quercetin/chemistry , Selenium/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Cell Line, Tumor/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic , Cisplatin/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Multiple/drug effects , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Free Radical Scavengers/chemistry , Free Radical Scavengers/pharmacology , Humans , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , MCF-7 Cells/drug effects , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Molecular Mimicry , Molecular Structure , Selenium/chemistry , Structure-Activity Relationship
7.
PLoS One ; 9(5): e97401, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24825164

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Maternal mortality (MM) is a core indicator of disparities in women's rights. The study of Near Miss cases is strategic to identifying the breakdowns in obstetrical care. In absolute numbers, both MM and occurrence of eclampsia are rare events. We aim to assess the obstetric care indicators and main predictors for severe maternal outcome from eclampsia (SMO: maternal death plus maternal near miss). METHODS: Secondary analysis of a multicenter, cross-sectional study, including 27 centers from all geographic regions of Brazil, from 2009 to 2010. 426 cases of eclampsia were identified and classified according to the outcomes: SMO and non-SMO. We classified facilities as coming from low- and high-income regions and calculated the WHO's obstetric health indicators. SPSS and Stata softwares were used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess maternal characteristics, clinical and obstetrical history, and access to health services as predictors for SMO, subsequently correlating them with the corresponding perinatal outcomes, also applying multiple regression analysis (adjusted for cluster effect). RESULTS: Prevalence of and mortality indexes for eclampsia in higher and lower income regions were 0.2%/0.8% and 8.1%/22%, respectively. Difficulties in access to health care showed that ICU admission (adjPR 3.61; 95% CI 1.77-7.35) and inadequate monitoring (adjPR 2.31; 95% CI 1.48-3.59) were associated with SMO. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and mortality associated with eclampsia were high in Brazil, especially in lower income regions. Promoting quality maternal health care and improving the availability of obstetric emergency care are essential actions to relieve the burden of eclampsia.


Subject(s)
Eclampsia/mortality , Epidemiological Monitoring , Mothers/statistics & numerical data , Obstetrics/standards , Brazil/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Incidence , Obstetrics/statistics & numerical data , Pregnancy , Prevalence , Regression Analysis , Socioeconomic Factors
8.
Eur J Med Chem ; 74: 7-11, 2014 Mar 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24440376

ABSTRACT

Efavirenz (EFV) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor administered as first line treatment against HIV-1. The major drawbacks of EFV therapy are neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, which may result from bioactivation to reactive metabolites capable of reacting with bionucleophiles. We investigated the in vitro oxidation of the phenolic EFV metabolites, 7-hydroxy-efavirenz (7-OH-EFV) and 8-hydroxy-efavirenz (8-OH-EFV), with Frémy's salt. A quinoline derivative, 6-chloro-2-cyclopropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-7-ol, presumably stemming from a radical rearrangement, was selectively obtained from 7-OH-EFV in 10% yield. In contrast, when subjected to the same oxidation conditions, 8-OH-EFV was considerably more prone to oxidative degradation and yielded multiple products. Among these, a quinone-imine derivative was tentatively identified upon LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of the reaction mixture. These observations demonstrate a remarkable difference in the reactivities of the two phenolic EFV metabolites under oxidative conditions. Moreover, taking into consideration the toxicological significance of quinone-imine derivatives, these findings may explain earlier reports that 8-OH-EFV is a more potent toxicant than 7-OH-EFV in model test systems.


Subject(s)
Anti-HIV Agents/chemistry , Phenols/chemistry , Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/chemistry , Chromatography, Liquid , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization , Tandem Mass Spectrometry
9.
Int J Gynaecol Obstet ; 119(1): 44-8, 2012 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22819315

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occurrence of severe maternal complications associated with abortion in Brazil. METHODS: In a cross-sectional multicenter study, prospective surveillance was done for cases of potentially life-threatening conditions (PLTC), maternal near miss (MNM), and maternal death (MD) among 9555 women with obstetric complications between June 2009 and May 2010. Abortion was evaluated as a cause, and sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, safety conditions where the abortion was performed, and the medical procedures used were also assessed. Prevalence ratios adjusted for the cluster effect of the design were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with greater severity. RESULTS: For 237 women (2.5%), abortion resulted in severe complications including PLTC (81.9%), MNM (15.2%), and MD (3%). When abortion was unsafe, infectious causes were more common for PLTC, whereas management criteria were more important for MNM and MD. In multivariate analysis, the presence of previous maternal conditions (sickle cell disease, low weight, neoplasm), being transferred or referred, previous uterine scar, and delays were associated with greater severity. CONCLUSION: Abortion was responsible for only a small percentage of the complications associated with pregnancy; however, the risk of abortion-related complications progressing unfavorably was higher.


Subject(s)
Abortion, Induced/adverse effects , Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology , Abortion, Induced/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Brazil/epidemiology , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Incidence , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/etiology , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Public Health Surveillance , Severity of Illness Index , Young Adult
10.
Molecules ; 17(3): 2616-27, 2012 Mar 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22391597

ABSTRACT

Nevirapine (NVP) is an anti-HIV drug associated with severe hepatotoxicity and skin rashes, which raises concerns about its chronic administration. There is increasing evidence that metabolic activation to reactive electrophiles capable of reacting with bionucleophiles is likely to be involved in the initiation of these toxic responses. Phase I NVP metabolism involves oxidation of the 4-methyl substituent and the formation of phenolic derivatives that are conceivably capable of undergoing further metabolic oxidation to electrophilic quinoid species prone to react with bionucleophiles. The covalent adducts thus formed might be at the genesis of toxic responses. As part of a program aimed at evaluating the possible contribution of quinoid derivatives of Phase I phenolic NVP metabolites to the toxic responses elicited by the parent drug, we have investigated the oxidation of 2-hydroxy-NVP with dipotassium nitroso-disulfonate (Frémy's salt), mimicking the one-electron oxidation involved in enzyme-mediated metabolic oxidations. We report herein the isolation and full structural characterization of a 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivative as a major product, stemming from an unusual pyridine ring contraction.


Subject(s)
Nevirapine/analogs & derivatives , Nevirapine/chemistry , Phenols/chemistry , Crystallography, X-Ray , Hydrolysis , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Mass Spectrometry , Models, Chemical , Molecular Conformation , Molecular Structure , Nitroso Compounds/chemistry , Oxidants/chemistry , Oxidation-Reduction
11.
Environ Int ; 40: 162-169, 2012 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21820740

ABSTRACT

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in the living environment are thought to have detrimental health effects on the population, with pregnant women and the developing foetus being at highest risk. We report on the levels of selected POPs in maternal blood of 155 delivering women residing in seven regions within the São Paulo State, Brazil. The following selected POPs were measured in the maternal whole blood: 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners (IUPAC Nos. 99, 101, 118, 138, 153, 156, 163, 170, 180, 183, 187, 194); dichlordiphenyltrichloroethane p,p'-DDT, diphenyldichloroethylene p,p'-DDE and other pesticides such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (α-HCH, ß-HCH, γ-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordane derivatives cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, oxy-chlordane, cis-nonachlor and trans-nonachlor. Statistical comparisons between regions were performed only on compounds having concentrations above LOD in 70% of the samples. PCB118 congener was found to be highest in the industrial site (mean 4.97 ng/g lipids); PCB138 congener concentration was highest in the Urban 3 site (mean 4.27 ng/g lipids) and congener PCB153 was highest in the industrial and Urban 3 sites with mean concentration of 7.2 ng/g lipids and 5.89ng/g lipids respectively. Large differences in levels of p,p'-DDE between regions were observed with the Urban 3 and industrial sites having the highest concentrations of 645 ng/g lipids and 417 ng/g lipids, respectively; ß-HCH was found to be highest in the Rural 1 site; the γ-HCH in Rural 1 and industrial; the HCB in the Rural 1 and industrial sites and oxy-chlordane and t-NC in the Rural 2 sites. An association between levels of some contaminants and maternal age and parity was also found.


Subject(s)
Environmental Pollutants/blood , Maternal Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Polychlorinated Biphenyls/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Brazil , Chlordan/blood , Delivery, Obstetric/statistics & numerical data , Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene/blood , Environmental Monitoring , Environmental Pollution/statistics & numerical data , Female , Hexachlorobenzene/blood , Hexachlorocyclohexane/blood , Humans , Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/blood , Pesticides/blood , Pregnancy , Young Adult
12.
Acta Odontol Latinoam ; 24(1): 75-80, 2011.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22010410

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acid etching time and technique on bond strength of a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system to dentin and enamel. Thirty human third molars were mesio-distally sectioned, parallel to the long axis of each tooth, in two halves. Buccal/lingual surfaces were abraded to obtain both flat exposed enamel and dentine. The etchant was applied with and without the use of dispensing tips provided by manufacturer. When the tip was not used, the etchant was agitated (active) over the substrate or left undisturbed (passive). The etchings were done for 15 or 30s. After rinsing the acid, the adhesive XP Bond (Dentsply Caulk, Milford, DE, USA) was applied and light-cured. Resin composite cylinders were built up on dentin and enamel substrates. A shear load was applied to the samples at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min until failure. Data were statistically analyzed by three-way ANOVA and Tukey test (alpha = 0.05). There was no difference between the etching techniques in bonding to enamel. Application with the tip or active without the tip promoted higher bond strength to dentin than passive application. Extending the etching time reduced the bond strength to dentin and did not alter the values for enamel. The passive application without tips produced the lowest bond strength when the etchant was applied for 15s. All techniques demonstrated similar values for application during 30s. The acid etching time and technique significantly influence the bond strength of etch-and-rinse adhesive to dentin.


Subject(s)
Acid Etching, Dental , Dental Bonding/methods , Dental Cements , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Materials Testing
13.
Appl Opt ; 50(14): 1968-73, 2011 May 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21556095

ABSTRACT

The generation of ultrashort vacuum UV (VUV) pulses by nondegenerate cascaded four-wave mixing of femtosecond pulses in a thin slide of a large band-gap transparent solid is numerically demonstrated. Using a novel noncollinear multiple-beam configuration, cascaded four-wave mixing of amplified 30 fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses at 800 nm, and their second harmonic in lithium fluoride results in the generation of VUV radiation down to 134 nm with energies in the µJ range and durations comparable to those of the pump pulses. The proposed geometry is advantageous in large dispersion scenarios, namely for generating radiation close to absorption bands. Hence these results set this technique as a promising way to efficiently generate ultrashort VUV radiation in solids for several applications in science and technology.

14.
BMC Public Health ; 11: 283, 2011 May 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21549009

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Improving maternal health is one of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. Recently some progress has been achieved in reducing mortality. On the other hand, in developed regions, maternal death is a relatively rare event compared to the number of cases of morbidity; hence studying maternal morbidity has become more relevant. Electronic surveillance systems may improve research by facilitating complete data reporting and reducing the time required for data collection and analysis. Therefore the purpose of this study was to describe the methods used in elaborating and implementing the National Network for the Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity in Brazil. METHODS: The project consisted of a multicenter, cross-sectional study for the surveillance of severe maternal morbidity including near-miss, in Brazil. RESULTS: Following the development of a conceptual framework, centers were selected for inclusion in the network, consensus meetings were held among the centers, an electronic data collection system was identified, specific software and hardware tools were developed, research material was prepared, and the implementation process was initiated and analyzed. CONCLUSION: The conceptual framework developed for this network was based on the experience acquired in various studies carried out in the area over recent years and encompasses maternal and perinatal health. It is innovative especially in the context of a developing country. The implementation of the project represents the first step towards this planned management. The system online elaborated for this surveillance network may be used in further studies in reproductive and perinatal health.


Subject(s)
Maternal Welfare , Morbidity , Population Surveillance/methods , Severity of Illness Index , Brazil/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , United Nations
15.
J Environ Monit ; 13(3): 563-71, 2011 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21184002

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to evaluate the degree of environmental contamination and possible exposure of pregnant women to toxic elements in seven selected areas of São Paulo State, Brazil. The overall median concentration of Mo in maternal blood was 0.53 µg L⁻¹, highly significant differences found between sites (p < 0.0001). Cd was found to be low overall - 0.09 µg L⁻¹ (0.01-0.58 µg L⁻¹) - with mothers from the Coastal and Rural 1 sites having the highest levels (p < 0.016).Median Hg concentration was 0.60 µg L⁻¹ (0.06 µg L⁻¹-4.35 µg L⁻¹); median Pb level was 16.2 µg L⁻¹ (3.5-57.7 µg L⁻¹) and no differences between sites were observed for both metals. Median Mn level was 16.7 µg L⁻¹ (7.0-39.7 µg L⁻¹), being highest in Urban 2 site (p < 0.016). Concentrations of maternal Co were found to range between 0.06 µg L⁻¹ and 1.1 µg L⁻¹ (median 0.25 µg L⁻¹) and As level was 0.60 µg L⁻¹ (0.10-3.8 µg L⁻¹) overall, with no statistical significance between sites for Co and As. Median Se concentrations were found to be 64 µg L⁻¹ (36-233 µg L⁻¹), with the highest median levels found in Urban 3 site; site differences were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Correlation for each element (between paired maternal and cord blood) was measured only in Rural site 1; significant correlation was shown for Hg, Pb, Mn and Co (p < 0.05). These findings may be interpreted as indicating low environmental contamination in São Paulo State, Brazil. These findings could also indicate that pregnant women have little or no contact with pollutants, possibly due to awareness campaigns carried out by public health practitioners.


Subject(s)
Elements , Pregnancy/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Body Height , Body Weight , Brazil , Female , Fetal Blood/chemistry , Health Status , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Life Style , Maternal Age , Parity , Pregnancy Outcome , Socioeconomic Factors , Young Adult
16.
Reprod Health ; 6: 15, 2009 Sep 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19778437

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the study of women who survive life-threatening complications related to pregnancy (maternal near-miss cases) may represent a practical alternative to surveillance of maternal morbidity/mortality since the number of cases is higher and the woman herself is able to provide information on the difficulties she faced and the long-term repercussions of the event. These repercussions, which may include sexual dysfunction, postpartum depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, may persist for prolonged periods of time, affecting women's quality of life and resulting in adverse effects to them and their babies. OBJECTIVE: The aims of the present study are to create a nationwide network of scientific cooperation to carry out surveillance and estimate the frequency of maternal near-miss cases, to perform a multicenter investigation into the quality of care for women with severe complications of pregnancy, and to carry out a multidimensional evaluation of these women up to six months. METHODS/DESIGN: This project has two components: a multicenter, cross-sectional study to be implemented in 27 referral obstetric units in different geographical regions of Brazil, and a concurrent cohort study of multidimensional analysis. Over 12 months, investigators will perform prospective surveillance to identify all maternal complications. The population of the cross-sectional component will consist of all women surviving potentially life-threatening conditions (severe maternal complications) or life-threatening conditions (the maternal near miss criteria) and maternal deaths according to the new WHO definition and criteria. Data analysis will be performed in case subgroups according to the moment of occurrence and determining cause. Frequencies of near-miss and other severe maternal morbidity and the association between organ dysfunction and maternal death will be estimated. A proportion of cases identified in the cross-sectional study will comprise the cohort of women for the multidimensional analysis. Various aspects of the lives of women surviving severe maternal complications will be evaluated 3 and 6 months after the event and compared to a group of women who suffered no severe complications in pregnancy. Previously validated questionnaires will be used in the interviews to assess reproductive function, posttraumatic stress, functional capacity, quality of life, sexual function, postpartum depression and infant development.

17.
Opt Lett ; 34(16): 2489-91, 2009 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19684825

ABSTRACT

We present a theoretical model and 2D numerical simulation of cascaded four-wave mixing of femtosecond pulses in bulk chi((3)) media, evidencing the importance of 2D interaction geometries in the efficient generation of frequency-converted pulses. Octave-spanning spectra and pulse synthesis down to the sub-two-cycle regime is demonstrated without the need for complex amplitude or phase control, in agreement with experimental measurements.

18.
Reprod Health ; 3: 3, 2006 Apr 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16643646

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medical literature has increasingly reported cases of maternal brain death during pregnancy. This is a rare situation which demands the decision and, depending on the gestational age, the implementation of a set of measures to prolong the homeostasis of the human body after brain death for the purpose of maintaining the foetus alive until its viability. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40 year old woman suffered an intracranial haemorrhage during the 25th week of pregnancy. Despite neurosurgical drainage of a gross intraparenchymatous haematoma, the patient developed brain death. Upon confirmation of this diagnosis, she received full ventilatory and nutritional support, vasoactive drugs, maintenance of normothermia, hormone replacement and other supportive measures required to prolong gestation and improve the survival prognosis of her foetus. All decisions regarding the patient's treatment were taken in consensus with her family. She also received corticosteroids to accelerate foetal lung maturity. During the twenty-five days of somatic support, the woman's condition remained stable; however, during the last seven days the foetus developed oligohydramnios and brain-sparring, which led the medical team to take the decision to perform a Caesarean section at that moment. After delivery, the patient's organs were removed for donation. The male infant was born weighing 815 g, with an Apgar score of 9 and 10 at the first and fifth minutes, respectively. The infant was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, but did not require mechanical ventilation and had no major complications. He was discharged at 40 days of life, with no sequelae and weighing 1850 g. CONCLUSION: These results are in accordance with findings from previous studies and case reports suggesting the appropriateness and safety of extended somatic support during pregnancy under certain circumstances. They also suggest the need for prompt diagnosis of brain death before the occurrence of physiological degeneration, rapid evaluation of foetal status and the decision of the family together with the medical team to prolong maternal somatic support. The occurrence of maternal brain death is a tragedy, but it may also represent a challenging opportunity to save the life of the foetus and, in addition, permit donation of the maternal organs.

19.
J Pediatr (Rio J) ; 79(4): 317-24, 2003.
Article in Portuguese | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-14513130

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study breastfeeding during the first year of life and the kind of complementary food provided at one year of life to children of adolescent mothers. To compare these data with breastfeeding and complementary food received by children of adult mothers. METHOD: A dual cohort was performed. Children were selected from the files of CAISM/UNICAMP and assessed when they were one year old. This study consisted of 122 children born from adolescent mothers and 123 children born from adult mothers--full-term births, birthweight was 2,500 g or higher. When the children were one year old, the mothers were interviewed at home or at CIPED/UNICAMP. The results were compared using the chi-square test and the Fisher's test; alpha=5%; the Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the duration of breastfeeding and the Wilcoxon test (Breslow) to compare the exclusive, predominant, full and total breastfeeding curves. RESULTS: 94.3% of children of adolescent mothers and 95.9% of children of adult mothers left the maternity hospital being breastfed (p=0.544). The median exclusive breastfeeding duration for both groups was 90 days. After completing one year, 35.3% and 28.5% of children of adolescent and adult mothers, respectively, continued breastfeeding (p=0.254): only breastfeeding 11.5% vs. 8.9% and mixed feeding 23.8% vs. 19.5% (p=0.519). Meat intake by children of adolescent mothers was lower than that of children of adult mothers (13.9% vs. 26.0%; Fisher's test: p=0.031). With regard to egg intake, 11.5% vs. 19.5% of children of adolescent mothers and adult mothers did not eat egg but the results suggested that the egg intake of children of adolescent mothers was higher (p=0.082). CONCLUSION: Duration and pattern of breastfeeding were similar between children of adolescent mothers and of adult mothers. The complementary nutrition was similar, except for a lower intake of meat and a higher intake of eggs among the children of adolescent mothers.


Subject(s)
Breast Feeding/statistics & numerical data , Diet/methods , Weaning , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Analysis of Variance , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant Food , Infant, Newborn , Male , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies , Socioeconomic Factors , Time Factors
20.
J. pediatr. (Rio J.) ; 79(4): 317-324, jul.-ago. 2003. tab, graf
Article in Portuguese | LILACS, Sec. Est. Saúde SP | ID: lil-349847

ABSTRACT

OBJETIVOS: estudar a amamentaçäo ao longo do primeiro ano de vida, e o tipo de alimentos complementares utilizados no final do primeiro ano de vida em filhos de mäes adolescentes, e comparar com os filhos de mäes adultas. MÉTODOS: estudo tipo coorte, ambidirecional, no qual as crianças foram selecionadas nos arquivos do CAISM/UNICAMP e avaliadas com um ano de idade. Estudados 122 filhos de adolescentes e 123 filhos de adultas, nascidos a termo, pesando > 2.500 g. Entrevistas realizadas nas casas ou no CIPED/UNICAMP, quando as crianças tinham um ano. Foram usados teste do qui-quadrado e de Fisher, a=5 por cento, análise de sobrevida da amamentaçäo pelo método de Kaplan-Meier e teste de Wilcoxon (Breslow) para comparar as curvas de amamentaçäo exclusiva, predominante, completa e total. RESULTADOS: 94,3 por cento dos filhos de adolescentes e 95,9 por cento dos filhos de adultas saíram da maternidade amamentados (p=0,544). A mediana de amamentaçäo exclusiva foi de 90 dias para ambos os grupos. Com um ano de idade, 35,3 por cento e 28,5 por cento dos filhos de mäes adolescentes e adultas, respectivamente, continuavam amamentados (p=0,254): leite materno 11,5 por cento x 8,9 por cento e aleitamento misto 23,8 por cento x 19,5 por cento (p=0,519). Os filhos de adolescentes ingeriram menos carne diariamente, comparados aos filhos de adultas (13,9 por cento x 26,0 por cento; Fisher: p=0,031). Ovo näo é consumido por 11,5 por cento x 19,5 por cento dos filhos de adolescentes e de adultas, mas sugere ser mais consumido pelos filhos de adolescentes (p=0,082). CONCLUSÕES: O tempo de amamentaçäo e o seu padräo foram semelhantes entre os filhos de mäes adolescentes e de mäes adultas. A alimentaçäo complementar também foi similar, com exceçäo de um menor consumo de carnes e um maior consumo de ovos entre os filhos de mäes adolescentes.


Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Adult , Weaning , Breast Feeding , Diet , Socioeconomic Factors , Time Factors , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies , Analysis of Variance , Cohort Studies , Age Factors , Infant Food
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