Profile of delivering mothers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The aim of our study was to establish an inventory of deliveries in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. We carried out a descriptive study in 10 General Reference Hospitals in the city from 1 December 2013 to 31 May 2014. The study reports that pregnant mothers in Lubumbashi deliver at a mean age of 28.2 years. The women have a mean parity of 3.8, they are married (97.7%), overweight (mean BMI 25.68 kg/m2) and had 2.6 antenatal care on mean. The primary mode of delivery was spontaneous vaginal delivery (91.7%). About 10% of mothers had a complication dominated by perineal or vaginal tears and haemorrhagic complications. Newborns weighed on average 3121.2 grams and 0.56% had a congenital malformation dominated by polydactyly and cleft-palate. Maternal and perinatal mortality rates were 310 per 100,000 live births and 42.4 per 1,000 live births, respectively

Changes in Sediment Fatty Acid Composition during Passage through the Gut of Deposit Feeding Holothurians: Holothuria atra (Jaeger, 1883) and Holothuria leucospilota (Brandt, 1835).

Sea cucumbers Holothuria atra and Holothuria leucospilota play an important role in the bioturbation of sediment in coral reef and rocky intertidal ecosystems. This study investigated changes in sediment fatty acid (FA) composition during gut passage in H. atra and H. leucospilota. The FA composition did not differ significantly between species. Comparison of FA composition in ambient sediment (AS), foregut (FG), midgut (MG), hindgut (HG), and faecal pellets (FPs) indicated that marked changes in FA composition occurred during passage through the gut of H. atra and H. leucospilota. Saturated fatty acids (SAFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and branched fatty acids (BrFAs) were significantly higher in FG than in AS, suggesting that both species selectively ingested nutrient rich particles. Significant reduction of SAFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs, and BrFAs occurred in MD and HD, with complete elimination of most PUFAs in FPs. A decrease in PUFAs 20:5ω3, 18:4ω3, 22:5ω3, 22:6ω3, 18:2ω6, 18:3ω3, 18:3ω6, odd-numbered BrFAs, and MUFA 18:1ω7 indicated that algal detritus and bacteria were important part of diet. These results have implications for the fate of specific dietary FAs, especially ω3 and ω6, and the contribution holothurian FPs make to the FA composition of coral reef and rocky intertidal ecosystems.

Options in aesthetic restorations: discoloration and malformation--problems and solutions.

This article is a review of the current options for treatment of discolored and malformed dentition--laminate veneers, all-ceramic crowns, and metal-ceramic crowns. It emphasizes the importance of close cooperation between the restorative dentist and the laboratory technician and a thorough knowledge of the dental materials science. The objective of this article is to provide diverse solutions for severe tooth discolorations and malformations. Four cases illustrate the procedures, the materials utilized, and the results achieved.