Prevalence of anemia during pregnancy: results of Valencia (Venezuela) anemia during pregnancy study

To determine the prevalence of anemia during pregnancy in Venezuelan pregnant women. By using a cross-sectional study, 630 Venezuelan pregnant women in their third trimester at labor from the Valencia Anemia during Pregnancy Study were studied. Anemia during pregnancy was defined according to WHO guidelines (Hb < 11 g/dl), iron deficiency was considered when serum ferritin level was < 12 ng/ml, and when serum folate level was < 3 ng/ml, it was considered as folate deficiency. 630 pregnant women (mean [+/- SD] age, 24 +/- 6.4 years) having an average of Hb 11.38 +/- 1.47 g/dl [95%CI = 11.27 to 11.50] were studied. No patient had hemolytic anemia nor clinical infections. Almost all patients were from low or very low socioeconomic status. Prevalence of anemia was 34.44% (severe: 1.8%, moderate: 15.2%, and mild: 83%). Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was present in 39.2% (95%CI = 32.7 to 45.7), prevalence of folate deficiency anemia (FDA) was 11.98% (95%CI = 7.6% to 16.3%). Combined anemia (IDA and FDA) occurred in 11.52% (95%CI = 7.27% to 15.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that multiparous (odds ratio -OR-: 1.95, 95%CI = 1.28 to 2.97, p = .002) and supplement use of iron (OR: .55 (95%CI = .33 to .91, p = .02) are associated with IDA. The factors associated with FDA were: supplement use of folic acid (OR: .37 (95%CI = .19 to .71, p = .003) and appropriate prenatal control (OR: .51 95%CI = .27 to .96, p = .04). Prevalence of anemia during pregnancy was found to be high. Educational efforts should be stressed in order to encourage improvements in the prenatal care visits.     

Dietary patterns during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes: a prospective cohort study in Western China

Background

Previous research has demonstrated the association between maternal dietary patterns and gestational diabetes (GDM), but evidence in Asian populations remains limited and inconsistent. This study investigated the association between dietary patterns during early pregnancy and the risk of GDM among pregnant women in Western China.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted among 1337 pregnant women in Western China. Dietary intakes were assessed at 15–20 weeks of gestation using a validated food frequency questionnaire. GDM was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance tests at 24–28 weeks of gestation. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to derive dietary patterns, and logistic regression models were used to examine the association between dietary patterns and GDM.

Results

A total of 199 women (14.9%) developed GDM. Three dietary patterns were identified, namely, a plant-based pattern, a meat-based pattern and a high protein-low starch pattern. Notwithstanding a lack of association between dietary patterns and GDM risk in the whole cohort, there was a significant reduction in GDM risk among overweight women (BMI ≥24 kg/m²); the odds ratio being 0.29 (95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.94) when comparing the highest versus the lowest score of the high protein-low starch pattern.

Conclusions

There was no significant association between early pregnancy dietary patterns and GDM risk later in pregnancy for women in Western China, but high protein-low starch diet was associated with lower risk for GDM among women who were overweight at pre-pregnancy.

     

Soft furnishing fires: They're still a problem

Home fires in which soft furnishings were first ignited or contributed to fire spread cause a disproportionate share of US home fire deaths. Although the death toll from these fires is much lower than in the 1980s, the rate of death per 1000 reported fires has doubled. Data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System and the National Fire Protection Association's annual Fire Experience Survey were used to create national estimates of these fires and casualties. Including both fires in which upholstered furniture was the item first ignited and contributed most to fire spread, in 2013‐2017, upholstered furniture was involved in an estimated average of 7120 (2%) home fires per year, resulting in an average of 570 (22%) deaths per year. Mattresses or bedding were involved in estimated average of 10 530 (3%) home fires per year, resulting in an average of 370 (14%) deaths annually. In most of these fires and deaths, the item was first ignited. Smoking materials were the leading cause of these fires (20%‐26%) and associated deaths (52%‐54%). Various types of operating equipment and small open flames also play a role. Understanding the causes of these fires is essential to develop new strategies to prevent them.     

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity in the rat mammary gland: Variation during pregnancy and lactation

Cholesterol esterification by acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT; EC 2.3.1.26) has been studied in microsomes isolated from the mammary glands of rats in late pregnancy, in early and mid-lactation, and following premature weaning. The mammary glands were freeze-clamped and the microsomes prepared in the presence of phosphatase inhibitors to preserve the phosphorylation status of the enzyme. Optimal conditions were established for the assay of enzyme activity in the presence of endogenous cholesterol. Supplementation of the microsomes with exogenous cholesterol as a dispersion in Triton WR-1339 was shown to lead to an increase in enzyme activity. Incubation of microsomes with MgATP led to an increase in ACAT activity which could be reversed by treatment of the microsomes with a phosphoprotein phosphatase preparation from rat liver. The results suggested that ACAT activity in the mammary gland was activated by phosphorylation in a similar way to that observed for the hepatic enzyme. The mammary glands from pregnant animals contained a higher level of ACAT activity than did the glands of the lactating animals and this correlated with the higher cholesteryl ester content of the pregnant glands. The highest level of ACAT activity was found in the weaned animals but the cholesteryl ester content of the microsomes was lower than expected. The influence of progesterone levels and changes in feeding patterns during gestation were considered as factors in these variations in ACAT activity.     

Oil migration: Novel approaches to a familiar problem

Oil migration in chocolate and chocolate‐coated confections is a familiar yet poorly understood phenomenon that results in undesirable product changes including softening of chocolate coatings and fat bloom on the chocolate surface. Understanding the mechanism behind oil migration would benefit manufacturers as it would aid in maximizing product shelf life and reducing consumer rejection, but current models prove too simplistic to account for the complex nature of chocolate. This review briefly summarizes recent works attempting to move beyond a simple diffusion‐based model by employing new modeling or experimental techniques.     

Prematurity and maternal folate deficiency: anemia during pregnancy study group results in Valencia, Venezuela

The purpose of this study was to determine the association and its magnitude between prematurity and folate deficiency in women in their third trimester of pregnancy, and at labor. An incident case-control study was conducted using 2 controls per case. Data was obtained in a tertiary hospital in Valencia, Venezuela. A total of 543 women who delivered between May and December 1996 entered into the study. Women having a preterm delivery (< 37 weeks of gestation at delivery) were defined as cases (n = 181). Anemia was defined according to WHO as Hb less than 11 g/dL, when a pregnant woman had a folate serum level < 3 microg/ml was considered a folate deficiency. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data and likelihood ratio test was done for model comparison. Folate deficiency was found to be significantly associated with prematurity (Odds Ratio: 1.97; 95%CI = 1.06 to 3.68 P = .032), after adjusting for prior preterm labor, prenatal care visits, prior abortion, prior fetal death, placental abruption, and premature rupture oval membranes. In conclusion, maternal folate deficiency at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy, at labor, was associated with an increased risk of prematurity.     

Composition of liver lipids of the rat during pregnancy and lactation

Triglyceride concentrations in rat liver rose during late pregnancy, declined at peak lactation, and then rose again during involution. The percentage of oleate in the triglycerides rose at peak lactation, but that of linoleate fell. Although phospholipid concentrations were unchanged, the percentage of palmitate in this fraction rose, and those of stearate and arachidonate fell during pregnancy and lactation. These changes may be related to the changes in lipogenesis and fat mobilization that occur during pregnancy and lactation.     

Contribution to solving the problem of dioxins generated during waste incineration

The production of dioxins/furans during waste incineration, and particularly the development of measures for minimizing the amount of generated pollutants, continue to command a considerable scientific as well public interest. Experiments are reported which were performed at the TAMARA municipal solid waste pilot incineration, erected on the premises of the karlsruhe Nuclear Research Centre. These experiments show that the solid waste mass flow rate and moisture content influence the dioxin/furan formation, Good removal efficiencies of dioxins/furans have been In wet cleaning. Hydrogen peroxide added to the crude gas is an interesting “killer” reagent for dioxins/furans.     

Solution of the problem of the form and tension of a filament in its three-dimensional balloon during twisting

Systems of differential equations in cartesian and cylindrical coordinates are obtained to describe a flexible filament rotating in a resisting medium. The concept of the unit aerodynamic drag coefficient of the filament is introduced in addition to the assumptions used in previous studies. The systems of differential equations that were obtained are solved in analytical form using the assumptions that were made. A value is found for the new concept of unit aerodynamic drag coefficient, and ways are described to study it and determine its value for different filaments in practical applications. Complete mathematical expressions are obtained to calculate parameters that are of practical importance in the twisting of a filament - its tension, the maximum radius (diameter) of the torsion balloon, and the conditions under which multiple balloons are formed. It is established that the problem of the form and tension of a filament during its twisting cannot be solved in final form without allowance for the resistance of the medium.     

硫磺回收装置停工过程的安全问题探讨

硫磺回收装置长期在高温高硫环境下运行 ,容易腐蚀生成硫化亚铁 (FeS)并在管线、设备死角和反应器内积聚。停工过程容易过氧导致FeS自燃 ,造成设备和催化剂的损坏。在硫磺装置上广泛应用各种负载金属催化剂 ,这些催化剂在停工过程中需要进行还原、热浸泡、烧碳再生、惰性气体吹扫、钝化处理 ,这些处理过程都面临过氧导致催化剂床层飞温危险。针对这些影响硫磺装置安全停工的因素进行分析 ,并提出防范措施     

Linoleoyl-enriched triacylglycerol species increase in maternal liver during late pregnancy in the rat

In view of the previously reported changes in the fatty acid composition of maternal liver triacylglycerols in late pregnancy, changes in the composition of maternal liver triacylglycerol species were assessed in rats fed a semipurified diet during pregnancy. Between day 18 and day 21 of pregnancy, total maternal liver triacylglycerols increased by 50%. Triacylglycerol species with a total acyl carbon number (C) of 50 or 60 (C50, C60) remained unchanged while C48 and C52–C58 were relatively increased. The individual triacylglycerol species containing one, two or three linoleoyl moieties were incompletely recovered using a polar high temperature gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) column. Nevertheless, at day 21 compared to day 18, the linoleoyl-containing species were relatively increased by 62–463%, while tripalmitin was decreased by 38%. Our data suggest that despite an adequate intake of linoleic acid (25 g/kg in the diet), maternal hepatic triacylglycerol content of linoleic acid decreased during mid-pregnancy but increased significantly toward term possibly in preparation for the transfer of linoleic acid to the neonate during lactation.     

Dietary protein level during pregnancy. Its influence on maternal-fetal exchange of substrates

It is well known that the dietary protein level influences both the pregnancy process and development of the offspring. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the effect that different protein percentages: 10%, 4% and 20% in diets administered to rats during pregnancy, had on food efficiency and on the substrates partition between rat dams and their neonates. Experimentation was thus carried out over a period of 21 days (pregnancy) and comparisons were made with well-nourished rats receiving 10% protein (controls) and between one and other group. Moreover, the effect on pregnancy was observed by comparing pregnant rats with non pregnant rats within each dietary situation. Food intake, weight parameters and food efficiency ratio were recorded in adult rats. Weight parameters were also evaluated in newborns. As results revealed, the highest the protein level in the diet, the highest the food efficiency ratio, both in the pregnant group and in the non pregnant group. Weight changes were determined in rat dams and their neonates, as a consequence of the different protein intakes. These also involved alterations in the substrates partition between the mothers and their offspring. Such findings might lead to the retention of substrates by the maternal tissues and, hence, to impairment of neonatal development.     

Centrifugal molecular distillation—II: Practical application to a difficult processing problem

Following earlier experimental work, with a laboratory scale centrifugal molecular still (Model CMS-5), application of a pilot-plant continuous still (Model CMS-15) is described for the processing and production of a high-boding silicone diffusion pump oil. Technical and commercial viability is illustrated by a cost comparison with attempted conventional methods of production     

Targeting the dominating-scale structure of a multiscale complex system: A methodological problem

It has long been a problem of finding out a proper methodology for dealing with multiscale complex systems, including processes and products. However, it is seemingly impractical to start with the most fundamental structure of the system, and then to extend step by step to obtain its holistic behaviors. The author's idea is to study the system only to set up the ties between some key structure, or dominating-scale structure, and certain holistic performance of the system that interests people, and then to manipulate the found dominating-scale structure to achieve our target. Several cases from the author's laboratory have been quoted for elucidation. Identification of the dominating-scale structure is made on the system individuality base, rather than on some generalized principle. The same viewpoint is suggested when manipulating the dominating-scale structure.