Background and Objectives: The occurrence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children in Romania has been reported since 1989. This retrospective study was aimed at assessing clinical and biological risk factors for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in two HIV-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) Regional Centers (RCs), Constanta and Craiova in Romania. Materials and Methods: During the study period (2008–2019), 408 HIV-positive pregnant women, 244 from Constanta RC and 164 from Craiova RC who attended antenatal visits, were included. All HIV-positive pregnant women were under combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) during pregnancy and childbirth, being followedup with their infants up to 18 months after delivery. We investigated the clinical as well as biological risk factorsassociated with increased MTCT of HIV. Results: Comparing different variables of HIV-positive pregnant women from the two HIV-AIDS CRs, we find that there are significant differences between the mean value of hemoglobin, CD4 level, environmental area, marital and amniotic membranes status, and HIV patient stage in the last trimester of pregnancy (p < 0.05), but without any differences in mother’s mean age, education level, type of delivery, breastfeeding, the duration of cART administration, HIV viral load, and survival rate. Conclusions: In 408 HIV-positive pregnant women followed up at two HIV-AIDS RCs in Romania, the most important clinical and biological risk factors associated with increased MTCT of HIV are represented by anemia, CD4 level, and HIV patient stage.
In developing countries, outbreaks of acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection have a cyclic recurrence and almost 90% of children go through disease by the age of 10. Although the evolution of HAV is rarely severe, it can cause significant economic and social losses. In order to analyze clinical and biochemical characteristics of acute HAV reported diseases in Constanta county, South Eastern Romania, during the last pediatric outbreak, all cases of hospitalized children, less than 13 years old (n=578), mostly boys with residence in urban cities, were included. Cases were divided into 295 isolated cases, mean aged 6.939 years, and 283, mean aged 6.587 years, diagnosed in different foci of the outbreak. Clinical and biochemical features of an acute HAV outbreak in the foci children��s collectivities and families consisted in mild form of disease with frequent hepatomegaly, lack of jaundice and lower levels of aminotransferases and bilirubin.
Corticoids are largely used for fetal interest in expected preterm deliveries. This study went further, evaluating the effect of maternal administration of dexamethasone (Dex) on the umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and ductus venous (DV) spectrum, in growth-restricted fetuses, with the absent end-diastolic flow (AEDF) in UA, from singleton early-onset severe preeclamptic pregnancies. Supplementary, the impact on both uterine arteries (UTAs) flow was also evaluated. In 68.7% of cases, the EDF was transiently restored (trAEDF group), in the rest of 31.2% remained persistent absent (prAEDF group). UA-PI significantly decreased in the first day after Dex (day 1/0; p < 0.05), reaching its minimum during day 2 (day 2/1; p > 0.05), revealing a significant recovery to day 4 (day 4/2; p < 0.05), in both groups. The MCA-PI decreased from day 1 until day 3 in both groups, but significantly only in the trAEDF group (p = 0.030 vs. p = 0.227. The DV-PI’s decrease (during day 1) and the CPR’s increase (between days 0 and 2) were not significant in both groups. UTAs-PIs did not vary. The prAEDF group had a significantly increased rate of antenatal worsening Doppler and a poorer perinatal outcome compared with the trAEDF group. In conclusion, Dex transiently restored the AEDF in UA in the majority of cases, a “positive” effect being a useful marker for better perinatal prognosis. UA-PI significantly decreased in all cases. The improvement in umbilical circulation probably was responsible for the short but not significant DV-PI reduction. MCA-PI decreased only in sensitive cases, probably due to an already cerebral “full” vasodilation in the prAEDF group. Furthermore, the CPR’s nonsignificant improvement was the result of a stronger effect of Dex on UA-PI than on MCA-PI. Finally, despite the same etiology, it was only a weak correlation between the severity of the umbilical and uterine abnormal spectrum.
This paper aims to point-out the effects of applying different live feed diets to the long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829) of the Romanian Black Sea coast. The response of seahorses to Brachionus plicatilis-based, Artemia salina-based and combined diet is analysed, from the development, ethologic and biochemical point of view. Three experimental tanks were set in laboratory conditions, for a 10 day period. The different batches of seahorses collected from the natural environment were placed in the three tanks, after previous acclimation. Subsequently, one batch (Tank A) was fed exclusively with B. plicatilis, one with A. salina (Tank B), and one with a 50%/50% combined mixture of the two invertebrates (Tank C). The results obtained indicated a linear length and weight increase of H. guttulatus in all three feeding regimes, the final length (+10 days) being higher than the +5 days length and initial length. The biochemical composition of the three batches showed some variations. From the ethologic point of view, differences in the behavior of H. guttulatus in the three tanks were observed. Future research is required, focusing mainly on extending the experimental period (more than 30 days), separating males and females and diversifying the prey fed to seahorses.
Background and Aims: Acute myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of
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