It is well established that pregnancy induces physiological, metabolical and hormonal changes. As a consequence, trace metal metabolism can be affected. The aim of the present study was to assess the urinary cadmium levels in women during gestation and postpartum. The survey was conducted in a group of nonoccupationally cadmium-exposed women from Southern Catalonia (NE, Spain). Urine samples were obtained before pregnancy, during the 6th, 10th, 26th, and 30th wk of gestation, as well as during the 5th and 24th wk after delivery. Urinary cadmium levels were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The concentrations of zinc and copper in plasma were also measured. Moreover, to assess the effect of the diet during pregnancy, dietary ingestions of zinc, iron, and calcium were also determined. A significant decrease of plasma zinc levels could be observed during the last two trimesters of pregnancy, while plasma copper concentrations significantly increased during the same period. Urinary cadmium concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 3.79 micrograms/g creatinine (geometric mean 0.49 +/- 2.26 micrograms/g creatinine). No significant changes in urinary cadmium concentrations during pregnancy and postpartum could be observed.
The prolapse is the exteriorization of the pelvic organs through the vagina, this condition may affect the quality of life. The prolapse was diagnosed in 50% of multiparous women. It is estimated that a woman throughout her life, has 11% risk of needing surgery for correction of pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence. The prolapse may occur at the anterior vaginal wall (cystocele) at the vaginal, uterus (histerocele) or at the posterior wall (or rectocele enterocele). For the unfit patient obliteratives procedures may be indicated and recontructives for pacients wih good performance status. It is important for reconstructive surgery a correct diagnosis, for the specific defect repair. When indicated, meshes can be used to add strength to the poor quality tissues.
Inter- and intra-boar differences in sperm freezability are observed independent of the sperm quality before freezing, the breed, or the genetic line. This study aimed to determine whether boars with different post-thaw sperm quality also show differences in sperm DNA integrity. Sperm-rich fractions (3 to 10 ejaculates per boar) from 19 fertile mature boars were extended in Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) and cooled to 17�C for 16 h. Then, samples were centrifuged at 2400g for 3 min, extended in freezing extender (lactose/egg yolk/glycerol/Equex STM; Nova Chemical Sales, Inc., Scituate, MA, USA) to a final concentration of 1 � 109 spermatozoa/mL, dispensed into 0.5 mL straws, and frozen in a programmable cell freezer at a rate of -20�C min. Thawing was carried out in a water bath at 37�C for 20 s. Frozen-thawed spermatozoa were evaluated for progressive sperm motility (PSM) using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system, and sperm viability (PMI) using flow cytometry. All data generated were used for a multivariate pattern analysis (PATN; CSIRO, Canberra, Australia) which objectively classified all boars into two groups, categorized as good (n = 10; >60% PSM and PMI) or bad (n = 9; <40% PSM and PMI) based on their sperm freezability. Post-thaw sperm quality was consistent for different ejaculates within boars (P < 0.05). The DNA-integrity of frozen-thawed spermatozoa was evaluated according to the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA; Evenson et al. 1980 Science 210, 1131-1133). All SCSA variables (X mean, DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and the standard deviation of the DFI), were significantly higher for bad freezers (P < 0.001). The percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal chromatin structure ranged from 1.06 to 3.42% for good and 3.06 to 6.04% for bad freezers. Although these differences exist between good and bad sperm freezers, and can only to some extent be the product of cryopreservation, the levels of affected spermatozoa can not explain the differences on post-thaw sperm survival seen in the two categories of sires.
This work was supported by CICYT, AGL05-0471 (Spain), SLF and Formas (Sweden).
Tomazin (EM), Kelly Priviateri (EM), Leandro Naidhig (EM), Ana Beatriz Bilatto de Camargo (EM), Luiz A. F. Junior (PG), Marli de F. G. H. Figueroa (PQ) Resumo This work proposes the development of a low-cost robotic kit using rapid prototyping platform nominated Arduino. With this kit, we present some concepts of physics , electronics and introduction to computer programming. Because it is a low cost platform and free access (hardware and software), Arduino reduces considerably the costs for developing the proposed kit. .
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