During pregnancy, several tightly coordinated and regulated processes take place to enable proper fetal development and gestational success. The formation and development of the placenta is one of these critical pregnancy events. This organ plays essential roles during gestation, including fetal nourishment, support and protection, gas exchange and production of several hormones and other mediators. Placental hormones are mainly secreted by the syncytiotrophoblast, in a highly and tightly regulated way. These hormones are important for pregnancy establishment and maintenance, exerting autocrine and paracrine effects that regulate decidualization, placental development, angiogenesis, endometrial receptivity, embryo implantation, immunotolerance and fetal development. In addition, because they are released into maternal circulation, the profile of their blood levels throughout pregnancy has been the target of intense research towards finding potential robust and reliable biomarkers to predict and diagnose pregnancy-associated complications. In fact, altered levels of these hormones have been associated with some pathologies, such as chromosomal anomalies or pre-eclampsia. This review proposes to revise and update the main pregnancy-related hormones, addressing their major characteristics, molecular targets, function throughout pregnancy, regulators of their expression and their potential clinical interest.

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The formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAs) during barbecuing of sardines ( Sardina pilchardus ) and Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) to various degrees of doneness and grilling conditions was evaluated by HPLC-diode array (DAD)/fluorescence (FLD) detection. Additionally, the influences of charcoal and electric heat sources on formation of HAs in grilled salmon were compared. With regard to sardine samples barbecued at 280-300 degrees C, "rare" samples produced nondetectable amounts of HAs, "medium" sardines presented IQ, MeIQx, PhIP, and AalphaC at levels of 1.9, 4.4, 3.3, and 2.0 ng/g, respectively, and "well done" sardines presented IQ, MeIQx, Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2, PhIP, AalphaC, and MeAalphaC at levels of 0.9, 2.2, 1.8, 8.2, 6.5, 17.7, and 10.6 ng/g, respectively. Different qualitative and quantitative profiles of HAs were observed in sardine and salmon samples cooked under similar conditions of temperature and doneness. Levels of 13.3, 3.5, 1.13, and 3.18 ng/g were obtained, respectively, for PhIP, AalphaC, MeAalphaC, and Glu-P-1 in salmon samples barbecued at 280-300 degrees C. The contents of HAs were significantly higher in these samples than in salmon samples barbecued at 180-200 degrees C or in the electric device. However, MeIQx content (0.5 ng/g) was lower in salmon samples barbecued at 280-300 degrees C than in the other samples.

This study assessed the transgenerational effects of insecticides in developing Trichogramma galloi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Laboratory bioassays were performed in which five insecticides were sprayed on egg-larval, pre-pupal and pupal stages of the parasitoid. The interaction between insecticides and development stages of the parasitoid was not significant for the rate of F0 emergence. All insecticides significantly reduced the emergence of wasps, with the lowest emergence observed when they were applied to the pupal stage. For the sex ratio, only spinosad applied to the pre-pupal stage and triflumuron applied on the egg-larval and pre-pupal stages did not differ from the controls. Triflumuron applied to pre-pupae did not lead to any difference in the parasitism rate of the treated generation (F0) when compared to the control. There were no significant differences among survival curves for females of F0 when all insecticides were sprayed on the egg-larval stage. Both concentrations of lambda-cyhalothrin + thiamethoxam reduced female pre-pupal survival, and all treatments reduced female pupal survival. In addition, we observed a transgenerational effect of the insecticides on emergence and sex ratio of next generation (F1). Lambda-cyhalothrin + thiamethoxam (Min) applied to the pre-pupae and pupae, the maximum rate of the same insecticides applied to the egg-larvae and pre-pupae, and spinosad applied to pre-pupae all significantly reduced the adults emergence of T. galloi F1 generation. Only triflumuron did not alter the F1 sex ratio. These bioassays provide a basis for better understanding the effects of insecticide use on beneficial parasitoids.

La dinámica de la familia de ancianos con edad avanzada en el contexto de la ciudad de Porto, PortugalSe trata de un estudio descriptivo, que tuvo por objetivo conocer la dinámica de familia de ancianos con 80 años o más, bajo cuidados de familiar, en su domicilio. El cuidador y el anciano, que estaban registrados en la unidad de salud familiar de la grande región de la ciudad de Porto, en Portugal, compusieron la muestra de 107 sujetos pareados. Los datos fueron recolectados entre 09/2009 y 03/2010 por medio del APGAR familiar, de calidad de vida y de estilo de vida; los resultados mostraron: aumento de cuidador masculino; conyugue anciano dependiente de su par; e, inclusión substancial de familiares en el elenco de cuidadores (nietas(os), sobrinos(os), hermanas(os). A pesar de la dinámica de la familia mostrarse de buena funcionalidad, el estilo de vida del cuidador y la calidad de vida de ambos (cuidador y anciano) se mostraron regulares. Las limitaciones del estudio impiden la generalización de los resultados; sin embargo ofrece subsidios relevantes para el desarrollo del programa de salud familiar y de enfermería de familia.Descriptores: Familia; Anciano de 80 o Más años; Programa de Salud Familiar; Enfermería de la Familia.

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Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious pest of corn in several American countries. It is mainly controlled with synthetic insecticides. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the natural products, neem oil and pyroligneous extract, and the synthetic insecticide, lufenuron, at 2.50 mL water (0.25%) on the mortality of 2-, 4- and 6-day-old caterpillars of S. frugiperda, and their selectivities against fourth instar larvae of Eriopis connnexa Germar (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Four- and 6-day-old S. frugiperda caterpillars showed higher mortality after exposure to neem oil (83.33 +/- 0.83 and 89.58 +/- 0.90%, respectively) and lufenuron (95.83 +/- 0.96 and 85.41 +/- 0.83%), compared to pyroligneous extract (68.75 +/- 0.69 and 31.25 +/- 0.31%). The deleterious effect of pyroligneous extract was higher in 2- (83.33 +/- 0.83% mortality) and 4-day-old (68.75 +/- 0.69%) S. frugiperda caterpillars than in 6-day-old caterpillars (31.25 +/- 0.31%). Larval mortality of the predator E. connexa was lower with neem oil and pyroligneous extract (25.00 +/- 0.33%) than with lufenuron (91.66 +/- 1.22%). Neem oil is thus recommended for control of S. frugiperda because of its high toxicity, combined with its relatively low toxicity to larvae of the natural enemy E. connexa.

Estudo exploratório-descritivo, realizado num centro de saúde em Portugal, com o objectivo de analisar as práticas de cuidados de enfermagem a idosos não institucionalizados, elegendo a visitação domiciliária. Fizemos entrevistas abertas a três enfermeiras e observação participante dos cuidados prestados, identificando a interacção entre os vários actores deste processo: enfermeiros e idosos no domicílio, numa abordagem de análise de conteúdo. O enfermeiro deve desenvolver uma postura de ajuda e acompanhamento das pessoas, promovendo atitudes terapêuticas para potenciar os níveis saúde, prevenindo complicações para a saúde, maximizando o seu bem-estar, suplementando/complementando as actividades de vida relativamente às quais é dependente, desenvolvendo conjuntamente com o cliente processos de adaptação aos problemas de saúde contribuindo na maximização da eficácia na organização dos cuidados de enfermagem. Analisando este contexto identificamos algumas limitações na procura da excelência do exercício profissional.