Continuous recording intrarectal pressures during the second phase of labor.

Parameters of intrarectal pressure (surface area under pressure curve and peak pressure) recorded with a microsystem device during the second phase of labor showed no significant correlations with baby's weight or mode of delivery. AIM OF THE STUDY: Was to assess the biomechanical pressures delivered against pelvic floor structures during the second phase of labor in nulliparae women, and to correlate them with obstetrics parameters, i.e. baby'sweight and mode of delivery. MATERIAL: Using a microsystem device placed into the rectum at the beginning of the second phase of labor, two parameters were assessed during the bearing efforts in 59 nulliparae women: the surface area under the pressure curve and the peak pressure. RESULTS: During 11.5±9 bearing efforts of 99.1±16s duration, the mean value of surface area under the pressure curve was 32677±26058cm/s and the mean value of the peak pressure was 60.7±24cmH(2)O, exceeding 100cmH(2)O in 10% of women. These two parameters were not correlated with baby's weight (R: 0.19, P: 0.15 and R: 0.05, P: 0.71). In the same way, these two parameters were not correlated with the mode of delivery (spontaneous or forceps/vacuum-assisted). Furthermore, the individual values of these two parameters showed great variation from one woman to another. CONCLUSION: This study has showed that parameters of biomechanical pressures recorded into the rectum during second phase of labor had no significant correlations with obstetricals parameters, explaining why these latter have poor predicitive value of further pelvic floor problems.

Discovery and molecular characterization of an ambisense densovirus from South American populations of Solenopsis invicta

In an effort to discover viruses as classical biological control agents, a metatranscriptomics/pyrosequencing approach was used to survey native Solenopsis invicta collected exclusively in Argentina. A new virus was discovered with characteristics consistent with the family Parvoviridae, subfamily Densovirinae. The virus, tentatively named Solenopsis invicta densovirus (SiDNV), represents the first DNA virus discovered in ants (Formicidae) and the first densovirus in a hymenopteran insect. The ambisense genome was 5280 nucleotides in length and the termini possessed asymmetrically positioned inverted terminal repeats, formed hairpin loops, and had transcriptional regulatory elements including CAAT and TATA sites. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that SiDNV belongs to a group that includes two other densoviruses found in insects (Acheta domestica densovirus and Planococcus citri densovirus). SiDNV was prevalent in fire ants from Argentina but completely absent in fire ants found in the USA indicating that this virus has potential for biological control of introduced S. invicta.

An evolutionary perspective on self-organized division of labor in social insects

Division of labor is a complex phenomenon observed throughout nature. Theoretical studies have focused either on its emergence through self-organization mechanisms or on its adaptive consequences. We suggest that the interaction of self-organization, which undoubtedly characterizes division of labor in social insects, and evolution should be further explored. We review the factors empirically shown to influence task choice. In light of these factors, we review the most important self-organization and evolutionary models for division of labor and outline their advantages and limitations. We describe ways to unify evolution and self-organization in the theoretical study of division of labor and recent results in this area. Finally, we discuss some benchmarks and primary challenges of this approach.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, April 24, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: Iowa State Capitol and the Library of Congress Feature Artist’s Work BACKGROUND: Elmer Ellsworth Garnsey was primarily a muralist who painted on the East Coast from a studio in New York City. He was born in Holmdel, New Jersey, and took art training at the Art Students League and Cooper Union. Affiliations included the National Society of Mural Painters and the American Federation of the Arts. His work is in the Library of Congress, Boston Public Library, Memorial Hall at Yale University, City Art Museum of St. Louis, U.S. Custom House in New York City, and the State Capitol in Iowa.

Evolution of self-organized division of labor in a response threshold model.

Division of labor in social insects is determinant to their ecological success. Recent models emphasize that division of labor is an emergent property of the interactions among nestmates obeying to simple behavioral rules. However, the role of evolution in shaping these rules has been largely neglected. Here, we investigate a model that integrates the perspectives of self-organization and evolution. Our point of departure is the response threshold model, where we allow thresholds to evolve. We ask whether the thresholds will evolve to a state where division of labor emerges in a form that fits the needs of the colony. We find that division of labor can indeed evolve through the evolutionary branching of thresholds, leading to workers that differ in their tendency to take on a given task. However, the conditions under which division of labor evolves depend on the strength of selection on the two fitness components considered: amount of work performed and on worker distribution over tasks. When selection is strongest on the amount of work performed, division of labor evolves if switching tasks is costly. When selection is strongest on worker distribution, division of labor is less likely to evolve. Furthermore, we show that a biased distribution (like 3:1) of workers over tasks is not easily achievable by a threshold mechanism, even under strong selection. Contrary to expectation, multiple matings of colony foundresses impede the evolution of specialization. Overall, our model sheds light on the importance of considering the interaction between specific mechanisms and ecological requirements to better understand the evolutionary scenarios that lead to division of labor in complex systems. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00265-012-1343-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Iowa Division of Labor Contractor Registration Program Brochure, 2012

Frequently asked questions and answers regarding the Division of Labor Contractor Registration Law in Iowa.

Ampliación y adecuacion del American School of Barcelona

Award-winning

Influence of misoprostol or prostaglandin E(2) for induction of labor on the incidence of pathological CTG tracing: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of misoprostol (prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1))) with dinoprostone (prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2))) for third trimester cervical ripening and labor induction. STUDY DESIGN: Patients requiring induction of labor were randomly assigned to receive either 50 microg of intravaginal misoprostol every 4 h or 0.5 mg of intracervical dinoprostone gel every 6 h. Eligibility criteria included gestation = 36 weeks. Primary outcome was the time interval from induction to delivery; secondary outcomes were mode of delivery, perinatal outcome, and interpretation of cardiotocogram (CTG) records. RESULTS: Two hundred women were randomly enrolled to receive either misoprostol (n = 100) or dinoprostone (n = 100). Time induction-to-delivery at 12, 24 and 48 h and the need for oxytocin were reduced with misoprostol (P < 0.05). Pathological CTG tracing according to FIGO and Melchior scores were more frequent in the misoprostol-treated group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Misoprostol shortened the induction-to-delivery interval, but is associated with a higher incidence of abnormal CTG than prostaglandin E(2).

Division of labor in insect societies : genetic components and physiological regulation

The shift from solitary to social organisms constitutes one of the major transitions in evolution. The highest level of sociality is found in social insects (ants, termites and some species of bees and wasps). Division of labor is central to the organization of insect societies and is thought to be at the root of their ecological success. There are two main levels of division of labor in social insect colonies. The first relates to reproduction and involves the coexistence of queen and worker castes: while reproduction is usually monopolized by one or several queens, functionally sterile workers perform all the tasks to maintain the colony, such as nest building, foraging or brood care. The second level of division of labor, relating to such non-reproductive duties, is characterized by the performance of different tasks or roles by different groups of workers. This PhD aims to better understand the mechanisms underlying division of labor in insect societies, by investigating how genes and physiology influence caste determination and worker behavior in ants. In the first axis of this PhD, we studied the nature of genetic effects on division of labor. We used the Argentine ant Linepithema humile to conduct controlled crosses in the laboratory, which revealed the existence of non-additive genetic effects, such as parent-of-origin and genetic compatibility effects, on caste determination and worker behavior. In the second axis, we focused on the physiological regulation of division of labor. Using Pogonomyrmex seed- harvester ants, we performed experimental manipulation of hibernation, hormonal treatments, gene expression analyses and protein quantification to identify the physiological pathways regulating maternal effects on caste determination. Finally, comparing gene expression between nurses and foragers allowed us to reveal the association between vitellogenin and worker behavior in Pogonomyrmex ants. This PhD provides important insights into the role of genes and physiology in the regulation of division of labor in social insect colonies, helping to better understand the organization, evolution and ecological success of insect societies. - L'une des principales transitions évolutives est le passage de la vie solitaire à la vie sociale. La socialité atteint son paroxysme chez les insectes sociaux que sont les fourmis, les termites et certaines espèces d'abeilles et de guêpes. La division du travail est la clé de voûte de l'organisation de ces sociétés d'insectes et la raison principale de leur succès écologique. La division du travail s'effectue à deux niveaux dans les colonies d'insectes sociaux. Le premier niveau concerne la reproduction et implique la coexistence de deux castes : les reines et les ouvrières. Tandis que la reproduction est le plus souvent monopolisée par une ou plusieurs reines, les ouvrières stériles effectuent les tâches nécessaires au bon fonctionnement de la colonie, telles que la construction du nid, la recherche de nourriture ou le soin au couvain. Le second niveau de division du travail, qui concerne les tâches autres que la reproduction, implique la réalisation de différents travaux par différents groupes d'ouvrières. Le but de ce doctorat est de mieux comprendre les mécanismes sous-jacents de la division du travail dans les sociétés d'insectes en étudiant comment les gènes et la physiologie influencent la détermination de la caste et le comportement des ouvrières chez les fourmis. Dans le premier axe de ce doctorat, nous avons étudié la nature des influences génétiques sur la division du travail. Nous avons utilisé la fourmi d'Argentine, Linepithema humile, pour effectuer des croisements contrôlés en laboratoire. Cette méthode nous a permis de révéler l'existence d'influences génétiques non additives, telles que des influences dépendantes de l'origine parentale ou des effets de compatibilité génétique, sur la détermination de la caste et le comportement des ouvrières. Dans le second axe, nous nous sommes intéressés à la régulation physiologique de la division du travail. Nous avons utilisé des fourmis moissonneuses du genre Pogonomyrmex pour effectuer des hibernations artificieHes, des traitements hormonaux, des analyses d'expression de gènes et des mesures de vitellogénine, ce qui nous a permis d'identifier les mécanismes physiologiques régulant les effets maternels sur la détermination de la caste. Enfin, la comparaison d'expression de gènes entre nourrices et fourrageuses suggère un rôle de la vitellogénine dans la régulation du comportement des ouvrières chez les fourmis moissonneuses. En détaillant les influences des gènes et de la physiologie dans la régulation de la division du travail dans les colonies d'insectes sociaux, ce doctorat fournit d'importantes informations permettant de mieux comprendre l'organisation, l'évolution et le succès écologique des sociétés d'insectes.

American Indians of the Southwest

Recorded in Indian communities by Willard Rhodes, with the cooperation of the United States Office of Indian Affairs.

Induction of labor with titrated oral misoprostol solution versus oxytocin in term pregnancy: randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of orally administered misoprostol in comparison to intravenously infused oxytocin for labor induction in term pregnant women. METHODS: Between 2008 and 2010, a total of 285 term pregnant women whom were candidate for vaginal delivery were assessed for eligibility to enter the study. Twenty five patients were excluded for different reasons; and 260 included women were randomly assigned to one of the two groups according to the method of treatment, misoprostol or oxytocin. The misoprostol group received 25 µg every 2 hours for up to 24 hours for induction. The oxytocin group received an infusion of 10 IU which was gradually increased. The time from induction to delivery and induction to the beginning of the active phase and successful inductions within 12, 18, and 24 hours were recorded. The trial is registered at irct.ir, number IRCT2012061910068N1. RESULTS: Failure of induction, leading to caesarean section was around 38.3% in the oxytocin group and significantly higher than that of the misoprostol group (20.3%) (p<0.001). Despite the more prevalent failure in the oxytocin group, the mean time intervals from induction to active phase and labor of this group were both significantly less than the misoprostol group (10.1±6.1 and 13.2±7.7 versus 12.9±5.4 and 15.6±5.1 hours respectively, both p-values were <0.05). Maternal and fetal complications were comparable between groups except gastrointestinal symptoms which were encountered more frequently in the misoprostol (10.9 versus 3.9%, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Misoprostol is a safe and effective drug with low complications for the induction of labor. Failure is seen less with misoprostol and caesarean sections are less frequently indicated as compared to oxytocin.

Tiedon jakaminen kolmen ammattikorkeakoulun strategisessa liittoumassa. Case: Federation of Universities of Applied Sciences.

Ammattikorkeakoulut ovat suurten rakenteellisten ja rahoituksellisten muutosten edessä. Rahoitus tulee jatkossa tutkintojen määrään painottuen nykyisen opiskelija-määrän sijaan ja tämä pakottaa ammattikorkeakoulut etsimään keinoja toiminnan tehostamiseksi, joista korkeakoulujen muodostamat liittoumat ovat yksi väline. Tämän tutkimuksen aiheena on tiedon jakaminen kolmen ammattikorkeakoulun muo-dostamassa strategisessa liittoumassa. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvantitatiivisena tutkimuksena, jonka empiirinen osuus toteutet-tiin kyselylomakkeella Hämeen, Lahden ja Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulujen toimijoilta keräten. Vastauksia saatiin 79, vastausprosentin ollessa 62,2 %. Tutkimustulosten perusteella FUASin johdon toimilla, organisaation rakenteella, organisaation kulttuu-rilla ja työilmapiirillä on positiivinen vaikutus tiedon jakamiseen. Lisäksi toimijoiden välinen luottamus ja avoimuus sekä motivaatio parantavat tiedon jakamista FUAS-ammattikorkeakoulujen välillä. Tiedon jakamisesta palkitseminen ja oman edun ta-voittelu eivät vaikuttaneet tilastollisesti merkittävästi FUASissa tapahtuvaan tiedon jakamiseen.