Physical activity, health-related quality of life and depression during pregnancy

This study examines physical activity patterns among women, from pre-pregnancy to the second trimester of pregnancy, and the relationship between physical activity status based on physical activity guidelines and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression over pregnancy. 56 healthy pregnant women self reported physical activity, HRQoL and depression at 10-15 and 19-24 weeks of pregnancy and physical activity before pregnancy. Whereas vigorous leisure physical activity decreased after conception, moderate leisure physical activity and work related physical activity remained stable over time. The prevalence of recommended physical activity was 39.3% and 12.5% in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy respectively, and 14.3% pre-pregnancy. From the 1st to the 2nd pregnancy trimester, most physical HRQoL dimensions scores decreased and only mental component increased, independently of physical activity status. No changes in mean depression scores were observed. These data suggest that physical activity patterns change with pregnancy and that physical and mental components are differentially affected by pregnancy course, independently of physical activity status.

Postpartum Depression: Is it a condition affecting the mother-infant interaction and the development of the child across the first year of life?

Noting that maternal depression is common during a baby's first year, this study examined the interaction of depressed and non-depressed mother-child dyads. A sample of 26 first-time mothers with postpartum depression at the third month after birth and their 3-month-old infants was compared to a sample of 25 first-time mothers with no postpartum depression at the third month after birth and their 3-month-old infants. The observations were repeated at 6 months and again at 12 months postpartum. The samples were compared for differences in mother interaction behavior, mother's infant care, mother's concern with the baby, infant behavioral difficulties, infant mental and motor development, and infant behavior with the observer. Among the findings are the following: (1) depressed mothers' interaction behavior and care of their infants are less adequate than the non-depressed mothers' interaction behavior and care of their infants at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (2) infants' interaction behaviors during feeding and face-to-face interaction with depressed mothers are less adequate than infants' interactions with non-depressed mothers at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (3) mother-infant interactions are less adequate in the depressed mother dyads than the non-depressed dyads at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (4) depressed mothers are less concerned about their infants than non-depressed mothers at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (5) infants of depressed mothers have more behavioral difficulties at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum than infants of non-depressed mothers; (6) infants of depressed mothers had lower mental and motor development rates at 6 and 12 months postpartum than infants of non-depressed mothers; and (7) infants of non-depressed mothers behaved in a more positive way with the observer than the infants of depressed mothers. (AS)

Psychological approach to endometriosis: Women's pain experience and quality of life improvement

Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting 10 to15% of women in childbearing age. Understanding the impact of this disease on women’s well-being is still a challenge, namely to intervene. Pain is the most current and troublesome symptom. Although medical treatments for pain relief are effective, recurrence rate remains significant, calling for a better understanding and development of new approaches for pain management. A group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for management of associated co-morbidities is suggested, paying special attention to Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP). CBT design can be grounded on information collected from focus groups and a one-group exploratory trial. Evaluation of therapy effectiveness is possible to be performed by comparing group CBT to Usual Care (UC) and Support Group (SG) in a randomized controlled trial. Research in this area could represent an important step in providing a solution to the management of endometriosis and, to the best of our knowledge, the first national psychological approach for its understanding and treatment.

Trends in Productive Years of Life Lost to Premature Mortality Due to Coronary Heart Disease

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of productive years of life lost to premature death due to coronary heart disease in Brazil and to report their trends over a 20-year period. METHODS: The Brazilian Ministry of Health raw database on death due to coronary heart disease from 1979-1998 was used. The productive years of life lost to premature death were estimated using 20 and 59 years of age as the cut points for the productive years, replacing the potential years of 1 and 70 of the original formula. A descriptive analysis was provided with adjustments, means, proportions, ratios, percentages of increase or reduction, and mobile means. RESULTS: A 35.8% increase in death for males and 51.3% for females was observed, +43.3% being the relative difference for females. The annual means of the productive years of life prematurely lost were analyzed in 140,865 males and 58,559 females, with the differential ratio between the age groups ranging from 2.3 to 2.5. The annual means were less favorable for males. Within each group (intragroup), the ratios decreased with the increase in age, and the age means at the time of death remained constant. The raw tendencies decreased in the 20- to 29-year age group and increased in the 40- to 59-year age group for females and the 40- to 49-year age group for males. When adjusted, the raw tendencies decreased. CONCLUSION: The 43.3% increase in the number of female deaths as compared with that of males and the ascending tendency in the productive years of life lost in the 40- to 59-year age group point to the influence of unfavorable changes in female lifestyles and suggest a deficiency in programs for prevention and control of risk factors and in their treatment in both sexes.

Estudo cardiológico longitudinal em crianças expostas ao vírus da imunodeficiência humana tipo 1 por via perinatal

OBJETIVO: Determinação da freqüência das alterações cardíacas e sua evolução nas crianças expostas ao HIV-1 por via perinatal. MÉTODOS: Realizada avaliação seqüencial clínico-cardiológica, eletrocardiográfica e ecocardiográfica Doppler em 84 crianças expostas ao HIV-1. RESULTADOS: Grupo I (sororreversão) 43 crianças (51,2%). Ausência de alterações clínicas. ECG: distúrbio de condução de ramo direito 5 casos. ECO: CIA (1 caso) e CIV (1 caso). Grupo II 41 infectados (48,8%) com 51,2% de alterações cardiológicas. Crianças assintomáticas ou com sintomas leves, sem imunossupressão: alterações clínico-ecocardiográficas ausentes; ECG: distúrbio de condução de ramo direito (2 casos). Crianças com comprometimento clínico-imunológico moderado e severo: Alterações encontradas: 1) Clínicas (31,7%): taquicardia isolada (1 caso), ICC (12 casos). 2) Eletrocardiográficas (43,9%): taquicardia sinusal associada a outras alterações (10 casos), distúrbio de condução de ramo direito (5 casos), BDAS (1 caso), HBAD (1 caso), alterações da repolarização ventricular (11 casos), SVD (2 casos), SVE (1 caso), desvio do AQRS para direita (1 caso), arritmias (3 casos). 3) Ecocardiográficas (26,8%): miocardiopatia dilatada (5 casos), derrame pericárdico com tamponamento (2 casos), hipertensão pulmonar (2 casos) e prolapso da valva mitral (1 caso). CONCLUSÃO: O envolvimento cardíaco foi uma característica do grupo infectado. Houve maior prevalência de alterações nas crianças pertencentes à categoria clínico-imunológica mais avançada. Os achados clínicos, eletrocardiográficos e ecocardiográficos mais freqüentes foram, respectivamente, ICC, alterações da repolarização ventricular e miocardiopatia dilatada. Esta foi reversível em um caso. As alterações eletrocardiográficas foram significantemente mais freqüentes que as clínicas e ecocardiográficas.

A curious herbal :containing five hundred cuts, of the most useful plants, which are now used in the practice of physick engraved on folio copper plates, after drawings taken from the life /by Elizabeth Blackwell. To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common uses in physick.

1737 v. 1 #1010

A curious herbal :containing five hundred cuts, of the most useful plants, which are now used in the practice of physick engraved on folio copper plates, after drawings taken from the life /by Elizabeth Blackwell. To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common uses in physick.

1739 v. 2 #1011

A voyage to the islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica : with the natural history of the herbs and trees, four-footed beasts, fishes, birds, insects, reptiles, &c. of the last of those islands; to which is prefix'd, an introduction, wherein is an account of the inhabitants, air, waters, diseases, trade, &c. of that place, with some relations concerning the neighbouring continent, and islands of America. Illustrated with figures of the things described, which have not been heretofore engraved. In large copper-plates as big as the life /

Vol. 2

A voyage to the islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica : with the natural history of the herbs and trees, four-footed beasts, fishes, birds, insects, reptiles, &c. of the last of those islands; to which is prefix'd, an introduction, wherein is an account of the inhabitants, air, waters, diseases, trade, &c. of that place, with some relations concerning the neighbouring continent, and islands of America. Illustrated with figures of the things described, which have not been heretofore engraved. In large copper-plates as big as the life /

Vol. 1

Efecto de la hiponutrición perinatal sobre distintos parámetros farmacológicos en el animal adulto

Numerosas evidencias, clínicas y experimentales, han demostrado que la hiponutrición temprana, en coincidencia con el período de ontogénesis del SNC (Sistema Nervioso Central), produce una serie de alteraciones morfológicas, neurofisiológicas, neuroquímicas y comportamentales que perduran en el sujeto adulto, aún luego de largos períodos de recuperación nutricional. (...) En los últimos 20 años, el concepto de cómo la malnutrición afecta las funciónes cerebrales superiores ha evolucionado considerablemente. Los hallazgos más recientes, basados en cambios en la reactividad a fármacos y a alteraciones en el funcionalismo de receptores neuronales, sugieren que los comportamientos y procesos cognitivos afectados por la hiponutrición temprana podrían ser consecuencia de la incapacidad de sujetos malnutridos en producir respuestas emocionales adecuadas y cambios adaptativos en los sistemas neuronales ante situaciones estresantes, más que por déficit cognitivo per-se. La hiponutrición infantil representa un enorme impacto económico-social para la humanidad y por lo tanto la mejor comprensión de los mecanismos neuronales involucrados en la regulación de las funciones cerebrales superiores afectadas por la malnutrición temprana puede representar un significativo aporte al conocimiento de la fisiopatología y/o tratamiento de alteraciones que afectan a millones de niños. En el presente proyecto, en ratas adultas sometidas a un esquema de hiponutrición perinatal y sus respectivos controles, se estudiará: 1) El desarrollo de tolerancia y síndrome de abstinencia a la acción ansiolítica de drogas que median sus efectos a través del complejo-receptor GABA-A. Paralelamente a la evaluación conductual luego de tratamientos crónicos, se intentará correlacionar las alteraciones observadas con parámetros neuroquímicos del funcionalismo neuronal. 2) El desarrollo de tolerancia al efecto analgésico de drogas analgésicas narcóticas. Se intentará correlacionar los resultados con la densidad de receptores opiáceos en distintas estructuras cerebrales

Estrategia de vida implementada por un grupo de productores frutihortícolas del cinturón verde de la ciudad de Córdoba. Life strategies implemented by a group of fruit-horticultural producers from the green belt of the city of Córdoba.

Este proyecto estudiará las estrategias de vida implementadas por familias productoras fruti hortícolas que viven en Colonia Tirolesa y Chacra de la Merced, lugares que forman parte del cinturón verde de la Ciudad de Córdoba; y su relación con los procesos de diferenciación social, asociados a cambios productivos, económicos, culturales y sociales que están condicionados por el modelo de expansión capitalista. A partir del análisis del capital económico, social, cultural y simbólico se identificará en un contexto rural las motivaciones, logicas productivas y conocimientos agrícolas que incidieron en las decisiones asumidas ante problematicas emergentes, tales como limitaciones para adquirir nuevos paquetes tecnológicos, el impacto ambiental causados por la no conservación y sustentabilidad de los recursos y las consecuencias sociales vinculadas a los laxos de familia, el trabajo y la calidad de vida.Se plantean las siguientes hipótesis: 1)Algunas familias productoras implementaron estrategias de vida que se relacionan con criterios de autosustentabilidad, conocimientos agrícolas tradicionales y pautas culturales.2) Los nuevos espacios productivos no son compatibles con agroecosistemas sustentables. 3) Las nuevas tecnologías causaron impactos en la actividad productiva e incidieron en la economía, calidad de vida y vinculos familiares. 4)El modo de producción familiar fue reemplazado por el modo de producción capitalista lo que incidió en la producción agrícola y en la conservación de los recursos.El objetivo principal es descubrir las estrategias de vida implementadas por un grupo de familias, trabajadoras fruti hortícolas, en respuesta a las transformaciones productivas, tecnológicas y socio económicas impuestas por el modelo de acumulación vigente.Para ello se caracterizará los ambitos productivos de trabajo a campo, identificando la disponibilidad de capital y los conocimientos técnicos y de manejo. También se analizarán las pautas y valores culturales, el impacto de las nuevas tecnologías y la incidencia social, vinculada a los cambios en los modos de producción.El abordaje será de tipo cualitativo, recavando información para elaborar una descripción detallada de las estrategias de vida adoptadas a partir de la década de los noventa. Se tomará como unidad de análisis a las familias que trabajaron o trabajan en la producción de hortalizas o frutales. Se realizarán combinaciones entre procedimientos Tipológicos a Priori; Históricos Comparativos y casos Unitarios. Se analizará las normativas vigentes en relación al uso y calidad del agua y del suelo; también imágenes satelitales para analizar los procesos de cambio en el uso del territorio y del recurso suelo. Se pretende realizar un aporte relacionado con el conocimiento de: la sustentabilidad de los sistemas productivos, la pobreza y los modos de vida de los productores fruti hortícolas que persistencia en ambientes degradados; en una franja intermedia entre el campo y la ciudad.