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The article discusses the COLLECT database, developed to provide researchers with a platform to collect data related to the fields of pregnancy and placental research. Topics include factors that contribute to the slow down of the development of new treatments and preventive strategies on the pathopysiology of obstetric syndromes, the importance of collaboration and data sharing in addressing the barriers of research, and the Global Pregnancy Collaboration (CoLab).

Objective: Smoking and pre-eclampsia (PE) are associated with increases in preterm birth, placental abruption and low birthweight. We evaluated the relationship between prenatal vitamin C and E (C/E) supplementation and perinatal outcomes by maternal self-reported smoking status focusing on outcomes known to be impacted by maternal smoking.Design/setting/population: A secondary analysis of a multi-centre trial of vitamin C/E supplementation starting at 9-16 weeks in low-risk nulliparous women with singleton gestations.Methods: We examined the effect of vitamin C/E by smoking status at randomisation using the Breslow-Day test for interaction.Main Outcome Measures: The trial's primary outcomes were PE and a composite outcome of pregnancy-associated hypertension (PAH) with serious adverse outcomes. Perinatal outcomes included preterm birth and abruption.Results: There were no differences in baseline characteristics within subgroups (smokers versus nonsmokers) by vitamin supplementation status. The effect of prenatal vitamin C/E on the risk of PE (P = 0.66) or PAH composite outcome (P = 0.86) did not differ by smoking status. Vitamin C/E was protective for placental abruption in smokers (relative risk [RR] 0.09; 95% CI 0.00-0.87], but not in nonsmokers (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.52-1.62) (P = 0.01), and for preterm birth in smokers (RR 0.76; 95% CI 0.58-0.99) but not in nonsmokers (RR 1.03; 95% CI 0.90-1.17) (P = 0.046).Conclusion: In this cohort of women, smoking was not associated with a reduction in PE or the composite outcome of PAH. Vitamin C/E supplementation appears to be associated with a reduction in placental abruption and preterm birth among smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Maternal obesity is a major problem in obstetrics, and the placenta is involved in obesity-related complications via its roles at the maternal-fetal interface. We have recently shown a causative role for micro(mi)RNA-210, a so called 'hypoxamir' regulated by HIF-1α, in mitochondrial dysfunction in placentas from women with preeclampsia. We also reported mitochondrial dysfunction in placentas with maternal obesity. Here we hypothesized that expression of miR-210 is dysregulated in the placentas with obesity.Methods:Placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies were collected at term from healthy weight or control (CTRL, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)<25), overweight (OW, BMI=25-24.9) and obese (OB, BMI>30) women following C-section with no labor. Expression of miRNA-210 and its target genes was measured by reverse transcription-PCR and Western Blot, respectively. Mitochondrial respiration was assessed by Seahorse Analyzer in syncytiotrophoblast (ST) 72 h after cytotrophoblast isolation.Results:Expression of miR-210 was significantly increased in placentas of OB and OW women with female but not male fetuses compared with CTRL placentas of females. However, expression of HIF-1α in these placentas remained unchanged. Levels of tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were increased in OW and OB placentas of females but not males, and in silico analysis suggested that activation of miR-210 expression in these placentas might be activated by NFκB1 (p50) signaling. Indeed, chromatin Immunoprecipitation assay showed that NFkB1 binds to placental miR-210 promoter in a fetal sex-dependent manner. Female but not male STs treated with TNFα showed overexpression of miR-210, reduction of mitochondrial target genes and decreased mitochondrial respiration. Pre-treatment of these STs with small interfering RNA to NFkB1 or antagomiR-210 prevented the TNFα-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.Conclusions:Our data suggest that the inflammatory intrauterine environment associated with maternal obesity induces an NFκB1-mediated increase in miR-210 in a fetal sex-dependent manner, leading to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and placental dysfunction in the placentas of female fetuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After several years of design optimization, the Central Solenoid (CS) of the ITER Magnet system is now moving towards manufacture. The design has evolved to take into account on one hand the results of the R&D carried out by the US ITER team in charge of the development of the design and on the other hand the feedback provided by the involvement of industry in preparation of the manufacture. To address specific issues, dedicated mock-ups have been manufactured and tested. Electromagnetic, structural and thermo-hydraulic analyses have been carried out to verify the compliance of the design with the ITER design criteria. A review of the Final Design is planned in 2013, preparing then to move into the manufacturing phase. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To determine if change in maternal angiogenic biomarkers between the first and second trimesters predicts pre-eclampsia in low-risk nulliparous women. Design A nested case-control study of change in maternal plasma soluble Flt-1 ( sFlt-1), soluble endoglin ( sEng) and placenta growth factor ( PlGF). We studied 158 pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and 468 normotensive nonproteinuric controls. Setting A multicentre study in 16 academic medical centres in the USA. Population Low-risk nulliparous women. Methods Luminex assays for PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng performed on maternal EDTA plasma collected at 9-12, 15-18 and 23-26 weeks of gestation. Rate of change of analyte between first and either early or late second trimester was calculated with and without adjustment for baseline clinical characteristics. Main outcome measures Change in PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng. Results Rates of change of PlGF, sEng and sFlt-1 between first and either early or late second trimesters were significantly different in women who developed pre-eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia or early-onset pre-eclampsia compared with women who remained normotensive. Inclusion of clinical characteristics (race, body mass index and blood pressure at entry) increased sensitivity for detecting severe and particularly early-onset pre-eclampsia but not pre-eclampsia overall. Receiver operating characteristics curves for change from first to early second trimester in sEng, PlGF and sFlt-1 with clinical characteristics had areas under the curve of 0.88, 0.84 and 0.86, respectively, and for early-onset pre-eclampsia with sensitivities of 88% (95% CI 64-99), 77% (95% CI 50-93) and 77% (95% CI 50-93) for 80% specificity, respectively. Similar results were seen in the change from first to late second trimester. Conclusion Change in angiogenic biomarkers between first and early second trimester combined with clinical characteristics has strong utility for predicting early-onset pre-eclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Solenoid (CS) of the ITER Magnet system is split into six independently powered coils enclosed inside an external structure which provides vertical precompression thus preventing separation of the coils and acting as a support to net resulting loads. The analyses include an assessment of the mechanical behavior of the different components of the CS, under the normal and fault conditions, aiming at demonstrating the ability of the CS to achieve 30 000 cycles of plasma operation at nominal current (15 MA). A comprehensive material testing program is developed for the conductor jacket, the impregnated glass-epoxy insulation and the structure. The paper describes the architecture of the analysis and qualification programs and provides an overview of the results obtained so far. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Describes a method of estimating the cost of large warm-bore superconducting quadrupoles that are frequently used in magnetic imaging systems in accelerators. Association of cost estimate to the gradient, aperture and length of the magnet; Survey of large superconducting quadrupoles; Quadrupole scaling approach; Determination of the quadrupole design features; Non-recurring costs; Development costs.

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates blood flow in the human placenta. As increased resistance to blood flow is seen in the fetal-placental vasculature in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), we examined expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in these placentas. Placental villous tissue sections were obtained from normotensive control (n = 5), IUGR alone (n = 5) or pre-eclamptic (with or without IUGR (n = 9) patients, immunostained for eNOS and scored for localization, type (punctate or diffuse) and intensity of eNOS staining in syncytiotrophoblast and placental vessels. The significance of differences was calculated using the Mann-Whitney U-test. No differences in intensity or type of immunostaining in syncytiotrophoblast were seen. Placentas from patients with pre-eclampsia with or without IUGR had a significantly more basal distribution of eNOS in syncytiotrophoblast. eNOS immunostaining was absent in terminal villous capillary and faint in stem villous vessel endothelium of normal placentas, but was intense in the endothelium of both of these types of vessels in the IUGR and pre-eclampsia groups, with significantly greater staining seen in stem vessels of patients with IUGR alone. This increased eNOS expression and hence increased NO production in the fetal-placental vasculature may be an adaptive response to the increased resistance and poor perfusion in these pathological pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Features research on maternal medicine. Pruritus in pregnancy; Identification of obstetric cholestasis risk; Mapping of human cervical leucocyte subpopulations during pregnancy and labor; Expression of hemeoxygenase in placentae from high-altitude pregnancies.