Conclusions: Clusters selected for Brazilian Multicenter Study on Preterm Birth had mainly heterogeneous findings and these results can help researchers estimate the required sample size for future studies on maternal and perinatal health.”
“Advanced cell culture systems creating a controlled and predictable microenvironment together with computational modeling may be useful tools to optimize the efficiency of cell infections. In this paper, we

will present a phenomenological study of a virus-host SBC-115076 infection system, and the development of a multilayered microfluidic platform used to accurately tune the virus delivery from a diffusive-limited regime to a convective-dominated regime. Mathematical models predicted the convective-diffusive regimes developed within the system itself and determined the dominating mass transport phenomena. Adenoviral vectors carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgene were used at different multiplicities of infection (MOI) to infect multiple cell types, both in standard static and in perfused conditions. Our results validate the mathematical

models and demonstrate how the infection processes through perfusion via microfluidic platform led to an enhancement of adenoviral infection efficiency even at low MOIs. This was particularly evident at the longer time points, since the establishment of steady-state condition guaranteed a constant viral concentration VX-680 close to cells, thus strengthening see more the efficiency of infection. Finally, we introduced the concept of effective MOI, a more appropriate variable for microfluidic infections that considers the number of adenoviruses in solution per cell at a certain time. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org.elibrary.einstein.yu.edu/10.1063/1.4723853]“
“Non-perforating abomasal lesions are a considerable problem affecting more than half the population of veal calves. The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of pyloric

and fundic abomasal lesions in Swiss veal calves at slaughter and to compare the occurrence of non-perforating abomasal lesions between two different production programs (‘Naturafarm’ and ‘conventional’). ‘Conventional-production settings met the minimal standards as defined by the Swiss animal welfare legislation, whereas ‘Naturafarm’ production complied with increased animal welfare requirements. In order to identify risk factors for the development of abomasal lesions, information on management, housing, and feeding was obtained by a questionnaire. A total of 125 abomasa were randomly selected in one large abattoir. They were examined macroscopically, and the occurence of lesions in either the fundic or pyloric region of the abomasum was recorded separately.