\n\nMethods and results: Folic acid supplementation was assessed by questionnaire. Mean pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of the uterine (UtA) and umbilical arteries (UmA) were measured by Doppler ultrasound in mid-and late pregnancy. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP, DBP) were measured in early, mid-and late pregnancy. Compared to women who did not use folic acid, preconception folic acid users had a slightly lower UtA-RI in mid-pregnancy

[beta -0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.03, -0.01] and late pregnancy [beta -0.02, 95% CI -0.03, -0.001], a lower UtA-PI ALK assay in mid-pregnancy [beta -0.06, 95% CI -0.1, -0.03] and late pregnancy [beta -0.03, 95% CI -0.05, -0.01], as well as tendencies towards a lower UmA-PI in mid-pregnancy [beta -0.02, 95% CI -0.04, -0.001] and late pregnancy [beta -0.01, 95% CI -0.02, 0.01]. Additionally, these women had slightly higher SBP and Selleckchem Cilengitide DBP throughout pregnancy. Neither the patterns of blood-pressure change during pregnancy,

nor the risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia differed between the folic acid categories.\n\nConclusion: Periconception folic acid supplementation is associated with lower uteroplacental vascular resistance and higher blood pressures during pregnancy. The effects are small and within physiologic ranges and seem not associated with the risk of hypertensive pregnancy disorders. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.”
“The

influence of semipolar (20 (2) over bar1) selleck chemicals InGaN/GaN multi quantum well (MQW) structure parameters such as well composition and thickness (d(w)), barrier thickness, as well as total number of periods on the structural and optical properties of the MQWs grown on (20 (2) over bar1) GaN by metal organic chemical vapor deposition was investigated. At d(w) < 3 nm, the MQW stacks were very robust with respect to changes in the barrier thickness or the number of periods in the MQW stack, and 30 period (2.5 nm In0.25Ga0.75N/8.5 nm GaN) MQWs exhibiting bright luminescence at 465 nm were demonstrated. For all samples with d(w) < 3 nm in this study, one-dimensional relaxation via misfit dislocations did not lead to any deterioration of the optical properties of the films, and a decrease in the photoluminescence intensity was only observed after the on-set of two-dimensional relaxation via non-basal plane defects. (C) 2013 The Japan Society of Applied Physics”
“MnOx-CeO2, MnOx and CeO2 catalysts were synthesized by the sol-gel method.