Maternal early life and prenatal stress in relation to birth outcomes in Argentinian mothers.

Environmental influences before and during pregnancy significantly impact offspring development. This study investigates open research questions regarding the associations between maternal early life stress (ELS), prenatal psychosocial stress, prenatal hair cortisol (HC), and birth outcomes in Argentinian women. Data on ELS, prenatal life events, HC (two samples representing first and second half of pregnancy), and birth outcomes were collected from middle-class Argentinian women (N = 69) upon delivery.

IL-10/β-Endorphin-Mediated Neuroimmune Modulation on Microglia during Antinociception.

Microglia are glial cells centrally related to pathophysiology and neuroimmunological regulation of pain through microglia-neuron crosstalk mechanisms. In contrast, anti-inflammatory mechanisms guided by immunological effectors such as IL-10 trigger the secretion of analgesic substances, culminating in the differential expression of genes encoding endogenous opioid peptides, especially β-endorphin. Thus, when β-endorphin binds to the µ-opioid receptor, it generates neuronal hyperpolarization, inhibiting nociceptive stimuli.

Phosphorus speciation in soils with low to high degree of saturation due to swine slurry application.

Soils with continuous application of swine slurry (SS) may present high phosphorus (P) content and high risk for environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to characterize the forms of phosphorus accumulation in 15 fields with increasing degrees of P saturation (DPS) in a watershed with a high density of swine farming. Soil samples collected from 0 to 10 cm were chemically characterized for water soluble phosphorus (WSP), DPS, Hedley chemical fractionation, and chemical speciation by P K-edge XANES.

Phosphorus speciation and iron mineralogy in an oxisol after 11 years of pig slurry application.

Application of phosphate fertilizers beyond plants needs favors phosphorus (P) accumulation in soils, which may alter its reactivity and chemical speciation. The objective of this study was to assess the changes in P speciation in a Brazilian oxisol that received consecutive applications of varying rates of pig slurry (PS) over 11 years. The soils were treated with PS at rates of 50, 100 and 200 m ha year, whereas a control plot received P and potassium (K) to replenish the amounts removed by harvest.