Paternal and Maternal Smoking Habits before Conception and During the First Trimester: Relation to Spontaneous Abortion

PURPOSE: This study examined the association between maternal smoking before and during the first trimester of pregnancy and spontaneous abortion.

METHODS: We have been conducting a hospital-based case-control study on risk factors for spontaneous abortion in the greater Milan area. We collected information from 782 cases of spontaneous abortions and 1543 controls (women who delivered at term healthy infants).

RESULTS: With respect to never smokers, the odds ratio (OR) were 0.7 (95%, confidence interval (CI), 0.5–1.0) for women who quit smoking and 1.3 (95% CI, 1.0–1.6) for those who continued during pregnancy. Women who smoked more than 10 cigarettes/day in the first trimester were at increased risk of miscarriage, with an OR of 1.4 (95% CI, 1.0–2.1). No relationship was evident between the number of cigarettes smoked before conception and the risk of abortion. Likewise, no association emerged between paternal smoking and miscarriage. Moreover, no significant interaction or modification effect was obtained when strata of age and other major characteristics were investigated.

CONCLUSIONS: The risk of abortion associated with cigarette smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy was measurable and noticeable in this population, and accounted for 9% (95% CI, 6–13%) of all cases. The increased risk of spontaneous abortion in women smoking during pregnancy is a further reason to encourage pregnant women to quit.     

Artificial nutrition support in intensive care units in Spain

Objective A multicenter survey to study the use of nutritional support in patients admitted to the ICU in Spain.Design The survey was announced during the annual Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMIUC) congress meeting.Setting Questionnaires designed to determine current clinical practice concerning artificial nutrition were sent to the 27 ICU who accepted to participate.Patients and participants In each center the 235-question form was filled out individually for each patient admitted to the ICU during the month of March, 1992.Interventions To validate the study a preliminary pilot surveys were conducted to ensure that there was a correct interpretation of the questions. The replies were entered into a database for analysis.Results A total of 1261 patients were studied; 33.9% received artificial nutrition (AN). The administration of AN was significantly higher in the medical group (44%), than in the surgical (37%) and the trauma group (19%). AN was significantly lower in patients admitted to private clinic than public institutions (26.7% versus 34.7%). Among the patients who received AN, enteral nutrition (EN) was administered to 59.7% of the patients, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to 38.5%, and peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) to 18.2%. Medical patients received significantly more EN than surgical and trauma patients. Surgical patients received more PN than medical and trauma groups.Conclusions Nutritional support is a common practice in the treatment of ICU patients in our country. All information concerning its use is necessary to optimize it.     

Molecular interactions during pregnancy: Association between mannan binding protein deficiency and recurrent miscarriage

The distribution of mannan binding protein (MBP) in blood donorsera was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay toestablish normal concentrations. Abnormally low MBP concentrationswere found in 16% (21 out of 135) of female partners and 14%(15 out of 108) of male partners of couples experiencing recurrentmiscarriage, compared with <5% of obstetrically normal controls(P < 0.005). This relationship was even stronger (9.5 versus1.0%) and more significant (P < 0.002) when only subjectspresumed to be homozygous for the mutant allele responsiblefor MBP deficiency were considered. By immunohistochemistry,MBP could be demonstrated in first trimester placenta. We suggestthat low concentrations of MBP within the feto-placental unitincrease susceptibility to fetal loss, possibly via an infection-inducedplacental cytokine imbalance.     

Use of a Paracorporeal Pneumatic Ventricular Assist Device for Postoperative Cardiogenic Shock in Two Children with Complex Cardiac Lesions

Pneumatic ventricular assist device (VAD) was utilized for cardiogenic shock after intracardiac operation in two children with complex cardiac anomalies based with single ventricle. In the first case (a 10-year-old), after a modified Fontan operation, VAD was placed between the functional left atrium and ascending aorta, serving as a "artificial single ventricle" with neither pumping chamber nor artificial support in the right side of the heart. The systemic circulation was maintained by keeping relatively high central venous pressure. In another child (a 3-year-old) who underwent repair of incompetent atrioventricular valve leaving intracardiac lesions, VAD was placed between the common atrium and ascending aorta, serving as a pump for both pulmonary and systemic circulation with regulation of pulmonary blood flow through an aortopulmonary Gore-Tex shunt. The circulatory assist with VAD was utilized for 5 and 6 days, respectively. Although weaning from the device was not feasible in both patients because of the pulmonary dysfunction, these experience showed the possible use of VAD for cardiogenic shock after surgery in patients with complex cardiac anomalies.     

2000—2022年人工智能应用于食管癌领域全球研究的可视化分析

背景 随着近20余年人工智能（AI）在食管癌领域应用研究的骤增,出现了许多关于该研究的系统、荟萃分析等,但其仅针对AI在该领域应用的单一方面的总结研究,研究人员难以全面了解领域最新发展与研究热点。目的 通过文献计量分析总结AI在食管癌领域的应用,阐明AI在食管癌领域相关研究的进展、热点和新兴趋势。方法检索Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC)的Science Citation Index Expanded(SCI-E)数据库收录的AI应用于食管癌领域的所有英文文献,检索时间2000-01-01至2022-04-06。应用Microsoft Excel 2019、CiteSpace(5.8R3-64bit)和VOSviewer(1.6.18)对文献进行发文量、国家、作者、机构、共被引和关键词分析。结果 2000—2022年共检索到AI应用于食管癌领域的文献918篇,共计引用文献总量23 490篇。发文趋势：2000—2016年为迟缓期,发文量从6篇增至40篇;2017—2022年为快速增长期,发文量从62篇突增至216篇。60个国家、118家机构、5 ...     

人工智能应用于糖尿病视网膜病变的文献计量学分析

背景 近年来,人工智能（AI）在医学领域发展迅速,在糖尿病视网膜病变（DR）中的应用范围不断扩展。目的 通过文献计量分析总结AI在DR领域的应用情况,阐明AI在DR领域相关研究的现状、热点和新兴趋势,以期为未来的研究提供思路。方法 以Web of Science数据库为来源,检索建库至2022-11-04的AI应用于DR领域的相关文献,运用CiteSpace软件对纳入文献进行发文量、国家、机构、作者、共被引和关键词的文献计量学分析。结果共获得1 770篇文献,2011年1月至2022年11月发文量总体呈上升趋势,2021年发文量达峰值（402篇）。中国是发文量（440篇）位居第1的国家,英国为中心性（0.26）最高的国家。机构合作网络图谱共纳入436家机构,以中山大学和首都医科大学为代表。作者合作网络图谱共纳入601位作者,以JIA Y L和HWANG T为代表。GULSHAN V、ABRàMOFF M D与TING D W 3位高被引作者对该领域做出了重要贡献。Ophthalmology、Invest Ophth Vis Sci和Ieee T Med Imaging是AI应用于DR领...     

Production and release of infectious hepatitis C virus from human liver cell cultures in the three-dimensional radial-flow bioreactor

Lack of efficient culture systems for hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been a major obstacle in HCV research. Human liver cells grown in a three-dimensional radial-flow bioreactor were successfully infected following inoculation with plasma from an HCV carrier. Subsequent detection of increased HCV RNA suggested viral replication. Furthermore, transfection of HCV RNA transcribed from full-length cDNA also resulted in the production and release of HCV virions into supernatant. Infectivity was shown by successful secondary passage to a new culture. Introduction of mutations in RNA helicase and polymerase regions of HCV cDNA abolished virus replication, indicating that reverse genetics of this system is possible. The ability to replicate and detect the extracellular release of HCV might provide clues with regard to the persistent nature of HCV infection. It will also accelerate research into the pathogenicity of HCV, as well as the development of prophylactic agents and new therapy.     

Murine Trophoblast Failure and Spontaneous Abortion

PROBLEM: Infection has been proposed to initiate abortion, and the role of viruses in spontaneous resorption in mice has not been tested. METHOD: The anti-viral drug ribavirin (1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) was fed to CBA/J and C3H/HeJ female mice beginning on the morning after mating with DBA/2J males. RESULTS: Ribavirin treatment increased the rate of abortion (resorption) on day 13.5, and this was associated with retardation of the rate of embryo development and hypoplasia of the trophoblast. There was a reduction in trophoblast-dependent decidua-associated soluble suppressor activity, but there was no maternal mononuclear cell infiltrate of the type reported in association with resorption of semiallogeneic and xenogeneic mouse embryos. This may be due to an immunosuppressive effect of ribavirin. Ribavirin was able to potently suppress proliferation of mouse trophoblast and mastocytoma cell lines in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: There are several drug-induced murine abortion models that provide useful insights into potential mechanisms underlying spontaneous pregnancy failure, but in the ribavirin model, a direct impairment of trophoblast development appears to be responsible.     

489例不良孕产史患者细胞遗传学分析

目的探讨染色体异常对生育的影响.方法对489例有自然流产、胎停育或生育畸形儿史的患者进行外周血淋巴细胞培养,G显带染色体核型分析.结果 489例患者中染色体核型异常24例, 异常率达4.9%, 其中有自然流产、胎停育史的患者核型异常占20例,有生育畸形儿史的患者核型异常占4例.染色体变异共21例,占4.3%.结论染色体异常是导致不良生育的重要影响因素, 应重视遗传学检查,进行优生优育指导.