Sensitivity and specificity of placental proteins for gestational age screening: An exploratory study

ObjectiveTo examine the possibility that serum or urine concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM-12), placental growth factor (PlGF), human placental lactogen (HPL), glypican-3, pregnancy specific beta-1-glycoprotein 1 (PSG-1) or prolactin could predict gestational age (GA) >70 days, the currently recommended limit for medical abortion in the United States.Study designIn this exploratory observational study, we collected serum and urine specimens from 245 healthy individuals with singleton intrauterine pregnancies at GA <40 weeks by ultrasound. We assayed the serum specimens for all seven proteins and the urine specimens for PAPP-A and ADAM-12. We used scatterplots and receiver operating characteristic curves to identify a concentration for each protein that would differentiate GAs above and below 70 days.ResultsAll seven proteins showed significant ability to distinguish GAs >70 days from earlier gestations. A PAPP-A concentration ≥5.591 ng/ml provided 100% sensitivity and 90% specificity for identifying GAs >70 days. An ADAM-12 concentration of ≥3.11 ng/ml provided 98.5% sensitivity and 77% specificity for identifying GAs >70 days. Serum concentrations of the other compounds showed less diagnostic discrimination. PAPP-A was not detected in urine, and urinary ADAM-12 concentrations were not useful in identifying GAs above 70 days.ConclusionPAPP-A and ADAM-12 showed considerable promise as bases for a sensitive and specific serum test for identifying pregnancies with GA >70 days. If these results are confirmed by future research, such a test could obviate the need for routine ultrasound before medical abortion.ImplicationsTwo placental proteins, PAPP-A and ADAM-12, showed considerable promise as bases for a serum test for identifying pregnancies with gestational age >70 days. Such a test could be highly useful in screening patients for eligibility for medical abortion.     

Measures of placental growth in relation to birth weight and gestational age

Fetal growth depends in part on placental growth. The authors tested placental measures derived from digital images for reliability and to evaluate their association with birth weight and gestational age. A total of 628 women recruited into the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study, a prospective cohort study of preterm birth in central North Carolina between 2002 and 2004, delivered singleton liveborn infants after 24 completed weeks' gestation. Novel chorionic plate morphometric parameters captured off digital images of the gross placenta were analyzed as estimators of gestational age and birth weight. Without acknowledgment to placental weight, digitally obtained lateral chorionic plate growth measures accounted for 17 percent of gestational age variance and 35 percent of birth weight variance, overall. Chorionic plate measures accounted for 10 percent of birth weight variance beyond that accounted for by placental weight alone. Among preterm births, 34 percent of gestational age variance and 63 percent of birth weight variance were accounted for by lateral chorionic plate growth measures. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the novel digital measures ranged from 0.96 to 0.98. Reliable digital measures of lateral chorionic plate growth estimate birth weight variance more strongly than gestational age, project variance that is not accounted for by placental weight, and project these outcomes to a greater degree in preterm births than at term.     

Using blocks to build art concepts: A new look at an old friend

Blocks are common materials, used by young children. Educational texts have categorized block building as an art activity, yet few if any, art concepts that can enhance aesthetic knowledge have been noted. Art concepts that can be developed, how block building can be facilitated and how blocks represent the young child's art world will be discussed in this article. The examination of the process and product of block building can assist the child in using this familiar medium in a new way.     

Using blocks to build art concepts: A new look at an old friend

Blocks are common materials, used by young children. Educational texts have categorized block building as an art activity, yet few if any, art concepts that can enhance aesthetic knowledge have been noted. Art concepts that can be developed, how block building can be facilitated and how blocks represent the young child's art world will be discussed in this article. The examination of the process and product of block building can assist the child in using this familiar medium in a new way.     

孕早期血清胎盘生长因子在妊娠期高血压疾病筛查中的应用

目的：探讨孕早期母体血清胎盘生长因子（ PLGF）与妊娠期高血压疾病的关系。方法采用荧光免疫分析法检测妊娠早期590例正常孕妇及118例妊娠期高血压病孕妇PLGF血清浓度,其中重度子痫前期组45例,轻度子痫前期组37例,妊娠期高血压组36例,应用Logistic回归分析和受试者工作特征（ ROC）曲线评价PLGF应用对妊娠期高血压疾病的诊断价值。结果研究显示正常孕妇血清PLGF浓度随孕周增加而上升（b＝0．40,P＜0．0001）。经孕周校正后的对数（Log）10PLGF中位数倍数（MoM）值分别是：正常对照组1．02（0．96～1．09）,重度子痫前期组0．86（0．77～0．93）,轻度子痫前期组0．97（0．89～1．03）,妊娠期高血压组0．98（0．90～1．05）。重度子痫前期组PLGF浓度显著降低,与正常对照组、轻度子痫前期组及妊娠期高血压组相比均有显著性差异（H＝18．5,P＜0．0001）;轻度子痫前期组与对照组PLGF浓度也明显降低,差异有统计学意义（H＝14．6,P＝0．001）,其余各组间无统计学差异。当妊娠早期孕妇血清PLGF≤31．40pg／mL时,预测重度子痫前期敏感度为82．20％,特异度79．30％。结论妊娠高血压疾病孕妇孕早期血清PLGF浓度明显降低,妊娠早期检测PLGF对该病有重要预测价值。     

早产适于胎龄儿血清瘦素水平的研究

目的:研究血清瘦素水平与早产儿的关系。方法:采用ELISA法测定162例早产适于胎龄儿和162例足月适于胎龄儿的血清瘦素浓度。结果:两组婴儿血清瘦素浓度比较有显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论:血清瘦素浓度的变化可能与早产儿密切相关。     

小于胎龄儿早期血脂及脂蛋白代谢特点

目的 了解小于胎龄儿(small for gestational age neonates,SGA)早期血脂及脂蛋白代谢特点。方法 选择无严重并发症新生SGA 47例为研究对象,以45例足月适于胎龄儿(adequate for gestational age,AGA)作为对照组。于出生后12 h内静脉采血,测定血浆总胆固醇(total cholesterol,TC)、甘油三脂(triglyceride,TG),低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(low-density lipoprotein cholesterols,LDL-C)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(high-density lipoprotein cholesterols,HDL-C)、载脂蛋白(apolipoproteins,apo)A1及apo-B水平,计算LDL-C/HDL-C及apo-B/apo-A1比值;并进一步将SGA根据是否足月、宫内发育迟缓程度(出生体重位于同胎龄平均体重P₃以下为SGA1组,P₃~P₁₀之间为SGA2组)及性别进行分组,比较上述指标的水平。结果 与对照组比较, SGA患儿具有高的TC(2.41±0.61 vs 2.11±0.78,P<0.05)、LDL-C(0.90±0.44 vs 0.71±0.42,P<0.05)和apo-B(0.40±0.22 vs 0.29±0.15,P<0.01)浓度,及高的LDL-C/HDL-C(1.31±1.29 vs 0.82±0.46,P<0.05)、apo-B/apo-A1(0.60±0.35 vs 0.40±0.19,P<0.01)比值;SGA1组比SGA2组具有低的TC、HDL-C及apoA1水平,而具有高的apo-B/apo-A1比值(P<0.01或<0.05);早产SGA患儿比足月SGA患儿具有低的TG水平(P<0.05);性别对SGA血脂及脂蛋白水平没有影响。结论 不良的宫内环境使SGA早期可出现脂质代谢异常,宫内发育迟缓越严重脂质代谢异常越明显,SGA远期可能更易出现心血管疾病;早产SGA血浆TG水平低于足月SGA,可能与新生儿成熟度相关。     

Thalidomide: new uses for an old drug

Thalidomide was withdrawn from the market in the early sixties because of its teratogenic effects. Despite forty years of research, the mechanism of thalidomide embryopathy has remained unsolved. Thalidomide has various immunomodulatory effects. Thalidomide inhibits TNF alpha production, has T-cell costimulatory properties and modulates the expression of cell surface molecules on leukocytes in vivo. Thalidomide also has anti-angiogenic activity in vivo. Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies such as multiple myeloma and lymphoma. In clinical studies, thalidomide has been used as an inhibitor of angiogenesis. Erythema nodosum leprosum is the only registered indication for the use of thalidomide in the United States of America. Thalidomide is also effective in the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease, mucocutaneous lesions in Beh?et's syndrome and HIV infections, and multiple myeloma.     

小于胎龄与适于胎龄新生儿坏死性小肠结肠炎临床特点分析

目的 观察小于胎龄儿(SGA)与适于胎龄儿(AGA)合并坏死性小肠结肠炎(NEC)临床特点的差异,以期为NEC的预防提供依据。方法 选取2014年1月1日-2018年12月31日新生儿科收治的确诊NEC患儿(包括Ⅱ期和Ⅲ期)236例为研究对象,其中SGA组55例,AGA组181例,比较两组患儿临床特征的差异。结果 1)SGA组剖宫产出生者比例(83.6%)高于AGA组(59.7%),其母孕期合并妊娠期高血压疾病(56.4% vs.24.9%)、胎儿宫内窘迫的比例(32.7% vs. 11.6%)高于AGA组,两组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。2)SGA组发生Ⅲ期NEC的比例(41.8% vs.26.5%)、预后不良(放弃+死亡)率(25.5% vs.13.3%)、住院天数[25(16,23)vs.17(12,24)]均高于AGA组,两组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患儿在开奶日龄、发病日龄、发病前72 h内输注红细胞、发病时WBC、CRP、PLT水平、病原学检查(大便培养、血培养)阳性率、手术治疗例数方面差异有统计学意义。3)Ⅲ期NEC、NEC诊断后主要并发症如败血症、呼吸衰竭、心力衰竭、DIC、休克、腹膜炎、肠穿孔、硬肿症、多脏器功能衰竭均是导致SGA组和AGA组预后不良的危险因素。 Logistic回归分析发现影响SGA组NEC预后不良的危险因素为Ⅲ期NEC(OR=15.211,95%CI:2.998~26.107)、NEC诊断后并发败血症(OR=10.440,95%CI:1.627~19.377)、休克(OR=12.256,95%CI:2.896~21.058)和肠穿孔(OR=6.305,95%CI:1.473~8.240);影响AGA组NEC预后不良的危险因素为Ⅲ期NEC(OR=13.352,95%CI:1.866~18.540)、NEC诊断后并发败血症(OR=9.662,95%CI:2.508~16.004)和休克(OR=11.254,95%CI:2.183~17.005)。结论 SGA并发NEC时病情较AGA更重,预后不良率更高,应积极治疗NEC后的各种并发症,从而降低死亡率。     

Lead poisoning in telephone cable strippers: A new setting for an old problem

Lead poisoning among workers processing lead sheathed telephone cable was identified at five worksites. High blood lead levels (BLLs) were identified during the medical evaluation of symptomatic workers following employer mandated air monitoring and through employer mandated blood lead levels. Once high BLLs were identified, governmental agencies became involved at every site, either as a result of worker complaints to OSHA or as a registry reporting mechanism. Workplace evaluation revealed significant overexposure to lead, particularly among workers mechanically stripping the lead sheaths. After intervention by a government agency, four of the workplaces chose to stop lead cable processing. Because the ongoing replacement of lead sheathed telephone cable with fiber optics may be continuing in many areas of the country, there is concern that the clusters we have identified represents a widespread and little recognized setting for lead overexposure. Recommendations for preventing overexposure to lead in this setting are given. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

把握原则、简化流程：新旧医院会计制度衔接的另外一种操作思路

2011年4月,国家财政部为了确保新旧医院会计制度顺利过渡,促进新制度的有效贯彻实施,印发了《新旧医院会计制度有关衔接问题的处理规定》 (以下简称《衔接规定》).《衔接规定》明确提出了医院新旧会计制度衔接工作内容和流程:第一步:资产清查、报批处理;第二步:核查长期资产及其资金来源情况;第三步:结束旧账;第四步:建立新账;第五步:旧账转入新账,进行对应及差异调整,编制新制度下的期初资产负债表.     

Meditation: a new role for an old friend

Meditation has been a spiritual and healing tradition for centuries. In 1972, Keith Wallace and Herbert Benson published a landmark article looking at meditation from a scientific perspective. The author reviewed their article, plus selected scientific literature on meditation since that time, to see if there was enough evidence to warrant the inclusion of meditation in the treatment protocols of serious disease. This review, plus an illustrative case study, demonstrated that such inclusion is warranted and further research is necessary.