Umbilical cord blood screening for cytomegalovirus DNA by quantitative PCR.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which is the most common congenitally transmitted infection, affects approximately 1% of neonates worldwide. Despite its prevalence, no convenient screening test for neonatal CMV infection has been implemented. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and yield of screening umbilical cord blood for CMV DNA emiaby quantitative PCR. STUDY DESIGN: Umbilical cord blood was tested for CMV DNAemia using a commercial quantitative PCR assay. Maternal CMV serostatus at the time of delivery was assessed by testing for CMV IgG and IgM antibodies in serum. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for congenital CMV infection with PCR is easily incorporated into routine labor and delivery care using discarded cord blood specimens to identify neonates whose infection is otherwise undiagnosed. Among 433 infants tested, two (0.5%) had DNAemia detected in cord blood, one of whom was symptomatic, and both of whose mothers were CMV IgG positive and IgM negative. Viremic neonates identified by screening with PCR may be at high risk of developing long-term neurological complications of CMV infection and cannot reliably be identified using clinical presentation or maternal serology. Because of its convenience, cord blood CMV screening with PCR should be further investigated for incorporation into neonatal screening protocols.     

Immunological studies in patients with juvenile-onset myasthenia gravis and in their relatives

Fifty-four patients who developed myasthenia before the age of 20 had an increased incidence of autoantibodies similar to that in adult-onset myasthenics, except that there was no significant increase of striated muscle antibodies. The increase in thyroid antibodies was associated with an increase of thyroid disease.

Their 150 relatives showed a significant increase in thyroid antibodies, in thyroid disease, and a non-significant increase in the five other autoantibodies studied. There was aggregation of thyroid antibodies in some families.

Two patients and one relative were deficient for immunoglobulins (one patient and one father for IgA and one patient for IgM).

These familial immunological abnormalities, which are more marked in the families of patients with juvenile-onset myasthenia than in the families of adult-onset patients, point to fundamental genetic immunopathogenesis of the disease.

     

Response properties of single neurons in the zebra finch auditory midbrain: response patterns, frequency coding, intensity coding, and spike latencies

The avian mesencephalicus lateralis, dorsalis (MLd) is the auditory midbrain nucleus in which multiple parallel inputs from lower brain stem converge and through which most auditory information passes to reach the forebrain. Auditory processing in the MLd has not been investigated in songbirds. We studied the tuning properties of single MLd neurons in adult male zebra finches. Pure tones were used to examine tonotopy, temporal response patterns, frequency coding, intensity coding, spike latencies, and duration tuning. Most neurons had no spontaneous activity. The tonotopy of MLd is like that of other birds and mammals; characteristic frequencies (CFs) increase in a dorsal to ventral direction. Four major response patterns were found: 1) onset (49% of cells); 2) primary-like (20%); 3) sustained (19%); and 4) primary-like with notch (12%). CFs ranged between 0.9 and 6.1 kHz, matching the zebra finch hearing range and the power spectrum of song. Tuning curves were generally V-shaped, but complex curves, with multiple peaks or noncontiguous excitatory regions, were observed in 22% of cells. Rate-level functions indicated that 51% of nononset cells showed monotonic relationships between spike rate and sound level. Other cells showed low saturation or nonmonotonic responses. Spike latencies ranged from 4 to 40 ms, measured at CF. Spike latencies generally decreased with increasing sound pressure level (SPL), although paradoxical latency shifts were observed in 16% of units. For onset cells, changes in SPL produced smaller latency changes than for cells showing other response types. Results suggest that auditory midbrain neurons may be particularly suited for processing temporally complex signals with a high degree of precision.     

BEAUTY and the breast: is adjuvant chemotherapy the right time for a beauty boost? Lessons learned from a large randomized controlled trial

Quality of Life Research - Beauty care (BTC) is offered at many cancer hospitals having a great uptake among patients. Nevertheless, its benefits in the Quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors...     

Estimating the impact of changes in weight and BMI on EQ-5D-3L: a longitudinal analysis of a behavioural group-based weight loss intervention

Quality of Life Research - To estimate the association between changes in BMI and changes in Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-3L). The WRAP trial was a multicentre, randomised controlled trial...     

Care-Seeking Behavior for Newborns in Rural Zambia

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Mothers in resource-limited areas face barriers in initiating care for ill newborns, leading to delays that may contribute to newborn mortality. This qualitative...     

A Pilot Trial of a Health Promotion and Illness Prevention Paradigm in the Perinatal Period

Maternal and Child Health Journal - This is a pilot study of the Vermont Family Based Approach, an innovative health promotion program designed to address behavioral health prevention in primary...     

Toward ‘seeing’ critically: a Bayesian analysis of the impacts of a critical pedagogy

Advances in Health Sciences Education - Critical reflection supports enactment of the social roles of care, like collaboration and advocacy. We require evidence that links critical teaching...