Assault,PTSD, Family Substance Use,and Depression as Risk Factors for Cigarette Use in Youth: Findings from the National Survey of Adolescents

A national household probability sample of 4,023 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years was surveyed by telephone via structured clinical interview to determine the impact of familial substance use, sexual and physical assault, witnessed violence, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on risk of smoking. Results indicated that familial substance use increased risk of smoking only for boys and sexual assault or depression increased risk of smoking only for girls. Age, Caucasian ethnicity, and experiencing physical assault or witnessing violence elevated risk of current cigarette use for both genders. By contrast, PTSD per se was not associated with increased risk of smoking, after the effects of other variables were controlled.     

Incidence of apnoea and bradycardia in preterm infants following DTPw and Hib immunization: A prospective study

Objective: To evaluate the incidence and severity of apnoea and bradycardia in hospitalized preterm infants following immunization at 2 months of age, and identify risk factors.
Methodology: A prospective study of 98 preterm infants, of gestational age 24–31 weeks, immunized at approximately 2 months post natal age with diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccine (DTP_w) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at King George V Hospital Sydney. Half the infants also received Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib) simultaneously. All infants were monitored for apnoea and bradycardia in the 24 h periods pre- and post immunization.
Results: Only one infant had apnoea and/or bradycardia pre-immunization compared with 17 post immunization. For 12 infants these events were brief, self-limiting and not associated with desaturations (oxygen saturation <90%). However, for five infants (30%) these events were associated with oxygen desaturation and two of these infants required supplemental oxygen. The group that had apnoea and/or bradycardia and the group that did not were not significantly different in terms of gestational age, birth weight and other variables. Infants who received Hib together with DTP_w were less likely to have apnoea and/or bradycardia than those given DTP_w alone.
Conclusion: When considering immunization for preterm infants, the benefits of early immunization must be balanced against the risk of apnoea and bradycardia. We recommend that the cardio-respiratory function of hospitalized infants born at less than 31 weeks gestation be monitored for 48 h post immunization.     

Fetal acidemia and electronic fetal heart rate patterns: is there evidence of an association?

OBJECTIVE: Despite the ubiquity of electronic fetal monitoring, the validity of the relationship between various fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns and fetal acidemia has not yet been established in a large unselected series of consecutive pregnancies. The aim of this study was to examine the published literature for evidence of such a relationship. METHODS: Four hypotheses based on assumptions in common clinical use were examined. The literature was searched for relationships between certain aspects of FHR patterns (e.g., degree of FHR variability, depth of decelerations), and fetal acidemia, or fetal vigor (5-minute Apgar score >or=7). We also attempted to relate duration of these patterns to the degree of acidemia. Using standardized FHR nomenclature we defined patterns based on baseline FHR variability, baseline rate, decelerations, and accelerations. RESULTS: The following relationships were observed: (1) Moderate FHR variability was strongly associated (98%) with an umbilical pH >7.15 or newborn vigor (5-minute Apgar score >or=7). (2) Undetectable or minimal FHR variability in the presence of late or variable decelerations was the most consistent predictor of newborn acidemia, though the association was only 23%. (3) There was a positive relationship between the degree of acidemia and the depth of decelerations or bradycardia. (4) Except for sudden profound bradycardia, newborn acidemia with decreasing FHR variability in combination with decelerations develops over a period of time approximating one hour. Most studies identified were observational and uncontrolled (grade III evidence of US Preventive Services Task Force); however, there was general agreement amongst the various studies, strengthening the validity of the observations. CONCLUSIONS: The validity of the relationship between certain FHR patterns and fetal acidemia and/or vigor, is supported by observations from the literature. In addition four assumptions commonly used in clinical management are supported. These conclusions need to be confirmed by a prospective examination of a large number of consecutive, unselected FHR patterns, and their relationship to newborn acidemia. Pending the completion of such studies, these observations can be used to justify certain aspects of current clinical management, and may assist in standardizing the diversity of opinions regarding FHR pattern management.     

The maternal pheromone and bile acids in the lactating rat

Bile was drawn from virgin rats and from postpartum rats that were with young for 5, 12, 21, and 30 days, respectively. The bile thus drawn was analyzed enzymatically after chromatographic separation to test an hypothesis relating cholic acid and one of its metabolites, deoxycholic acid, to the appearance of the maternal pheromone. Our finding that cholic acid, but not deoxycholic acid, reached a peak that was tied specifically to the period of pheromonal emission led us to advance a revised hypothesis. We now think that cholic acid alone, or more likely a cholic metabolite other than deoxycholic acid, underlies the appearance of the pheromone.     

蓣知子皂甙IV的结构

从木通科木通属植物白木通[Akebia trifoliata(Thunb.)Koidz.var.australis(Diels)Rehd]种子的乙醇提取物中以硅胶层析等方法得四种三萜皂甙。其中甙IV是新天然产物,命名为蓣知子皂甙IV(yuzhiziosideIV)。根据化学和光谱分析,确定甙IV的结构为3-O-β-D-吡喃木糖基-(1→2)-a-L-吡喃阿拉伯糖齐墩果酸-28-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基-(1→6)-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖酯甙。另外皂甙B(I)、皂甙C(II)和皂甙D(III)为已知物。这些化合物在白木通种子中均是首次得到。