Shoulder Dystocia and Neonatal Resuscitation: An Integrated Obstetrics and Neonatology Simulation Case for Medical Students.

Introduction: The new model in medical education of longitudinal clinical clerkships can be complemented by high-technology simulation, which provides a safe space for learners to consolidate clinical knowledge and practice decision-making skills, teamwork, and communication. We developed an interdisciplinary training intervention including a simulation case and structured debriefing to link clinical content between pediatrics and obstetrics at a major academic medical center.

Methods: In this case, a 38-year-old female at 38 weeks gestation presents with onset of labor complicated by shoulder dystocia.

Human adipose tissue expansion in pregnancy is impaired in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Aims/hypothesis: During pregnancy, adipose tissue (AT) must expand to support the growing fetus and the future nutritional needs of the offspring. Limited expandability of AT is associated with insulin resistance, attributed to ectopic lipid deposition. This study aimed to investigate human AT expandability during pregnancy and its role in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

A role for uric acid and the Nalp3 inflammasome in antiphospholipid antibody-induced IL-1β production by human first trimester trophoblast.

Women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are at risk of recurrent pregnancy loss and obstetrical disorders, such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) directly target the placenta by binding beta2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) expressed on the trophoblast. We recently demonstrated in human first trimester trophoblast cells that anti-β2GPI antibodies (Abs) induce the secretion of IL-1β in a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent manner.

Heat-shock-mediated conditional regulation of hedgehog/gli signaling in zebrafish.

Background: Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is required for embryogenesis and continues to play key roles postembryonically in many tissues, influencing growth, stem cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis. Systems for conditional regulation of Hh signaling facilitate the study of these postembryonic Hh functions.

Results: We used the hsp70l promoter to generated three heat-shock-inducible transgenic lines that activate Hh signaling and one line that represses Hh signaling.

Uric acid induces trophoblast IL-1β production via the inflammasome: implications for the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Problem: Preeclampsia is associated with hyperuricemia, which correlates with the disease severity. Levels of circulating uric acid increase before the clinical manifestations, suggesting that they may be causally related. Uric acid, or monosodium urate (MSU), activates the Nod-like receptor, Nalp3, leading to inflammasome activation and IL-1β processing.