Variations and Opportunities in Postnatal Management of Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn.

Importance: Preventive efforts in pregnancy-related alloimmunization have considerably decreased the prevalence of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). International studies are therefore essential to obtain a deeper understanding of the postnatal management and outcomes of HDFN. Taken together with numerous treatment options, large practice variations among centers may exist.

Variations in antenatal management and outcomes in haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn: an international, retrospective, observational cohort study.

Background: Advances in haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn have led to numerous treatment options. We report practice variations in the management and outcomes of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn in at-risk pregnancies.

Methods: In this international, retrospective, observational cohort study, data from cases with moderate or severe haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn were retrieved from 31 centres in 22 countries.

Selecting a birth weight standard for an indigenous population in a LMIC: A prospective comparative study.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare birth weight (BW) distribution and proportion of BWs below or above specified percentiles in low-risk singleton pregnancies in healthy South African (SA) women of mixed ancestry with expected values according to four BW references and to determine the physiological factors affecting BW.

Methods: This was an ancillary study of a prospective multinational cohort study, involving 7060 women recruited between August 2007 and January 2015 in two townships of Cape Town, characterized by low socioeconomic status, and high levels of drinking and smoking. Detailed information about maternal and pregnancy characteristics, including harmful exposures, was gathered prospectively, allowing us to select healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies without any known harmful exposures.

Trisomy 21 screening with αlpha software and the Fetal Medicine Foundation algorithm.

Background: Screening for trisomy 21 provides pregnant women with accurate risk information. Different algorithms are used to screen for trisomy 21 in South Africa (SA). The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) provides software to screen for trisomy 21 in the first trimester by ultrasound or a combination of ultrasound and biochemistry (combined screening), and requires regular and stringent quality control.

Effects of inspiratory muscle training on exertional breathlessness in patients with unilateral diaphragm dysfunction: a randomised trial.

Background: Unilateral diaphragm dysfunction (UDD) is an underdiagnosed cause of dyspnoea. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is the only conservative treatment for UDD, but the mechanisms of improvement are unknown. We characterised the effects of IMT on dyspnoea, exercise tolerance and respiratory muscle function in people with UDD.

Association of Placental Histology with the Pulsatility Index of Fetal and Uteroplacental Vessels during Pregnancy and with Birthweight Z-Score.

Aims: To compare macro- and microscopic features of the placenta with the pulsatility index (PI) of the uterine (UtA), umbilical (UA) and middle cerebral arteries at 20-24- and 34-38-weeks' gestation, and with birthweight z-scores (BWZS).

Methods: Recruitment for the Safe Passage Study, which investigated the association of alcohol and tobacco use with stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome, occurred from August 2007 to January 2015 at community clinics in Cape Town, South Africa. The population represents a predominantly homogenous population of pregnant women from a low socioeconomic residential area.

Acute bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity of olivine in the marine amphipod Gammarus locusta.

Active atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is needed at a gigaton scale in the next decades to keep global warming below 1.5 °C. Coastal enhanced silicate weathering (CESW) aims to increase natural ocean carbon sequestration via chemical weathering of finely ground olivine (MgFeSiO) rich rock dispersed in dynamic coastal environments.

Neuromuscular end-point predictive capability of published rocuronium pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models: An observational trial.

Background: Objective neuromuscular monitoring remains the single most reliable method to ensure optimal perioperative neuromuscular management. Nevertheless, the prediction of clinical neuromuscular endpoints by means of Pharmacokinetic (PK) and Pharmacodynamic (PD) modelling has the potential to complement monitoring and improve perioperative neuromuscular management.s STUDY OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to assess the performance of published Rocuronium PK/PD models in predicting intraoperative Train-of-four (TOF) ratios when benchmarked against electromyographic TOF measurements.

Impact of fetal growth restriction on pregnancy outcome in women undergoing expectant management for preterm pre-eclampsia.

Objectives: To assess whether coexisting fetal growth restriction (FGR) influences pregnancy latency among women with preterm pre-eclampsia undergoing expectant management. Secondary outcomes assessed were indication for delivery, mode of delivery and rate of serious adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Pre-eclampsia Intervention (PIE) and the Pre-eclampsia Intervention 2 (PI2) trial data.

Reference standards for facial measurements in early third trimester South African fetuses, and the effect of maternal and fetal characteristics.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a major problem worldwide and dysmorphic facial features may be a prenatal biomarker for FASD. Deviations from normal facial development cannot be explored before establishing the normal variation in a specific population, since ethnic differences may exist. Main objective: to establish reference standards for 23 facial measurements on 3D ultrasound volumes obtained between days 196 and 224 of gestation in healthy unexposed South African fetuses from an area with historically high alcohol consumption prevalence and a population group with no existing normative values.

Assessment of human exposure to environmental sources of lead arising from the lead battery manufacturing and recycling sector in Europe: demonstration of a tiered approach in a case study.

Background: Standard approaches for the assessment of Man via the Environment exposure are designed to be conservative. However, propagating these exposures into health impact assessment might lead to questionable socio-economic costs.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a novel tiered modelling approach to assess human exposure to lead (Pb) via the environment.

An in vitro air-liquid interface inhalation platform for petroleum substances and constituents.

The goal is to optimize and show the validity of an in vitro method for inhalation testing of petroleum substances and their constituents at the air-liquid interface (ALI). The approach is demonstrated in a pilot study with ethylbenzene (EB), a mono-constituent petroleum substance, using a human alveolar epithelial cell line model. This included the development and validation of a generation facility to obtain EB vapors and the optimization of an exposure system for a negative control (clean air, CA), positive control (nitrogen dioxide), and EB vapors.

Spherical core-shell alumina support particles for model platinum catalysts.

γ- and δ-alumina are popular catalyst support materials. Using a hydrothermal synthesis method starting from aluminum nitrate and urea in diluted solution, spherical core-shell particles with a uniform particle size of about 1 μm were synthesized. Upon calcination at 1000 °C, the particles adopted a core-shell structure with a γ-alumina core and δ-alumina shell as evidenced by 2D and 3D electron microscopy and 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Low Plasma Volume and Increased Pressure Load Relate to Concentric Left Ventricular Remodeling After Preeclampsia: A Longitudinal Study.

Background During uncomplicated pregnancy, left ventricular remodeling occurs in an eccentric way. In contrast, during preeclamptic gestation, the left ventricle hypertrophies concentrically, concurrent with loss in circulatory volume and increased blood pressure. Concentric cardiac structure persists in a substantial proportion of women and may be associated with pressure and volume load after preeclampsia.

"Establishing target and intervention guidance values for indoor air in dwellings and publicly accessible buildings: The Flemish approach".

Indoor air quality has been recognized by the Flemish authorities as an important policy field in view of protection of public health. In 2018, the revised Flemish Indoor Air Decree (Belgisch Staatsblad, 2018), entered into force in Flanders and is applicable for dwellings and publicly accessible buildings (PAB). The Decree is based on three pillars, 1) creating awareness on the importance of good indoor air quality for health, 2) a service for indoor air dwelling examination in case of health complaints that are likely provoked by bad indoor air, and 3) target and intervention guidance values for chemical, physical and biotic factors in the indoor environment.

Fatty acid mimetic PBI-4547 restores metabolic homeostasis via GPR84 in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of liver disease and is associated with metabolic dysregulation. Although G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84) has been associated with inflammation, its role in metabolic regulation remains elusive. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of PBI-4547 for the treatment of NAFLD and to validate the role of its main target receptor, GPR84.

Forty years of neuromuscular monitoring and postoperative residual curarisation: a meta-analysis and evaluation of confidence in network meta-analysis.

Background: The reported incidence of postoperative residual curarisation (PORC) is still unacceptably high. The capacity of intraoperative neuromuscular monitoring (NMM) to reduce the incidence of PORC has yet to be established from pooled clinical studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of data from 1979 to 2019 to reanalyse this relationship.

Pushing functional MRI spatial and temporal resolution further: High-density receive arrays combined with shot-selective 2D CAIPIRINHA for 3D echo-planar imaging at 7 T.

To be able to examine dynamic and detailed brain functions, the spatial and temporal resolution of 7 T MRI needs to improve. In this study, it was investigated whether submillimeter multishot 3D EPI fMRI scans, acquired with high-density receive arrays, can benefit from a 2D CAIPIRINHA sampling pattern, in terms of noise amplification (g-factor), temporal SNR and fMRI sensitivity. High-density receive arrays were combined with a shot-selective 2D CAIPIRINHA implementation for multishot 3D EPI sequences at 7 T.

Growing up with a rare genetic disease: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of living with Holt-Oram syndrome.

Background: Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) is a rare genetic disease characterized by variable radial upper limb and cardiac defects. The aim of this research was to shed light on people's subjective perceptions of their diseases, how these perceptions provide meaning, and the consequences the syndrome can have in daily life and across all life stages.

Methods: Semistructured interviews with ten participants diagnosed with HOS were conducted in France and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Neural tube defect diagnosis and outcomes at a tertiary South African hospital with intensive case ascertainment.

Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are an important category of birth defect, but surveillance remains inadequate in South Africa.

Objectives: To assess the identification of NTDs at a tertiary hospital using a range of prenatal, perinatal and postnatal data sources, and to estimate the impact of prenatal diagnosis and birth prevalence for the referral area.

Methods: Cases of anencephaly, encephalocele and spina bifida (SB) in a 6-year period were retrospectively identified from 5 data sources covering prenatal, perinatal and postnatal care.

Design and Synthesis of New 1,3,5-Trisubstituted Triazines for the Treatment of Cancer and Inflammation.

Low-molecular-weight synthetic molecules with the general 2-(fluorophenylamino)-4,6-disubstituted 1,3,5-triazine structure and showing anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities were explored. Structure-activity relationship studies demonstrated the importance of the aminopentyl chain, the 3- or 4-fluorophenylaniline component, and the presence of at least one substituent, such as a tyramine moiety, attached directly to the triazine ring as essential for good activity. These compounds, represented by leads 4-{2-[4-(5-Aminopentylamino)-6-(3-fluorophenylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino]ethyl}phenol () and 4-{2-[4-(5-Aminopentylamino)-6-(4-fluorophenylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino]ethyl}phenol (), displayed moderate and significant in vitro and in vivo dual activities, respectively, and address the molecular link between inflammation and cancer.