Repeated cervical length measurements for the verification of short cervical length.

Objective: To determine if the verification of short cervical length with a repeated measurement improved the identification of patients with short cervical length at increased risk of preterm delivery.

Methods: The present secondary analysis analyzed prospective cohort study data from patients with singleton pregnancies without a history of preterm delivery who presented for obstetric care in the Netherlands and delivered between November 18, 2009, and January 1, 2013. Cervical length was measured during standard anomaly scan and a second measurement was performed if the cervical length was 30 mm of shorter.

Subsequent pregnancy outcome after mid-trimester termination of pregnancy for preeclampsia.

Background: In this study we determined the outcome of subsequent pregnancies after termination of pregnancy for preeclampsia, with the purpose of presenting data useful for counselling these women on future pregnancies.

Study Design: The cohort consisted of 131 women with a history of termination of pregnancy for preeclampsia.

Results: Data of 79 pregnancies were available for analysis, including 13 women with chronic hypertension and 16 women with thrombophilia.

Effects of antenatal diet and physical activity on maternal and fetal outcomes: individual patient data meta-analysis and health economic evaluation.

Background: Diet- and physical activity-based interventions in pregnancy have the potential to alter maternal and child outcomes.

Objectives: To assess whether or not the effects of diet and lifestyle interventions vary in subgroups of women, based on maternal body mass index (BMI), age, parity, Caucasian ethnicity and underlying medical condition(s), by undertaking an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis. We also evaluated the association of gestational weight gain (GWG) with adverse pregnancy outcomes and assessed the cost-effectiveness of the interventions.

High-fidelity phase and amplitude control of phase-only computer generated holograms using conjugate gradient minimisation.

We demonstrate simultaneous control of both the phase and amplitude of light using a conjugate gradient minimisation-based hologram calculation technique and a single phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM). A cost function, which incorporates the inner product of the light field with a chosen target field within a defined measure region, is efficiently minimised to create high fidelity patterns in the Fourier plane of the SLM. A fidelity of F = 0.

Cardiovascular RiskprofilE - IMaging and gender-specific disOrders (CREw-IMAGO): rationale and design of a multicenter cohort study.

Background: Reproductive disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and hypertensive pregnancy disorders (HPD) like pre-eclampsia (PE), are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Detection of early signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as identification of risk factors among women of reproductive age which improve cardiovascular risk prediction, is a challenge and current models might underestimate long-term health risks. The aim of this study is to assess cardiovascular disease in patients with a history of a reproductive disorder by low-dose computed tomography (CT).

Prognostic accuracy of cerebroplacental ratio and middle cerebral artery Doppler for adverse perinatal outcome: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) is widely used as an adjunct to umbilical artery (UA) Doppler to identify fetuses at risk of adverse perinatal outcome. However, reported estimates of its accuracy vary considerably. The aim of this study was to review systematically the prognostic accuracies of CPR and MCA Doppler in predicting adverse perinatal outcome, and to compare these with UA Doppler, in order to identify whether CPR and MCA Doppler evaluation are of added value to UA Doppler.

Low dose aspirin in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm labour - the APRIL study: a multicenter randomized placebo controlled trial.

Background: Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks of gestation) is a major problem in obstetrics and affects an estimated 15 million pregnancies worldwide annually. A history of previous preterm birth is the strongest risk factor for preterm birth, and recurrent spontaneous preterm birth affects more than 2.5 million pregnancies each year.

A neuroimaging approach to capture cognitive reserve: Application to Alzheimer's disease.

Cognitive reserve (CR) explains interindividual differences in the ability to maintain cognitive function in the presence of neuropathology. We developed a neuroimaging approach including a measure of brain atrophy and cognition to capture this construct. In a group of 511 Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker-positive subjects in different stages across the disease spectrum, we performed 3T magnetic resonance imaging and predicted gray matter (GM) volume in each voxel based on cognitive performance (i.

Carcinoid heart disease: a guide for screening and timing of surgical intervention.

The cardiac manifestations of a neuroendocrine tumour are referred to as carcinoid heart disease (CaHD) and are associated with a poor prognosis. Surgical intervention is the only proven therapeutic option and may prolong survival and quality of life. No consensus has been reached internationally with regard to screening for CaHD and the optimal timing for surgery.

Compliance-Free ZrO/ZrO /ZrO Resistive Memory with Controllable Interfacial Multistate Switching Behaviour.

A controllable transformation from interfacial to filamentary switching mode is presented on a ZrO/ZrO /ZrO tri-layer resistive memory. The two switching modes are investigated with possible switching and transformation mechanisms proposed. Resistivity modulation of the ZrO layer is proposed to be responsible for the switching in the interfacial switching mode through injecting/retracting of oxygen ions.

Increased postpartum haemorrhage, the possible relation with serotonergic and other psychopharmacological drugs: a matched cohort study.

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage is a major obstetric risk worldwide. Therefore risk factors need to be investigated to control for this serious complication. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the use of both serotonergic and non-serotonergic antidepressants in pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of postpartum haemorrhage.

Barriers and facilitators related to the uptake of four strategies to prevent neonatal early-onset group B haemolytic streptococcus disease: a qualitative study.

Background: Actions to prevent early onset disease in neonates are based on different strategies including administering antibiotic prophylaxis during labour in case of 1) maternal GBS colonisation (screening strategy), 2) identified risk factors (risk-based strategy) or 3) a combination of these two conditions (maternal GBS colonisation and identified risk factors: combination strategy and the Dutch guideline). Low adherence to guidelines preventing EOGBS has been reported. Each strategy has drawbacks and clinical outcomes are affected by care providers' and women's adherence.

Nanoscale modeling of electro-plasmonic tunable devices for modulators and metasurfaces.

The interest in plasmonic electro-optical modulators with nanoscale footprint and ultrafast low-energy performance has generated a demand for precise multiphysics modeling of the electrical and optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures. We perform combined simulations that account for the interaction of highly confined nearfields with charge accumulation and depletion on the nanoscale. Validation of our numerical model is done by comparison to a recently published reflective meta-absorber.

Shared biomarkers between female diastolic heart failure and pre-eclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Evidence accumulates for associations between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and increased cardiovascular risk later. The main goal of this study was to explore shared biomarkers representing common pathogenic pathways between heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and pre-eclampsia where these biomarkers might be potentially eligible for cardiovascular risk stratification in women after hypertensive pregnancy disorders. We sought for blood markers in women with diastolic dysfunction in a first literature search, and through a second search, we investigated whether these same biochemical markers were present in pre-eclampsia.

Quantification of Tau Load Using [F]AV1451 PET.

Purpose: The tau tracer [F]AV1451, also known as flortaucipir, is a promising ligand for imaging tau accumulation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most of the previous studies have quantified tau load using standardized uptake value ratios (SUVr) derived from a static [F]AV1451 scan. SUVr may, however, be flow dependent and, especially for longitudinal studies, should be validated against a fully quantitative approach.

Determinants of Advanced Bone Age in Childhood Obesity .

Background: Childhood obesity is associated with advanced bone age (BA). Previous studies suggest that androgens, oestrogens, sex hormone-binding globulin, and insulin are responsible for this phenomenon, but results are contradictory and might be biased by confounders. We aim to elucidate this matter by applying a multivariate approach.

The impact of protein quantity during energy restriction on genome-wide gene expression in adipose tissue of obese humans.

Background: Overweight and obesity is a growing health problem worldwide. The most effective strategy to reduce weight is energy restriction (ER). ER has been shown to be beneficial in disease prevention and it reduces chronic inflammation.

Effect of early-onset preeclampsia on cardiovascular risk in the fifth decade of life.

Background: Women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, in particular early-onset preeclampsia, are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. These women have a more than 2-fold increased risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases. Most studies have focused on identification of risk factors shortly after pregnancy.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with severe early onset pre-eclampsia before 26 weeks of gestation, a case series.

Objective: To describe the maternal and neonatal outcomes and prolongation of pregnancies with severe early onset pre-eclampsia before 26 weeks of gestation.

Design: Nationwide case series.

Setting: All Dutch tertiary perinatal care centres.

Melanoma during pregnancy: a report of 60 pregnancies complicated by melanoma.

The management of melanoma during pregnancy is challenging as maternal benefits and fetal risks need to be balanced. Here, we present an overview of the incidence, the demographic and clinical characteristics and the treatment modalities used. After analysis of obstetric, fetal and maternal outcome, recommendations for clinical practice are provided.

High predictability of impaired glucose tolerance by combining cardiometabolic screening parameters in obese children.

Background: There is debate on which overweight and obese children should be screened for the presence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) by oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT). The objective of the study was to identify risk factors predictive of the presence of IGT.

Methods: In a cohort of overweight children, who underwent OGTT, we determined the association of anthropometric and laboratory parameters with IGT and whether combining parameters improved the sensitivity of screening for IGT.

Association between infection and fever in terminations of pregnancy using misoprostol: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Fever is a well-known side effect of misoprostol, but clinically difficult to distinguish from an intra uterine infection. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of fever in terminations of pregnancy (TOP) using misoprostol and to evaluate fever as indication of intra uterine infection.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed.

A systematic method for simulating total ionizing dose effects using the finite elements method.

Simulation of total ionizing dose effects in field isolation of FET technologies requires transport mechanisms in the oxide to be considered. In this work, carrier transport and trapping in thick oxides using the finite elements method in the Synopsys Sentaurus platform are systematically simulated. Carriers are generated in the oxide and are transported out through a direct contact with the gate and thermionic emission to the silicon.

Dynamics of the Hydration Water of Antifreeze Glycoproteins.

Antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) are unique proteins that inhibit the growth of ice by a mechanism that is still unclear. We study the dynamics of water in aqueous solutions of small and large isoforms of AFGPs using polarization-resolved femtosecond infrared spectroscopy. We find that a fraction of the water molecules is strongly slowed down by the interaction with the antifreeze glycoprotein surface.