"Umbilical artery Doppler in severe small for gestational age: Prognostic insights for short and long-term neurodevelopment".

Introduction: We evaluated the impact of absent end-diastolic flow in the umbilical artery (UA-AEDF) in severe small for gestational age (SGA) cases.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study focused on fetuses with severe SGA (defined as birth weight ≤2.5 SD).

Obstetric outcomes of transabdominal cerclage: A retrospective observational study in Japan.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the obstetric outcomes of transabdominal cerclage (TAC) in Japan.

Methods: Questionnaires on TAC were sent to 183 institutions performing high-quality perinatal management in Japan. As a first-step questionnaire, we asked whether TAC was performed between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2022.

Assessment of Uterine Contraction and Atonic Bleeding during the Third Stage of Labor Using Shear Wave Elastography.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between fluctuations in uterine stiffness during the third stage of labor and blood loss upon placenta delivery using shear wave elastography.

Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled consecutive singleton pregnant women above 37 weeks of gestation who delivered infants transvaginally at a single perinatal center. Shear wave velocities (SWV) were continuously measured during the third stage of transvaginal labor using transabdominal ultrasound and these values were compared between groups with large (≥500 g) and small amounts of bleeding during this stage.

Intrapartum prophylactic efficacy of ampicillin versus clindamycin in preventing vertical transmission of group B Streptococcus.

Aim: To compare the prophylactic efficacy of ampicillin and clindamycin against vertical transmission of group B Streptococcus from mothers to their infants by evaluating the rates of group B Streptococcus colonisation.

Methods: We retrospectively extracted data for mothers who delivered at Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital between 1 October 2017 and 31 March 2021 and tested positive for antepartum group B Streptococcus, and their infants. The chi-square test was used to compare the rates of group B Streptococcus colonisation, sepsis, and meningitis.

Clinical Utility of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index Before Surgical Intervention for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of the geriatric nutritional risk index (a patient nutritional assessment item) on the prognoses of epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: In this retrospective study conducted at a single hospital, we retrospectively analyzed 75 epithelial ovarian cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from 2010 to 2015. The geriatric nutritional risk index cut-off value was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic curve.

High-intensity focused ultrasound for noninvasive fetal therapy.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) consists of an ultrasonic beam that is focused within the body to induce tissue necrosis through both heat energy and as a result of cavitation, which occurs without damaging any intervening tissues. Therefore, it is possible to cauterize and treat tumors without surgical invasion by administering HIFU irradiation from outside the body. This approach has been clinically applied in various fields in recent years, and fetal therapy is no exception, with several clinical applications reported, mainly in basic experiments.

Verbascoside from Verbena incompta is a plant root growth inhibitor.

The use of biopesticides has expanded rapidly in recent years; however, their use in weed control is less advanced. Herein, we describe the development of a weed control agent by screening 208 plant extracts (104 species) for their plant growth-inhibition activities, which resulted in 142 active samples (from 89 plant species). Verbascoside, isolated from the shoots of Verbena incompta, was identified as a growth inhibitor against rice root (EC50, 1.

Infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus agalactiae in the puerperal period.

Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as group B Streptococcus, is a species of bacteria occasionally detected in the vagina and/or rectum of pregnant women. This report describes the case of a 33-year-old woman who developed infective endocarditis on puerperal day 17, owing to group B Streptococcus, and required lifesaving surgery. The patient was rushed to our hospital with chief complaints of fever and fatigue.

A case report of idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis with severe respiratory failure in pregnancy.

Background: Idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (IPPFE) is a rare lung disease that manifests as parenchymal fibrosis of the upper lung lobe and pleura. There have been no reports of IPPFE complicating pregnancy. Here, we report a case of IPPFE that deteriorated rapidly during pregnancy.

Modified laparoscopic cervicoisthmic cerclage in early pregnancy for refractory cervical incompetence: A case report.

Modified laparoscopic cerclage was developed as an easy laparoscopic approach during pregnancy, with sutures placed lateral to the uterine vessels. To the best of our knowledge, its successful use in the first trimester has not been reported in Japan. Additionally, there are no published data on chronological assessment of feto-placental circulation using Doppler.

Coronary perfusion pressure and compression quality in maternal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in supine and left-lateral tilt positions: A prospective, crossover study using mannequins and swine models.

Objective: The risk of maternal and fetal mortality is high if cardiopulmonary arrest occurs during pregnancy. To assess the best position for maternal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a prospective randomized crossover study was undertaken, involving basic life support mannequin-based simulation (BLS-MS) and a swine model of pulseless electrical activity (an unstable cardiac state) incorporating a fetal mannequin (PEA-FM).

Study Design: The BLS-MS (performed by certified rescuers) served to evaluate the quality of chest compressions in 30° left lateral tilt (LLT) and supine positions.