Combination of the clock drawing test with the physical phenotype of frailty for the prediction of mortality and other adverse outcomes in older community dwellers without dementia.

Background: Cognitive assessment is thought to increase the ability of the physical phenotype of frailty to identify older persons at a higher risk for adverse outcomes.

Objective: Data from a cohort of dementia-free community dwellers were used to investigate whether the clock drawing test (CDT), a quick and easy cognitive screening test, is associated with adverse health outcomes independently of the physical phenotype of frailty.

Methods: This was a prospective population-based cohort study of 766 dementia-free Italian community dwellers aged 65 years or older.

Psychological correlates of decision-making during prenatal diagnosis: a prospective study.

Objective: Decision-making during prenatal diagnosis has not been extensively studied. We aimed to determine psychological correlates and level of decisional conflict following prenatal diagnosis.

Method: A total of 159 pregnant women were consecutively enrolled.

Implementing non-invasive RHD genotyping on cell-free foetal DNA from maternal plasma: the Pavia experience.

Background: The occurrence of cell-free foetal DNA in maternal circulation opens new possibilities in non-invasive antenatal diagnosis. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis is an useful approach to foetal RhD blood group determination, thus being important in the prevention of haemolytic disease of foetus and new-born (HDFN).

Study Design And Methods: Using real-time PCR assays we typed 20 samples of plasma, provided in a blinded fashion, from the International Reference Laboratory, two plasma samples sent by the "2010 Workshop on Molecular Blood Group Genotyping"; seven samples from D-negative mothers at the 16th week of gestation provided by our Hospital as prospective validation cases, and two plasma samples received from the "1(st) Collaborative study establishing the sensitivity standard for non-invasive prenatal determination of foetal RHD genotype".

Role of prenatal diagnosis and counseling in the management of 735 pregnancies complicated by primary human cytomegalovirus infection: a 20-year experience.

Background: The burden of congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is well recognized. However, screening for maternal infection remains controversial in view of diagnostic challenges, counseling difficulties, and absence of medical treatment.

Objective: To assess the role of prenatal diagnosis and counseling in the management of pregnancy complicated by primary HCMV infection.

Infant sex, obstetric risk factors, and 2-year neurodevelopmental outcome among preterm infants.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of the interaction between fetal sex and obstetric variables on the risk of neurodevelopmental impairment among preterm infants.

Method: A cohort study of 394 male and 360 female surviving infants born at 24 to 33 completed weeks of gestational age. Neurological examination and cognitive assessment of the infants (Bayley Scales of Infant Development) were performed at 2 years corrected age.

The impact of first-trimester serum free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A on the diagnosis of fetal growth restriction and small for gestational age infant.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR) associated with first-trimester maternal serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG).

Methods: A longitudinal study of 2,178 women who underwent first-trimester evaluation of serum PAPP-A and free beta-hCG. FGR was defined as a decrement of the fetal abdominal circumference to below the 10th percentile of our standard growth curve in the presence of Doppler signs of impaired placental perfusion.

Prognostic significance of the interaction between abnormal umbilical and middle cerebral artery Doppler velocimetry in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of the interaction between umbilical artery (UA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) Doppler measurements in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Third-level Perinatology Center in Northern Italy.

The effect of newly diagnosed undifferentiated connective tissue disease on pregnancy outcome.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pregnancy outcome in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD).

Study Design: We conducted a nested case-control study that compared 41 patients who had early UCTD that was diagnosed at 11-14 weeks of pregnancy with 82 healthy control subjects.

Results: During pregnancy, UCTD progressed to a definite connective tissue disease in 2 of 41 patients (4.

Multimod Data Manager: a tool for data fusion.

Nowadays biomedical engineers regularly have to combine data from multiple medical imaging modalities, biomedical measurements and computer simulations and this can demand the knowledge of many specialised software tools. Acquiring this knowledge to the depth necessary to perform the various tasks can require considerable time and thus divert the researcher from addressing the actual biomedical problems. The aim of the present study is to describe a new application called the Multimod Data Manager, distributed as a freeware, which provides the end user with a fully integrated environment for the fusion and manipulation of all biomedical data.

Prognostic value of umbilical artery Doppler studies in unselected preterm deliveries.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of umbilical artery Doppler studies in premature deliveries.

Methods: In this cohort study of 582 singleton pregnancies delivered between 24 and 35 weeks of gestation, we evaluated the ratio of peak-systolic to end-diastolic (S/D) blood flow velocities in the umbilical artery of all the patients. The correlations among the results of the Doppler studies, short-term neonatal complications, and the infants' neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years were studied by univariable and multivariable methods.

The use of non-physiological conditions to isolate fetal cells from maternal blood.

Fetal cells are always present in maternal blood starting in the first trimester of pregnancy, however a rapid, simple, and consistent procedure for their isolation for prenatal non-invasive genetic investigation is still lacking. Sensitivity and recovery of fetal cells is jeopardized by the minute amount of circulating fetal cells and their loss during the enrichment procedure. We report here a single-step approach to isolate fetal cells from maternal blood which relies on the use of non-physiological conditions to modify cell densities before their separation in a density gradient and in a newly developed cell separation device.

Mechanisms underlying the impaired regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase in aged rat liver.

As the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia is one of the most studied age-related metabolic alterations. In the liver, cholesterol homeostasis is strictly regulated through the modulation of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), the key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. With ageing, hepatic HMG-CoA reductase becomes completely activated and cholesterol content increases in the blood.

Fetal growth and infant neurodevelopmental outcome after preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic values of fetal size before birth and fetal growth during the latency period in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PROM).

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 69 singleton pregnancies complicated by prolonged (14 days or more) PROM (24 to 31 weeks of gestation). Measures of fetal size and growth were compared with corresponding expected values from our reference curves.

Interaction between risk factors for fetal growth retardation associated with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler studies.

Background: The role of antenatal risk factors associated with the occurrence of fetal growth restriction complicated by abnormal umbilical artery Doppler studies has not yet been studied extensively. We evaluated the role and the interactions of antenatal antecedents of fetal growth restriction complicated by abnormal umbilical artery end-diastolic velocities.

Methods: We compared antenatal variables in 183 pregnancies complicated by fetal growth retardation and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler studies and 549 appropriately grown fetuses with normal end-diastolic velocity waveform in the umbilical artery.