Neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely preterm infants in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Aim: This study aimed to provide updated information on gestation-specific neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely to very preterm infants 23-28 weeks' gestation admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Methods: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of infants born between 23 and 28 weeks' gestation and admitted to a network of NICUs between 2007 and 2012 in a well-defined geographic area of New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Primary outcome was moderate to severe neurodevelopmental impairment.

Neonatal Outcomes of Very Preterm or Very Low Birth Weight Triplets.

Objectives: To compare the neonatal outcomes of very preterm triplets with those of matched singletons using a large international cohort.

Methods: A retrospective matched-cohort study of preterm triplets and singletons born between 2007 and 2013 in the International Network for Evaluation of Outcomes in neonates database countries and matched by gestational age, sex, and country of birth was conducted. The primary outcome was a composite of mortality or severe neonatal morbidity (severe neurologic injury, treated retinopathy of prematurity, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia).

Characterization of the chemical components and bioreactivity of fine particulate matter produced during crop-residue burning in China.

Five types of crop residue (rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, and sugarcane) collected from different provinces in China were used to characterize the chemical components and bioreactivity properties of fine particulate matter (PM) emissions during open-burning scenarios. Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were the most abundant components, contributing 41.7%-54.

Hypertriglyceridaemia in extremely preterm infants receiving parenteral lipid emulsions.

Background: Lipid emulsions (LE) are routinely administered as part of parenteral nutrition in neonates. There is a wide variation in clinical practice of plasma triglyceride monitoring during LE therapy. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence of hypertriglyceridaemia (Plasma triglyceride > 2.

Suppression of 12-Hz SSVEPs when viewing familiar faces: An electrophysiological index to detect recognition.

Criminal investigation often involves finding out what a suspect knows about people, such as victims and confederates, who are involved in the crime. This study explored the possibility of determining a person's recognition of other individuals by analyzing the steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) triggered by visual oscillations of familiar and unfamiliar faces. In our study, 23 adult (10 men) participants gave subjective familiarity ratings (in a 7-point Likert scale) of >300 celebrities' and strangers' faces.

A case of type II Mirizzi syndrome treated by simple endoscopic means.

Mirizzi syndrome is an uncommon complication of chronic cholelithiasis. Advancement in radiological modalities and minimally invasive surgery has led to improved pre-operative diagnoses and more laparoscopic cholecystectomies. But for unsuitable surgical candidates, endoscopy can be the definitive treatment.

Protocol for the Lactoferrin Infant Feeding Trial (LIFT): a randomised trial of adding lactoferrin to the feeds of very-low birthweight babies prior to hospital discharge.

Introduction: Very-low birthweight (VLBW, <1500 g) infants comprise about 1%-1.4% of all births in high-income countries. Every year, about 3000 VLBW babies in Australia and New Zealand receive intensive care.

Preterm Infant Outcomes after Randomization to Initial Resuscitation with FiO 0.21 or 1.0.

Objective: To determine rates of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 2 years corrected age (primary outcome) in children <32 weeks' gestation randomized to initial resuscitation with a fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO) value of 0.21 or 1.0.

Genetic lineage tracing of resident stem cells by DeaLT.

Unraveling the fates of resident stem cells during tissue regeneration is an important objective in clinical and basic research. Genetic lineage tracing based on Cre-loxP recombination provides an effective strategy for inferring cell fate and cell conversion in vivo. However, the determination of the exact fates of resident stem cells or their derivatives in disease states and during tissue regeneration remains controversial in many fields of study, partly because of technical limitations associated with Cre-based lineage tracing, such as, for example, off-target labeling.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal that PD-1 mediates immune tolerance by regulating proliferation of regulatory T cells.

Background: We have previously reported an antigen-specific protocol to induce transplant tolerance and linked suppression to human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived tissues in immunocompetent mice through coreceptor and costimulation blockade. However, the exact mechanisms of acquired immune tolerance in this model have remained unclear.

Methods: We utilize the NOD.

Integrated genomic analyses in PDX model reveal a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Palbociclib as a novel candidate drug for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor model has become a new approach in identifying druggable tumor mutations, screening and evaluating personalized cancer drugs based on the mutated targets.

Methods: We established five nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) PDXs in mouse model. Subsequently, whole-exome sequencing (WES) and genomic mutation analyses were performed to search for genetic alterations for new drug targets.

Admission temperature and hospital outcomes in extremely preterm infants.

Aim: To evaluate trends in admission temperature and its effect on mortality and short-term morbidities in extremely preterm infants.

Methods: A regional cohort study of infants born at 23-28 weeks' gestation and admitted to the 10 neonatal intensive care units in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory between 1994 and 2012. Hypothermia was defined as skin temperature <36°C on admission to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Identification of Genes Associated With Hirschsprung Disease, Based on Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis, and Potential Effects on Enteric Nervous System Development.

Background & Aims: Hirschsprung disease, or congenital aganglionosis, is believed to be oligogenic-that is, caused by multiple genetic factors. We performed whole-genome sequence analyses of patients with Hirschsprung disease to identify genetic factors that contribute to disease development and analyzed the functional effects of these variants.

Methods: We performed whole-genome sequence analyses of 443 patients with short-segment disease, recruited from hospitals in China and Vietnam, and 493 ethnically matched individuals without Hirschsprung disease (controls).

Chronic ocular hypertension in rabbits induced by limbal buckling.

Aim: To establish a rabbit model of chronic ocular hypertension (OHT) by limbal buckling.

Methods: Eighteen New Zealand White rabbits were involved and divided into three groups. A latex encircling band of 20, 25 or 35 mm was implanted behind the limbus in the right eye of each animal.

Effectiveness of Family Integrated Care in neonatal intensive care units on infant and parent outcomes: a multicentre, multinational, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: Despite evidence suggesting that parent involvement was beneficial for infant and parent outcomes, the Family Integrated Care (FICare) programme was one of the first pragmatic approaches to enable parents to become primary caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We aimed to analyse the effect of FICare on infant and parent outcomes, safety, and resource use.

Methods: In this multicentre, cluster-randomised controlled trial, we stratified 26 tertiary NICUs from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand by country and size, and assigned them, using a computer-generated random allocation sequence, to provide FICare or standard NICU care.

Asymptotic and exact interval estimators of the common odds ratio under the sequential parallel comparison design.

When studying treatments for psychiatric or mental diseases in a placebo-controlled trial, we may consider use of the sequential parallel comparison design to reduce the number of patients needed through the reduction of the high placebo response rate. Under the assumption that the odds ratio of responses is constant between phases in the sequential parallel comparison design, we derive the conditional maximum likelihood estimator for the odds ratio. On the basis of the conditional likelihood, we further derive three asymptotic interval and an exact interval estimators for the odds ratio of responses.

Exact and asymptotic tests under the sequential parallel comparison design.

When one studies treatments for psychological or mental diseases in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial with a high placebo response rate, the sequential parallel comparison design (SPCD) has been proposed elsewhere to improve power. All procedures for testing equality of treatments under the SPCD have been so far derived from large sample theory. If the trial size is small, asymptotic test procedures can be theoretically invalid.

Association of Sex With Clinical Outcome in Critically Ill Sepsis Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of the Large Clinical Database MIMIC-III.

Introduction: The objective of our study was to explore the association between sex and clinical outcome in sepsis patients in a large, diverse population.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 6,134 adult patients with sepsis from the critical care units of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center between 2001 and 2012. Study data were retrospectively extracted from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III, a multiparameter intensive care database.

A dual genetic tracing system identifies diverse and dynamic origins of cardiac valve mesenchyme.

genomic engineering is instrumental for studying developmental biology and regenerative medicine. Development of novel systems with more site-specific recombinases (SSRs) that complement with the commonly used Cre-loxP would be valuable for more precise lineage tracing and genome editing. Here, we introduce a new SSR system via Nigri-nox.

Neonatal outcomes among twins following assisted reproductive technology: an Australian population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: While their incidence is on the rise, twin pregnancies are associated with risks to the mothers and their babies. This study aims to investigate the likelihood of adverse neonatal outcomes of twins following assisted reproductive technology (ART) compared to non-ART twins.

Methods: A retrospective population study using the Australian National Perinatal Data Collections (NPDC) which included 19,662 twins of ≥20 weeks gestational age or ≥ 400 g birthweight in Australia.

Variations in Oxygen Saturation Targeting, and Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening and Treatment Criteria in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: An International Survey.

Background: Rates of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and ROP treatment vary between neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Neonatal care practices, including oxygen saturation (SpO2) targets and criteria for the screening and treatment of ROP, are potential contributing factors to the variations.

Objectives: To survey variations in SpO2 targets in 2015 (and whether there had been recent changes) and criteria for ROP screening and treatment across the networks of the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates (iNeo).

Regulatory T Cells Promote Apelin-Mediated Sprouting Angiogenesis in Type 2 Diabetes.

The role of CD4 T cells in the ischemic tissues of T2D patients remains unclear. Here, we report that T2D patients' vascular density was negatively correlated with the number of infiltrating CD4 T cells after ischemic injury. Th1 was the predominant subset, and Th1-derived IFN-γ and TNF-α directly impaired human angiogenesis.

Retrospective study found that outpatient care for infants exposed to drugs during pregnancy was sustainable and safe.

Aim: We determined the safety, feasibility and sustainability of an outpatient model of care for infants exposed to intra-uterine drugs.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of 774 drug-exposed infants born between 1998 and 2016 at the Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney, Australia.

Results: Most (86%) of the mothers used multiple drugs, including opioids (58%).