Risk of latent and active tuberculosis infection in travellers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Achieving tuberculosis (TB) elimination in low TB incidence countries requires identification and treatment of individuals at risk for latent TB infection (LTBI). Persons travelling to high TB incidence countries are potentially at risk for TB exposure. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimates incident LTBI and active TB among individuals travelling from low to higher TB incidence countries.

Severe maternal morbidity surveillance: Monitoring pregnant women at high risk for prolonged hospitalisation and death.

Background: There is no international consensus on the definition and components of severe maternal morbidity (SMM).

Objectives: To propose a comprehensive definition of SMM, to create an empirically justified list of SMM types and subtypes, and to use this to examine SMM in Canada.

Methods: Severe maternal morbidity was defined as a set of heterogeneous maternal conditions known to be associated with severe illness and with prolonged hospitalisation or high case fatality.

Severe Maternal Morbidity in Canada: Temporal Trends and Regional Variations, 2003-2016.

Objective: This study sought to quantify temporal trends and provincial and territorial variations in severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in Canada.

Methods: The study used data on all hospital deliveries in Canada (excluding Québec) from 2003 to 2016 to examine temporal trends and from 2012 to 2016 to study regional variations. SMM was identified using diagnosis and intervention codes.

Prevalence of Severe Maternal Morbidity and Factors Associated With Maternal Mortality in Ontario, Canada.

Importance: Severe maternal morbidity is defined by potentially life-threatening conditions. The association between the number of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) indicators and maternal death is not known.

Objective: To quantify the association between the number of SMM indicators and maternal mortality.

An International Comparison of Death Classification at 22 to 25 Weeks' Gestational Age.

Objectives: To explore international differences in the classification of births at extremely low gestation and the subsequent impact on the calculation of survival rates.

Methods: We used national data on births at 22 to 25 weeks' gestation from the United States (2014; = 11 144), Canada (2009-2014; = 5668), the United Kingdom (2014-2015; = 2992), Norway (2010-2014; = 409), Finland (2010-2015; = 348), Sweden (2011-2014; = 489), and Japan (2014-2015; = 2288) to compare neonatal survival rates using different denominators: all births, births alive at the onset of labor, live births, live births surviving to 1 hour, and live births surviving to 24 hours.

Results: For births at 22 weeks' gestation, neonatal survival rates for which we used live births as the denominator varied from 3.

International variations in the gestational age distribution of births: an ecological study in 34 high-income countries.

Background: Few studies have investigated international variations in the gestational age (GA) distribution of births. While preterm births (22-36 weeks GA) and early term births (37-38 weeks) are at greater risk of adverse health outcomes compared to full term births (39-40 weeks), it is not known if countries with high preterm birth rates also have high early term birth rates. We examined rate associations between preterm and early term births and mean term GA by mode of delivery onset.

Temporal Trends in Late Preterm and Early Term Birth Rates in 6 High-Income Countries in North America and Europe and Association With Clinician-Initiated Obstetric Interventions.

Importance: Clinicians have been urged to delay the use of obstetric interventions (eg, labor induction, cesarean delivery) until 39 weeks or later in the absence of maternal or fetal indications for intervention.

Objective: To describe recent trends in late preterm and early term birth rates in 6 high-income countries and assess association with use of clinician-initiated obstetric interventions.

Design: Retrospective analysis of singleton live births from 2006 to the latest available year (ranging from 2010 to 2015) in Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States.

Differences in perinatal and infant mortality in high-income countries: artifacts of birth registration or evidence of true differences?

Background: Variation in birth registration criteria may compromise international comparisons of fetal and infant mortality. We examined the effect of birth registration practices on fetal and infant mortality rates to determine whether observed differences in perinatal and infant mortality rates were artifacts of birth registration or reflected true differences in health status.

Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study was done using data from Canada, United States, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden from 1995-2005.

Pre-conception Folic Acid and Multivitamin Supplementation for the Primary and Secondary Prevention of Neural Tube Defects and Other Folic Acid-Sensitive Congenital Anomalies.

Objective: To provide updated information on the pre- and post-conception use of oral folic acid with or without a multivitamin/micronutrient supplement for the prevention of neural tube defects and other congenital anomalies. This will help physicians, midwives, nurses, and other health care workers to assist in the education of women about the proper use and dosage of folic acid/multivitamin supplementation before and during pregnancy.

Evidence: Published literature was retrieved through searches of PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library in January 2011 using appropriate controlled vocabulary and key words (e.

Involvement of NOS3 in RA-Induced neural differentiation of human NT2/D1 cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in neurogenesis as a regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation. NO is synthesized from the amino acid L-arginine by nitric oxide synthases (NOS1, NOS2, and NOS3), which are encoded by separate genes and display different tissue distributions. We used an in vitro model of RA-induced neural differentiation of NT2 cells to examine which of the three NO-synthesizing enzymes is involved in this process.

Epigenetic modifications of SOX2 enhancers, SRR1 and SRR2, correlate with in vitro neural differentiation.

SOX2 is a key neurodevelopmental gene involved in maintaining the pluripotency of stem cells and proliferation of neural progenitors and astroglia. Two evolutionally conserved enhancers, SRR1 and SRR2, are involved in controlling SOX2 expression during neurodevelopment; however, the molecular mechanisms regulating their activity are not known. We have examined DNA methylation and histone H3 acetylation at both enhancers in NT2-D1 progenitors, neurons and astrocytes, to establish the role of epigenetic mechanisms in cell-type-specific SOX2 expression.

Sequential DNA methylation of the Nanog and Oct-4 upstream regions in human NT2 cells during neuronal differentiation.

Human NT2 cells, which differentiate into neurons and astrocytes, initially express and then permanently down-regulate Nanog and Oct-4 (POU5F1). We investigated the relationship between the expression of these genes and the methylation state of their 5'-flanking regions. Gene expression and DNA methylation were assayed with quantitative polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite genomic sequencing, respectively.

Molecular characterization of a 2.7-kb, 12q13-specific, retroviral-related sequence isolated by RDA from monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia.

This report deals with the molecular characterization of a representational difference analysis (RDA)-derived sequence (SZRV-2, GenBank accession No. AF135486; Genome Database accession Nos. 7692183 and 7501402) from three monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia (MZD).

Molecular genetic studies of human chromosome 7 in Russell-Silver syndrome.

Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS) is a form of congenital short stature characterized by severe growth retardation and variable dysmorphic features. In some RSS individuals, alterations in imprinted genes may be involved because approximately 7% of sporadic patients have been observed to have maternal uniparental disomy (mUPD) of chromosome 7. RSS patients with structural abnormalities of chromosome 7 have also been described.