Stillbirth and fetal anomalies: secondary analysis of a case-control study

OBJECTIVE

Approximately 10% of stillbirths are attributed to fetal anomalies, but anomalies are also common in live births. We aimed to assess the relationship between anomalies, by system and stillbirth.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a prospective, case-control study.

SETTING

Multicentre, 59 hospitals in five regional catchment areas in the USA.

POPULATION OR SAMPLE

All stillbirths and representative live birth controls.

METHODS

Standardised postmortem examinations performed in stillbirths, medical record abstraction for stillbirths and live births.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence of major anomalies, by type, compared between stillbirths and live births with univariable and multivariable analyses using weighted analysis to account for study design and differential consent.

RESULTS

Of 465 singleton stillbirths included, 23.4% had one or more major anomalies compared with 4.3% of 1871 live births. Having an anomaly increased the odds of stillbirth; an increasing number of anomalies was more highly associated with stillbirth. Regardless of organ system affected, the presence of an anomaly increased the odds of stillbirth. These relationships remained significant if stillbirths with known genetic abnormalities were excluded. After multivariable analyses, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of stillbirth for any anomaly was 4.33 (95% CI 2.80-6.70) and the systems most strongly associated with stillbirth were cystic hygroma (aOR 29.97, 95% CI 5.85-153.57), and thoracic (aOR16.18, 95% CI 4.30-60.94) and craniofacial (aOR 35.25, 95% CI 9.22-134.68) systems.

CONCLUSIONS

In pregnancies affected by anomalies, the odds of stillbirth are higher with increasing numbers of anomalies. Anomalies of nearly any organ system increased the odds of stillbirth even when adjusting for gestational age and maternal race.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Stillbirth risk increases with anomalies of nearly any organ system and with number of anomalies seen.

Electropermeabilization of nematode eggs for parasite deactivation

The eggs of parasitic helminth worms are incredibly resilient - possessing the ability to survive changing environmental factors and exposure to chemical treatments - which has restricted the efficacy of wastewater sanitation. This research reports on the effectiveness of electroporation to permeabilize ova of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a helminth surrogate, for parasite deactivation. This technique utilizes electric pulses to increase cell membrane permeability in its conventional application, but herein is used to open pores in nonparasitic nematode eggshells - the first report of such an application to the best knowledge of the authors. A parametric evaluation of electric field strength and total electroporation duration of eggs and worms in phosphate-buffered saline was performed using a 1 Hz pulse train of 0.01% duty cycle. The extent of pore formation was determined using a fluorescent label, propidium iodide, targeting C. elegans embryonic DNA. The results of this research demonstrate that electroporation increases eggshell permeability. This treatment, coupled with existing methods of electrochemical disinfection, could improve upon current attempts at the deactivation of helminth eggs. We discuss electroporation treatment conditions and likely modification of the lipid-rich permeability barrier within the eggshell strata.

Improved blackwater disinfection using potentiodynamic methods with oxidized boron-doped diamond electrodes

Electrochemical disinfection (ECD) has become an important blackwater disinfection technology. ECD is a promising solution for the 2 billion people without access to conventional sanitation practices and in areas deficient in basic utilities (e.g., sewers, electricity, waste treatment). Here, we report on the disinfection of blackwater using potential cycling compared to potentiostatic treatment methods in chloride-containing and chloride-free solutions of blackwater (i.e., untreated wastewater containing feces, urine, and flushwater from a toilet). Potentiodynamic treatment is demonstrated to improve disinfection energy efficiency of blackwater by 24% and 124% compared to static oxidation and reduction methods, respectively. The result is shown to be caused by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOP) and regeneration of sp²-surface-bonded carbon functional groups that serve the dual purpose of catalysts and adsorption sites of oxidant intermediates. Following 24 h electrolysis in blackwater, electrode fouling is shown to be minimized by the potential cycling method when compared to equivalent potentiostatic methods. The potential cycling current density is 40% higher than both the static oxidative and reductive methods. This work enhances the understanding of oxygen reduction catalysts using functionalized carbon materials and electrochemical disinfection anodes, both of which have the potential to bring a cost-effective, energy efficient, and practical solution to the problem of disinfecting blackwater.

Ion Beam Damage of Polymer Surfaces: Insights from Molecular-Dynamics Simulation

Molecular-dynamics simulations are used to model the bombardment of crystalline polyethylene by carbon and rare-gas atoms with kinetic energies between 20 eV and 80 eV. The simulations predict substantial near-surface damage, including radical formation via loss of hydrogen from the chains, insertion of carbon into the polymer backbone, and chain crosslinking. For the rare gas atoms, the observed chemical dynamics are dependent on the mass of bombarding species, with the ratio of broken carbon-hydrogen to carbon-carbon bonds decreasing with increasing mass. The total number of bonds broken, however, is a linear function of kinetic energy with the lighter species having a higher slope and lower threshold energy for inducing damage.

An Important Failure Mechanism in MOCVD (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin Films: Resistance Degradation

We have investigated the intrinsic resistance degradation behavior of fiber-textured MOCVD (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films appropriate for use in advanced DRAMs and integrated decoupling capacitors, as a function of applied voltage polarity, thickness, temperature, and dc bias/field. The results suggest that there is a significant stoichiometry effect on the measured resistance degradation lifetimes. The measured degradation lifetime increases as the Ti content is increased from 51.0 to 52.0 at%Ti, and then decreases with higher at%Ti. Predicted resistance degradation lifetimes obtained from both temperature and voltage extrapolations to DRAM operating conditions of 85°C and 1.6 V exceed the current benchmark of 10 years for all of the films studied.

Bupropion for weight loss: an investigation of efficacy and tolerability in overweight and obese women

OBJECTIVE

On the basis of the clinical observations that bupropion facilitated weight loss, we investigated the efficacy and tolerability of this drug in overweight and obese adult women.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

A total of 50 overweight and obese (body mass index: 28.0 to 52.6 kg/m(2)) women were included. The core component of the study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison for 8 weeks. Bupropion or placebo was started at 100 mg/d with gradual dose increase to a maximum of 200 mg twice daily. All subjects were prescribed a 1600 kcal/d balanced diet and compliance was monitored with food diaries. Responders continued the same treatment in a double-blind manner for an additional 16 weeks to a total of 24 weeks. There was additional single-blind follow-up treatment for a total of 2 years.

RESULTS

Subjects receiving bupropion achieved greater mean weight loss (last-observation-carried-forward analysis) over the first 8 weeks of the study (p = 0.0001): 4.9% +/- 3.4% (n = 25) for bupropion treatment compared with 1.3% +/- 2.4% (n = 25) for placebo treatment. For those who completed the 8 weeks, the comparison was 6.2% +/- 3.1% (n = 18) vs. 1.6% +/- 2.9% (n = 13), respectively(p = 0.0002), with 12 of 18 of the bupropion subjects (67%) losing over 5% of baseline body weight compared with 2 of 13 in the placebo group (15%; p = 0.0094). In the continuation phase, 14 bupropion responders who completed 24 weeks achieved weight loss of 12.9% +/- 5.6% with fat accounting for 73.5% +/- 3.7% of the weight lost and no change in bone mineral density as assessed by DXA. Bupropion was generally well-tolerated in this sample.

DISCUSSION

Bupropion was more effective than placebo in achieving weight loss at 8 weeks in overweight and obese adult women in this preliminary study. Initial responders to bupropion benefited further in the continuation phase.

A diagnostic for Cox regression with discrete failure-time models

Changes in maximum likelihood parameter estimates due to deletion of individual observations are useful statistics, both for regression diagnostics and for computing robust estimates of covariance. For many likelihoods, including those in the exponential family, these delete-one statistics can be approximated analytically from a one-step Newton-Raphson iteration on the full maximum likelihood solution. But for general conditional likelihoods and the related Cox partial likelihood, the one-step method does not reduce to an analytic solution. For these likelihoods, an alternative analytic approximation that relies on an appropriately augmented design matrix has been proposed. In this paper, we extend the augmentation approach to explicitly deal with discrete failure-time models. In these models, an individual subject may contribute information at several time points, thereby appearing in multiple risk sets before eventually experiencing a failure or being censored. Our extension also allows the covariates to be time dependent. The new augmentation requires no additional computational resources while improving results.

Clinical decision-making processes in perioperative nursing

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to reveal the processes of clinical decision making by expert perioperative nurses. Six nurses with a minimum of five years experience who considered themselves to be experts in OR nursing were asked to describe perioperative situations in which they had made a difference in patient outcomes. In every situation described, an intricate pattern of concern was present and associated with further assessments. The pattern was labeled Seeing the big picture: Engendered through caring. This study provides initial documentation to support how RNs make critical contributions to the quality of perioperative patient care.

A comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening program for medically underserved women in Connecticut

A comprehensive breast and cervical cancer early detection program supported by federal and state funds and administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, is actively recruiting and screening older, uninsured, low income women at contracted health-care facilities throughout the state. The program provides diagnostic testing, treatment referral, outreach, and educational activities. During the first 27 months of the program, 5,509 women were enrolled and screened. Women were recruited primarily through media sources and physician/nurse referrals. The majority of women served were non-Hispanic white, between ages 40 to 59, with annual incomes of less than $10,000, and a high school education or less. Some 62% of enrolled women either never had a mammogram or did not have a repeat mammogram within the time-frames recommended by ACS. Recruitment efforts continue to enroll medically underserved women for breast and cervical cancer screening services. Future efforts will focus on rescreening in order to achieve the program's overall mission of detecting breast and cervical cancers at earlier stages.

Higher ploidy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae supports enhanced hepatitis B virus S cloned gene expression at the pilot scale

The effect of host strain ploidy on the production of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was evaluated at the pilot scale (75 L). We found that the accumulation of HBsAg normalized to cell protein was 2-fold higher for the diploid strain compared to its isogenic haploid. No detectable differences in many fermentation parameters were observed (e.g., rate of fermentation, growth rate, final cell yield). However, the enhancement of productivity in the diploid strain appeared to be associated with a slower rate of plasmid shedding (2 microns element) and, thus, a higher average copy number (2-fold at stationary phase) compared to those of the haploid strain.

A mammogram coupon program: a collaborative effort to provide mammograms to uninsured women in Connecticut

A collaborative effort to provide free screening mammograms to uninsured women throughout Connecticut using monies raised by the Connecticut RACE FOR THE CURE was launched during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 1994. The program involved 55 American College of Radiology (ACR) accredited mammography facilities and 48 social service agencies. Eligibility criteria stipulated that participants be age 40 or older, be asymptomatic, have no health insurance, and have not had a mammogram within the last year. A total of 531 women received screening mammograms with four breast cancers diagnosed. The typical woman who was screened was white, between age 40 and 59, had a low income, a high school education or less, and no health insurance. Most had had a mammogram at some point in her life, but had not had one in the last two years. It was found that recruiting eligible women was more difficult than initially estimated. Many of the participating social service agencies served clients already on assistance, and, therefore, had mammogram coverage. Mass media, in particular television, proved to be a powerful recruiting tool which reached primarily "working poor" women. Future efforts should allow for a lengthier planning time to recruit hard-to-reach women and anticipate the need for case management to ensure follow-up of abnormal findings.

Recent advances in the large scale fermentation of Neisseria meningitidis group B for the production of an outer membrane protein complex

The Outer Membrane Protein Complex (OMPC) of the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group B has been used successfully as a protein carrier in a Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) polysaccharide conjugate vaccine and a Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pn) polysaccharide conjugate vaccine to elicit antipolysaccharide immune responses in young infants. The OMPC carrier is derived by detergent extraction of whole cells and, thus, the consistent generation of suitable biomass is central to an effective production process. Therefore, we have developed a large-scale, high-cell density (5 g/L dry cell weight) fermentation process for the cultivation of N. meningitidis B11. Since current requirements for the production of human biologics mandate strict control of all aspects of the manufacturing process, several key features of the process, including a chemically defined medium and a rational event-based harvest criterion, support current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and increased productivity.

Intra-oral remote control. An access device for the severely disabled

A tongue-operated intra-oral remote controller of external equipment is described. It is built within the vault of an acrylic palatal plate and is intended for use by severely disabled people. It could also serve to supplement other means of control in those with lesser degrees of disability. Essentially it consists of a tongue-operated switch which completes a resonant circuit. This in turn couples electromagnetically with a coil, worn around the neck, and thence through interfacing circuitry to the external equipment. Thus the switching is remote, no leads emerge from the mouth and no batteries are required.

A randomized controlled trial of a reduced daily dose of zidovudine in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The AIDS Clinical Trials Group

BACKGROUND

The initially tested dose of zidovudine for the treatment of patients with advanced disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) was 1500 mg. Although this dose is effective, it is associated with substantial toxicity.

METHODS

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a reduced dose, we conducted a randomized controlled trial in 524 subjects who had had a first episode of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The subjects were assigned to receive zidovudine in either a dose of 250 mg taken orally every four hours (the standard-treatment group, n = 262) or a dose of 200 mg taken orally every four hours for four weeks and thereafter 100 mg taken every four hours (the low-dose group, n = 262).

RESULTS

The median length of follow-up was 25.6 months. At 18 months the estimated survival rates were 52 percent for the standard-treatment group and 63 percent for the low-dose group (P = 0.012 by the log-rank test). At 24 months the estimated survival rates were 27 percent for the standard-treatment group and 34 percent for the low-dose group (P = 0.033). In both groups, 82 percent of the subjects had another opportunistic infection, and the length of time to that infection was similar in the two groups (P = 0.56 by the log-rank test). CD4 T-lymphocyte counts improved transiently in both groups, and serum levels of HIV antigen decreased in the subjects with antigenemia. The hemoglobin level declined to less than 5 mmol per liter (80 g per liter) in 101 subjects in the standard-treatment group and in 77 in the low-dose group (39 vs. 29 percent, P = 0.0009 by the log-rank test). The neutrophil count declined to less than 0.750 x 10(9) per liter in 134 subjects in the standard-treatment group and in 96 in the low-dose group (51 vs. 37 percent, P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The reduced daily dose of zidovudine used in this study was at least as effective as the standard dose and was less toxic; however, with the use of a four-week induction period with a high dose followed by low-dose treatment, severe anemia and neutropenia were common complications of treatment with zidovudine.

The effect of diabetes mellitus on prognosis and serial left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction: contribution of both coronary disease and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction to the adverse prognosis. The MILIS Study Group

Patients with diabetes mellitus experience a more adverse outcome after acute myocardial infarction compared with nondiabetic patients, although the mechanisms responsible for these findings are not clear. From the Multicenter Investigation of the Limitation of Infarct Size (MILIS) study, the course of acute infarction in 85 diabetic patients was compared with that in 415 nondiabetic patients, all of whom had serial assessments of left ventricular function. The diabetic patients experienced a more complicated in-hospital and postdischarge course than did the nondiabetic patients, including a higher incidence of postinfarction angina, infarct extension, heart failure and death, despite the development of a smaller infarct size and similar levels of left ventricular ejection fraction. Although diabetic patients had a worse profile of cardiovascular risk factors at the time of the index infarction, the increased incidence of adverse outcomes among them persisted despite adjustment for these baseline imbalances. Diabetic women had a poor baseline risk profile compared with the other groups categorized by gender and diabetic status, and experienced an almost twofold increase in cardiac mortality despite development of the smallest infarct size during the index event. The duration of diabetes and the use of insulin at the time of the index infarction were associated with a better in-hospital mortality rate, but the duration of diabetes did not exert a major influence on the outcome of the diabetic patients. The factors responsible for the increased incidence of adverse outcomes among diabetic patients may be related to an acceleration of the atherosclerotic process, diastolic left ventricular dysfunction associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy or other unidentified unfavorable processes.

Ventricular septal and free wall rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction: experience in the Multicenter Investigation of Limitation of Infarct Size

Left ventricular rupture was studied in 849 patients enrolled in the Multicenter Investigation of Limitation of Infarct Size. Although documented rupture occurred in only 14 cases (1.7%), it accounted for 14% of in-hospital mortality. Seven of the 14 ruptures occurred within 2 days and 10 within 4 days of the MB-creatine kinase-determined onset of infarction. Three easily determined baseline characteristics defined a set of patients with a markedly increased risk of myocardial rupture. Rupture was 9.2 times more likely to occur in patients with all of the following characteristics than in the remaining patients: (1) no history of previous angina or myocardial infarction, (2) ST segment elevation or signs of Q wave development on the initial ECG, and (3) peak MB-creatine kinase value (greater than or equal to 150 IU/L). The risk of myocardial rupture with these three characteristics was 5.5%. Although these predictors are likely to be of little therapeutic value for free wall rupture, since most patients with that complication die within minutes of its onset, they may aid in alerting physicians to the early diagnosis and timely surgical correction of ventricular septal rupture.

Myocardial infarct extension: occurrence, outcome, and risk factors in the Multicenter Investigation of Limitation of Infarct Size

The occurrence, outcome, and predictors of myocardial infarct extension were determined in 848 patients with acute myocardial infarction. An increase in the level of plasma MB creatine kinase activity was used to detect extension, which occurred in 71 of 848 patients (8.4%). For these patients, hospital mortality was more than four times higher than for those without extension (30% versus 7%, P less than 0.01). However, for patients surviving the initial hospitalization, there was no significant difference in mortality during the following year (12% compared with 9%). Multivariable analyses indicated that extension was more likely to occur in patients with recurrent ischemic pain during the second hospital day, a history of previous myocardial infarction, and ST segment depression on the admission electrocardiogram. The occurrence of extension in patients with two of these risk factors was more than twice that of patients without any of the risk factors (15.1% compared with 5.8%). Patients with these risk factors should be considered for early coronary angiography and possible intervention to prevent infarct extension and its sequellae.

Comparison of enzymatic and anatomic estimates of myocardial infarct size in man

Enzymatic estimates of myocardial infarct size based on plasma levels of MB creatine kinase (MB-CK) were compared with anatomic infarct size in 49 human hearts obtained at autopsy. The patients studied had been enrolled in the Multicenter Investigation of Limitation of Infarct Size (MILIS) study program within 18 hr of the onset of acute infarction and were treated at one of five participating hospitals. Infarct size was estimated from serial measurements of plasma MB-CK made at the core laboratory for CK analysis. Hearts obtained at autopsy were studied independently by the core pathology laboratory without knowledge of the MB-CK levels or clinical results. Data from the two laboratories were compared at the data coordinating center. Of 49 hearts, 12 were excluded either because anatomic infarct size could not be established or because the infarct occurring at the time of enrollment in the MILIS study could not be distinguished with certainty from other infarcts. Of the remaining 37 hearts, peak MB-CK level was available in 36, but samples sufficient for estimation of infarct size were available in only 25. The overall correlation coefficient (Spearman) was .87 for these 25 hearts, indicating that enzymatic estimates of infarct size correlate closely with anatomic measurements. The results indicate that CK estimates of myocardial infarct size represent a valid clinical end point for assessing myocardial infarct size, and the effect of therapy thereon, in groups of treated and control patients.