1,721,177 research outputs found
Fertility and mode of conception affect the risk of preterm birth related to both spontaneous and iatrogenic etiologies
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Spontaneous Preterm Birth Phenotyping Based on Cervical Length and Immune-Mediated Factors
Full text linkCervical length (CL) screening by ultrasonographic measurement is an established tool widely
implemented in the clinical protocols of preterm birth (PTB) prediction and prevention. Growing
evidence has shown immune-mediated factors in the etiology of spontaneous PTB (sPTB), with
robust biological plausibility supporting deep interrelationships with progressive cervical shortening.
We explore a retrospective cohort study that examined the sequential measurement of CL and
leucocyte markers in both singleton and twin pregnancies.1
The study’s objective was to identify the
clinical presentations associated with sPTB in relation to variations in these parameters.1
Progressive
CL shortening was associated with higher rates of sPTB in both singletons (4.1% vs 2.7%) and twins
(41.9% vs 18.2%) as compared with cases with stable CL. In addition, in singleton pregnancies,
individuals in the early preterm birth subgroup with a shortened or stable CL had elevated total white
blood cell count, neutrophil count, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, along with a reduced
lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, in comparison with individuals in the full-term birth subgroup.
However, in twins, similar changes were exclusive to those with a shortened cervix. Finally, the study
quantified the association between immune-related indicators and risk of sPTB, incorporating CL. In
singleton pregnancies, an increase in the white blood cell count and neutrophil count was associated
with early sPTB for both stable and shortened CL. Conversely, in twins, there was a significantly
higher white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and monocyte count only in the subgroup with
shortened C
Reply: Methodological concerns on 'Assessment of ovarian reserve after cystectomy versus "one-step" laser vaporization in the treatment of ovarian endometrioma: A small randomized clinical trial'
No full textCesarean Delivery Uptake Trends Associated with Patient Features and Threshold for Labor Anomalies
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Reference ranges of uterine arteries pulsatility index from first to third trimester based on serial Doppler measurements: longitudinal cohort study
Full text linkObjective: To provide gestational age (GA)-specific reference ranges for uterine artery (UtA) mean pulsatility index (PI) based on longitudinal data assessment throughout pregnancy. Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal cohort study of singleton low-risk pregnancies with adequate health and nutritional status at the time of enrollment and without any fetal anomaly, receiving prenatal care from January 2018 to July 2021 at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit of IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan. Women were recruited at ≤ 12+6 weeks' gestation and then underwent serial standardized ultrasound monitoring including UtA-PI measurements, by experienced certified operators until delivery. A modulus exponential normal (MEN) model smoothed with fractional polynomial was implemented to model UtA-PI as a function of GA. Equations for mean (μ) and standard deviation (SD) of the estimated curves were calculated as well as GA-specific reference charts of centiles for UtA-PI from 10+0 to 39+0 gestational weeks. Results: 476 healthy, low-risk pregnant women were included. A total of 2045 ultrasound scans were available for analysis. For all the included women at least 3 measures were recorded (observations per woman: median 4, range 3-9). At the three trimesters, the mean±SD UtA-PI values were equal to 1.84 +/-0.55, 1.07 +/-0.38 and 0.78+/- 0.23 respectively. Goodness of fit assessment revealed that second-degree smoothing was the most accurate fractional polynomial for describing UtA-PI course throughout gestation; therefore, it was modelled in a multilevel framework for the construction of UtA-PI curves. There was a rapid and significant decrease in the mean UtA-PI before 16 weeks, then the slope decreased with smoother decrement and more stable values from 20 up until 39 weeks. The 3rd , 5th , 10th , 25th , 50th , 75th , 90th , 95th and 97th centiles according to GA for UtA-PI are provided, as well as equations to allow calculation of any value as a centile. Conclusions: UtA-PI shows a progressive non-linear decrease throughout pregnancy. The new reference ranges for GA-specific UtA-PI constructed with rigorous methodology may have a better impact than previous models for screening placenta-associated diseases in the early stages of pregnancy and yet also for evaluating patients at later potential risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension and/or small for gestational age fetuses. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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