Major haemorrhagic complications during oral anticoagulant therapy in a Danish population-based cohort

OBJECTIVE: To identify whether obstetric and perinatal factors are independent predictors of child behaviour at 5 years. METHODOLOGY: The Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) is a prospective cohort study of 8556 mothers enrolled in early pregnancy. The relationship of obstetric and perinatal factors, maternal lifestyle, age and gender of the child, and social disadvantage were examined as predictors of child behaviour in 5005 children completing a modified child behaviour checklist at 5 years. This checklist contained three independent groups of behaviour: externalizng, internalizing and SAT (social, attentional and thought problems). RESULTS: In the initial analysis a limited number of associations were present. After adjusting for measures of social disadvantage, only number of antenatal admissions was associated with child behaviour in all three scales, while maternal cigarette smoking in pregnancy and male gender were associated with externalising and SAT behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Most common epidemiologic obstetric and perinatal risk factors were not independent predictors of behaviour problems in children at 5 years.     

Prostaglandin E2 for cervical ripening: a randomized comparison of Cervidil versus Prepidil

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the efficacy and safety of two standardized preparations of prostaglandin E2, Prepidil and Cervidil, for ripening of the cervix and initiation of labor. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective randomized study. Subjects in whom induction of labor was indicated were randomly assigned to receive either Prepidil (n = 36), an intracervical prostaglandin E2 gel, or Cervidil (n = 37), a controlled-release hydrogel pessary, as a cervical ripening agent. Inclusion criteria included (1) a Bishop score of < or = 7, (2) a cervix < 4 cm dilated, and (3) < or = 2 cm of cervical dilatation if effacement was > 70%. Each agent was administered according to the manufacturer's recommendations. RESULTS: There was no difference in Bishop scores between the two groups at the completion of the ripening process. The following mean times were shorter for the pessary group than for the gel group: (1) insertion of the ripening agent to vaginal delivery (20.6 vs 26.4 hours, p = 0.017), (2) time to achieve cervical ripening (11.1 vs 15.2 hours, p < 0.001), (3) time to achieve active labor (18.3 vs 25.5 hours, p = 0.019), and (4) hospital stay (3.7 vs 4.4 days, p = 0.03). Labor was initiated without the use of oxytocin in 24% of patients in the pessary group versus 3% of those in the gel group (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Both prostaglandin E2 agents are effective in achieving cervical ripening; however, the controlled-release pessary achieves ripening over a shorter time period. Furthermore, because time to achieve vaginal delivery and length of stay are shorter, the use of oxytocin is less frequent, and there is no increase in complications, the overall cost is expected to be less with the use of Cervidil as compared with Prepidil.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae

A right lung cancer case is presented, aged 65 years, obese, submitted to a right lung resection. Stress is laid on the difficult evolution concerning the haemodynamics and particularly the breathing owing to the association of risk factors.     

Carotenoid composition and vitamin A value of Brazilian loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)

Six sample lots of loquat commercialized in Campinas, Brazil were analyzed for their carotenoid composition beta-carotene (7.8 micrograms/g), zeta-carotene (0.1 micrograms/g), neurosporene (1.1 micrograms/g), beta-cryptoxanthin (4.8 micrograms/g), 5,6-monoepoxy-beta-cryptoxanthin (0.6 micrograms/g), violaxanthin (1.6 micrograms/g), (0.8 micrograms/g) and auroxanthin (0.9 micrograms/g) were identified beta-Carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin were the principal pigments, being responsible for 44% and 27%, respectively, of the total carotenoid content (17.6 micrograms/g). Both were also the principal contributors to the vitamin A value of 175 RE/100g. The carotenoid composition of the Brazilian loquat resembles that of the Japanese loquat variety Tanaka.