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The percentage of patients requiring cerclage was 37.5%, 58.8%, 43.3%, and 10% of patients with short cervix first seen at 16-18, 18 1/7-20, 20 1/7-22, and 22 1/7-24 weeks, respectively. OC13.01: Multiple gestation and cervical shortening: serial transvaginal cervical length must begin at 16 weeks Despite progesterone use, progressive shortening triggered cerclage in 30/109 (27.5% of short cervix and 2.3% of all multiples). [Extracted from the article]

Aim: To assess if growth restricted (small for gestational age, SGA) extremely preterm infants have excess neonatal mortality and morbidity. Methods: This was a cohort study of all infants born alive at 22-27 weeks' post menstrual age in Norway during 1999-2000. Outcomes were compared between those who were SGA, defined as a birth weight less than the fifth percentile for post menstrual age, and those who had weights at or above the fifth percentile. Results: Of 365 infants with a post menstrual age of <28 weeks, 31 (8%) were SGA. Among infants with a post menstrual age of <28 weeks, only chronic lung disease was associated with SGA status (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.0 to 7.2). SGA infants with a post menstrual age of 26-27 weeks had excess neonatal mortality (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 11), chronic lung disease and a significantly higher mean number of days (age) before tolerating full enteral nutrition. SGA infants with a post menstrual age of 22-25 weeks had an excess risk of necrotising enterocolitis. Conclusion: Extremely preterm SGA infants had excess neonatal mortality and morbidity in terms of necrotising enterocolitis and chronic lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When X and Y are multivariate, the two-block partial least squares (PLS) method is often used. In this paper, we outline an extension addressing a special case of the three-block (X/Y/Z) problem, where Z sits "under" Y. We have called this approach three-block bi-focal PLS (3B1F-PLS). It views the X/Y relationship as the dominant problem, and seeks to use the additional information in Z in order to improve the interpretation of the Y-part of the X/Y association. Two data sets are used to illustrate 3BIF-PLS. Example 1 relates to single point mutants of haloalkane dehalogenase from Sphingomonas paucimobilis UT26 and their ability to transform halogenated hydrocarbons, some of which are found as organic pollutants in soil. Example II deals with soil remediation capability of bacteria. Whole bacterial communities are monitored over lime using "DNA-fingerprinting" technology to see how pollution affects population composition. Since the data sets are large, hierarchical multivariate modelling is invoked to compress data prior to 3BIF-PLS analysis. It is concluded that the 3BIF-PLS approach works well. The paper contains a discussion of pros and cons of the method, and hints at further developmental opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enoxacin was evaluated in in-vitro tests and in studies of effectiveness and blood concentrations in the mouse. Enoxacin was active against both susceptible and multircsistant hospital isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria gonorrhoea and staphylococci. Less susceptible were streptococci and anaerobes. Of nine quinolones tested, only norfloxacin was equivalent in vitro. The MBCs of enoxacin were one- to two fold greater than the MICs, and enoxacin was rapidly bactericidal. No single-step resistant mutants could be detected at 10mg/l against large inocula and six to 11 steps were required for selection of resistant clones. In systemic mouse infections, enoxacin was effective in a single oral or subcutaneous dose against one strain each of Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsitlla pneumoniae, Providencia rettgeri and Ps. aeruginosa, and two Staphylococcus aureus strains. Single oral and subcutaneous enoxacin doses (50 mg/kg) gave peak mouse blood levels of 4·9 and 9·5 mg/l and an elimination half-life of 1·8 h. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The increased use of nanoparticles (NPs) requires efficient testing of their potential toxic effects. A promising approach is to use reporter cell lines to quickly assess the activation of cellular stress response pathways. This study aimed to use the ToxTracker reporter cell lines to investigate (geno)toxicity of various metal- or metal oxide NPs and draw general conclusions on NP-induced effects, in combination with our previous findings. The NPs tested in this study ( n = 18) also included quantum dots (QDs) in different sizes. The results showed a large variation in cytotoxicity of the NPs tested. Furthermore, whereas many induced oxidative stress only few activated reporters related to DNA damage. NPs of manganese (Mn and Mn 3 O 4 ) induced the most remarkable ToxTracker response with activation of reporters for oxidative stress, DNA damage, protein unfolding and p53-related stress. The QDs (CdTe) were highly toxic showing clearly size-dependent effects and calculations suggest surface area as the most relevant dose metric. Of all NPs investigated in this and previous studies the following induce the DNA damage reporter; CuO, Co, CoO, CdTe QDs, Mn, Mn 3 O 4 , V 2 O 5 , and welding NPs. We suggest that these NPs are of particular concern when considering genotoxicity induced by metal- and metal oxide NPs.

This work focuses on kinetic aspects of stability, mobility, and dissolution of bare Cu, Al and Mn, and SiO2 NPs in synthetic freshwater (FW) with and without the presence of natural organic matter (NOM). This includes elucidation of particle and surface interactions, metal dissolution kinetics, and speciation predictions of released metals in solution. Dihydroxy benzoic acid (DHBA) and humic acid adsorbed rapidly on all metal NPs (<1 min) via multiple surface coordinations, followed in general by rapid agglomeration and concomitant sedimentation for a large fraction of the particles. In contrast, NOM did not induce agglomeration of the SiO2 NPs during the test duration (21 days). DHBA in concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mM was unable to stabilize the metal NPs for time periods longer than 6 h, whereas humic acid, at certain concentrations (20 mg/L) was more efficient (>24 h). The presence of NOM increased the amount of released metals into solution, in particular for Al and Cu, whereas the effect for Mn was minor. At least 10% of the particle mass was dissolved within 24 h and remained in solution for the metal NPs in the presence of NOM. Speciation modeling revealed that released Al and Cu predominantly formed complexes with NOM, whereas less complexation was seen for Mn. The results imply that potentially dispersed NPs of Cu, Al and Mn readily dissolve or sediment close to the source in freshwater of low salinity, whereas SiO2 NPs are more stable and therefore more mobile in solution.