Birth weight and early lung compliance as predictors of short-term outcome in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome

No Abstract

Erratum to: Study protocol: differential effects of diet and physical activity based interventions in pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes: individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis and health economic evaluation.

Erratum to: Study protocol: differential effects of diet and physical activity based interventions in pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes: individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis and health economic evaluatio

A model for the compressible, viscoelastic behavior of human amnion addressing tissue variability through a single parameter

A viscoelastic, compressible model is proposed to rationalize the recently reported response of human amnion in multiaxial relaxation and creep experiments. The theory includes two viscoelastic contributions responsible for the short- and long-term time- dependent response of the material. These two contributions can be related to physical processes: water flow through the tissue and dissipative characteristics of the collagen fibers, respectively. An accurate agreement of the model with the mean tension and kinematic response of amnion in uniaxial relaxation tests was achieved. By variation of a single linear factor that accounts for the variability among tissue samples, the model provides very sound predictions not only of the uniaxial relaxation but also of the uniaxial creep and strip-biaxial relaxation behavior of individual samples. This suggests that a wide range of viscoelastic behaviors due to patient-specific variations in tissue composition

Congenital tumors and nonimmune hydrops fetalis

Peer Reviewe

Is adenomyosis the neglected phenotype of an endomyometrial dysfunction syndrome?

Since the dissociation between adenomyoma and endometriosis in the 1920s and the laparoscopic progress in the diagnosis and surgery of endometriosis, the literature has been greatly focused on the disease endometriosis. The study of adenomyosis, on the other hand, has been neglected as the diagnosis remained based on hysterectomy specimens. However, since the introduction of magnetic resonance and sonographic imaging techniques in the 1980s, the myometrial junctional zone has been identified as a third uterine zone and interest in adenomyosis was renewed. This has also been the start for the interest in the role of the myometrial junctional zone dysfunction and adenomyosis in reproductive and obstetrical disorders

Regional perinatal mortality differences in the Netherlands; care is the question

Background. Perinatal mortality is an important indicator of health. European comparisons of perinatal mortality show an unfavourable position for the Netherlands. Our objective was to study regional variation in perinatal mortality within the Netherlands and to identify possible explanatory factors for the found differences. Methods. Our study population comprised of all singleton births (904,003) derived from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry for the period 2000-2004. Perinatal mortality including stillbirth from 22+0weeks gestation and early neonatal death (0-6 days) was our main outcome measure. Differences in perinatal mortality were calculated between 4 distinct geographical regions North-East-South-West. We tried to explain regional differences by adjustment for the demographic factors maternal age, parity and ethnicity and by socio-economic status and urbanisation degree using logistic modelling. In addition, regional differences in mode of delivery and risk selection were analysed as health care factors. Finally, perinatal mortality was analysed among five distinct clinical risk groups based on the mediating risk factors gestational age and congenital anomalies. Results. Overall perinatal mortality was 10.1 per 1,000 total births over the period 2000-2004. Perinatal mortality was elevated in the northern region (11.2 per 1,000 total births). Perinatal mortality in the eastern, western and southern region was 10.2, 10.1 and 9.6 per 1,000 total births respectively. Adjustment for demographic factors increased the perinatal mortality risk in the northern region (odds ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.28, compared to reference western region), subsequent adjustment for socio-economic status and urbanisation explained a small part of the elevated risk (odds ratio 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.20). Risk group analysis showed that regional differences were absent among very preterm births (22+0- 25+6weeks gestation) and most prominent among births from 32+0gestation weeks onwards and among children with severe congenital anomalies. Among term births (37+0weeks) regional mortality differences were largest for births in women transferred from low to high risk during delivery. Conclusion. Regional differences in perinatal mortality exist in the Netherlands. These differences could not be explained by demographic or socio-economic factors, however clinical risk group analysis showed indications for a role of health care factors

Optimal infinite-horizon feedback laws for a general class of constrained discrete-time systems: Stability and moving-horizon approximations

Stability results are given for a class of feedback systems arising from the regulation of time-varying discrete-time systems using optimal infinite-horizon and moving-horizon feedback laws. The class is characterized by joint constraints on the state and the control, a general nonlinear cost function and nonlinear equations of motion possessing two special properties. It is shown that weak conditions on the cost function and the constraints are sufficient to guarantee uniform asymptotic stability of both the optimal infinite-horizon and moving-horizon feedback systems. The infinite-horizon cost associated with the moving-horizon feedback law approaches the optimal infinite-horizon cost as the moving horizon is extended.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45231/1/10957_2004_Article_BF00938540.pd