Assessing Australian women's knowledge and knowledge preferences about long-term health after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a survey study.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) assess women's current knowledge regarding long-term cardiovascular health after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (2) elicit women's preferred educational content and format regarding health after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. DESIGN AND SETTING: A custom-created online survey exploring Australian women's knowledge about long-term health after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, distributed through consumer groups and social media. PARTICIPANTS: 266 women with (n=174) or without (n=92) a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Proportion of women identifying long-term health risks after hypertensive disorder of pregnancy using a 10-point risk knowledge score with 0-4 'low', 4.1-7.0 'moderate' and 7.1-10 'high'. (2) Exploration of preferred content, format and distribution of educational material post hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. RESULTS: Knowledge scores about health after hypertensive disorder of pregnancy were moderate in groups with and without a history of the disorder. Knowledge was highest regarding risk of recurrent hypertensive disorders in a subsequent pregnancy, 'moderate' for chronic hypertension and heart attack, 'moderate' and 'low' regarding risk of heart disease and 'low' for diabetes and renal disease. Only 36% of all participants were aware that risks start within 10 years after the affected pregnancy. The majority of respondents with a history of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (76%) preferred receiving information about long-term health 0-6 months post partum from a healthcare provider (80%), key organisations (60%), social media (47%) and brochures/flyers (43%). CONCLUSIONS: Women's knowledge regarding health risks after hypertensive disorder of pregnancy was 'moderate', although with important disease-specific gaps such as increased risk of diabetes. Most women wanted to be informed about their long-term health from a healthcare provider

Primary retroperitoneal mullerian adenocarcinoma

Mullerian tumors are extremely rare malignancies in the retroperitoneum. We report a case of a 46-year old woman who presented with an eight year history of lower abdominal mass. Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a 15×10 cm cystic mass in the left lower retroperitoneum. As serial percutaneous needle aspiration cytology was negative for malignancy, she was observed for seven years. Eleven months ago, the mass was excised. The histopathology was reported as mucinous adenocarcinoma of the retroperitoneum. Six cycles of intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy was administered during the last six months after diagnosis of recurrence by aspiration cytology and high serum tumor markers (CEA, CA19-9). A few days ago, positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning showed evidence of local recurrence and single vertebral metastasis, so she was admitted again for systemic chemotherapy. Meticulous revision of additional sections of the tumor revealed papillary, serous, mucinous, and endometrioid subtypes of the mullerian adenocarcinoma. To our knowledge, there has been no similar case described in the literature

Clinical utility of chromogranin A and octreotide in large cell neuro endocrine carcinoma of the uterine corpus

Primary neuroendocrine tumors of the female genital tract have been described in the cervix, ovaries and uterus. Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNC) of the uterine corpus is the least common and appears to behave the most aggressively. We report a rare case of a large cell neuroendocrine tumor of the endometrium. These tumors are not well characterized, unlike neuroendocrine tumors of the uterine cervix. Consequently, the optimal management remains still unclear. The treatment of our case consisted of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and octreotide. Despite the aggressive treatment, the patient died of disease progression 12 months after the initial diagnosis. We discuss the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options for LCNC of the genital tract, and potential future therapeutics

A systematic review of biomarkers for disease progression in Parkinson's disease

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Does Tribolium brevicornis Cuticular Chemistry Deter Cannibalism and Predation of Pupae?

The cuticular hydrocarbons of insects are species-specific and often function as semiochemicals. The activity of Tribolium brevicornis cuticular hydrocarbons as feeding deterrents that ostensibly function to prevent pupal cannibalism and predation was evaluated. The cuticular hydrocarbons of T. brevicornis pupae were characterized and flour disk bioassays conducted with individual and combined extract components incorporated into artificial diets on which Tribolium adults fed for six days. Feeding by T. brevicornis and T. castaneum on flour disks containing cuticular extracts of T. brevicornis pupae resulted in reduced consumption and weight loss relative to feeding on control flour disks. In both cases, feeding deterrence indices exceeded 80% suggesting that T. brevicornis cuticular hydrocarbons could function to deter cannibalism and predation of pupae by larvae and adult beetles. Sixteen different cuticular hydrocarbons were identified in T. brevicornis pupal extracts. Eight of the commercially available linear alkanes were tested individually in feeding trials with eight Tribolium species. One compound (C28) significantly reduced the amount of food consumed by three species compared to control disks, whereas the compounds C25, C26, and C27 elicited increased feeding in some species. Four other compounds had no effect on consumption for any species. When four hydrocarbon mixtures were tested for synergistic deterrence on T. brevicornis and T. castaneum, none significantly influenced consumption. Our results indicate that the cuticular chemistry of T. brevicornis pupae could serve to deter predation by conspecific and congeneric beetles