Functional test for fetal brain: The role of KANET test

Defining normal and abnormal fetal neurological function in utero in order to better predict antenatally which fetuses are at risk for adverse neurological outcome has remained a great challenge in perinatal medicine. Fetal behavioral patterns have been considered as indicators of fetal brain development. It has been suggested that the assessment of fetal behavior in different periods of gestation may make possible the distinction between normal and abnormal brain development. Advances in ultrasound technology and particularly the introduction of real time four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography, allowed direct observation of in utero life and offered a new insight for the assessment of fetal behavior. Fetal behavioral movements, the full range of facial expressions and mobility of fetal upper and lower extremities and fingers can be clearly visualized with 4D ultrasound. A new scoring system for the assessment of fetal neurobehavior based on prenatal assessment of the fetus with 4D sonography has been developed based on the same technique that neonatologists assess newborns during the first days of their postnatal life. This overview focuses on the study of fetal behavior and neurological assessment with 4D ultrasound

Vprašalnik za merjenje kakovosti življenja, povezanega z zdravjem

Background: Translations of instruments for measuring quality of life developed in certain, mostly more developed, parts of the world usually do not cover regionally specific aspects of health-related quality of life, even after transcultural validation. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a reliable questionnaire in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin languages suitable for measuring health-related quality of life in adults. Methods: The study was of a cross-sectional type, assessing the reliability and validity of a newly developed questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults residing in western Balkan states (WB-HRQoL). It was conducted on a sample of 489 adults from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, with a mean age of 52.2±14.4 years and a male/female ratio of 195/294 (39.9%/60.1%). Result: The definitive version of the WB-HRQoL scale with 19 items showed very good reliability, with Cronbach's alpha 0.905. The scale was temporally stable, and satisfactory results were obtained for divergent and convergent validity tests. Exploratory factorial analysis brought to the surface four domains of health-related quality of life, namely the physical, psychical, social, and environmental. Conclusion: The WB-HRQoL scale is a reliable and valid generic instrument for measuring HRQoL that takes into account the cultural specifics of the western Balkan region

Authorship: From Credit to Accountability

The Editors' Network of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) provides a dynamic forum for editorial discussions and endorses the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to improve the scientific quality of biomedical journals. Authorship confers credit and important academic rewards. Recently, however, the ICMJE emphasized that authorship also requires responsibility and accountability. These issues are now covered by the new (fourth) criterion for authorship. Authors should agree to be accountable and ensure that questions regarding the accuracy and integrity of the entire work will be appropriately addressed. This review discusses the implications of this paradigm shift on authorship requirements with the aim of increasing awareness on good scientific and editorial practices