Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants – What do we know? Part 3: Discussion and Conclusion

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that prematurity and adjunctive neonatal care is 'a priori' a risk for disturbances of palatal and orofacial development which increases the need for later orthodontic or orthognathic treatment. As results on late consequences of prematurity are consistently contradictory, the necessity exists for a fundamental analysis of existing methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants. METHOD: A search of the literature was conducted based on Cochrane search strategies including sources in English, German, and French. Original data were recalculated from studies which primarily dealt with both preterm and term infants. The extracted data, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered in tables for comparison (Parts 1 and 2). RESULTS: Morphology assessment of the infant palate is subject to non-standardized visual and metrical measurements. Most methodologies are inadequate for measuring a three-dimensional shape. Several confounding factors were identified as causes contributing to disturbances of palatal and orofacial development. CONCLUSION: Taking into account the abovementioned shortcomings, the following conclusions may be drawn for practitioners and prospective investigators of clinical studies. 1) The lack of uniformity in the anatomical nomenclature of the infant's palate underlines the need for a uniform definition. 2) Metrically, non-intubated preterm infants do not exhibit different palatal width or height compared to matched term infants up to the corrected age of three months. Beyond that age, no data on the subject are currently available. 3) Oral intubation does not invariably alter palatal morphology of preterm and low birthweight infants. 4) The findings on palatal grooving, height, and asymmetry as a consequence of orotracheal intubation up to the age of 11 years are inconsistent. 5) Metrically, the palates of orally intubated infants remain narrower posteriorly, beginning at the second deciduous molar, until the age of 11 years. Beyond that age, no data on the subject are currently available. 6) There is a definite need for further, especially metrical, longitudinal and controlled trials on palatal morphology of preterm and low birthweight infants with reliable measuring techniques. 7) None of the raised confounding factors for developmental disturbances may be excluded until evident results are presented. Thus, early orthodontic and logopedic control of formerly premature infants is recommended up to the late mixed dentition stage

Body mass index and smoking-related lung cancer risk in the Singapore Chinese Health Study

10.1038/sj.bjc.6605496British Journal of Cancer1023610-61

Luteinizing hormone and androstendione are independent predictors of ovulation after laparoscopic ovarian drilling: a retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our objective was to investigate luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, and androstenedione as predicitve markers for ovulation after laparoscopic ovarian drilling.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively analyzed 100 clompihen-resistant patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome who underwent laparoscopic ovarian drilling at our department. The main outcome measure was spontaneous postoperative ovulation within three months after laparoscopic ovarian drilling. In order to predict spontaneous ovulation, we tested the following parameters by use of a univariate followed by a multivariate regression model: Preoperative serum levels of LH, FSH, testosterone, and androstenedione as well as patients' age and body mass index. In addition, we focused on pregnancy and life birth rates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Spontaneous ovulation was documented in 71/100 patients (71.0%). In a univariate and multivariate analysis, luteinizing hormone (OR 1.58, 95%CI: 1.30-1.92) and androstenedione (OR 3.03, 95%CI: 1.20-7.67), but not follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone were independent predictors of ovulation. Using a cut-off for luteinizing hormone and androstenedione of 12.1 IU/l and 3.26 ng/ml, respectively, spontaneous ovulation was observed in 63/70 (90.0%) and 36/42 patients (85.7%) with elevated and in 8/30 (26.7%) and 35/58 (60.3%) patients with low luteinizing hormone and androstenedione levels, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negatvie predictive values for luteinizing hormone and androstendione as predictors of spontaneous ovulation after ovarian drilling were 88.7% (95%CI: 79.0-95.0%), 75.9% (95%CI: 56.5-89.7%), 90.0% (95%CI: 80.5-95.8%), and 73.3% (95%CI: 54.1-87.7%) for luteinizing hormone, and 50.7% (95%CI: 38.6-62.8%), 79.3% (95%CI: 60.3-92.0%), 85.7% (95%CI: 71.5-94.6%), and 39.7% (95%CI: 27.0-53.4%) for androstenedione, respectively. Complete one-year follow-up was available for 74/100 patients (74%). We observed a one-year pregnancy rate and a resulting life-birth rate of 61% and 51%, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Luteinizing hormone and androstenedione prior to laparoscopic ovarian drilling are independent predictors of spontaneous ovulation within three months of surgery. We suggest to preferentially performing laparoscopic ovarian drilling in patients with high luteinizing hormone and androstenedione levels.</p

Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants – What do we know? Part 2: The palate of the preterm/low birthweight infant

BACKGROUND: Well-designed clinical studies on the palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants are desirable because the literature is characterized by contradictory results. It could be shown that knowledge about 'normal' palatal development is still weak as well (Part 1). The objective of this review is therefore to contribute a fundamental analysis of methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants. METHODS: An electronic literature search as well as hand searches were performed based on Cochrane search strategies including sources of more than a century in English, German, and French. Original data were recalculated from studies which primarily dealt with both preterm and term infants. The extracted data, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered for comparison. RESULTS: Seventy-eight out of 155 included articles were analyzed for palatal morphology of preterm infants. Intubation, feeding tubes, feeding mode, tube characteristics, restriction of oral functions, kind of diet, cranial form and birthweight were seen as causes contributing to altered palatal morphology. Changes associated with intubation concern length, depth, width, asymmetry, crossbite, and contour of the palate. The phenomenon 'grooving' has also been described as a complication associated with oral intubation. However, this phenomenon suffers from lack of a clear-cut definition. Head flattening, pressure from the oral tube, pathologic or impaired tongue function, and broadening of the alveolar ridges adjacent to the tube have been raised as causes of 'grooving'. Metrically, the palates of intubated preterm infants remain narrower, which has been examined up to the age of the late mixed dentition. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence that would justify the exclusion of any of the raised causes contributing to palatal alteration. Thus, early orthodontic and logopedic control of formerly orally intubated preterm infants is recommended, as opposed to non-intubated infants. From the orthodontic point of view, nasal intubation should be favored. The role that palatal protection plates and pressure-dispersing pads for the head have in palatal development remains unclear

Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants – What do we know? Part 1: The palate of the term newborn

BACKGROUND: The evidence on prematurity as 'a priori' a risk for palatal disturbances that increase the need for orthodontic or orthognathic treatment is still weak. Further well-designed clinical studies are needed. The objective of this review is to provide a fundamental analysis of methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development. One focus of this review is the analysis of studies on the palate of the term newborn, since knowing what is 'normal' is a precondition of being able to assess abnormalities. METHODS: A search profile based on Cochrane search strategies applied to 10 medical databases was used to identify existing studies. Articles, mainly those published before 1960, were identified from hand searches in textbooks, encyclopedias, reference lists and bibliographies. Sources in English, German, and French of more than a century were included. Data for term infants were recalculated if particular information about weight, length, or maturity was given. The extracted values, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered for comparison. RESULTS: The search strategy yielded 182 articles, of which 155 articles remained for final analysis. Morphology of the term newborn's palate was of great interest in the first half of the last century. Two general methodologies were used to assess palatal morphology: visual and metrical descriptions. Most of the studies on term infants suffer from lack of reliability tests. The groove system was recognized as the distinctive feature of the infant palate. The shape of the palate of the term infant may vary considerably, both visually and metrically. Gender, race, mode of delivery, and nasal deformities were identified as causes contributing to altered palatal morphology. Until today, anatomical features of the newborn's palate are subject to a non-uniform nomenclature. CONCLUSION: Today's knowledge of a newborn's 'normal' palatal morphology is based on non-standardized and limited methodologies for measuring a three-dimensional shape. This shortcoming increases bias and is the reason for contradictory research results, especially if pathologic conditions like syndromes or prematurity are involved. Adequate measurement techniques are needed and the 'normal palatal morphology' should be defined prior to new clinical studies on palatal development

Association of plasma microRNA expression with age, genetic background and functional traits in dairy cattle

Abstract A number of blood circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are proven disease biomarkers and have been associated with ageing and longevity in multiple species. However, the role of circulating miRNAs in livestock species has not been fully studied. We hypothesise that plasma miRNA expression profiles are affected by age and genetic background, and associated with health and production traits in dairy cattle. Using PCR arrays, we assessed 306 plasma miRNAs for effects of age (calves vs mature cows) and genetic background (control vs select lines) in 18 animals. We identified miRNAs which were significantly affected by age (26 miRNAs) and genetic line (5 miRNAs). Using RT-qPCR in a larger cow population (n = 73) we successfully validated array data for 12 age-related miRNAs, one genetic line-related miRNA, and utilised expression data to associate their levels in circulation with functional traits in these animals. Plasma miRNA levels were associated with telomere length (ageing/longevity indicator), milk production and composition, milk somatic cell count (mastitis indicator), fertility, lameness, and blood metabolites linked with body energy balance and metabolic stress. In conclusion, circulating miRNAs could provide useful selection markers for dairy cows to help improve health, welfare and production performance

Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research