Early invasive prenatal diagnosis in HBsAg-positive women

From 1982 to 1989, pregnant women in two large city hospitals in The Netherlands had serum samples screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Infants of mothers found to be HBsAg-positive received hepatitis B immune globulin immediately after birth and hepatitis B vaccine in the first year of life. Blood samples of infants were regularly tested for HBsAg and antibodies directed against HBsAg. A retrospective analysis of the pregnancy outcome in HBsAg-positive women who had invasive tests for prenatal diagnosis was carried out to determine whether amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) are risk factors for the intrauterine transmission of the hepatitis B virus. Amniocentesis was carried out in 17 HBsAg-positive women and CVS in one case. Only two women were HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive. Prenatal diagnosis led to the termination of pregnancy for fetal chromosome abnormality in three cases. The remaining 15 pregnancies were uneventful; all infants were negative for HBsAg and developed an active immune response to the vaccine. These data suggest that amniocentesis in HBsAg-positive women constitutes a low risk for the intrauterine transmission of the hepatitis B virus, but definite conclusions in HBeAg-positive women cannot be drawn

The reproductive cycle of Sardinella aurita in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean of Northwest Africa. Progress Report 2002

This progress report describes the reproduction patterns of Sardinella aurita in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean off Northwest Africa. Data have been obtained by biological sampling of the catches of the industrial and artisanal fleet

Historische letterkunde deel 1: historische literatuur

Historische letterkunde omvat (de studie naar) oudere teksten ofwel historische literatuur en de literatuurgeschiedenis van die oudere teksten, waar we in deel 2 op ingaan. Daarnaast is er de didactiek van de historische letterkunde, die in deel 3 aan de orde zal komen. Dit eerste deel gaat over historische literatuur. Wat houdt deze term in? Welke praktijken zijn er te onderscheiden in het doorgeven van historische literatuur aan nieuwe generaties lezers

Cognitive enhancement interventions for people with bipolar disorder: a systematic review of methodological quality, treatment approaches, and outcomes

BackgroundPatients with bipolar disorder (BD) suffer from cognitive deficits across several domains. The association between cognitive performance and psychosocial functioning has led to the emergence of cognition as a treatment target.ObjectiveThis study reviews the existing literature on cognitive enhancement interventions for people with BD, focusing on different treatment approaches and methodological quality.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search following the PRISMA guidelines. Sample characteristics and main outcomes for each study and treatment characteristics for each approach were extracted. Study quality was assessed using the Clinical Trials Assessment Measure (CTAM) and Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool by independent raters.ResultsEleven articles reporting data from seven original studies were identified encompassing 471 participants. Two treatment approaches were identified, cognitive and functional remediation. For controlled studies, methodological quality was modest (average CTAM score = 60.3), while the overall risk of bias was considered moderate. Beneficial effects on cognitive or functional outcomes were reported in the majority of studies (91%), but these findings were isolated and not replicated across studies. Key methodological limitations included small sample sizes, poor description of randomization process, high attrition rates, and participant exclusion from the analysis.ConclusionsFindings are promising but preliminary. Quality studies were few and mostly underpowered. Heterogeneity in sample characteristics, outcome measures, and treatment approaches further limit the ability to generalize findings. Adequately powered trials are required to replicate initial findings, while moderators of treatment response and mechanisms of transfer need to be explored