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from that of normally pregnant women and confirms the need for careful long-term follow-up.

Pulmonary artery pressures did not appreciably change during pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation compared with pressures measured again beyond three months postpartum. Women with pulmonary hypertension did not show evidence of remodeling of left ventricular mass or relative wall thickness when measured in pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation compared with beyond three months postpartum in this limited cohort. These findings suggest that cardiac remodeling in women with pulmonary hypertension is different from that of normally pregnant women and confirms the need for careful long-term follow-up.

In recent decades, the trend for women is to delay childbearing. However, worldwide, advanced maternal age is an independent risk factor for stillbirth, as well as advanced gestational age. National data are not available about stillbirths in the Italian population. We explored whether, at term of pregnancy, advanced maternal age is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth in Italy. We speculate that a policy of induction of labor at term of pregnancy in older mothers may significantly reduce the stillbirth.

Data provided by Italian Ministry of Health and National Statistical Institute were used to identify all singleton deliveries ≥22weeks of gestation during a four years study period. We evaluated the outcome of pregnancy (livebirths or stillbirths) and we stratified data by gestational age and by maternal age at delivery. The hazard risk and the relative risk of stillbirth were calculated.

The overall stillbirth rate was 3.4 per 1000, with a total of 6451 cases of stillbirths in the four yearsregnancy in older mothers, including the possibility of a slightly anticipation of induction of labor if spontaneously undelivered.This cross-sectional study included early menopausal and late menopausal women aged between 40 and 60 years to evaluate the effects of menopause on semicircular canal function. A video head impulse test (vHIT) was performed for all subjects. Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) mean gains of each semicircular canal and gain asymmetry were compared between groups. Of the 87 subjects, 37(42.5%) were reproductive age 28(32.5%) were early menopausal and 22(25.3%) were late menopausal patients. VOR gain of semicircular canals or gain asymmetry values did not differ between groups. In postmenopausal women, presence of vasomotor symptoms was associated with higher gain asymmetry of the left anterior-right posterior (LARP) plane (p = .01), and presence of balance problems was associated with lower right anterior (RA) VOR gain (p = .01). In conclusion semicircular canal function in postmenopausal women was similar to that in women of reproductive age. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? During menopause, women face potential risks such as dizziness, balance problems, falls and fractures. Postmenopausal patients were tested with dynamic posturography to measure balance before and after oestrogen treatment, and it was shown that balance problems significantly improved with oestrogen treatment. Healthy vestibular system is one of the components for sustaining normal balance. What do the results of this study add? In postmenopausal women the function of the semicircular canals is normal and the balance deficit in postmenopausal women may not be caused by the vestibular system. In this study changes within normal limits were observed in vestibular system of postmenopausal women. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Reported balance deficits might have been due to central origin. Further research to differentiate origin of balance deficits are needed. Specific research on symptomatic postmenopausal patients would reveal more information.The objective of this study was to explore the correlation between cervical insufficiency (CI) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Chinese women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. The retrospective study enrolled 2978 women including 1489 with PCOS and 1489 without PCOS, among which 34 women were diagnosed with CI (1.14%). The prevalence of CI in PCOS women was statistically higher than that in women without PCOS. Among those women with CI, 23 cases exhibited PCOS, and those cases had an average gestational age of 26.09 ± 5.91 weeks at the end of pregnancy, which was earlier than that of women without PCOS, and the pregnancy outcomes were worse than in the non-PCOS group though not statistically significant. Multivariable logistic regression showed that PCOS status (odds ratio 2.050, 95% confidence interval 1.009-4.206) were associated with increased risk of CI. Our study revealed that among those Chinese women who conceived by ART treatment, the prevalence of CI in women with PCOS was higher than that in women without PCOS. Co-morbidity of CI with polycystic ovarian syndrome negatively impacts prognosis. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Women with PCOS have a higher rate of adverse obstetrical outcomes than women without PCOS. What the results of this study add? Women with PCOS were more likely to have pregnancies complicated with CI. Co-morbidity of cervical incompetence with PCOS negatively impacts prognosis. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Given these results, close surveillance of cervical changes during the second trimester in women with PCOS is necessary for reducing the risk of miscarriage related to CI.Model organisms are extensively used in research as accessible and convenient systems for studying a particular area or question in biology. Traditionally, only a limited number of organisms have been studied in detail, but modern genomic tools are enabling researchers to extend beyond the set of classical model organisms to include novel species from less-studied phylogenetic groups. This review focuses on model species for an important group of multicellular organisms, the brown algae. The development of genetic and genomic tools for the filamentous brown alga Ectocarpus has led to it emerging as a general model system for this group, but additional models, such as Fucus or Dictyota dichotoma, remain of interest for specific biological questions. RG108 in vitro In addition, Saccharina japonica has emerged as a model system to directly address applied questions related to algal aquaculture. We discuss the past, present, and future of brown algal model organisms in relation to the opportunities and challenges in brown algal research.Male factor infertility is a common problem. Evidence is emerging regarding the spectrum of systemic disease and illness harbored by infertile men who otherwise appear healthy. link2 In this review, we present evidence that infertile men have poor overall health and increased morbidity and mortality, increased rates of both genitourinary and non-genitourinary malignancy, and greater risks of systemic disease. The review also highlights numerous genetic conditions associated with male infertility as well as emerging translational evidence of genitourinary birth defects and their impact on male infertility. Finally, parallels to the overall health of infertile women are presented. This review highlights the importance of a comprehensive health evaluation of men who present for an infertility assessment.This study aims to examine the spatially varying relationships between social vulnerability factors and COVID-19 cases and deaths in the contiguous United States. County-level COVID-19 data and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social vulnerability index (SVI) dataset were analyzed using local Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results suggested that SVI and four social vulnerability themes have spatially varying relationships with COVID-19 cases and deaths, which means spatial heterogeneity is an essential factor that influences the relationship, and the strength of association varies significantly across counties. County hot spots that were subject to all four social vulnerability themes during the pandemic were also identified. Local communities and health authorities should pay immediate attention to the most influential social vulnerability factors that are dominant in their region and incorporate measures tailored to the specific groups of people who are under the greatest risk of being affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.The models used to estimate disease transmission, susceptibility and severity determine what epidemiology can (and cannot tell) us about COVID-19. These include ‘model organisms’ chosen for their phylogenetic/aetiological similarities; multivariable statistical models to estimate the strength/direction of (potentially causal) relationships between variables (through ‘causal inference’), and the (past/future) value of unmeasured variables (through ‘classification/prediction’); and a range of modelling techniques to predict beyond the available data (through ‘extrapolation’), compare different hypothetical scenarios (through ‘simulation’), and estimate key features of dynamic processes (through ‘projection’). Each of these models address different questions using different techniques; involve assumptions that require careful assessment; and are vulnerable to generic and specific biases that can undermine the validity and interpretation of their findings. It is therefore necessary that the models used can actual; prediction models are mistakenly repurposed for causal inference; or mediator adjustment is used to estimate direct and indirect causal relationships (in a mistaken attempt at ‘mediation analysis’). These three biases are central to ongoing and unresolved epistemological tensions within epidemiology. All have substantive implications for our understanding of COVID-19, and the future application of artificial intelligence to ‘data-driven’ modelling of similar phenomena. Nonetheless, competently applied and carefully interpreted, multivariable statistical models may yet provide sufficient insight into mechanisms and contexts to permit more accurate projections of future disease outbreaks.

To evaluate the effect of half tendon vertical rectus muscle transposition (HVRT) combined with medial rectus muscle recession (MRrec) in complete sixth nerve palsy (CSNP) and esotropic Duane Retraction Syndrome (eDRS).

A retrospective study of patients with unilateral CSNP or eDRS who underwent HVRT combined with medial rectus recession over the course of 18 years. The patients with previous strabismus surgery and follow up less than 3 months were excluded. Overcorrection was defined as any amount of exotropia, and undercorrection was defined as residual esotropia of ⩾10 prism diopter (PD).

A total of 39 patients were enrolled including 22 CSNP and 17 eDRS patients. link3 Esotropia improved from 45.8 ± 22 and 22.5 ± 6.4 PD to 0.8 ± 2.5 and 0.3 ± 1 PD in CSNP group and eDRS group respectively. The angle of face turn improved from 34.3 ± 8.4° and 26.5 ± 9° to 0.6 ± 2.4° and 0.8 ± 1.6° in the CSNP group and eDRS group respectively. Abduction limitation improved from -4.5 ± 0.5 and -4 ± 0 units to -2.9 ± 0.5 and -2.