Opening the door: midwives' perceptions of two models of psychosocial assessment in pregnancy- a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: One in five women experience psychological distress in the perinatal period. To support women appropriately, Australian guidelines recommend routine depression screening and psychosocial risk assessment by midwives in pregnancy. However, there is some evidence that current screening processes results in higher rates of false positives. The Perinatal Integrated Psychosocial Assessment (PIPA) Project compared two models of psychosocial assessment and referral - Usual Care and the PIPA model - with a view to improving referral decisions. This paper describes midwives' perspectives on psychosocial assessment, depression screening and referral at the antenatal booking appointment and compares midwives' experiences with, and perspectives on, the two models of care under investigation. METHODS: A two-phase, convergent mixed methods design was used. Midwives providing antenatal care completed a self-report survey in phase one prior to implementation of the new model of psychosocial assessment (n = 26) and again in phase two, following implementation (n = 27). Sixteen midwives also participated in two focus groups in phase two. Quantitative and qualitative data were compared and integrated in the presentation of results and interpretation of findings. RESULTS: Midwives supported psychosocial assessment believing it was a catalyst for 'Opening the door" to conversations with women. Midwives were comfortable asking the questions and tailored their approach to build rapport and trust. Overall. midwives expressed favourable views towards the PIPA model. A greater proportion of midwives relied mostly or entirely on the suggested wording for the psychosocial questions in the PIPA model compared to Usual Care (44.4% vs 12.0%, χ2=5.17, p=.023, φ =-.36). All midwives reported finding the referral or action message displayed at the end of the PIPA psychosocial assessment to be 'somewhat' or 'very' helpful, compared to 42.3% in Usual Care (χ2 = 18.36, p < .001, φ = -.64). Midwives were also more likely to act on or implement the message often or all of the time) in the PIPA model (PIPA = 69.2% vs Usual Care = 32.0%, (χ2 = 5.66, p < .017, φ = -.37). CONCLUSION: The study identified benefits of the new model and can inform improvements in psychosocial screening, referral and related care processes within maternity settings. The study demonstrates that psychosocial assessment can, over time, become normalised and embedded in practice.

History of mood or anxiety disorders and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in a population-based cohort.

AIM: To examine the association between mood and anxiety disorders and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus in a retrospective population-based cohort study. METHODS: Clinical data from a provincial perinatal health registry were linked to physician claims, hospitalization records and emergency visits to identify any diagnoses of mood or anxiety disorders in the 2 years prior to pregnancy and a subsequent diagnosis of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The study population included all singleton pregnancies in the Canadian province of Alberta from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2010. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine the adjusted odds ratio of gestational diabetes, comparing women with and without a history of mood or anxiety disorders. RESULTS: Among 373 674 pregnancies from 253 911 women, 25.7% had a history of mood or anxiety disorders, and 3.8% developed gestational diabetes. The multivariate-adjusted odds of developing gestational diabetes were higher among women with a history of mood or anxiety disorders (odds ratio 1.10, 95% CI 1.06-1.14). CONCLUSIONS: Women with a history of mood or anxiety disorders had a moderately increased risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Evaluation of a two rubber band technique for finger ring removal.

INTRODUCTION: Rings are required to be removed from a finger in many clinical situations. Rings that are difficult to remove is a problem encountered frequently. Many techniques have been reported for this problem. This study looks at the effectiveness of a single technique for removing difficult rings from fingers. METHODS: A two rubber band technique was used in this study of 69 difficult to remove rings. Success of the technique and time to removal were recorded. RESULTS: Difficult rings were removed in 92.5% of cases, in a mean time of 10.7 seconds. No fingers or rings suffered damage during the study. CONCLUSIONS: This two rubber band technique is a rapid, safe and effective method for removing rings that cannot be removed easily.

A prospective review of appetite loss and recovery time in primary joint replacement patients.

INTRODUCTION: Appetite loss is commonly reported by patients following major surgery, including total joint arthroplasty (TJA). A number of studies have examined related problems, particularly in relation to physiological responses to surgery. However, no published paper has looked specifically at the duration of appetite loss in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. METHODS: A simple, established appetite screening tool was administered preoperatively and at 2-week intervals postoperatively in 50 TJA patients until appetite levels returned to preoperative levels. The results were examined for various descriptive parameters and compared using the chi-squared test. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients underwent TKA and 17 THA. There were 27 female and 23 male patients. No patients were lost to follow-up. The median time for return of appetite in both male and female patients was 4 weeks (interquartile range [IQR]: male, 2-4; female, 4-6). The median time for return of appetite was 4 weeks both in TKA patients (IQR 4-6) and in those undergoing THA (IQR 4-4). The time to return of appetite was not significantly associated with either the gender of the patients (p=0.13) or the type of joint replacement (p=0.49). CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a clear time frame for return of appetite in uncomplicated primary joint replacements. This is a commonly noted patient problem that has not previously been specifically reviewed.

Does non-pharmacological therapy for antenatal depression reduce risks for the infant?

Depression during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes for the infant such as preterm birth. These risks are not reduced with pharmacological treatment, but the effect of non-pharmacological therapies is unknown. We performed a systematic review to assess the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in non-pharmacologically treated depressed women compared to non-depressed women. We found no studies that met our inclusion criteria, highlighting a critical need for research on this topic.

Clinical and economic impact of a switch from high- to low-volume renal replacement therapy in patients with acute kidney injury.

High-intensity renal replacement therapy protocols in intensive care patients with acute kidney injury have failed to translate to improved patient outcomes when compared with lower-intensity protocols. This retrospective study explored the clinical and economic impacts of switching from a 30-35 ml.kg(-1) .h(-1) (high-volume) to a 20 ml.kg(-1) .h(-1) (low-volume) protocol. Patients (n = 366) admitted 12 months before (n = 187) and after (n = 179) the switch were included in the study. There was no difference in in-hospital mortality (77/187 (41%) vs 75/179 (42%), respectively, p = 0.92), intensive care unit mortality (55/187 (29%) vs 61/179 (34%), respectively, p = 0.40), duration of organ support or extent of renal recovery between the high- and low-volume cohorts. A 25% reduction in daily replacement fluid usage was observed, equating to a cost saving of over £27 000 per annum. In conclusion, a switch from high- to low-volume continuous haemodiafiltration had minimal effects on clinical outcomes and resulted in marked cost savings.

The history of osteoporosis: why do Egyptian mummies have porotic bones?

Paleopathologists have identified osteoporosis in ancient skeletons and modern physicians and scientists have identified risk factors for osteoporosis today, but they are not clearly linked, making it more difficult to clarify the causes of osteoporosis in the past. The evidence for osteoporosis in the remote past, its causes, and the management of this disease is reviewed in the light of evolving and improving diagnostic modalities, more precise definitions, and the recent rapid expansion of therapeutic options. While the specific effects of parity and lactation on the development of osteoporosis are still not entirely clear, duration of reproductive span and age at first pregnancy appear to be significant predisposing factors.

Migrant women's utilization of prenatal care: a systematic review.

Our objectives were to determine whether migrant women in Western industrialized countries have higher odds of inadequate prenatal care (PNC) compared to receiving-country women and to summarize factors that are associated with inadequate PNC among migrant women in these countries. We conducted searches of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO), reference lists, known experts, and an existing database of the Reproductive Outcomes And Migration international research collaboration for articles published between January, 1995 and April, 2010. Title and abstract review and quality appraisal were conducted independently by 2 reviewers using established criteria, with consensus achieved through discussion. In this systematic review of 29 studies, the majority of studies demonstrated that migrant women were more likely to receive inadequate PNC than receiving-country women, with most reporting moderate to large effect sizes. Rates of inadequate PNC among migrant women varied widely by country of birth. Only three studies explored predictors of inadequate PNC among migrant women. These studies found that inadequate PNC among migrant women was associated with being less than 20 years of age, multiparous, single, having poor or fair language proficiency, education less than 5 years, an unplanned pregnancy, and not having health insurance. We concluded that migrant women as a whole were more likely to have inadequate PNC and the magnitude of this risk differed by country of origin. Few studies addressed predictors of PNC utilization in migrant women and this limits our ability to provide effective PNC in this population.

Mechanisms of action and medicinal applications of abscisic Acid.

Since its discovery in the early 1960's, abscisic acid (ABA) has received considerable attention as an important phytohormone, and more recently, as a candidate medicinal in humans. In plants it has been shown to regulate important physiological processes such as response to drought stress, and dormancy. The discovery of ABA synthesis in animal cells has generated interest in the possible parallels between its role in plant and animal systems. The importance of this molecule has prompted the development of several methods for the chemical synthesis of ABA, which differ significantly from the biosynthesis of ABA in plants through the mevalonic acid pathway. ABA recognition in plants has been shown to occur at both the intra- and extracellularly but little is known about the perception of ABA by animal cells. A few ABA molecular targets have been identified in vitro (e.g., calcium signaling, G protein-coupled receptors) in both plant and animal systems. A unique finding in mammalian systems, however, is that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, PPAR gamma, is upregulated by ABA in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Comparison of the human PPAR gamma gene network with Arabidopsis ABA-related genes reveal important orthologs between these groups. Also, ABA can ameliorate the symptoms of type II diabetes, targeting PPAR gamma in a similar manner as the thiazolidinediones class of anti-diabetic drugs. The use of ABA in the treatment of type II diabetes, offers encouragement for further studies concerning the biomedical applications of ABA.

The first naturally occurring Tie2 kinase inhibitor.

[structure: see text] Bioassay-guided fractionation of the plant Acacia aulacocarpa, guided by a bioassay for Tie2 tyrosine kinase activity, yielded the novel triterpene 3,21-dioxo-olean-18-en-oic acid (1) as the first naturally occurring non-protein inhibitor of Tie2 kinase. The structure of 1 was assigned by analysis of spectral data. In addition to its activity as an inhibitor of Tie2 kinase, compound 1 also shows modest activity against a variety of cultured mammalian cells.

Proposed active constituents of Dipladenia martiana.

3Beta-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylsitosterol, pomolic acid, ursolic acid, epicatechin, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (astragalin), quercetin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin-7-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside and quebrachitol were isolated by chromatographic fractionation of the methanol extract from the aerial parts of Dipladenia martiana (Apocynaceae). The hexane extract yielded lupeol and sitostenone. These compounds are likely to be responsible for the therapeutic effects.

A bioactive spirolactone iridoid and triterpenoids from Himatanthus sucuuba.

Himatanthus sucuuba is an Amazonian tree with abundant, yet conflicting ethnobotanical information. Investigation of the polar and non-polar constituents led to the isolation of plumericin, a bioactive spirolactone iridoid, and four known pentacylic triterpenes: lupeol acetate, lupeol cinnamate, lupeol beta-phenyl propionate, and alpha-amyrin cinnamate.

Synthesis and microtubule binding of fluorescent paclitaxel derivatives.

The preparation of two new fluorescent derivatives of paclitaxel in which the fluorophore is bonded to paclitaxel at the C-10 position is reported. Both analogues, 10-deacetyl-10-(m-aminobenzoyl)paclitaxel (1, BTax) and 10-deacetyl-10-[7-(diethylamino) coumarin-3-carbonyl]paclitaxel (2, CTax) retain good activity as promoters of in vitro tubulin assembly. Microtubule binding enhances the emission intensity of both probes.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel macrocyclic paclitaxel analogues.

[reaction: see text] This work describes the synthesis of two novel macrocyclic taxoid constructs by ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) and their biological evaluation. Computational studies examine conformational profiles of 1 and 2 for their fit to the beta-tubulin binding site determined by electron crystallography. The results support the hypothesis that paclitaxel binds to microtubules in a "T" conformation.

Two bioactive saponins from Albizia subdimidiata from the Suriname rainforest.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanol extract of Albizia subdimidiata using the engineered yeast strains 1138, 1140, 1353, and Sc7 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the bioassay tool resulted in the isolation of the two active saponins 1 and 2; one of these, albiziatrioside A (1), is described for the first time. The structures of 1 and 2 were established on the basis of HRMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectral data, and GC--MS analysis of the sugar units. Both isolated compounds showed significant cytotoxicity against the A2780 cell line.

Synthesis and bioactivity of 2,4-diacyl analogues of paclitaxel.

The 2,4-diacyl paclitaxel analogues 8a-8r were prepared from paclitaxel by acylation of 4-deacetyl-2-debenzoylpaclitaxel 1,2-carbonate (3) followed either by hydrolysis of the carbonate and acylation or by direct treatment of the carbonate with an aryllithium. Some of the resulting derivatives showed significantly improved tubulin assembly activity and cytotoxicity as compared with paclitaxel; in some cases this improvement was especially significant for paclitaxel-resistant cell lines.

Isolation, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of bioactive benzoquinones from Miconia lepidota from the Suriname rainforest.

Bioactivity-directed fractionation of an EtOAc extract from the leaves of Miconia lepidota afforded the two benzoquinones 2-methoxy-6-heptyl-1,4-benzoquinone (1) and 2-methoxy-6-pentyl-1,4-benzoquinone (primin) (2). This is the first reported isolation of 1. Both quinones 1 and 2 exhibited activity toward mutant yeast strains based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, indicative of their cytotoxicity and potential anticancer activity. A number of previously synthesized and new analogues were prepared and tested in the same strains. Compounds 1, 2, 2-methoxy-6-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (5), and 2-methoxy-6-decyl-1,4-benzoquinone (6) were tested in two cytotoxicity assays. In the M109 tumor cell lines, quinones 1, 2, and 6 had an IC(50) value of 10 microg/mL. In the A2780 cell line, compounds 1, 2 and 5 had IC(50) values of 7.9, 2.9, and 3.2 microg/mL, respectively.

Bioactive saponins from Swartzia schomburgkii from the suriname rainforest.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the MeOH extract of Swartzia schomburgkii using the engineered yeast strains 1138, 1140, and 1353 as the bioassay tool resulted in the isolation of five active (2, 4-7) and three inactive (1, 3, 8) saponins. Saponins 4 and 6 are previously unreported. The structures of all of the saponins were established based on 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis, on acid and alkaline hydrolysis followed by TLC and GC-MS, and by comparison with literature data for known compounds. Three of the isolated compounds (4-6) showed weak cytotoxicity against the M-109 cell line.