Prospective population-based cohort study of maternal obesity as a source of error in gestational age estimation at 11-14 weeks.

INTRODUCTION: An impact of maternal obesity on ultrasound dating of pregnancy at 11-14 gestational weeks is possible and was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study based on the Danish national population during a 4-year period in which we entered all mothers with singleton pregnancies who had a known last menstrual period (LMP), a recorded booking of body mass index (BMI), and a late first trimester ultrasound dating scan using crown-rump-length measurement (gestational age 11+0 -13+6  weeks). Almost all scans were performed transabdominally. Transvaginal ultrasound was only performed in the case of limited visibility by transabdominal scanning. Differences between LMP and ultrasound estimated date of delivery (EDD) were stratified by BMI classes. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated and adjusted for maternal age, parity and smoking. RESULTS: In total, 187 486 women were analyzed: 21.8% were overweight and 12.3% obese. Ultrasound EDD was ≥7 days later than by LMP in 5.8% of normal-weight women, 7.3% of obese women, and 10.0% of women with morbid obesity. Compared with normal BMI (18.5-24.9), the OR for postponing EDD increased with increasing BMI; BMI 25-29.9 [OR 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-1.02], BMI 30-34.9 (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.23), BMI 35-39.9 (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.15-1.42), and BMI 40+ (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.50-1.98). Lean pregnant women (BMI <18.5) also had a higher chance of having EDD postponed 7 days or more (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22). CONCLUSION: Rising maternal BMI appears to be associated with postponement of ultrasound EDD.

Re-torsion of the ovaries.

The increasing use of de-torsion of the ovaries may result in re-torsion. This review addresses risk of re-torsion and describes preventive strategies to avoid re-torsion in pre-menarcheal girls, and fertile and pregnant women. We clinically reviewed PubMed, Embase, Trip and Cochrane databases. The main outcome measures were re-torsion and viability of ovary with fixation measures. A total of 38 publications including 71 girls, 363 fertile women, and 69 pregnant women were found to be relevant. All studies were case reports or case series, sometimes with non-randomized controls. The studies show considerable heterogeneity in design, population, management and outcome. Only four studies included more than 50 cases. In pregnancy the risk of re-torsion was as high as 19.5-37.5%; among fertile women it was 28.6%. Most articles concluded that fixation of the ovaries to the pelvic sidewall or plication of the ovarian ligament after torsion may prevent re-torsion. In one case a girl experienced re-torsion after ovariopexy. Based on observational studies it seems that de-torsion and fixation of the ovary is a safe procedure that usually ensures maintenance of ovarian function and reduces the risk of recurrence, especially when there are no ovarian cysts or adnexal masses.

The use of theory in family therapy research: a content analysis of family therapy journals.

Ninety-five studies from Family Process and Journal of Marital and Family Therapy were evaluated with regard to their use of theory. While a majority of the articles were judged to use theory in either an explicit or an implicit manner, 42% did not appear to draw on theory in either the introductory or discussion sections. Studies that used qualitative methods appeared to use theory more frequently and explicitly than those using quantitative methods alone. Systems theory was found to be the most common conceptual framework, followed by feminism. We conclude that the link between theory and research in family therapy needs strengthening and suggest that the role of theory in family therapy be reexamined.

Tomato spotted wilt Tospovirus genome reassortment and genome segment-specific adaptation.

A system to associate specific genome segments with viral phenotypes and to study factors influencing genome reassortment was developed for tomato spotted wilt Tospovirus (TSWV). Reassortant isolates were generated by co-inoculating a TSWV isolate, TSWV-D, with TSWV-10 or TSWV-MD. The parental origin of each genome segment in putative reassortant isolates was determined by segment-specific restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The TSWV isolates readily exchanged genome segments in a nonrandom fashion. The S RNA from TSWV-D was dominant over the S RNA from TSWV-10. The intergenic region (IGR) of the S RNA was correlated with competitiveness of this genome segment in reassortant isolates. The less competitive S RNA contained a net increase of 62 nt, including a 33-nt duplication in the IGR. This duplicate sequence was highly conserved among isolates from the southeastern United States and an isolate from Bulgaria. The evidence supports the hypothesis that the IGR of the S RNA with an ambisense coding strategy serves a regulatory function which influences the occurrence of this segment in the viral population. In addition, it was demonstrated that stable parental phenotypes can be mapped to specific genome segments as well as generating novel phenotypes not associated with either parent.

Pathogenesis of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in Peanut Plants Dually Infected with Peanut Mottle Virus.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) plants dually infected with tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) and peanut mottle potyvirus (PMV) exhibited a wide variety of symptoms, ranging from PMV-like symptoms of transient mild leaf mottle to TSWV-like symptoms of severe leaf distortion and stunting of the plant. Dual infection did not cause greater symptom severity than infection with either virus alone. In the early stages of disease development, PMV symptoms were similar to the first leaf symptoms of TSWV infection, suggesting that identification of TSWV in field-grown peanuts should not depend on visual observation. The virus titer, determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indicated a delay in TSWV disease progress in doubleinfected plants, compared to plants infected with TSWV alone. In the later phase of disease progress, the virus titer in dually infected plants was not significantly different from that of singly infected plants. Infection with TSWV and PMV alone and with both viruses in combination was consistent among commercially grown peanut cultivars. In plants inoculated with TSWV or PMV alone or with both viruses in combination, the length of the latent period and final disease incidence, as measured by the number of plants showing symptoms, did not depend on the cultivar.

Purification and coat protein gene sequence of a Montana RMV-like isolate of barley yellow dwarf virus.

A Montana barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) isolate, BYDV-RMV-MT, is serologically identical to the New York RMV type isolate (RMV-NY) but differs in aphid transmission phenotype. A purification procedure for BYDV-RMV-MT was developed and cDNAs encompassing the entire coat protein gene and a portion of the putative polymerase gene of both RMV-MT and RMV-NY were cloned and sequenced. Diameters of RMV-MT virions averaged 24.7 nm. Average virus yield was 4.2 mg/kg plant tissue. There was 81% sequence identity between the clones of MT and NY RMV isolates at the nucleotide level. At the amino acid level the polymerase genes were 91% identical to each other and 74% homologous with that of beet western yellow virus. The coat protein amino acid sequences of the two RMV isolates were only 81% identical and, compared to other sequenced luteoviruses, both were most similar to cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus.