A computer-aided approach to detect the fetal behavioral states using multi-sensor Magnetocardiographic recordings.

We propose a novel computational approach to automatically identify the fetal heart rate patterns (fHRPs), which are reflective of sleep/awake states. By combining these patterns with presence or absence of movements, a fetal behavioral state (fBS) was determined. The expert scores were used as the gold standard and objective thresholds for the detection procedure were obtained using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis. To assess the performance, intraclass correlation was computed between the proposed approach and the mutually agreed expert scores. The detected fHRPs were then associated to their corresponding fBS based on the fetal movement obtained from fetal magnetocardiogaphic (fMCG) signals. This approach may aid clinicians in objectively assessing the fBS and monitoring fetal wellbeing.

ADHD and developmental speech/language disorders in late preterm, early term and term infants.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of late preterm, early term and term infants while controlling for a wide range of maternal complications and comorbidities. STUDY DESIGN: Data for the study was obtained from the South Carolina Medicaid claims and vital records databases from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2003. We included infants weighing between 1500 and 4500 g, born between 34 0/7 and 41 6/7 weeks, and with no congenital anomalies. Outcome measures were based on the presence of ICD-9-CM codes for attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and developmental speech or language disorders. RESULT: A total of 3270 late preterm (LPIs), 11,527 early term (ETIs) and 24,005 term infants met the eligibility criteria. Rates for all outcome variables were statistically significant and elevated for LPI, but adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) were only significant for the risk of developmental speech and/or language delay (LPI: AHR 1.36 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23 to 1.50; ETI: AHR 1.27 95% CI 1.17 to 1.37). CONCLUSION: Late preterm and early term deliveries have adverse long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, and these outcomes should be considered when determining the timing of delivery.

A novel approach to track fetal movement using multi-sensor magnetocardiographic recordings.

Changes in fetal magnetocardiographic (fMCG) signals are indicators for fetal body movement. We propose a novel approach to reliably extract fetal body movements based on the field strength of the fMCG signal independent of its frequency. After attenuating the maternal MCG, we use a Hilbert transform approach to identify the R-wave. At each R-wave, we compute the center-of-gravity (cog) of the coordinate positions of MCG sensors, each weighted by the magnitude of the R-wave amplitude recorded at the corresponding sensor. We then define actogram as the distance between the cog computed at each R-wave and the average of the cog from all the R-waves in a 3-min duration. By applying a linear de-trending approach to the actogram we identify the fetal body movement and compare this with the synchronous occurrence of the acceleration in the fetal heart rate. Finally, we apply this approach to the fMCG recorded simultaneously with ultrasound from a single subject and show its improved performance over the QRS-amplitude based approach in the visually verified movements. This technique could be applied to transform the detection of fetal body movement into an objective measure of fetal health and enhance the predictive value of prevalent clinical testing for fetal wellbeing.

African elephant sesquiterpenes.

GC-MS analysis of extracts from temporal gland secretions of an African elephant has revealed the presence of several farnesol-related sesquiterpenes. Among these are (E)-2, 3-dihydrofarnesol (3), a bumblebee pheromone not seen before in mammals, and a rare component of a Greek tobacco, drimane-8alpha, 11-diol (4), never observed before in an animal.