PNY and PNF interact with a subset of KNOTTED1-LIKE homeobox prot

PNY and PNF interact with a subset of KNOTTED1-LIKE homeobox proteins including SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM). Genetic analyses show that these BLH proteins function with STM to specify flowers and internodes during inflorescence development.

In this study, experimental evidence demonstrates that the specification of flower and coflorescence meristems requires the combined activities of FT-FD and STM. FT and FD also regulate meristem maintenance during inflorescence development. In plants with reduced STM function, ectopic FT and FD promote the formation of axillary meristems during inflorescence development. Lastly, gene expression studies indicate that STM functions with FT-FD and AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 (AGL24)-SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONTANS1 (SOC1) complexes to up-regulate buy GSK621 flower meristem

identity genes during inflorescence development.”
“In coronary artery disease, cardiovascular risk factors are the main targets for primary and secondary prevention. Statins prevent cardiovascular events in patients at risk. However, despite the proven efficacy and safety of statins, relevant side effects exist and should be considered when treating patients.”
“The growth kinetics of thin (thickness <10 nm) oxide films on Zr(0001) and Zr(10<(1)over bar>0) single-crystal surfaces were investigated by real-time in situ spectroscopic JAK inhibitor ellipsometry (RISE) and angle-resolved x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (AR-XPS). To this end, clean crystalline Zr(0001) and Zr(10 (1) over bar0) surfaces were prepared under UHV conditions by a cyclic treatment of alternating ion-sputtering and in vacuo annealing steps. The thus-obtained bare Zr surfaces were then exposed to dry O(2)(g)

in the temperature GSI-IX Proteases inhibitor range of 300 450 K (at a partial oxygen pressure of 10(-4) Pa), while monitoring the growth kinetics by RISE. It was found that the less-densely packed Zr(10 (1) over bar0) surface oxidizes more readily than the densely packed Zr(0001) surface. A near-limiting thickness of the oxide film on both surfaces is attained only at oxidation temperatures T<375 K. At T >= 375 K, the oxidation rate becomes controlled by the thermally activated dissolution and diffusion of oxygen in the alpha-Zr substrate. The higher oxidation rate of the Zr(10<(1)over bar>0) surface for T >= 375 K is attributed mainly to the higher oxygen diffusivity in a-Zr along the Zr(10 (1) over bar0) direction than along the Zr(0001) direction. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3608044]“
“PRINCIPLES: Current evidence indicates that chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be detected by simple laboratory tests. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of microalbuminuria screening and subsequent treatment in different populations.

METHODS: Cost-effectiveness of microalbuminuria screening in a cohort of simulated subjects aged >= 50 years was assessed using a validated microsimulation model.

Survival rates were 60%/44% for Thymoglobulin, 47%/46% for no ind

Survival rates were 60%/44% for Thymoglobulin, 47%/46% for no induction, and 44%/41% for daclizumab. Freedom from ACR, lymphocytic bronchiolitis, OB, and BOS differed Copanlisib supplier by group (all values, p < 0.008); alemtuzumab recipients showed greater 5-year freedom from each outcome

(30%182%/86%/54%) than Thymoglobulin (20%154%/62%/27%), daclizumab (19%/55%/70%/43%), and no-induction groups (18%/70%/69%/46%). The groups did not differ in PTLD rates (>= 94% free of PTLD at 5 years; p = 0.864). Effects were unchanged after controlling for potential covariates.

CONCLUSIONS: Alemtuzumab induction may be associated with improved outcomes in lung transplantation. Randomized controlled trials are needed to establish any effects of this agent. J Heart Lung Transplant 2011;30:743-54 (C) 2011 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Anticarcinogenic activities of

vitamin K have been observed in animal and cell studies.

Objective: On the basis of the growth inhibitory effects of vitamin K as observed in a variety of cancer cell lines, we hypothesized that dietary intake of phylloquinone (vitamin K(1)) and menaquinones (vitamin K(2)) may be associated with overall cancer incidence and mortality.

Design: In the prospective EPIC-Heidelberg (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Heidelberg) cohort study, 24,340 participants aged 35-64 y and free of cancer at enrollment (1994-1998) were actively followed up for cancer incidence and mortality through AZD9291 2008. Dietary vitamin K intake

was estimated from food-frequency questionnaires completed at baseline by using HPLC-based food-composition data. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated by using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: During a median follow-up time of >10 y, 1755 find more incident cancer cases occurred, of which 458 were fatal. Dietary intake of menaquinones was nonsignificantly inversely associated with overall cancer incidence (HR for the highest compared with the lowest quartile: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.73, 1.01; P for trend = 0.08), and the association was stronger for cancer mortality (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.98; P for trend = 0.03). Cancer risk reduction with increasing intake of menaquinones was more pronounced in men than in women, mainly driven by significant inverse associations with prostate (P for trend = 0.03) and lung (P for trend = 0.002) cancer. We found no association with phylloquinone intake.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that dietary intake of menaquinones, which is highly determined by the consumption of cheese, is associated with a reduced risk of incident and fatal cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91:1348-58.

The incidences of mammary

adenocarcinoma and pituitary an

The incidences of mammary

adenocarcinoma and pituitary anterior adenoma were higher than those of other tumors. The present results showed that the same tumors as reported in aged rats could also develop in younger rats. (DOI: 10.1293/tox.24.37: J Toxicol Pathol 2011 24: 37-40)”
“Purpose: To develop a reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-UPLC) method for the estimation of rabeprazole sodium in tablet formulations.

Methods: Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity BEH C(18) (50 x 2.1 mm, particle size 1.7 mu m) column using an isocratic method with mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) in the ratio of 35: 65 (v/v). The flow rate was 0.4 ml/min, temperature of the column was maintained at ambient, injection volume was 5 mu L and detection was made at 280 nm. The run time was as short as 2 min. Comparison of system performance with conventional FK228 research buy HPLC was made with respect to analysis time, efficiency and sensitivity.

Results: The developed method was linear for rabeprazole sodium from 0.03 – 30 mu g/ml and the linear regression obtained was > 0.999. Precision, evaluated by intra-and inter-day assay,s had relative standard deviation (R. S. D) values within 1.5 %. Recovery

data were in the range 98.0 – 101.5 % with R.S.D. values < 1.5 click here %.

Conclusion: The method is precise, accurate, linear, robust and fast. The short retention time of 1.49 min allows the analysis of a large number of samples in a short period of time and, therefore, should be cost-effective for routine analysis in the pharmaceutical industry.”
“Replacing missing bone or adding

mass to existing bone is often essential to the success of a dental implant. A large variety of graft materials have been used for maxillary and mandibular atrophy. To date, there has been no graft material which can be regarded as completely satisfactory. Our experience with freshly isolated autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells find more combined with beta-tricalcium phosphate for augmentation of the extremely atrophied maxilla is presented. The techniques are based on stimulation of natural events continuously present in living bone, that is, the process of bone remodeling. The property of the mixture material for bone augmentation to place dental implant was discussed.”
“Objective. The aims were (1) to search the scientific literature from 2007 to 2012 for guidelines and new studies on the dental management of patients using oral antithrombotic medication; (2) to summarize the articles’ evidence and recommendations; and (3) to propose an updated clinical practice guideline for general dentists.

Study Design. A systematic literature search in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Guideline websites, from October 2007 to October 2012, produced articles that were critically evaluated.

Results.

This may be in part attributed to a surge in referrals of those p

This may be in part attributed to a surge in referrals of those patients previously managed outside a tertiary institution, and suggests that patients should undergo prompt referral following suspicion for prostate cancer.”
“Background: In 2005, a nationwide survey estimated that 6.5% of households in Ethiopia owned an insecticide-treated net (ITN), 17% of households had been sprayed with insecticide, and 4% of children under five years of age with a fever were taking an anti-malarial drug. Similar to other sub-Saharan African countries scaling-up

malaria interventions, the Government of Ethiopia set an ambitious national goal in 2005 to (i) provide 100% ITN coverage in malarious areas, with PHA-739358 a mean of two ITNs per household; (ii) to scale-up indoor residual spraying of households with insecticide (IRS) to cover 30% of households targeted for IRS; and (iii) scale-up the provision of case management with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), particularly at the peripheral level.

Methods: A nationally representative malaria indicator survey (MIS) was conducted in Ethiopia between September and December 2007 to determine parasite and anaemia prevalence in PFTα cell line the population at risk and to assess coverage, use and access to scaled-up malaria

prevention and control interventions. The survey used a two-stage random cluster sample of 7,621 households in 319 census enumeration areas. A total of 32,380 people participated in the survey. Data was collected using standardized Roll Back Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group MIS household and women’s

questionnaires, which were adapted to the local context.

Results: Data presented is for households in malarious areas, which according to the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health are defined JQ-EZ-05 order as being located <2,000 m altitude. Of 5,083 surveyed households, 3,282 (65.6%) owned at least one ITN. In ITN-owning households, 53.2% of all persons had slept under an ITN the prior night, including 1,564/2,496 (60.1%) children <5 years of age, 1,891/3,009 (60.9%) of women 15 – 49 years of age, and 166/266 (65.7%) of pregnant women. Overall, 906 (20.0%) households reported to have had IRS in the past 12 months. Of 747 children with reported fever in the two weeks preceding the survey, 131 (16.3%) sought medical attention within 24 hours. Of those with fever, 86 (11.9%) took an anti-malarial drug and 41 (4.7%) took it within 24 hours of fever onset. Among 7,167 surveyed individuals of all ages, parasitaemia as estimated by microscopy was 1.0% (95% CI 0.5 – 1.5), with 0.7% and 0.3% due to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, respectively. Moderate-severe anaemia (haemoglobin <8 g/dl) was observed in 239/3,366 (6.6%, 95% CI 4.9-8.3) children <5 years of age.

Data were analyzed with SPSS software

Results:

Data were analyzed with SPSS software.

Results:

One hundred fifty-six Videos were included in the analysis. Forty videos were classified as very or moderately useful (25.6%). Sources of the videos were as follows: patient experience, 103 videos (66%); physician, 30 (19%); surgical technique, 14 (9%); and news report, 9 (6%). Physician sourced information was generally at least moderately useful (58%) and patient experience videos were the predominant source of videos categorized as not useful or misleading (50%). Physician sourced information (coefficient = 0.61; 95% CI: .21 to 1.00,p = 0.003) and PT search term GSK2126458 concentration (coefficient = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.05 to .47, p = 0.017) were the most useful videos after adjusting for mean duration, days learn more online, number of views and page search.

Conclusion: YouTube has a large number of videos on pediatric tonsillectomy with a variety of content ranging from very useful to not useful, and misleading. Health care professionals must recognize the potential influence that these video Web sites may have on patient attitudes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Glycerol dehydratase (GDHt) is the rate limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol. The optimization of inducting process for recombinant GDHt from Klebsiella pneumoniae XJPD-Li

Carried out to increase specific activity and ratio of soluble form. The optimum Condition was inducing under the isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside Concentration of 0.8 mM and the temperature of 20 degrees C for 3 h. Homogeneity of

GDHt then was obtained by affinity Chromatography, resulted in 2.11-fold purification and an overall yield of 47.5%. The optimum pH and reaction temperature of GDHt were pH 8.0 and 45 degrees C, respectively. The K(m) for glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-ethanediol and Coenzyme B(12) were 0.48 mM, 1.43 mM, 3.07 mM, and 10.03 nM, respectively. The GDHt showed relatively stable even under temperature of 40 degrees C and a bit blunt to oxygen. The thermo-inactivation kinetic models were fit linear under different temperatures.”
“Background: In the past decade, there has been a trend toward open reduction and internal fixation of unstable distal radial PXD101 Epigenetics inhibitor fractures. There are now more than thirty different implant designs specific for the fixation of distal radial fractures. A multicenter prospective study of a case series was conducted to determine the efficacy of the operative management of distal radial fractures stabilized with 2.4-mm locking plates.

Methods: One hundred and fifty patients were entered into the study over a two-year period. The mean age of these patients was fifty-one years, and the cohort included eighty-eight women and sixty-two men. Eighty-six patients sustained a low-energy injury. Seventy-one percent of the fractures in the series were intra-articular and were Type C according to the Muller-AO Comprehensive Classification.

Patients undergoing elective open or endovascular AAA repair were

Patients undergoing elective open or endovascular AAA repair were assessed with applanation tonometry and laser fluximetry pre-operatively, immediately Selleck β-Nicotinamide and long-term post-operatively.

Replacement of a small segment of abnormal conduit vessel resulted in improvements in AI, demonstrating that arterial stiffness can be surgically manipulated.

These results reflect a decreased myocardial workload post-aortic grafting. This decrease in AI is

important from a risk factor management perspective, and arterial stiffness should become a further recognised and screened for risk factor in patients with known aneurysmal disease.”
“Background: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) often causes disseminated infection in patients at an advanced stage of HIV infection; however, peritonitis GDC-0994 nmr associated with disseminated

MAC infection is rare.

Methods: In this report, we describe five cases of MAC peritonitis in AIDS patients at our hospital, and analyze these cases alongside 11 previously published cases found in the literature.

Results: Most of the AIDS patients with MAC peritonitis had CD4 counts of <50 cetts/mu l and elevated alkaline phosphatase levels. Other than ascites, MAC was also isolated from other sterile and non-sterile sites. Of note, six patients (37.5%) presented with chylous ascites.

Conclusions: Despite therapy, MAC find more peritonitis is associated with a grave outcome. (c) 2008 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The electrophysiological consequences of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in ischemic heart disease have not been fully understood.

Swine myocardial infarction (MI) model by intracoronary balloon occlusion received MSC solution or 0.9% NaCl. Six weeks later, heart rate turbulence (HRT), dispersion of action potential durations (APD) and repolarization time (RT) (APDd and RTd), slope of APD reconstitution curve and programmed electrical stimulation were used

to evaluate the ventricular arrhythmic risks.

MSC treatment could significantly ameliorate the abnormal HRT, APD(90), APDd, RT and RTd. The slope of APD reconstitution curve in MSC group was higher than control group but lower than MI group. MSC therapy markedly reduced inducible malignant ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), and improved impaired cardiac performances and cardiac fibrosis.

This study provides strong evidence that MSC infusion via intracoronary route does not cause VAs but tends to reduce the risk of malignant VAs.”
“Objective To examine the effects of noninvasive pulsed radio frequency energy (PRFE) on recurrent migraine headache associated with occipital neuralgia.

Thus the aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of a

Thus the aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of age on the angiographic and clinical

outcome patients with STEMI undergoing primary angioplasty with Gp IIb-IIIa inhibitors. Our population is represented by a total of 1,662 patients undergoing primary angioplasty for STEMI included in 11 randomized trials comparing early versus late administration of Gp IIb-IIIa inhibitors. Myocardial perfusion was evaluated by myocardial blush grade and ST-segment resolution. Follow-up data were collected between 30 days and 1 year after SU5402 cost primary angioplasty. A total of 231 (13.9 %) patients were older than 75 years. Elderly patients showed a larger prevalence of female gender, hypertension, and diabetes, more advanced Killip class at presentation and longer time to treatment, but a smaller prevalence of smoking. All patients were treated with URMC-099 solubility dmso GP IIb-IIIa inhibitors. Elderly patients showed a significantly impaired postprocedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow (TIMI 0-2: 17.7 vs 10.3 %, P = 0.002) and myocardial perfusion (myocardial blush grade 0-1: 38.3 vs 26.5 %, P = 0.001), and higher prevalence of distal embolization (19.2 vs 9.8 %, P < 0.001), whereas no difference was observed in terms of ST-segment resolution. At follow-up, elderly patients showed a significantly

higher mortality (3.2 vs 11.0 %, hazard ratio (HR) (95 % confidence interval (CI)) =

3.78 (2.31-6.16), P < 0.001), which was confirmed after adjustment for baseline confounding factors (HR (95 % CI) = 5.01 (2.63-9.55), P < 0.0001). This study showed that among patients with STEMI undergoing primary angioplasty, advanced age is an independent predictor of mortality after primary angioplasty. Higher rates of distal embolization and poor myocardial perfusion, in addition to the worse risk profile, contribute toward explaining the impact of aging on mortality.”
“BACKGROUND: The degradation and mineralisation of the antibiotic amoxicillin by photo-Fenton reactions, mediated by artificial UVA or solar irradiation, were investigated. Experiments were conducted with 30 mg L-1 amoxicillin solutions prepared selleck compound with deionised or surface water at Fe2+ and H2O2 concentrations in the range 0.0179-0.0895 and 1-10 mmol L-1, respectively. Black-light irradiation at 365 nm was provided by a 13 W m(-2) lamp, while samples were exposed to sunlight at 20 W m(-2) for solar experiments.

RESULTS: In all cases, quantitative amoxicillin degradation occurred within 5 min and this was accompanied by lower mineralisation rates. Mineralisation followed first-order kinetics with respect to organic carbon content and it was not affected by the water matrix with either type of illumination. Solar-induced reactions were only marginally faster than artificial irradiation.

41 (95 %CI 1 18-5 17) and 2 70 (95%CI 1 03-8 08) Fifteen years o

41 (95 %CI 1.18-5.17) and 2.70 (95%CI 1.03-8.08). Fifteen years or more of paternal education was independently associated with an increased risk of eczema, but not of doctor-diagnosed atopic eczema (adjusted OR 1.89, 95%Cl 1.07-3.42). Mother’s employment, mother’s job type and household income were not related to any of the outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: Higher maternal educational level may increase the risk of wheeze and asthma, while higher paternal educational level may increase the risk of eczema.”
“Renal

function, diurnal fluctuations in arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion, sex, and advanced age affect urine formation and may contribute to nocturia. Renal effects of AVP are mediated by AVP V-2 receptors in the kidney buy JQ1 collecting duct. Changes in AVP concentration have the greatest relative effects on urine volume when AVP

levels are low; therefore small changes can have a large effect on renal water excretion. AVP is the major regulator of water excretion by the kidneys, and AVP levels have been shown to affect nocturnal voiding. Results of several studies show that patients with nocturia had no significant variation in plasma AVP, whereas patients without nocturia had significant diurnal variation in plasma AVP. The V-2 receptor gene is located on the X chromosome,

which Rigosertib cost has important sex-specific consequences. For example, mutations in the V-2 gene can cause nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, predominantly in men. Age-related changes in water metabolism are associated with overall body composition, kidney, and brain. Older people generally experience decreased GW-572016 cost extracellular fluid and plasma volume, which leads to increased adverse consequences from net body water gain or loss. Renal function declines with age, and the ability to concentrate urine and conserve sodium is reduced in the elderly. Thirst perception is also decreased in the elderly, who, compared with younger people, tend to hypersecrete AVP in response to higher plasma osmolality, possibly resulting in hyponatremia. These aspects of renal physiology should be considered when antidiuretic drugs are prescribed for the treatment of nocturia. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:S6-S9, 2014. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“Background: Internal fixation and arthroplasty are the two main options for the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly. The optimal treatment remains controversial. Using data from the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register, we compared the results of hemiarthroplasty and internal screw fixation in displaced femoral neck fractures.

0 +/- 2 2 min, 13 14 +/- 3 76 min, 22 5 +/- 4 37 min, respectivel

0 +/- 2.2 min, 13.14 +/- 3.76 min, 22.5 +/- 4.37 min, respectively, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Intraumbilical injection of uterotonics, namely oxytocin, ergometrine and dissolved misoprostol in saline, are closely effective in the management of

retained placenta, with misoprostol being slightly more effective. This method may have a role in minimizing the need for manual removal of the placenta and its adverse sequelae.”
“OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic SN-38 manufacturer value of platelet counts in acute kidney injury patients requiring renal replacement therapy.

METHODS: This prospective cohort study was performed in three tertiary-care hospitals. Platelet counts were obtained upon admission to the intensive care unit and during the first week of renal replacement therapy CYT387 on days 1, 3, 5 and 7. The outcome of interest was the hospital mortality rate. With the aim of minimizing individual variation, we analyzed the relative platelet counts on days 3, 5, 7 and at the point of the largest

variation during the first week of renal replacement therapy. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the prognostic value of the platelet counts.

RESULTS: The study included 274 patients. The hospital mortality rate was 62%. The survivors had significantly higher platelet counts upon admission to the intensive care unit compared to the non-survivors [175.5 x 10(3)/mm(3) (108.5-259 x 10(3)/mm(3)) vs. 148 x 10(3)/mm(3) (80-141 x 10(3)/mm(3))] and during the first week of renal replacement therapy. The relative platelet count reductions

were significantly associated with a higher hospital mortality rate compared with the platelet count increases (70% vs. 44% at the nadir, respectively). A relative platelet count reduction >60% was significantly associated with a worse outcome (mortality rate = 82.6%). Relative Ro-3306 nmr platelet count variations and the percentage of reduction were independent risk factors of hospital mortality during the first week of renal replacement therapy.

CONCLUSION: Platelet counts upon admission to the intensive care unit and at the beginning of renal replacement therapy as well as sequential platelet count evaluation have prognostic value in acute kidney injury patients requiring renal replacement therapy.”
“By Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of peurutenicin triflate with arylboric, furanylboric, pyridinylboric, and indolylboric acids the corresponding 7-aryl(hetaryl)coumarins were synthesized. The high activity of hetaryl-substituted boric acids in the Suzuki reaction was observed. Heck reaction of 7-O-trifluoromethylsulfonylpeur utenicin with terminal olefins (styrene, vinylpyridines, vinylpyrazine, vinyltriazole) was used to prepare (E)-7-[aryl(hetaryl)vinyl]coumarins. The dependence of reaction products yield on the nature of the catalytic system was found.”
“Escherichia coli is widely used host for the intracellular expression of many proteins.

Methods: Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxi

Methods: Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine levels were

determined in HIV carriers undergoing follow-up at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center HIV clinic in Jerusalem, Israel, and these thyroid measurements were correlated with clinical and laboratory variables pertaining to their disease, including disease duration, drug therapy, viral load, CD4 count, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and creatine kinase. Serum samples stored at -20 degrees C from the time of referral were tested as well.

Results: We recruited 121 consecutive patients with HIV or AIDS for this study: 60 Ethiopians and 61 Israeli patients. Of the 121 patients, 4 (3%) had abnormal thyroid function subclinical hypothyroidism in 2, overt hypothyroidism in 1, and overt hyperthyroidism Selleckchem YM155 in 1. Previously stored serum samples were available for 60 of the 121 patients and revealed 2 additional patients with subclinical hypothyroidism,

whose TSH has normalized in the subsequent test. Throughout the follow-up period of 3.2 +/- 1.9 years, the mean C59 wnt TSH level remained unchanged in the Israeli cohort but significantly declined in the Ethiopian cohort.

Conclusion: Thyroid function abnormalities were uncommon in these Israeli patients with HIV or AIDS. This finding does not support the need for routine thyroid function tests in this patient population. The decline in TSH level in the Ethiopian population over time probably represents a shift from an iodine-deficient to an iodine-sufficient country. (Endocr Pract. 2012;18:882-886)”
“Aim: To determine the current status of fetal CHD screening in our region and to establish a CHD screening system in Japan.

Material and Methods: Subjects were 168 fetuses

prenatally-diagnosed with CHD at four click here referral centers in Japan from 2003 to 2007. Subjects were divided into two groups: group A (n = 84) included cases without extracardiac sonographic abnormalities and known risk factors for CHD and group B (n = 84) included those with extracardiac sonographic abnormalities or risk factors. The diagnostics and outcomes between the groups were analyzed.

Results: There were more cases of single ventricle and restrictive ductus arteriosus and fewer cases of ventricular septal defect and double outlet right ventricle in groupA than in group B (P < 0.05). In group A, the most frequent referral reason was an abnormal four-chamber view. In group B, 37 cases had chromosomal anomalies. The mortality rates in group B were higher than those in group A (P < 0.05). There were no differences in mortality rates between fetuses without chromosomal anomalies in group B and group A.

Conclusion: Prenatally-diagnosed CHD were mostly limited to those cases with obvious abnormalities in the four-chamber view or those with chromosomal anomalies. Prenatal detection of CHD is useful for the prediction of outcomes.