bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Good accuracy of ultrasound estimations of fetal weight performed by midwives
Authors: MATTSSON NINA , ROSENDAHL HENRIK , LUUKKAALA TIINA 
Published: May 2007

AbstractBackground. This study was undertaken to evaluate the quality of ultrasound estimation of fetal weight when performed by midwives experienced in ultrasound examinations. We also examined whether the accuracy was affected by fetal presentation, twin pregnancy or birth weight category. The results of 5 different formulas were compared to determine which was most accurate in our study population. Methods. The study population consisted of 620 fetuses in 607 pregnancies, on whom fetal weight estimations had been performed within 3 days prior to delivery. The group of twins (n = 27) was analysed separately. Results achieved by Hadlock 2 formula used in our unit were compared with 4 other widely used formulas for estimation of fetal weight. Results. With Hadlock 2 formula, mean absolute percent error was 6.2% and SD of error was 7.6% of mean birth weight. A total of 81% of estimates were within 10% of the actual birth weight. All the formulas tended to overestimate the weight of twins and fetuses weighing <2,500 g, and underestimate the weight of fetuses >4,000 g. Presentation of the fetus did not significantly influence the accuracy. The formula Hadlock 2, using 3 parameters (biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference and femur length) gave the highest ICC of 0.910. Conclusions. Ultrasound estimation of fetal weight performed by midwives is feasible and of similar accuracy as in the original studies. Major errors may occur both in small and large birth weight groups.
Vaginal sacrospinous colpopexy and laparoscopic sacral colpopexy for vaginal vault prolapse
Authors: MARCICKIEWICZ J. , KJÖLLESDAL M. , ELLSTRÖM ENGH M. , EKLIND S. , AXÉN C. , BRÄNNSTRÖM M. , STJERNDAHL J.‐H. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractBackground. Vaginal sacrospinous colpopexy (VSC) and laparoscopic sacral colpopexy (LSC) both correct vault prolapse. The present study compares the perioperative course and long‐term results of VSC and LSC. Methods. This retrospective study of post‐hysterectomy vault prolapse involved 111 patients operated with either VSC (n = 51) or LSC (n = 60). The median time for the postoperative follow‐up visit was 33.6 (range: 13–60) months for the LSC group and 38.4 (range: 7–108) months for the VSC group. Prolapse grade as well as the patient's satisfaction was recorded at the follow‐up visit. Results. Operation time was significantly shorter in the VSC group (median: 62 min) compared to the LSC group (median: 129 min). The rate of perioperative complications was low in both groups. There were 3 laparotomies in the LSC group, due to perioperative complications. The inpatients days were similar, with 3.7 days (1–18) and 4.0 days (2–21) in the VSC and the LSC group, respectively. Surgery for the recurrence of vault prolapse at any time before the follow‐up visit did not occur in the VSC group, but occurred in 7 patients in the LSC group. At the follow‐up visit, there was no recurrence of vault prolapse in either group. The subjective success rate was 82% in the VSC and 78% in the LSC group. Conclusions. This study indicates that VSC and LSC are two equally effective surgical procedures to correct vaginal vault prolapse, but the LSC technique requires a longer operating time.
The cervical cancer screening program from a midwife's perspective
Authors: IDESTRÖM MONICA , MILSOM IAN , ANDERSSON‐ELLSTRÖM AGNETA 
Published: May 2007

AbstractBackground. Midwives in Sweden are responsible for taking Papanicolaou (Pap) smears as part of the cervical cancer screening program. The aim of this study was to investigate midwives knowledge, experience and management of the cervical cancer screening program, and their apprehension of women's knowledge about Pap‐smear screening. Methods. A postal questionnaire was sent to midwives working in primary health care in 3 different areas in Sweden. A total of 156 (77%) out of 201 midwives completed the questionnaire. Results. Four of 5 midwives considered themselves to have the education they needed to manage the screening program. However, the study indicated that midwives lacked a basic structure when giving information. As many as every third midwife refrained from or had an irrelevant answer to the proposed question, what is meant by a cellular atypia? Almost all midwives saw themselves as the main informant about Pap‐smear screening. At the same time, the midwives perceived that women lacked knowledge about cellular atypia, and thought it was the same as cancer. Some 38% of the midwives expressed a wish to terminate the ‘assembly line‐like’ screening system. The remaining midwives were completely satisfied with the organisation. Conclusions. Many midwives lacked time and a structured guidance when discussing screening and cervical atypia. Improvement in the organisation and certified education for Pap‐smear screening with access to recent research, could develop a more empowering exchange between the midwives and the women participating in cervical screening.
Quality of Life of Chinese Schizophrenia Outpatients in Hong Kong: Relationship to Sociodemographic Factors and Symptomatology
Authors: Xiang Yu-Tao , Weng Yong-Zhen , Leung Chi-Ming , Tang Wai-Kwong , Ungvari Gabor S. 
Published: May 2007

Objective: To explore the relationships between sociodemographic and clinical factors and quality of life (QOL) in a cohort of Chinese schizophrenia outpatients. Method:Two hundred subjects with a diagnosis of DSM-IV schizophrenia aged 18–60 years were randomly selected, and their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including psychotic and depressive symptoms, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and quality of life were assessed. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationships of sociodemographic, clinical data and QOL. Results: Compared to normative data obtained for the general population in Hong Kong, significantly lower scores in physical, psychological, and social QOL domains were found in the patient group. History of suicidal attempts and the presence of positive, negative, depressive, anxiety and EPS symptoms were all significantly correlated with QOL in schizophrenia patients. After controlling for the effects of variables that were significantly correlated with QOL in the correlation analysis, however, only depressive symptoms were still significantly correlated with each QOL domain. Multiple regression analysis showed that depressive symptoms predicted all QOL domains, while positive symptoms predicted overall and physical QOL domains. Conclusions: Chinese outpatients with schizophrenia had poorer QOL than the general population. In this patient population, QOL was more strongly related to the severity of depressive symptoms and was independent of sociodemographic factors.
Diagnostic Stability 2 Years After Treatment Initiation in the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme in Singapore
Authors: Subramaniam Mythily , Pek Elaine , Verma Swapna , Huak Chan Yiong , Ann Chong Siow 
Published: May 2007

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic stability of psychotic disorders over a 2 year period in patients presenting with first-episode psychosis. Methods: One hundred and fifty-four patients were recruited from an early psychosis intervention programme (EPIP). They were diagnosed by the attending psychiatrist using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I at first contact (baseline) and after 24 months. The diagnoses were classified into the following categories: schizophrenia spectrum disorders (schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder and schizoaffective disorder), affective psychosis (bipolar and major depressive disorders with psychotic symptoms), and other non-affective psychosis (delusional disorder, psychosis not otherwise specified and brief psychotic disorder). Two measueres of stability, the prospective and the retrospective consistency were determined for each diagnosis. Results: The diagnoses with the best prospective consistency were schizophrenia (87.0%) and affective psychosis (54.5%). The shift into schizophrenia spectrum disorder was the most frequent diagnostic change. Duration of untreated psychosis was found to be the only significant predictor of shift. Conclusion: It is difficult to make a definitive diagnosis at first contact. The clinical need to review the diagnosis throughout the period of follow up is emphasized.
Suicide in New South Wales Prisons, 1995–2005: Towards a Better Understanding
Authors: O'Driscoll Colmán , Samuels Anthony , Zacka Mark 
Published: May 2007

Objectives: This paper reports on a review of suicides in New South Wales (NSW) prisons from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2005 in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the nature and quality of the problem of suicide among prisoners. Method: All deaths in NSW prisons for the period were reviewed. Those identified as self-inflicted, with a coronial finding of death by suicide or those awaiting a coronial hearing but reported as possible death by suicide were included. A data set was collected on each case and entered into a database. Results: A total of 92 cases were identified as deaths by suicide in NSW prisons from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2005, representing 41% of all deaths in custody for the period. Conclusion: The rate of suicide in NSW prisons has been declining over the past 10 years, but remains approximately 10-fold that of the NSW community. Suicide was the leading cause of death among NSW inmates from 1995 to 2005. Suicide is a rare event, making its prediction a difficult task, with the prison environment a further compounding factor. This review highlights a number of factors, which appear to be common in many cases. Increased monitoring during the first week of incarceration may be an effective intervention. It is recommended that consideration be given to the length of time spent on remand and the value of custodial sentences of ≤6 months.
Maternal Partner Criminality and Cannabis use in Young Adulthood: Prospective Study
Authors: Hayatbakhsh Mohammad R. , Kinner Stuart A. , Jamrozik Konrad , Najman Jake M. , Mamun Abdullah A. 
Published: May 2007

Objectives: The present study examined whether the experience of the arrest or incarceration of a mother's partner before a child reached 14 years of age was associated with use of cannabis in early adulthood and, if so, whether this association was confounded or mediated by other factors. Method: Data were from the Mater Hospital University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, a prospective birth cohort study in Brisbane, Australia. The history of partner arrest and incarceration was reported by mothers at the 14 year follow up. Mothers were divided into four groups: mothers whose partner had no history of arrest or incarceration, mothers reporting partner arrest, mothers reporting partner incarceration, and unpartnered mothers. Young adults’ cannabis use was assessed at 21 years. Other covariates were prospectively measured between birth and 14 years. Results: After controlling for potential confounding and mediating factors, frequent use of cannabis at age 21 was more likely among young adults with a history of maternal partner arrest (odds ratio=2.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.4–3.8). There was no significant association between maternal partner incarceration or single motherhood, and cannabis use at age 21. Conclusions: Arrest of the mother's partner before the child is 14 is associated with that child's increased cannabis use at age 21 but this does not appear to be the case for children whose fathers have been imprisoned. It appears that for children whose fathers have been arrested, the father's ongoing presence in the family may result in worse outcomes for the child, including an increased risk of cannabis use in young adulthood.
Process of Care in General Hospital Psychiatric Units: National Survey In Italy
Authors: Gigantesco Antonella , Miglio Rossella , Santone Giovanni , de Girolamo Giovanni , Bracco Renata , Morosini Pierluigi , Norcio Bruno , Picardi Angelo ,   for the PROGRES group
Published: May 2007

Objective: To investigate the process of care in Italian public acute inpatient facilities. Method: Each facility's head psychiatrist (in all Italian regions except Sicily) completed a structured interview concerning provision of treatment and facility rules. Results: Twenty-three university psychiatric clinics with 399 beds (mean=17.3 beds), 16 24 h community mental health centers with 98 beds (mean=6.1 beds), and 262 general hospital psychiatric units with 3431 beds (mean=13.1 beds) were surveyed. Mean length of stay was 18.5±7.1 days, 37.0±55.3 days and 12.0±3.4 days, respectively. Pharmacotherapy was ubiquitous. Approximately 80% of facilities held regular clinical evaluations, supportive talks, and counselling. Dynamic focused psychotherapy was available in 29% of the facilities; 24% provided cognitive behavioural therapy; 32% family therapy; and 39% structured rehabilitative intervention. Vocational training and activities targeted at helping patient integration into their local communities were uncommon. Most facilities did not allow the possession of cutting utensils (96%), personally possessed medication (96%), or lighters (72%), and most had locked doors (75%). Fewer facilities (37%) prohibited the use of mobile phones (32%) and metal knives during mealtimes (37%). Frequency of physical restraint was associated with number of internal rules. Delivery of psychotherapy was associated with nurst provision. Conclusions: The process of psychiatric inpatient care in Italy shows considerable variability. Future clinical practice guidelines should address the currently limited provision of evidence-based psychosocial intervention in these facilities. Efforts should also be devoted to improving the effectiveness of the hospital–community mental health service interface.
Implicit attitudes towards romantic partners predict well‐being in stressful life conditions: Evidence from the antenatal maternity ward
Authors: Banse Rainer , Kowalick Claudia 
Published: May 2007

An idiographic variant of the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) was used to investigate how implicit attitudes towards romantic partners are related to explicit attitudes, relationship‐related variables such as adult attachment and relationship satisfaction, and psychological well‐being as a potential outcome of relationship quality. The validity of the Partner‐IAT was investigated using a known group approach that contrasted abused women currently living in a refuge (N = 22), women who had recently fallen in love (N = 19), women who were currently hospitalized due to pregnancy complications (N = 48), and a control group of female students (N = 52). Across the whole sample, the Partner‐IAT showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = .83). As expected, the analysis of group differences revealed that abused women living in a refuge showed more negative implicit and explicit attitudes toward (ex‐)partners than women belonging to the other three groups. Women in love showed the most positive partner attitudes, but the difference to the control group reached significance only for explicit but not implicit attitudes. Implicit attitudes toward partners correlated significantly with explicit attitudes, secure attachment, and psychological well‐being. To investigate whether implicit and explicit partner attitudes can predict important relationship outcomes, psychological well‐being was regressed on both variables in group‐wise hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Explicit partner attitudes were significantly related to psychological well‐being in student controls and hospitalized pregnant women. However, only in hospitalized pregnant women did implicit attitudes account for variance in well‐being over and above explicit attitudes. This pattern of results is compatible with the notion that positive implicit representations of the romantic partner can function as a genuine coping resource that effectively buffers against major stressful life circumstances.
Renal artery aneurysm: diagnosis and surveillance with multidetector-row computed tomography
Authors: Zhang L. J. , Yang G. F. , Qi J. , Shen W. 
Published: May 2007

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of renal artery aneurysms, and to assess the value of multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in diagnosing renal artery aneurysms. Material and Methods: Altogether, 862 patients underwent arterial-phase contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen in the period November 2003 to October 2005. A search for renal artery aneurysms was performed in our reporting system and revealed six patients with renal artery aneurysm (RAA). Results: The incidence of RAA was 0.7%. All renal artery aneurysms were solitary, located in the main trunk or the first branch of the renal artery, with sizes from 1.5 cm to 3.4 cm. Five aneurysms were saccular, one fusiform. No underlying thrombosis was seen. Extensive calcification was found in one aneurysm. Three aneurysms were diagnosed using axial images, while three aneurysms were only displayed by volume rendering and maximum-intensity projection images. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a 0.7% incidence of renal artery aneurysms in a total of 862 patients. MDCT has an important role in detecting and assessing renal artery aneurysms. Some aneurysms can only be displayed by post-processing techniques such as volume rendering and maximum-intensity projection.
Radiofrequency ablation of colorectal liver metastases: long-term survival
Authors: Sørensen S. M. , Mortensen F. V. , Nielsen D. T. 
Published: May 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the results of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy with regard to long-term survival and rate of complications in patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma. Material and Methods: A total of 102 patients were included and treated with RFA. In 100 patients, resection was not possible; two patients refused surgery. The patients had a total of 332 colorectal liver metastases. Pre- and post-treatment evaluation was performed with contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Survival from time of diagnosis of liver metastases was calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Complications were recorded as minor or major in accordance with the definitions of the Society for Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology. Results: Estimated median survival from time of diagnosis of liver metastases was 52 months (95% CI 34–82). Estimated 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survival was 96%, 79%, 64%, 52%, and 44%, respectively. Minor complications were recorded following seven RFA treatments (4.0%) and major complications following 12 RFA treatments (6.9%). Conclusion: RFA is an effective method to treat liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma. Survival is improved and comparable with survival following surgical resection. The rate of complications is low.
Preoperative embolization of lower-falx meningiomas with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer: technical and anatomical aspects
Authors: Rossitti S. 
Published: May 2007

Purpose: To report the feasibility of using ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVAC) for embolization of lower-falx meningiomas. Material and Methods: Three patients were treated. The procedures were done under general anesthesia. A terminal branch of the middle cerebral artery in the proximity of the tumor was catheterized as near as possible or into the pre-falcine arterial anastomotic network around the superior sagittal sinus, and embolization with EVAC was performed with a standard injection technique. Results: This technique resulted in filling of the tumor-supplying dural arteries including all collaterals from both sides, filling of the dural territory of the tumor circulation, and some obliteration of the tumor's pial supply. On later operation, the tumors could be removed from the inside out with minimal brain retraction. Conclusion: Effective preoperative embolization of lower-falx meningiomas using EVAC is feasible. This technique has a sound anatomical basis, and it can be used with benefit even in falx meningiomas with predominantly pial vascular supply.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the femoral neck cortex
Authors: Sievänen H. , Karstila T. , Apuli P. , Kannus P. 
Published: May 2007

Purpose: To determine the in vivo precision and accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating the thin (˜mm) femoral neck cortex. Material and Methods: Hip regions of 30 volunteers were scanned with standard 1.5T MRI twice with repositioning, and the images of the narrow-neck cross-sections were obtained. Two radiologists independently delineated periosteal and endosteal cortical boundaries, and several structural variables were determined. For precision, 95% limits of agreement and coefficients of variation were calculated. Accuracy was determined with phantoms. Results: In vivo precision of the directly delineated measurements varied from 0.9% (periosteal circumference) to 1.6% (total area), while the precision of the calculated variables remained poorer, from 7.3% (cortical to total area ratio) to 15.1% (torsional rigidity). The root-mean-square error of the cortical thickness measurement was 0.15 mm. Conclusion: Thin cortical bone at the narrowest location of the femoral neck can be delineated precisely and accurately with a standard clinical 1.5T MRI device. MRI provides a feasible tool for the assessment of mechanically important cortical bone at the femoral neck and may be of clinical utility in assessing hip fragility.
The exactness of left ventricular segmentation in cine magnetic resonance imaging and its impact on systolic function values
Authors: Barbier Ebeling C. , Johansson L. , Lind L. , Ahlström H. , Bjerner T. 
Published: May 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of exactness of the segmentation of the left ventricle (LV), using cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and methods: Steady-state free-precession cine MRI was performed on 100 randomly selected subjects. Myocardial borders were outlined on short-axis images using three methods: method 1 was computer assisted, excluding papillary muscles from the left ventricular mass (LVM); method 2 was similar but included papillary muscles; and method 3 was manually traced including papillary muscles. LV end-systolic (ES) and end-diastolic (ED) masses and volumes, ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), and cardiac output (CO) were calculated from these measurements. The difference between the ES and ED LVM was used to estimate the exactness of the methods. Results: Method 3 was the most exact, and method 1 was the least exact. The three methods generated differing EF, SV, and CO measurements. With an ES–ED LVM difference exceeding 20 g, the mean SV measurement error was 8.8±3.6 ml. Conclusion: Manual tracing proved more exact than computer-assisted quantification. Exactness had an impact on EF, SV, and CO measurements, and the ES–ED LVM difference can be used to identify assessments that would benefit from more exact segmentation.