A population of 211 Melanesian babies born in Port Moresby after a known gestation were studied using the Dubowitz gestational assessment in order to assess the method in Melanesians. After exclusion of obvious outliers the regression equation for gestational age on total score was not significantly different from that of Dubowitz. Melanesian babies had relatively more mature neurological scores than external scores. The Dubowitz method of gestational assessment may be used without restandardization in a Melanesian population.
Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Melanesia - ethnology ; Observer Variation ; Papua New Guinea

Objective To investigate the plasma level change of myeloperoxidase(MPO)in patients suffering from stable angina pectoris.Methods Five hundred and seventy three patients underwent elective coronary angiography in a bi-racial cohort study,which included 295 patients with stable angina peetoris(SAP)and 278 subjects served as control.Plasma level of MPO and traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease(CAD)were measured.Results MPO levels did not differ significantly between control group and SAP group[126.3(95.8-160.2)mg/L vs 123.6(97.4-150.0) mg/L P＞0.05].MPO levels were similar across ethnicity and gender[black male 119.6(94.8-146.9) mg/L,white male 124.6(99.9～154.6)mg/L,black female 124.0(93.3～152.3)mg/L and white female 127.5(95.3～159.8)mg/L],and were correlated positively with the levels ofⅦfactor(r= 0.251,P＜0.01),fasting plasma glucose(r=0.095,P＜0.05),triglyceride(r=0.186,P＜0.01), total cholesterol(r=0.081,P＜0.05),high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(r=0.123,P＜0.01) and fibrinogen levels(r=0.077,P＜0.01),negatively correlated with adiponectin level(r=-0.115, P＜0.01).Conclusions Plasma MPO level is not elevated in patients with SAP.This suggests that MPO is not a characteristic feature of SAP.There are also no significant relationships between different genders and between different ethnicities.

Objective To explore the conception,mechanism,clinical manifestations,diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of ectopic pituitary adenoma. Methods The clinical data of 3 patients with ectopic pituitary adenoma, admitted to our hospital from October 2010 to March 2011, were retrospectively analyzed and discussed by reviewing the relevant literature. Results Clinical manifestations ofectopic pituitary adenoma were as follows:2 had headache,1 had sexual dysfunction and blurred vision, and 1 had acromegalia combined with psychiatric symptom. Endocrinological examination showed that 1 had obviously increased growth hormone (GH) and 1 increased prolactin (PRL).MRI scan indicated that 2 were located in sphenoid sinus and I was located in the sphenoid sinus and clivus.Contrast-enhanced MRI showed enhanced lesions.Total removal was achieved in 2 patients through the trans-sphenoidal approach; partial removal was achieved in the patient with sphenoid sinus and clivus.Pathology examination demonstrated as pituitary adenomas. Conclusion The patients with ectopic pituitary adenoma have neurological dysfunction or/and endocrinological dysfunction; CT and MRI play valuable role in their diagnosis; radical resection of tumor can achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at risk of psychological distress. This study evaluates the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on HCWs in a national paediatric referral centre. METHODS: This was a survey-based study that collected demographic, work environment and mental health data from paediatric HCWs in the emergency, intensive care and infectious disease units. Psychological impact was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with psychological distress. RESULTS: The survey achieved a response rate of 93.9% (430 of 458). Of the 430 respondents, symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were reported in 168 (39.1%), 205 (47.7%) and 106 (24.7%), respectively. Depression was reported in the mild (47, 10.9%), moderate (76, 17.7%), severe (23, 5.3%) and extremely severe (22, 5.1%) categories. Anxiety (205, 47.7%) and stress (106, 24.7%) were reported in the mild category only. Collectively, regression analysis identified female sex, a perceived lack of choice in work scope/environment, lack of protection from COVID-19, lack of access to physical activities and rest, the need to perform additional tasks, and the experience of stigma from the community as risk factors for poor psychological outcome. CONCLUSION A high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was reported among frontline paediatric HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal psychoneuroimmunity and organisational prevention measures can be implemented to lessen psychiatric symptoms. At the national level, involving mental health professionals to plan and coordinate psychological intervention for the country should be considered.
Adult ; Anxiety/etiology* ; COVID-19/psychology* ; Depression/etiology* ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Hospitals, Pediatric ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Occupational Diseases/etiology* ; Pandemics ; Personnel, Hospital/psychology* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Self Report ; Severity of Illness Index ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Stress, Psychological/etiology*

Age-related sporadic cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) has gained increasing attention over the past decades because of its increasing prevalence associated with an aging population. The widespread application of and advances in brain magnetic resonance imaging in recent decades have significantly increased researchers' understanding in the in vivo evolution of CSVD, its impact upon the brain, its risk factors, and the mechanisms that explain the various clinical manifestation associated with sporadic CSVD. In this review, we aimed to provide an update on the pathophysiology, risk factors, biomarkers, and the determinants and spectrum of the clinical manifestation of sporadic CSVD.
Aged ; Aging ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pandemics

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and is a major cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide (Forner et al., 2018; He et al., 2023). Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by an accelerated loss of skeletal muscle (SM) mass that may be age-related or the result of malnutrition in cancer patients (Cruz-Jentoft and Sayer, 2019). Preoperative sarcopenia in HCC patients treated with hepatectomy or liver transplantation is an independent risk factor for poor survival (Voron et al., 2015; van Vugt et al., 2016). Previous studies have used various criteria to define sarcopenia, including muscle area and density. However, the lack of standardized diagnostic methods for sarcopenia limits their clinical use. In 2018, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) renewed a consensus on the definition of sarcopenia: low muscle strength, loss of muscle quantity, and poor physical performance (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2019). Radiological imaging-based measurement of muscle quantity or mass is most commonly used to evaluate the degree of sarcopenia. The gold standard is to measure the SM and/or psoas muscle (PM) area using abdominal computed tomography (CT) at the third lumbar vertebra (L3), as it is linearly correlated to whole-body SM mass (van Vugt et al., 2016). According to a "North American Expert Opinion Statement on Sarcopenia," SM index (SMI) is the preferred measure of sarcopenia (Carey et al., 2019). The variability between morphometric muscle indexes revealed that they have different clinical relevance and are generally not applicable to broader populations (Esser et al., 2019).
Humans ; Aged ; Sarcopenia/diagnostic imaging* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnostic imaging* ; Muscle, Skeletal/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Prognosis ; Radiomics ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies