Volumen 14 (2020): Heft 1 (February 2020)

High-quality prenatal care has a significant positive impact on maternal and infant health as it helps timely diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy complications.

To examine factors associated with the utilization of maternal health care using the optimal count regression model.

A sample of 16,314 women of reproductive ages (15–49) was used. Andersen and Newman's behavioral model of health services utilization was employed for the selection of covariates. Poisson, negative binomial, zero-inflated Poisson, zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB), Poisson hurdle, and negative binomial hurdle models were fitted and compared to identify the best model. Maternal health care utilization is found associated with maternal age and education, area of residence, domestic violence, the income level of family, access to media, knowledge about AIDS, parity, birth order, and having a child who later died.

ZINB model is found to be best fitted for the observed data resulting strong influence of mother's education and income level of the family on maternal health care utilization.

Interventions to improve maternal care services utilization should address individuals and systems to reduce social and economic marginalization.

Cell-based therapy for osteoarthritis requires culturing of good quality cells, especially with a chondrogenic lineage, for implantation.

To investigate the ability of chondrocyte-conditioned medium (CCM) to induced chondrogenesis.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were subjected to chondrogenic induction using CCM and chondrocyte induction medium (CIM). The optimal condition for the collection of CCM was evaluated by quantifying the concentration of secreted proteins. The chondrogenic efficiency of BMSCs induced by CCM (iCCM) was evaluated using immunocytochemical analysis, Safranin-O staining, and gene expression.

Protein quantification revealed that CCM obtained from cells at passage 3 at the 72 h collection point had the greatest amount of protein. Supplementation of CCM results in the aggregation of BMSCs; however, no clumping was visible as in iCIM. The expression of collagen type 2 was detected as early as day 7 for all groups except for non-induced BMSCs; however, the level of expression decreased with culture time. Similarly, all tested groups showed positive staining for Safranin-O as early as day 7. The induction of BMSCs by CCM caused the down-regulation of collagen type 1, along with the up-regulation of the collagen type 2, ACP and SOX9 genes.

The optimum CCM to induce BMSC into chondrocytes was collected at passage 3 after 72 h and was used in a 50:50 ratio of CCM to fresh medium.

Lonicera japonica Thunb has been comprehensively used as a traditional Chinese medicine which contains a variety of medicinally active substances.

The active constituents in various parts of L. japonica Thunb (leaves [LE], flowers fl, and green buds [GB]) were studied to rational and efficient use of this medicinal plant.

UV–vis spectrophotometry was used for the determination of the total flavonoids; gas chromatography–mass spectrometric method was employed for the analysis of volatile components; and high-performance liquid chromatography technology was applied to detect nine bioactive components including chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, caffeic acid, luteolin, galuteolin, hyperoside, rutin, and quercetin in different parts of L. japonica Thunb. The antimicrobial effects of LE, FL, and GB were further measured using agar plate drilling method.

The content of the total flavonoids in different portions of L. japonica Thunb has significant difference, and the content with the decreasing sequence is found in GB, LE, and FL. The contents of main volatile components were highest in FL, followed by GB and LE. Besides, the contents of galuteolin, luteolin, rutin, and isochlorogenic acid C were higher in LE than those in FL and GB, and neochlorogenic acid content was similar in LE and FL. The antimicrobial effects showed that LE had the best inhibitory activity on Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and extended spectrum β-lactamases SA.

The research in this study provided valuable evidences for the reasonable and efficient utilization of L. japonica Thunb.

Accurate identification of brain metastases is crucial for cancer treatment.

To compare the ability to detect brain metastases of two alternative types of contrast-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted sequences called SPACE (Sampling Perfection with Application optimized Contrasts using different flip angle Evolutions) and VIBE (Volumetric Interpolated Brain Sequence) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 tesla.

Between April 2017 and February 2018, 27 consecutive adult Thai patients with a total number of 424 brain metastases were retrospectively included. The patients underwent both contrast-enhanced 3D T1-weighted SPACE and 3D T1-weighted VIBE MRI sequences at 3 tesla. Two neuroradiology experts independently reviewed the images to determine the number of enhancing lesions on each sequence. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the difference between the numbers of detectable parenchymal enhancing lesions. Interobserver reliability was calculated using intraclass correlation.

3D T1-weighted SPACE detected more parenchymal enhancing lesions than 3D T1-weighted VIBE (424 vs. 378 lesions, median 6 vs. 5, P = 0.008). Fifteen patients (55.6%) had equal number of parenchymal enhancing lesions between two sequences. 3D T1-weighted SPACE detected more parenchymal enhancing lesions (up to 9 more lesions) in 10 patients (37%), while 3D T1-weighted VIBE detected more enhancing lesions (up to 2 more lesions) in 2 patients (7.4%). Interobserver reliability between the readers was excellent.

Contrast-enhanced 3D T1-weighted SPACE sequence demonstrates a higher ability to detect brain metastases than contrast-enhanced 3D T1-weighted VIBE sequence at 3 tesla.

Most photography-based arc of motion measurements require human assessment and their accuracy depends on the observer.

To develop a digital image processing technique (DIPT) for measuring elbow range of motion (ROM), and to assess its validity and reliability compared with standard methods.

Physiotherapists performed digital goniometer and inclinometer ROM measurements bilaterally on healthy volunteer elbows. A photographer took digital images of elbows fully extended and fully flexed 3 times using an 8-megapixel smartphone camera. Extension and flexion angles were calculated using the DIPT. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of all methods was assessed using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). A paired Student's t test and Wilcoxon-signed rank test were used to assess systematic bias. A Bland–Altman plot was used to show possible range of difference between the methods.

We measured 56 elbows from 28 participants. Intra- and inter-rater ICCs of goniometer and inclinometer showed moderate-to-excellent agreement. Mean extension and flexion angles for the DIPT were greater than those for the goniometer and inclinometer measurements (P < 0.05), but the total ROMs were not significantly different (vs goniometer P = 0.32, vs inclinometer P = 0.53). Limits of agreement were 9.93°–10.05° for extension angle, 9.81°–11.7° for flexion angle, and 13.84°–15.99° for total ROMs.

Elbow ROM measurement using the current DIPT produces results comparable with goniometer and inclinometer measurements, but the difference from the standard methods was up to 15.99° for total ROM.