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Prenatal diagnosis (preDx) of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) decreases neonatal morbidity and mortality. Obstetrical fetal cardiac imaging guidelines in 2013 aimed to increase preDx. The objectives of this study were to determine the contemporary preDx rate of CCHD and identify maternal–fetal factors and variations in prenatal care that may be potential barriers. This retrospective single center study evaluated maternal demographics and characteristics of infants with CCHD (requiring cardiac catheterization or surgical intervention before 6 months-old) between 2016 and 2019. 58% of the 339 infants with CCHD had preDx. Infants with preDx were more likely to have mothers ≥ 35 years-old (p = 0.028), family history of CHD (p = 0.017), health insurance (p = 0.002), or anatomic scan with perinatology (p < 0.001). Hispanic infants were less likely to have preDx (45.6%, p = 0.005). PreDx rates were higher in infants with extracardiac/genetic anomalies (p < 0.001) and significantly different between CCHD subtypes (76% for single ventricle, 51% for biventricular/four-chamber view, 59% for proximal outflow tract anomalies, and 48% for distal great artery anomalies; p = 0.024). In infants without preDx, 25% of their mothers had indication for, but did not undergo, fetal echocardiography. PreDx rates of CCHD remains inadequate across subtypes detectable by standard fetal cardiac screening views, particularly in uninsured and Hispanic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Environmental Kuznets Curve, as a topic widely discussed in academia these days, needs to be further empirically tested. Taking the statistical data of 285 cities from 2003 to 2016 in China as the research sample, this paper uses a dynamic spatial panel model to analyze the impact of economic growth on haze pollution. The conclusions reveal that from an overall perspective, economic growth and haze pollution is always closely related, presenting an inverted U-shaped relationship; that is, the Environmental Kuznets Curve has been verified. Additionally, 26.84% of the sample cities in China have already exceeded the inflection point, meaning that economic growth has gradually led to the effective treatment of haze pollution. This is, however, restricted by stages of urban economic development. To be specific, economic growth has no significant impact on haze pollution when industrialization is in its infancy. Growth, however, exacerbates haze pollution in cities in the middle stages of industrialization although haze pollution does improve for cities in the later stages of industrialization. This means that Chinese cities should formulate reasonable and effective haze pollution control policies and measures according to their own economic development stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some teachers claim Twitter has become a useful source for their professional development and learning. As a social media platform, Twitter constitutes a heterogeneous ensemble of humans and things. However, research has yet to allow the nonhuman participants in Twitter to speak for themselves, reveal what they do and present the webs of relations that they enact. I offer here an approach to address that issue by drawing upon actor-network theory and interviewing objects, whilst evoking the spirit of the Parisian flâneur. I begin by untangling a tweet to identify each of the human and nonhuman actors, what they do and how they assist in performing teachers' learning activities. I then 'Gather Anecdotes' describing how two other heuristics – 'Following the Actors' and 'Studying Breakdowns' – were appropriate for this study, how they were deployed, what fresh knowledge they produced and how a new research avenue was opened. I conclude by reflecting on some of the tensions which emerged when bringing a sociomaterial analysis to teachers' practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 5 years there has been a major international discussion aimed at reaching agreement on the use of well-defined terminologies to describe the normal limits and range of abnormalities related to patterns of uterine bleeding. This article builds on concepts previously presented, which include the abandonment of long-used, ill-defined, and confusing English-language terms of Latin and Greek origin, such as menorrhagia and metrorrhagia. The term DYSFUNCTIONAL UTERINE BLEEDING should also be discarded. Alternative terms and concepts have been proposed and defined. The terminologies and definitions described here have been comprehensively reviewed and have received wide acceptance as a basis both for routine clinical practice and for comparative research studies. It is anticipated that these terminologies and definitions will be reviewed again on a regular basis through the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Menstrual Disorders Working Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview of overview of the challenges and opportunities currently facing external auditors at a time of economic and financial crisis. It highlights the diversity of value stances that exists in the audit academy and may be useful for introducing university students studying auditing at intermediate or advanced levels to a variety of current auditing issues and debates. It is stated that the construction of the audit as an essentially arithmetical has long been abandoned and external auditors have embraced serially a succession of apparently distinctive audit methodologies.

Purpose - The paper aims to report research into ways by which companies identify risks and embed risk management and control procedures and also to report on interactions between internal audit and audit committees and their contributions to risk management. Design/methodology/approach - The first section of the paper comprises a review of the literature on risk management and the roles played by internal audit and audit committees. The paper then reports the results of a series of interviews with officers in UK plcs and external auditors on the issues identified from the literature. Findings - There was agreement that, while parent boards have ultimate responsibility, the ownership of risks must reside with management at lower levels. Companies tended to adopt a multi-procedural approach to developing consistent risk management procedures. Internal auditors were believed to have a role to play but concerns were expressed about expertise and independence. The paper recommends a split of the internal audit and risk management functions to preserve internal audit independence and clarify internal audit roles. Audit committees are increasingly involved in risk management but there are doubts as to whether they have the time and expertise to undertake more than high level risk reviews. The paper, therefore, recommends that separate risk committees should be established to direct risk management, with audit committees adopting a watching brief over the process. Originality/value - The Turnbull Report emerged against a background of growing demand for assurance on risk management and control effectiveness and the approach adopted has been endorsed by the Turnbull Review Group. This paper is a timely evaluation of the work being done by UK plcs in this area and indicates that there are issues to be resolved before risk management is fully embedded in company operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preface for the September 2011 issue of "Seminars in Reproductive Medicine," is presented.