Following the rapid progress in the development of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) technology for the measurement of magnetic fields in the femtotesla range, a successful assembly of individual sensors into an array of nearly identical sensors is within reach. Here, 25 microfabricated OPMs with footprints of 1 cm(3) were assembled into a conformal array. The individual sensors were inserted...

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an established clinical adjunct for the in-vivo evaluation of human brain development. Normal fetal brain maturation can be studied with MRI from the 18th week of gestation to term and relies primarily on T2-weighted sequences. Recently diffusion-weighted sequences have gained importance in the structural assessment of the fetal brain. Diffusion...

Tyrosine aminotransferase (L-tyrosine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.5) enzyme and mRNA activity were not detectable in day 20 fetal rat liver. Precocious induction of catalytic activity by in utero injection of dibutyryl cAMP was a direct consequence of the de novo appearance of translatable tyrosine aminotransferase mRNA. In contrast, in utero injection of hydrocortisone acetate fa...

nowadays, new advances in the use of cell free fetal dna (cffdna) in maternal plasma of pregnant women has provided the possibility of applying cffdna in prenatal diagnosis as a non-invasive method. in contrary to the risks of invasive methods that affect both mother and fetus, applying cffdna is proven to be highly effective with lower risk. one of the applications of prenatal diagnosis is fet...

The effect of in vitro exposure to nitrous oxide on rat fetal and maternal methionine synthase activity was investigated. Enzyme solutions were prepared from livers of fetuses and mothers on day 19 of gestation and exposed to air, 50% oxygen or 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen for periods up to 24 h. Normal activity of methionine synthase in the fetus was about 65% of that in the mother. Activity de...

This study tested the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) has dual regulation on norepinephrine (NE)-mediated inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate [Ins (1,4,5)P(3)] pathway and vasoconstriction in cerebral arteries from near-term fetal ( approximately 140 gestational days) and adult sheep. Basal PKC activity values (%membrane bound) in fetal and adult cerebral arteries were 38 +/- 4% and 32 +/- 4%,...

The fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) has been recorded from 155 women in labor using a fetal scalp electrode and a minicomputerized enhanced averaging technique. Fetal hypoxia, acidosis, and stress have been diagnosed by analysis of blood from the fetal scalp, and post delivery from full gas analysis from blood taken from the umbilical artery and vein. Umbilical venous levels of serum lactate, ad...

Fetal skin heals rapidly without scar formation early in gestation, conferring to fetal skin cells a high and unique potential for tissue regeneration and scar management. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using fetal fibroblasts and keratinocytes to stimulate wound repair and regeneration for further allogeneic cell-based therapy development. From a single fetal skin sample, tw...

Appropriate in utero growth is essential for offspring development and is a critical contributor to long-term health. Fetal growth is largely dictated by the availability of nutrients in maternal circulation and the ability of these nutrients to be transported into fetal circulation via the placenta. Substrate flux across placental gradients is dependent on the accessibility and activity of nut...