Of the seven chapters, the three written by the editor are the most original and challenging. "Protein Biology" describes some of the characteristics of enzymes as proteins, discusses the role of enzymes in the structure and function of living matter, and touches on biological relativity. The final two chapters by Martin are a rather delightful if eclectic mixture of technical examples and phil...

K NOWLEDGE CONCERNING the transpiacental passage of fetal erythrocytes into the maternal circulation is of critical importance for the understanding of immunologic relationships between mother and child and specifically for the mechanisms of Rh isoimmunization. In a previous study1 the phenomenon of transplacental passage was investigated in homospecific pregnancies-i.e., in the absence of mate...

OBJECTIVE This study examined the ability of social, demographic, environmental and health-related factors to explain geographic variability in preterm delivery among black and white women in the US and whether these factors explain black-white disparities in preterm delivery. METHODS We examined county-level prevalence of preterm delivery (20-31 or 32-36 weeks gestation) among singletons bor...

We describe here the pregnancy follow-up and outcome in a patient with Takayasu's arteritis, with a detailed account of the complications during gestation and delivery and the impact of the disease on the newborn's health.

The national movement to eliminate elective delivery at <39 weeks' gestation has engendered much enthusiasm and is a major step forward in the evolution of perinatal patient safety. Our experience with >1 million births in the past 5 years suggests the existence of a number of potential pitfalls that should be considered in policy development, enforcement, and compliance monitoring. Attention t...