Late Abortion Research Articles

Prenatal exome sequencing and impact on perinatal outcome: cohort study.

First, to determine the uptake of prenatal exome sequencing (pES) and the diagnostic yield of pathogenic (causative) variants in a UK tertiary fetal medicine unit following the introduction of the NHS England Rapid Exome Sequencing Service for fetal anomalies testing (R21 pathway). Second, to identify how the decision to proceed with pES and identification of a causative variant affect perinatal outcomes, specifically late termination of pregnancy (TOP) at or beyond 22 weeks' gestation. This was a retrospective cohort study of anomalous fetuses referred to the Liverpool Women's Hospital Fetal Medicine Unit between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022. pES was performed as part of the R21 pathway. Trio exome sequencing was performed using an Illumina next-generation sequencing platform assessing coding and splice regions of a panel of 974 prenatally relevant genes and 231 expert reviewed genes. Data on demographics, phenotype, pES result and perinatal outcome were extracted and compared. Descriptive statistics and the χ-square or Fisher's exact test were performed using IBM SPSS version 28.0.1.0. In total, 72 cases were identified and two-thirds of eligible women (n = 48) consented to trio pES. pES was not feasible in one case owing to a low DNA yield and, therefore, was performed in 47 cases. In one-third of cases (n = 24), pES was not proposed or agreed. In 58.3% (14/24) of these cases, this was because invasive testing was declined and, in 41.7% (10/24) of cases, women opted for testing and underwent chromosomal microarray analysis only. The diagnostic yield of pES was 23.4% (11/47). There was no overall difference in the proportion of women who decided to have late TOP in the group in which pES was agreed compared with the group in which pES was not proposed or agreed (25.0% (12/48) vs 25.0% (6/24); P = 1.0). However, the decision to have late TOP was significantly more frequent when a causative variant was detected compared with when pES was uninformative (63.6% (7/11) vs 13.9% (5/36); P < 0.0009). The median turnaround time for results was longer in cases in which a causative variant was identified than in those in which pES was uninformative (22 days (interquartile range (IQR), 19-34) days vs 14 days (IQR, 10-15 days); P < 0.0001). This study demonstrates the potential impact of identification of a causative variant by pES on decision to have late TOP. As the R21 pathway continues to evolve, we urge clinicians and policymakers to consider introducing earlier screening for anomalies, developing robust guidance for late TOP and ensuring optimized support for couples. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The deterministic excitation paradigm and the late Pleistocene glacial terminations.

A deterministic excitation (DE) paradigm is formulated, according to which the abrupt late Pleistocene glacial terminations correspond to the excitation, by the orbital forcing, of nonlinear relaxation oscillations (ROs) internal to the climate system in the absence of any stochastic parameterization. Specific rules are derived from the DE paradigm: they parameterize internal climate feedbacks, which, when activated by the crossing of certain tipping points, excite a RO. Such rules are then applied to the output of an energy-balance model simulating the fluctuations induced by realistic orbital forcing on the glacial state. The timing of the glacial terminations, thus, obtained in a reference simulation is found to be in good agreement with proxy records. A sensitivity analysis insures the robustness of the timing. The potential irrelevance of noise allowing DE to hold is discussed, and a possible explanation of the 100-kyr cycle problem based on DE is outlined. In conclusion, the DE paradigm provides the simplest possible dynamical systems characterization of the link between orbital forcing and glacial terminations implied by the Milankovitch hypothesis.

The analysis of pregnancies terminated before and after the limit of viability: A medicolegal view

PurposeIn the present study, the purpose was to determine the indications of pregnancy termination procedures that are performed before and after the limit of viability (between 10 and 22 weeks) in a tertiary center and to investigate the characteristics of the cases in which fetocide procedure was offered after the limit of viability (22 weeks and later). It also aimed to discuss the legal deadline for the fetocide procedure and legal aspect of pregnancy termination. Material and methodThe present study was conducted as a result of the retrospective examination of 198 cases who underwent pregnancy termination after the 10th week of pregnancy (the legal limit for voluntary termination of pregnancy in our country) in our clinic and met the study criteria. The cases were divided into two main groups as Early Termination (10–22 weeks) and Late Termination (22 weeks and later). The characteristics of these groups (i.e. reason for termination, termination week) and the characteristics of the cases in which fetocide procedure was performed and the cases that were not (i.e. termination week, reasons for termination) were compared. ResultsA total of 171 (86%) cases were under 22 weeks and 27 (14%) were 22 weeks or more. In the cases terminated early, the gestational week was found to be highest [20 + 1 (12+3–21 + 1)] in those with preterm premature rupture of membranes, and lowest in those with fetal gastrointestinal abnormalities. No statistically significant differences were detected between the termination reason and the gestational week in the late-terminated group, and also, although the termination week of 5 patients for whom the fetocide procedure was offered [median = 23 + 1 (22+4–26 + 0] was higher than the week of 22 patients for whom the fetocide procedure was not offered [median = 22 + 4 (22+1–25 + 4], the difference was not found to be statistically significant. ConclusionSince the majority of pregnancy terminations are performed before the viable period, the need for the fetocide procedure in pregnancy terminations is relatively low, and we think that this rate will decrease even more because the rate of early diagnosis of fetal anomalies increases as a result of developments in ultrasonographic imaging.Families who choose the termination of pregnancy search for other countries with appropriate legislation and the loss of time and the indecision of the family might cause the application of pregnancy termination after the viable period because of the limitations in the legal regulations of countries.

Experimental infection of sheep at mid-pregnancy with archetypal type II and type III Toxoplasma gondii isolates exhibited different phenotypic traits

Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of reproductive failure in small ruminants. Genotypic diversity of T. gondii strains has been associated with variations in phenotypic traits in in vitro and murine models. However, whether such diversity could influence the outcome of infection in small ruminants remains mostly unexplored. Here, we investigate the outcome of oral challenge in sheep at mid-pregnancy with 10 sporulated oocysts from three different T. gondii isolates belonging to archetypal II and III and selected according to their genetic and phenotypic variations shown in previous studies. Seventy-three pregnant sheep were divided in four groups: G1 infected with TgShSp1 isolate (type II, ToxoDB#3), G2 with TgShSp16 isolate (type II, ToxoDB#3), G3 with TgShSp24 isolate (type III, ToxoDB#2) and G4 of uninfected control sheep. Two different approaches were carried out within this study: (i) the outcome for the pregnancy after infection (n = 33) and (ii) the lesions and parasite tropism and burden at 14 and 28 days post infection (dpi) (n = 40). The onset of hyperthermia and seroconversion occurred one and two days later, respectively in G1 when compared to G2 and G3. However, sheep that suffered from reproductive failure, either by abortion, foetal dead at the time of euthanasia or stillbirth were similar among infected groups (50%, 40% and 47%, respectively). Histological lesions in placentomes and foetal tissues from euthanized animals from the second approach were only detected at 28 dpi and mainly in G1. At 14 dpi, T. gondii-DNA was only detected in G1 in the 11% of the placentomes. However, at 28 dpi the frequency of detection in placentomes was higher in G1 (96%) than in G2 and G3 (7% and 47%, respectively) besides in foetuses was lower in G2 (20%) than in G1 and G3 (100% and 87%, respectively). Regarding late abortions, stillbirths, and lambs of G1, G2 and G3, the frequency of microscopic lesions was similar between groups (79%, 78% and 67%, respectively) whereas T. gondii-DNA was evidenced in 100%, 55% and 100%, respectively. These recently obtained T. gondii isolates led to similar reproductive losses but intra- and inter-genotype variations in the rise of hyperthermia, dynamics of antibodies, frequency of lesions and parasite detection and distribution. Thus, the different phenotypic traits of the isolates could influence the outcome of the infection and mechanisms responsible for it, and further investigations are warranted.

Fetal hyperechogenic kidneys: the significance of family assessment.

A 35 yr GVPI; with 2 early pregnancy losses and 1 late abortion was referred because anhydramnios and bilateral cystic kidney dysplasia had been diagnosed in the previous pregnancy. This was confirmed by autopsy after late abortion in the 19th week of gestation and genetic testing had been denied. A subsequent pregnancy was unremarkable with no evidence of fetal kidney disease and resulted in a now 10month old daughter.

Factors Influencing the Duration of Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Anomaly with Mifepristone in Combination with Misoprostol.

This study's aim was to determine relevant factors that influence the time interval between first induction and fetal expulsion in late termination of pregnancy (TOP) and TOP after previous feticide for severe fetal malformation with a mifepristone-misoprostol regime. This retrospective study included 913 TOPs from a single tertiary care referral center. In 197 out of 913 TOPs, a previous feticide had been performed due to advanced gestational age (after 22 + 0 weeks of gestation). Induction was accomplished using 600 mg mifepristone followed by 400 μg misoprostol. The interval between first induction with misoprostol and fetal expulsion was examined. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to predict an induction interval of 12 h or less. The median gestational age at induction of labor was 18.9 weeks of pregnancy. In 487 (53.3%) cases women delivered within 12 h; in 344 (37.7%) cases the induction interval was between 12 h and 36 h. In 82 (9%) cases induction took longer than 36 h. Factors that were significantly associated with a delivery duration of <12 h were a lower gestational age at induction (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.84-0.89; p < 0.001) and a history of at least one previous vaginal delivery (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.20-2.05; p < 0.001). Factors that had no impact included previous cesarean section, performing feticide before induction and maternal age. Maternal BMI showed a non-significant trend.

Investigation of Tritrichomonas Foetus in Cattle Using Different Methods in Basrah City – Iraq

Tritrichomonas foetus causes a venereal disease in cattle called bovine trichomoniasis. T. foetus lives in the reproductive tract of the cow, the surface of the penis and prepuce of the bull and causing early fetal loss and sometimes late term abortions. It can also extend breeding / calving season. In this study, 155 cows of different ages (2-6 years old) and with a variety of clinical signs (repeat breeders, abortions, and discharge only) were examined from different areas in Basrah Province, Iraq from November 2020 to July 2021, and 75 samples collected from healthy animals (without any symptom). The infection rate was detected in wet mount techniques found fewer positive findings than in pouch techniques, with 12 (40%) recorded and in pouch systems, 30 (100%) recorded while in the culture 24(80 %), Giemsa-stained smears 19(63.3%) and Acridine orange was 20 (66.6%). The present study improved that cows more than three years are more susceptible to be infected than cows less than three years. The study concluded that if no control method is applied in Basrah, there is a serious risk of spreading Trichomonas foetus.

The Role and Frequency of Wildfires in the Shaping of the Late Glacial Inland Dunes – A Case Study from the Korzeniew Site (Central Poland)

Abstract The study examines sedimentology, stratigraphy, and the impact of wildfires on aeolian and soil processes during the Late Glacial Termination in the Korzeniew site, central Poland. The site, within a parabolic dune's central and lee-slope area, presents stacked aeolian sand units intermixed with six charcoal-enriched palaeosols. Thirteen optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates on quartz and six radiocarbon dates establish the chronological framework, dating deposition processes. Initial aeolian sand deposition occurred towards the Late Pleniglacial's end. Climate amelioration during the Bølling interstadial led to permafrost thaw and gleyic soil formation, later overlain by migrating parabolic dunes from the older Allerød interstadial. Wildfires, influenced by vegetation cover, deposited charcoals on the dune's lee slope. These charcoals underwent pedogenic reworking amid episodes of aeolian sand deposition during the Allerød interstadial and Younger Dryas, stabilizing in the earliest Holocene. Wildfires significantly impacted local vegetation development and aeolian activity. Despite the warmth of the Allerød interstadial, increased fires correlated with expanding pine forests and their heightened fire susceptibility. Short-term climate shifts likely destabilized vegetation, fostering fire occurrences during the Allerød interstadial.

The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Ghost of Margaret Sanger

The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Ghost of Margaret Sanger Melinda Cooper (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Margaret Sanger in Los Angeles in 1928 (Los Angeles Tmes/Wikimedia Commons) [End Page 60] After half a century of unremitting assaults—years spent defunding abortion care, restricting abortion access, and terrorizing women and their doctors—the religious right has achieved its first major judicial breakthrough: the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Among a volley of first-term decisions by the ultraconservative Supreme Court supermajority installed by President Donald Trump, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization must be seen as part of an unfolding judicial counterrevolution. The electoral pushback against the decision has been impressive, and no doubt stronger than Republicans had anticipated. In ballot initiatives in Kansas, Kentucky, California, Michigan, and Vermont, voters have either rejected proposed abortion bans or reaffirmed existing protections. Yet the Dobbs decision is unlikely to be the Supreme Court's last word on the matter. For decades, religious conservatives have wanted to overturn Roe and return abortion laws to state legislatures. But they have never seen this as the be-all and end-all of their struggle. For the right-to-life movement that emerged in the 1970s, the reversion of authority to states is a stepping stone on the road to a higher goal: a federal prohibition on abortion that would overrule the ability of any state to legalize the practice. The recognition of fetal personhood is a key plank in this agenda. In the years leading up to the Roe decision in 1973, as legal historian Mary Ziegler recounts in Dollars for Life: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment, anti-abortion activists called on state and federal courts to recognize the civil rights of the unborn. They appealed to the Declaration of Independence, with its affirmation of an unalienable right to life, and to the Fourteenth Amendment (the Reconstruction-era amendment that reaffirmed and clarified the rights enumerated in the Declaration) to argue that the unborn deserved equal protection and due process like any other minority. In several instances, they cited as precedent the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing segregation, hoping to convince the courts that fetuses, like African Americans under Jim Crow, were natural persons unjustly deprived of their full rights to life. [End Page 61] Their efforts were unceremoniously rebuffed by Justice Harry A. Blackmun, author of the majority opinion in Roe, who argued that fetal personhood was nowhere to be found in the Constitution and that, in any case, the Court had no authority to rule on a matter that was unresolved among religious scholars and biologists. Crucially, however, Blackmun acknowledged that if the concept of "person" could somehow be construed to apply to the unborn, then no one could legitimately deny due process and equal protection rights to fetuses—and the case for abortion rights would "collapse." In the wake of Roe, anti-abortion activists remained hopeful they could work through Congress and the states to secure a constitutional amendment that would establish the personhood of the fetus once and for all. Their hopes faded in 1983, when the most promising of such proposals died in Congress. At this point, they resorted to less direct ways of inserting the concept of fetal personhood into law. Beginning in the mid-1980s and accelerating after the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision of 1992, anti-abortion activists fought for fetal homicide laws, late-term abortion bans, fetal pain legislation, and state edicts compelling women to view ultrasound images of fetuses before abortion. In adopting these more incremental measures, religious conservatives were conceding tactical defeat. Yet they never lost sight of the strategic endgame. Such legal changes were designed to turn the idea of fetal personhood into common sense; an accumulation of minor laws could be invoked as precedent at the right time. With a 6–3 conservative supermajority and a Republican Party moved far to the right, that time has clearly arrived. Anti-abortion activists are now returning to their original goal: "the recognition of fetal personhood and the criminalization of abortion," Ziegler writes, in all states. ______ In preparing the ground...

A retrospective study on the use of low-molecular-weight heparin for prevention of pregnancy-related recurrent venous thromboembolism and obstetrical complications.

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is increased during pregnancy and it is further increased together with pregnancy complications in women with personal history of VTE and thrombophilia abnormalities. It is unclear how the use of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) may prevent such complications. To evaluate the potential benefits and risks of the use of LMWH for prevention of pregnancy-related VTE and obstetrical complications in the first pregnancy after a previous VTE. This retrospective cohort study includes fertile women referred to the Thrombosis Center from January 2000 to September 2018 for a thrombophilia work-up, after having had at least one previous VTE and one pregnancy thereafter. Data on pregnancy-related recurrent VTE, pregnancy outcomes and the use of LMWH were collected. Among 208 women, no thrombosis or major bleeding was recorded in 138 pregnancies conducted with LMWH, whereas 10 VTE (14%) were recorded in 70 pregnancies conducted without. Nine women (90%) with recurrent VTE had had a previous hormone-related event. The incidence of miscarriage was lower in pregnancies with LMWH than in those without (11% vs. 26%, relative risk 0.4, 95% confidence interval: 0.2-0.8), whereas late obstetrical complications and terminations were similar in the two groups. The prevalence of terminations was doubled in women with thrombophilia (12%) than in those without (6%). LMWH prophylaxis during pregnancy appears to be effective and safe for the prevention of recurrent VTE and may reduce the incidence of miscarriage.

ANNULAR CERVICAL DETACHMENT -A CASE REPORT

Annular detachment of the cervix is the total circular separation of the anterior or posterior lip of the uterine cervix during or immediately following delivery or late abortion. Sometimes both lips are separated. Annular detachment of the cervix is a very rare complication usually in primigravidas and in patients with prolonged labour. A case of spontaneous annular detachment of the cervix discovered immediately following delivery is discussed with its possible aetiology, treatment and outcome.

Clinical effectiveness of preconception training in women with sexually transmitted infections after an IVF program

The objective: to prove the clinical effectiveness of preconception preparation of the women with a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) after pre-gravid training before assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles.Materials and methods. 115 women received the suggested pre-gravid training, of which 56 women became pregnant after ART programme and were included in the 1st group and received medical and preventive measures offered by us; 132 women after standard pre-gravid training, of which 55 women became pregnant after ART program and were included in the II group and received generally accepted medical and preventive measures. A clinical analysis of the pregnancy course, childbirth and the condition of newborn children was conducted in 111 women (I and II groups). All patients in the I and II groups had STIs in medical history. Statistical processing of research results was carried out using standard programs “Microsoft Excel 5.0” and “Statistica 8.0”. Results. The rate of threat of pregnancy interruption was significantly lower in the I group – 6 (10.7 %) patients than in the II group – 19 (34.5 %; p&lt;0.001); missed abortion was determined in 3 (5.3 %) cases in the I group versus 6 (10.9%) cases in the II group; spontaneous pregnancy interruption in the I trimester was in 2 (7.1 %) patients in the I group versus 4 (7.3%) women in the II group. Pregnancy was terminated in 5 (8.9 %) pregnant women in the I group and 10 (18.2 %) – in the II group (p&lt;0.05). The threat of late abortion in women in the I group was found significantly less than in patients in the II group – 4 (7.8 %) versus 12 (26. 7%) persons, respectively (p&lt;0.05). Fetal growth retardation (FGR) was diagnosed significantly less in the pregnant women of the I group than in pregnant women of the II group, – 11 (21.6 %) versus 17 (37.8 %) individuals, respectively (p&lt;0.05). The results of cardiotocography (CTG) demonstrated that the satisfactory fetal state was determined in 40 (78.4 %) pregnant women in the I group, which is statistically significantly more than in the II group – 23 (51.1 %; p&lt;0.05) cases.Doubtful non-stress test data were found in the I group more less – 10 (19.6 %) patients versus 15 (33.3 %) cases the II group (p&lt;0.05). Pathological data of CTG were registered in 1 (2.0 %) pregnant women in the I group versus 7 (15.6%) cases in the II group (p&lt;0.05). The risk of fetal distress in the pregnant women in the I group was 13.9 % (95 % CI 7.8-20.0), RR=0.5 (95% CI 0.16-0.66; p=0.002), which confirms the effect of the pre-gravid complex of medical and preventive measures on the fetal distress reducing in the pregnant women of the I group.Premature births were observed significantly less in patients in the I group, than in the II group, which amounted to 6 (11.7 %) versus 12 (26. 7 %) persons (p&lt;0.05). The condition of newborns in the I group was satisfactory in 49 (85.9 %) cases, and the total level of children born with asphyxia in the I group decreased by 2.5 times (p&lt;0.05).Conclusions. Pathogenetically based pre-gravid preparation and therapy proved to be effective for the onset of pregnancy after ART method and positive pregnancy outcomes in 48.6 % of the women; it reduced the reproductive losses by 2 times, the threat of abortion by 3.2 times, the threat of premature birth by 1.6 times, preeclampsia and fetal growth retardation by 1.5 times, and fetal distress during delivery by 2.2 times.

Patient perspective regarding late termination of pregnancy at a tertiary care Hospital

To arrive at an understanding about the view and attitudes of pregnant women regarding late termination of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis of a severe fetal anomaly. A semi-structured questionnaire based prospective descriptive study was conducted from January 2022 to September 2022 in Obstetrics and Gynecology department of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam. 16 pregnant women with severe fetal anomalies detected after 23 weeks were included. All the women were counselled about the type and lethality of the anomaly including management option. Informed consent was obtained from all the patients and ethical approval was obtained. A total of 16 women with congenital anomalies in fetus detected after 23 weeks of gestation over 8 months of the study period were included in the study. All the participants were properly counselled and given adequate time to make the decision. Among which 11 decided to terminate the pregnancy and 5 continued. All 11 who opted for termination of pregnancy was joint decision by the family. 5 women continued their pregnancy. Reasons to continue the pregnancy were praying that baby will born normal (n=1), hoping that surgery can correct the abnormality (n=3) and wanting to see the baby (n=1). This study shows that women who are pregnant with serious fetal anomalies have a range of opinions and attitudes regarding termination. To compare with initial decision making larger follow-up studies will be necessary to see whether patient’s perspective changes over time.

Wet season rainfall characteristics and temporal changes for Cape Town, South Africa, 1841–2018

Abstract. Wet seasons may be characterized by the frequency of wet–dry days, duration of wet–dry spells and season length. These properties are investigated for Cape Town using rainfall data from four weather stations in the Cape Town metropolitan area located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Maitland, Kirstenbosch and Cape Town International airport. The primary focus is on the long SAAO daily rainfall record dating back to 1841, with the specific aim to statistically assess attributes of the wet season (April to October) and its temporal variability over the period 1841–2018. The decade 1950–1959 had significantly high frequencies of wet days, but there was a subsequent significant decline in wet days at the SAAO (−1 d per decade) and Maitland (−1.1 d per decade) during the period 1950–2018. A significant decline in wet days also occurred at the SAAO between 1880 and 1940 (−3.3 d per decade, p=0.005). Dry spells longer than 5 d have become more prevalent since the beginning of the 20th century. A rain-based definition for the onset and termination of the wet season is presented using 5 d running sums and pentad means; these were applied to each year containing adequate daily data, so as to track changes during the wet season. We identify a recent decadal decline in mean wet season length (−1.4 d per decade) since ca. 1940, particularly between 1941–1994 (−4.2 d per decade), such that wet seasons since 2000 have only averaged 182 d in length while the long-term (1841–2018) average is 188 d. This decline is attributed to an increased incidence of late onsets (after 15 April) and early terminations (earlier than 18 October) of the wet season, or a combination of both, particularly since the year 2000. Interannual variability in wet season characteristics is associated with solar (sunspot) cycles and fluctuations in the Southern Oscillation Index and Southern Annular Mode.

Prenatal diagnosis and late voluntary termination of pregnancy: a medico-legal approach

Prenatal diagnosis and late voluntary termination of pregnancy: a medico-legal approach

Spatial-Temporal Variations of Active Accumulated Temperature and Its Impact on Vegetation NDVI in the Source Region of China’s Yellow River

Global climate change has greatly influenced the ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau. Many studies focused on the direct effects of climate warming on the headwater regions by mean temperature, while less investigating its implication for the eco-environment. To address this, the study discussed the spatial-temporal variations of the bio-related climate indicators ≥0 °C annual accumulated temperature AAT0 and its lasting days LDT0, and corresponding ≥5 °C indicators AAT5 and LDT5 on the source region of the Yellow River (SRYR). The stationarity of indicators during 1979–2018 were tested by Pettitt test, and trends checked by linear regression analysis and Mann-Kendall test. Normalized difference vegetation index NDVI (2001–2016) was adopted to detect the correlation between vegetation activities and indicators. Results show that the AAT and LDT0 exhibited significant increasing trend over the SRYR, while the LDT5 significantly increased mainly under 4000 m. Most LDT extended due to the combined efforts of the early onset and late termination of the given temperature. 1997 was detected in the abrupt change analysis of AAT0 both on the basin scale and most area, and was adopted to divide the period into two stages. The regional mean AAT0 linearly grew at a rate of 96 °C decade−1 during the entire period, and 104 °C decade−1 during the second stage. Except for a drastic jump in the areal mean values, there was a distinct upward-shift of isoline in elevation between stages. NDVI showed strong correlativity with ≥0 °C indicators on the basin scale, according to the Pearson, Spearman and Kendall correlation coefficients, ranging from 0.5 to 0.7. Spatially, the overlap area between Pearson’s γ ≥ 0.5 and linearly rising AAT0 reached 50%, which was fully covered with significantly increasing AAT0 during the recent stage. Thus the rapid growth of ≥0 °C indicators would effectively accelerate NDVI over this major alpine grasslands, especially around the eastern low regions, where indicators are higher and grow faster.

Success of captive breeding and a hormonal trial to increase the reproductive efficacy of Arabian Tahr, Arabitrgus jayakari

This is the first study shows the results of breeding of Arabian Tahr, Arabitrgus jayakari, with a hormonal attempt to increase its reproductive efficacy in a captive breeding unite. Data of reproductive success of a small population of Arabian Tahr kept in a protected area of Wadi Wurayah, Fujairah, was summarized from 2018-2022. The pregnancy rate, which was around 90% in the first three breeding seasons, decreased to 66.7% in the last breeding season. Rate of late abortion and/or still birth in all breeding seasons was between 11-25%. No multiple births or abortion of fetuses were observed during the four recorded breeding seasons. A hormonal trial was performed in the last breeding season 2021-2022 to synchronize the estrus and increase the reproductive efficacy. Eighteen parous females and 9 adult males were randomly mixed and divided into three groups: two treatment groups and a control group (G3; n = 6). Females were treated with an intravaginal sponge impregnated with 30 mg of Flurogestone acetate (FGA) for either fourteen (G1; n = 6) or seven (G2; n = 6) days, respectively. At the sponge removal, females of G1 and G2 groups were received intramuscular injections of 200 IU of eCG and 75 µg of Cloprostenol. Pregnancy rate was higher in G2 compared to the other two groups and it was also higher in G1 than in G3. Lambing rate was 100% in the control group, and it was higher in G2 compared to G1. Rate of estrous synchronization was similar in both treated groups. In conclusion, Breeding of Arabian Tahr in captivity can be improved by estrous synchronization and induction of ovulation early in the breeding season by using short-term progestagen treatment followed by&#x0D; eCG injection. More research on other doses of eCG and on the nutritional requirements are required to increase the reproductive efficacy of Arabian Tahr in captive breeding.

Die palliative Geburt

Feticide is largely accepted as the first-choice therapeutic option in the case of a desired late termination of pregnancy. However, alternatives for women and couples who may find it difficult to cope with this invasive procedure that kills the fetus in the womb have been developed in the form of advanced perinatal palliative care planning. The possibility of a “palliative birth” also exists when parents are confronted with a life-limiting diagnosis before the child is able to survive extrauterinely. A palliative birth can be seen as an alternative to termination of pregnancy at any week of gestation, regardless of whether the intention is to terminate the pregnancy by inducing labor before the fetus is viable or by feticide when it is viable.

Impact of prolonged use of adjuvant tocolytics after cervical cerclage on late abortion and premature delivery

We evaluated the impact of cervical cerclage combined with one or more uterine contraction inhibitors in persistent inhibition of uterine contraction for the treatment of late abortion and premature delivery. This retrospective case series study analysed the medical data of 58 patients who underwent cervical cerclage for cervical insufficiency and simultaneously received one or more uterine contraction inhibitors (indomethacin, ritodrine, and atosiban) and magnesium sulphate at the Zibo Maternal and Child Health Hospital between January 2019 and December 2020. Patients are normal pregnancy who received cervical cerclage without complications. The rate of successful treatment was 74.14% (43/58). The prolonged gestation duration was 16.42 ± 7.84 weeks, and the average delivery gestational age was 35.91 ± 5.16 weeks. The longest duration of treatment with a uterine contraction inhibitor or inhibitors in combination or with magnesium sulphate alone was 15.34 ± 13.16 days, and nine cases developed adverse reactions. Persistent uterine contraction inhibition after cervical cerclage could prolong pregnancy and improve pregnancy outcomes. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? A crucial reason for treatment failure of cervical cerclage is that uterine contraction was not effectively inhibited. What do the results of this study add? Persistent inhibition of uterine contraction after cervical cerclage prolonged pregnancy duration, increased gestational age at delivery, and improved pregnancy outcomes. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study may provide a clinical basis for prolonging gestational age, preventing late abortion and premature delivery, and improving the survival rate and quality of life of premature infants.

PSXIII-B-11 Identification of Haplotypes Associated with Fetal Loss in Dairy Cattle

Abstract Fetal loss occurs in 4 to 13% of dairy cattle worldwide with a subsequent $487 to $1900 economic loss per pregnancy. Previous studies have identified SNPs associated with fetal loss, but few have investigated haplotypes (DNA that segregates to offspring together) associated with fetal loss. The objective of this study was to identify haplotypes associated with fetal loss in Holstein heifers and cows that conceived to the first insemination. This study consisted of 529 Holstein heifers (470 maintained pregnancies to term while 59 experienced fetal loss) and 517 Holstein cows (490 maintained pregnancies to term while 28 suffered fetal loss). Cattle with fetal loss (cases) were genotyped using the Neogen BovineGGP50 BeadChip (SNPs = 43,938) and cattle that calved at term (controls) were genotyped with the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip (SNPs = 777,962). Cases were imputed to HD density using BEAGLE (4.1). Cases and controls were combined to identify 62,819 haplotypes. Haplotype association tests were run for three populations (heifers, cows, and combined) with a chi-squared Bonferroni (BF) corrected significance of p &amp;lt; 0.05. The haplotype analyses identified 121, 47, and 102 haplotypes associated with fetal loss in heifer, cow and combined populations, respectively. Of these, 37 haplotypes were shared between the heifer and cow populations, 39 between cows and the combined, 76 between the heifers and combined, and 37 across all analyses. Loci identified in the haplotype analyses were compared to loci associated (BF p &amp;lt; 0.05) with fetal loss in a SNP by SNP genome wide association analyses. There were 22 loci shared in heifers, 10 in cows and 21 in the combined population. The use of haplotypes, identified an additional 150 loci associated with fetal loss that can be further characterized for their value in selecting cattle that are less prone to late term abortions.