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To evaluate obstetrical outcomes for women having late amniocentesis (on or after 24 weeks). Electronic databases were searched from inception to January 1st, 2023. The obstetrical outcomes evaluated were gestational age at delivery, preterm birth (PTB) < 37 weeks, PTB within 1 week from amniocentesis, premature prelabor rupture of membranes (pPROM), chorionamnionitis, placental abruption, intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) and termination of pregnancy (TOP). The incidence of PTB <37 weeks was 4.85% (95% CI 3.48-6.56), while the incidence of PTB within 1 week was 1.42% (95% CI 0.66-2.45). The rate of pPROM was 2.85% (95% CI 1.21-3.32). The incidence of placental abruption was 0.91% (95% CI 0.16-2.25), while the rate of IUFD was 3.66% (95% CI 0.00-14.04). The rate of women who underwent TOP was 6.37% (95%CI 1.05-15.72). When comparing amniocentesis performed before or after 32 weeks, the incidence of PTB within 1 week was 1.48% (95% CI 0.42-3.19) and 2.38% (95% CI 0.40-5.95). Amniocentesis performed late after 24 weeks of gestation is an acceptable option for patients needing prenatal diagnosis in later gestation., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) may require prolonged treatments with acid suppressants; therefore, interest in nutraceutical supplements with anti-ulcerogenic properties has increased. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of Trophogast pellet for the treatment of ESGD in endurance horses., Material and Methods: Fifteen endurance horses were included based on their gastroscopic examination and randomly assigned to a treatment group, receiving Trophogast pellet for 30 days together with management changes, or to a control group, only subjected to management modifications. At the end of treatment, gastroscopy was repeated. Scores were assigned according to the Equine Gastric Ulcer Council scoring system. All horses were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the study. ESGD grades and weight before and after treatment were compared., Results: At enrolment, median ESGD score in the treatment group was 2, while in the control group it was 1. After the treatment period, a significant decrease in ESGD grade was observed in the treatment group (median 1, p = 0.0078), while there was no change in the control group (median 2). No significant weight change was observed in either group., Conclusion: Trophogast pellet was effective at promoting healing of mild ESGD in endurance horses., (© 2021 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.)

Background: Due to compactness and cheapness, smartphone ECG (sECG) could be very useful to equine practitioners. However, previous studies have evaluated the accuracy of sECG in hospitalised horses only. Different conditions in the field could influence the accuracy of the device. The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy of sECG in field and in hospital conditions., Methods: This is a prospective study. Paired standard base-apex ECG (stECG) and sECG were recorded in hospitalised horses and in subjects examined in field conditions. ECGs were analysed for heart rate and rhythm, presence/type of arrhythmias, presence/duration of artefacts, electrocardiographic waves and interval parameters by a blinded clinician. Statistical analysis evaluated the agreement between stECG and sECG and the differences in the prevalence of artefact in field and hospital conditions., Results: Nineteen (hospital) and 40 (field) paired ECGs were analysed. Agreement between stECG and sECG was found for heart rate and rhythm, evaluation of atrioventricular block and premature complexes, P wave and PQ interval duration, and QRS complex duration and polarity. No differences were found between artefacts recorded in hospital and in field conditions., Conclusion: sECG is a feasible tool for evaluation of rhythm in horses and is as accurate in field as in ambulatory conditions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. Published by BMJ.)

This work follows a previous article that addressed the role of disulfide bonds in the behavior of the 1Dx5 subunit upon hydration. Here the roles of nonrepetitive terminal domains present and the length of the central repetitive domain in the hydration of 1Dx5 are investigated. This was achieved by comparing the hydration behavior of suitable model samples determined by (13)C- and (1)H-NMR: an alkylated 1Dx5 subunit (alk1Dx5), a recombinant 58-kDa peptide corresponding to the central repetitive domain of 1Dx5 (i.e., lacking the terminal domains), and two synthetic peptides (with 6 and 21 amino acid residues) based on the consensus repeat motifs of the central domain. The (13)C cross-polarization and magic angle spinning (MAS) experiments recorded as a function of hydration gave information about the protein or peptide fractions resisting plasticization. Conversely, (13)C single pulse excitation and (1)H-MAS gave information on the more plasticized segments. The results are consistent with the previous proposal of a hydrated network held by hydrogen-bonded glutamines and possibly hydrophobic interactions. The nonrepetitive terminal domains were found to induce water insolubility and a generally higher network hindrance. Shorter chain lengths were shown to increase plasticization and water solubility. However, at low water contents, the 21-mer peptide was characterized by higher hindrance in the megahertz and kilohertz frequency ranges compared to the longer peptide; and a tendency for a few hydrogen-bonded glutamines and hydrophobic residues to remain relatively hindered was still observed, as for the protein and large peptide. It is suggested that this ability is strongly dependent on the peptide primary structure., (Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Biospectroscopy) 65: 158-168, 2002)

This work describes a carbon and proton solid-state NMR study of the hydration of a high molecular weight wheat glutenin subunit, 1Dx5. The effect of the presence of disulfide bonds on the hydration behavior of the subunit is investigated by a comparison of the unalkylated and alkylated forms of the protein. Hydration induces partial plasticization of the protein so that some segments become more mobile than others. The 13C cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning (MAS) spectra of the samples in the dry state and at two hydration levels (approximately 40 and approximately 65% D2O) were used to monitor the protein fraction resisting plasticization (trains). Conversely, 13C single pulse excitation and 1H-MAS experiments were used to gain information on the more plasticized segments (loops). The molecular motion of the two protein dynamic populations was further characterized by 13C T1 and 1H T(1rho), T2, and T1 relaxation times. The results suggest that hydration leads to the formation of a network held by a cooperative action of hydrogen bonded glutamines and some hydrophobic interactions. The looser protein segments are suggested to be glycine- and glutamine-rich segments. The primary structure is therefore expected to significantly determine the proportion of trains and loops in the network. The presence of disulfide bonds was observed to promote easier plasticization of the protein and the formation of a more mobile network, probably involving a higher number of loops and/or larger loops., (Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This work describes the application of (1)H magic angle spinning (MAS) nmr to the study of hydrated 1Dx5 wheat high-M(r) subunit. 1Dx5 is a water-insoluble 88 kDa protein, associated with good baking performance, and whose structure in the solid and low-hydration states is not known. High-resolution MAS (HR-MAS) results in a threefold resolution improvement of the (1)H spectra of the hydrated wheat protein, compared to standard MAS. The spectral resolution achieved enables, for the first time, two-dimensional nmr methods to be employed for the study of hydrated 1Dx5 and the assignment of the spectrum to be carried out on the basis of total correlated spectroscopy and (13)C/(1)H correlation experiments. Considerable shifts are observed for some resonances, relative to the chemical shifts of amino acids in solution, indicating that specific interactions occur in the hydrated protein network. Two main environments are identified for glutamine residues, Q(1) and Q(2), and these were characterized in terms of possible conformation and relative dynamics, with the basis of comparison between the single 90 degrees spectrum and the Carr-Purcel-Heiboom-Gill (CPMG) spectrum. The Q(1) residues are proposed to be situated in protein segments that adopt the beta-sheet conformation and that remain relatively hindered, possibly by hydrogen bonds involving the glutamine amide groups. On the other hand, Q(2) residues are proposed to be situated in a more mobile environment, adopting a looser conformation, possibly a beta-turn conformation. Based on the proximity of the Q(2) residues with glycine residues, as viewed by the nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy experiment, it is proposed that the protein segments that form the more mobile (or loop) sections of the network are rich in both glutamine and glycine residues., (Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

To evaluate the potential utility of free beta (hCG) and beta-core (hCG) in a prenatal screening protocol for Down syndrome we analysed these markers in dried maternal urine specimens from 163 control, 13 Down syndrome and 5 trisomy 18 pregnancies from 8 to 25 weeks' gestation. All results are reported after normalization for urinary creatinine determined by modified Jaffe reagent assay. The correlation of urinary free beta (hCG) and urinary beta-core (hCG) was 0.61 in controls and 0.93 in Down syndrome. Median MoM values in Down syndrome were 2.42 for urinary free beta (hCG) and 2.40 for beta-core (hCG). In trisomy 18 the Median MoM was 0.35 and 0.34 for free beta (hCG) and beta-core (hCG), respectively. The degree of elevation observed in DS cases with urinary free beta (hCG) is consistent with previous reports. Studies of beta-core (hCG) in Down syndrome have yielded discrepant results. In this study, beta-core (hCG) in Down syndrome is lower than values observed in early reports but consistent with more recent reports.

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was performed in 10,000 consecutive singleton pregnancies by a single principal operator, working in two institutions. The procedure was performed between 8 and 32 gestational weeks: transabdominal (TA) sampling was carried out in 8479 cases and transcervical (TC) in 1521. Patients were referred for chromosomal risk in 89.1 per cent of cases, Mendelian disorders in 10.5 per cent, and DNA investigations for paternity or infectious agents in 0.4 per cent of cases. The sampling success rate for both TA and TC techniques by the second insertion was 99.8 and 99.2 per cent, respectively. TA sampling succeeded in a higher number of cases at the first insertion (98 per cent vs. 86.8 per cent) and was associated with smaller samples (< 10 mg) in fewer cases (3.2 per cent vs. 4.9 per cent). Cytogenetic analysis was highly successful (99.4 per cent) and accurate; however, in one case a de novo structural rearrangement of chromosome I was not recognized. Mosaicism or rare trisomies were reported in 1.30 per cent of cases. Five diagnostic errors in DNA investigation (0.51 per cent) ended with the birth of affected fetuses. Fetal loss through 28 weeks' gestation in the pregnancies intended to continue was 2.58 per cent; the rate increased with maternal age (1.22 per cent at less than 30 years to 3.8 per cent at 40 years or more), while gestational age affected the abortion rate only at 8 weeks (odds ratio=2.22, P<0.05). Rates of premature delivery, low birth weight, and perinatal mortality did not differ from the Italian standards. By comparison with the Italian Birth Defects Registry data, no differences were found for the major malformations, including transverse limb reduction defects (TLRDs) (4.34 vs. 3.28 x 10,000). Total malformations and TLRDs did not show any pattern relation to either maternal age or gestational age.