The glycosyltransferase EOGT regulates adropin expression in decidualizing human endometrium

In pregnancy, resistance of endometrial decidual cells to stress signals is critical for the integrity of the feto-maternal interface and, by extension, survival of the conceptus. O-GlcNAcylation is an essential post-translational modification that links glucose sensing to cellular stress resistance. Unexpectedly, decidualization of primary endometrial stromal cells (EnSCs) was associated with a 60% reduction in O-GlcNAc modified proteins, reflecting downregulation of the enzyme that adds O-GlcNAc to substrates (O-GlcNAc transferase, OGT) but not the enzyme that removes the modification (O-GlcNAcase, OGA). Notably, EOGT, an endoplasmic reticulum-specific O-GlcNAc transferase that modifies a limited number of secreted and membrane proteins, was markedly induced in differentiating EnSCs. Knockdown of EOGT perturbed a network of decidual genes involved in multiple cellular functions. The most downregulated gene upon EOGT knockdown in decidualizing cells was ENHO, which encodes adropin, a metabolic hormone involved in energy homeostasis and glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Analysis of mid-luteal endometrial biopsies revealed an inverse correlation between endometrial EOGT and ENHO expression and body mass index. Taken together, our findings reveal that obesity impairs the EOGT-adropin axis in decidual cells, which in turn points towards a novel mechanistic link between metabolic disorders and adverse pregnancy outcome. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

Endometrial stromal cells of women with recurrent miscarriage fail to discriminate between high- and low-quality human embryos

Background The aetiology of recurrent miscarriage (RM) remains largely unexplained. Women with RM have a shorter time to pregnancy interval than normally fertile women, which may be due to more frequent implantation of non-viable embryos. We hypothesized that human endometrial stromal cells (H-EnSCs) of women with RM discriminate less effectively between high-and low-quality human embryos and migrate more readily towards trophoblast spheroids than H-EnSCs of normally fertile women. Methodology/Principal Findings Monolayers of decidualized H-EnSCs were generated from endometrial biopsies of 6 women with RM and 6 fertile controls. Cell-free migration zones were created and the effect of the presence of a high-quality (day 5 blastocyst, n = 13), a low-quality (day 5 blastocyst with three pronuclei or underdeveloped embryo, n = 12) or AC-1M88 trophoblast cell line spheroid on H-ESC migratory activity was analyzed after 18 hours. In the absence of a spheroid or embryo, migration of H-EnSCs from fertile or RM women was similar. In the presence of a low-quality embryo in the zone, the migration of H-EnSCs of control women was inhibited compared to the basal migration in the absence of an embryo (P<0.05) and compared to the migration in the presence of high-quality embryo (p<0.01). Interestingly, the migratory response H-EnSCs of women with RM did not differ between high- and low-quality embryos. Furthermore, in the presence of a spheroid their migration was enhanced compared to the H-EnSCs of controls (p<0.001). Conclusions H-EnSCs of fertile women discriminate between high- and low-quality embryos whereas H-EnSCs of women with RM fail to do so. H-EnSCs of RM women have a higher migratory response to trophoblast spheroids. Future studies will focus on the mechanisms by which low-quality embryos inhibit the migration of H-EnSCs and how this is deregulated in women with RM

The biomechanics of amnion rupture: an X-ray diffraction study

Pre-term birth is the leading cause of perinatal and neonatal mortality, 40% of which are attributed to the pre-term premature rupture of amnion. Rupture of amnion is thought to be associated with a corresponding decrease in the extracellular collagen content and/or increase in collagenase activity. However, there is very little information concerning the detailed organisation of fibrillar collagen in amnion and how this might influence rupture. Here we identify a loss of lattice like arrangement in collagen organisation from areas near to the rupture site, and present a 9% increase in fibril spacing and a 50% decrease in fibrillar organisation using quantitative measurements gained by transmission electron microscopy and the novel application of synchrotron X-ray diffraction. These data provide an accurate insight into the biomechanical process of amnion rupture and highlight X-ray diffraction as a new and powerful tool in our understanding of this process

Open and Hidden Charm Production in 920 GeV Proton-Nucleus Collisions

The HERA-B collaboration has studied the production of charmonium and open charm states in collisions of 920 GeV protons with wire targets of different materials. The acceptance of the HERA-B spectrometer covers negative values of xF up to xF=-0.3 and a broad range in transverse momentum from 0.0 to 4.8 GeV/c. The studies presented in this paper include J/psi differential distributions and the suppression of J/psi production in nuclear media. Furthermore, production cross sections and cross section ratios for open charm mesons are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 9 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Hyperons, Charm & Beauty Hadrons (BEACH04), Chicago, IL, June 27 - July 3, 200

Inclusive V0V^0 Production Cross Sections from 920 GeV Fixed Target Proton-Nucleus Collisions

Inclusive differential cross sections $d\sigma_{pA}/dx_F$ and $d\sigma_{pA}/dp_t^2$ for the production of \kzeros, \lambdazero, and \antilambda particles are measured at HERA in proton-induced reactions on C, Al, Ti, and W targets. The incident beam energy is 920 GeV, corresponding to $\sqrt {s} = 41.6$ GeV in the proton-nucleon system. The ratios of differential cross sections \rklpa and \rllpa are measured to be $6.2\pm 0.5$ and $0.66\pm 0.07$, respectively, for \xf $\approx-0.06$. No significant dependence upon the target material is observed. Within errors, the slopes of the transverse momentum distributions $d\sigma_{pA}/dp_t^2$ also show no significant dependence upon the target material. The dependence of the extrapolated total cross sections $\sigma_{pA}$ on the atomic mass $A$ of the target material is discussed, and the deduced cross sections per nucleon $\sigma_{pN}$ are compared with results obtained at other energies.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 5 table

Evidence for vocal signatures and voice-prints in a wild parrot

In humans, identity is partly encoded in a voice-print that is carried across multiple vocalizations. Other species also signal vocal identity in calls, such as shown in the contact call of parrots. However, it remains unclear to what extent other call types in parrots are individually distinct, and whether there is an analogous voice-print across calls. Here we test if an individual signature is present in other call types, how stable this signature is, and if parrots exhibit voice-prints across call types. We recorded 5599 vocalizations from 229 individually marked monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) over a 2-year period in Barcelona, Spain. We examined five distinct call types, finding evidence for an individual signature in three. We further show that in the contact call, while birds are individually distinct, the calls are more variable than previously assumed, changing over short time scales (seconds to minutes). Finally, we provide evidence for voice-prints across multiple call types, with a discriminant function being able to predict caller identity across call types. This suggests that monk parakeets may be able to use vocal cues to recognize conspecifics, even across vocalization types and without necessarily needing active vocal signatures of identity. © 2023 The Authors

The effect of social structure on vocal flexibility in monk parakeets

The social complexity hypothesis argues that communicative complexity arises as a result of social complexity, with this occurring through mechanisms including plasticity and selection. Most research to date has focused on ultimate drivers of repertoire size, for example finding that cooperative breeding species exhibit larger repertoires. Until this date, to our knowledge, no study has focused on individual-level drivers of vocal diversity. Here, we examine social networks and vocalizations in wild colonial-nesting monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). We recorded social networks for 337 individuals, relatedness for 100 individuals and matched these with 5599 vocalizations from 229 individuals over 2 years. Overall, we found that all individuals exhibited high contact-call diversity; however, individual-level diversity increased with age in 2020 and with number of nest mates in 2021. Call similarity was not predicted by relatedness, but individuals with stronger affiliative bonds had more dissimilar calls, suggesting an active process to sound unique among close associates. Finally, females had more diverse repertoires, producing relatively fewer contact calls across years and individuals living in larger groups had more diverse repertoires in 2021. Our results demonstrate a multi-faceted social influence on call content, diversity and repertoire diversity, exhibiting how fine-scale variation in social structure can influence expressed vocal complexity

Infrastructure for Detector Research and Development towards the International Linear Collider

The EUDET-project was launched to create an infrastructure for developing and testing new and advanced detector technologies to be used at a future linear collider. The aim was to make possible experimentation and analysis of data for institutes, which otherwise could not be realized due to lack of resources. The infrastructure comprised an analysis and software network, and instrumentation infrastructures for tracking detectors as well as for calorimetry.Comment: 54 pages, 48 picture

Surface Visualisation of Tissue Interfaces by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Methods for Exposure of the Basal Lamina and Associated Structures in Human Amnion

Tissue interfaces such as basal lamina have been traditionally investigated in transmission electron microscopy by sections cut vertical to the lamina, presenting information restricted to a single ultrathin plane. In order to overcome this limitation, a methodology for surface visualisation of the underside cell membranes of the amniotic epithelium, the upper and lower basal lamina surfaces, and their relationship to the stromal collagen has been devised. This involves alkaline, detergent or enzymatic loosening and/or removal of the epithelial monolayer prior to fixation, followed by dry fracture after critical point drying. In this way we have visualised large areas of all interfaces and the inter-relationships between these elements during the process of stromal collagen production by the amniotic epithelial cells

Improving estimates of tropical peatland area, carbon storage, and greenhouse gas fluxes

The workshops that led to this article were supported financially by the Universities of Leicester and Nottingham, and the Natural Environment Research Council-funded ‘Earth Observation Technology Cluster’ knowledge exchange initiativeOur limited knowledge of the size of the carbon pool and exchange fluxes in forested lowland tropical peatlands represents a major gap in our understanding of the global carbon cycle. Peat deposits in several regions (e.g. the Congo Basin, much of Amazonia) are only just beginning to be mapped and characterised. Here we consider the extent to which methodological improvements and improved coordination between researchers could help to fill this gap. We review the literature on measurement of the key parameters required to calculate carbon pools and fluxes, including peatland area, peat bulk density, carbon concentration, above-ground carbon stocks, litter inputs to the peat, gaseous carbon exchange, and waterborne carbon fluxes. We identify areas where further research and better coordination are particularly needed in order to reduce the uncertainties in estimates of tropical peatland carbon pools and fluxes, thereby facilitating better-informed management of these exceptionally carbon-rich ecosystems.PostprintPeer reviewe