Histoenzymatic and Immunocytochemical Characteristics of Extravillous Trophoblast Cells of Placental Basal Plate as Parameter of Their Function in Hypertensive Pregnancy

An intense activity of enzymes which actively participate in the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system was shown in extravillous trophoblast cells which are involved in the performing of spiral arteries into uteroplacental vessels. The hydrolase activity in villous trophoblast underwent important variations, but it was constant in cells of the extravillous trophoblast. Activity of lysosomal hydrolases, of leucine aminopeptidase and N-acetyl glucosaminidase type, was markedly positive in X-cells, while negative in the villous trophoblast. Beta glucuronidase activity has shown moderate activity in cells of extravillous trophoblast, while in villous trophoblast it was weakly emphasized or negative. Intense activity of prostaglandin E2 dehydrogenase in the way of strongly emphasized microsomal reaction was noted exclusively in extravillous cells of basal plate, especially in perivascular cell groupings. Within all examined enzymes activities, only the membranous activity of alkaline phosphatase was of the same intensity in cells of extravillous trophoblast. Lacking of penetration of these cells into the spiral arteries wall in EPH-gestosis, which also means loss of their close contact with the blood of a pregnant, implicates the practical meaning of these observations

Global Diversity of Sponges (Porifera)

With the completion of a single unified classification, the Systema Porifera (SP) and subsequent development of an online species database, the World Porifera Database (WPD), we are now equipped to provide a first comprehensive picture of the global biodiversity of the Porifera. An introductory overview of the four classes of the Porifera is followed by a description of the structure of our main source of data for this paper, the WPD. From this we extracted numbers of all ‘known’ sponges to date: the number of valid Recent sponges is established at 8,553, with the vast majority, 83%, belonging to the class Demospongiae. We also mapped for the first time the species richness of a comprehensive set of marine ecoregions of the world, data also extracted from the WPD. Perhaps not surprisingly, these distributions appear to show a strong bias towards collection and taxonomy efforts. Only when species richness is accumulated into large marine realms does a pattern emerge that is also recognized in many other marine animal groups: high numbers in tropical regions, lesser numbers in the colder parts of the world oceans. Preliminary similarity analysis of a matrix of species and marine ecoregions extracted from the WPD failed to yield a consistent hierarchical pattern of ecoregions into marine provinces. Global sponge diversity information is mostly generated in regional projects and resources: results obtained demonstrate that regional approaches to analytical biogeography are at present more likely to achieve insights into the biogeographic history of sponges than a global perspective, which appears currently too ambitious. We also review information on invasive sponges that might well have some influence on distribution patterns of the future

Courant bracket found out to be T-dual to Roytenberg bracket

Bosonic string moving in coordinate dependent background fields is considered. We calculate the generalized currents Poisson bracket algebra and find that it gives rise to the Courant bracket, twisted by a 2-form $$2B_{\mu \nu }$$. Furthermore, we consider the T-dual generalized currents and obtain their Poisson bracket algebra. It gives rise to the Roytenberg bracket, equivalent to the Courant bracket twisted by a bi-vector $$\Pi ^{\mu \nu }$$, in case of $$\Pi ^{\mu \nu } = 2 {^\star B}^{\mu \nu } = \kappa \theta ^{\mu \nu }$$. We conclude that the twisted Courant and Roytenberg brackets are T-dual, when the quantities used for their deformations are mutually T-dual

Warmth Prevents Bone Loss Through the Gut Microbiota.

Osteoporosis is the most prevalent metabolic bone disease, characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration. Here, we show that warmth exposure (34°C) protects against ovariectomy-induced bone loss by increasing trabecular bone volume, connectivity density, and thickness, leading to improved biomechanical bone strength in adult female, as well as in young male mice. Transplantation of the warm-adapted microbiota phenocopies the warmth-induced bone effects. Both warmth and warm microbiota transplantation revert the ovariectomy-induced transcriptomics changes of the tibia and increase periosteal bone formation. Combinatorial metagenomics/metabolomics analysis shows that warmth enhances bacterial polyamine biosynthesis, resulting in higher total polyamine levels in vivo. Spermine and spermidine supplementation increases bone strength, while inhibiting polyamine biosynthesis in vivo limits the beneficial warmth effects on the bone. Our data suggest warmth exposure as a potential treatment option for osteoporosis while providing a mechanistic framework for its benefits in bone disease

Canopy physiology, vine performance and host-pathogen interaction in a fungi resistant cv. Sangiovese x Bianca accession vs. a susceptible clone

The present study compares the physiological and cropping response of the new fungi-resistant grapevine Accession 72-096 ('Sangiovese' x 'Bianca' hybrid) against a susceptible 'Sangiovese' clone which was either fully (FS-SG) or partially sprayed (PS-SG). Data logged on Accession 72-096 indicate that while two early season sprays were enough to avoid major downy mildew (DM) and powdery mildew (PM) outbreaks, Accession 72-096 also showed concurrent desirable features such as moderate cropping, loose clusters, fast sugar accumulation coupled with sufficient acidity even at peak total soluble solids (TSS) concentration (around 24 °Brix), good color and higher flavonols prompting co-pigmentation. Conversely, FS-SG showed final lower acidity despite the notably lower sugar concentration (â18 °Brix), as well as larger clusters and berries that resulted in more compact bunches. From a methodological viewpoint, end of season single-leaf readings appeared to overestimate the limitation of leaf function due to PM and DM infections in SG-PS vines which, when assessed via a whole-canopy approach, did not show significant differences vs. Accession 72-096, a result likely due to counteracting effects linked to a compensation mechanism by healthy tissues. Our data also suggest that a PM infection can lead to a decoupling in sugar-color accumulation patterns