Pregnancy induced hypertension: a role for peroxidation in microvillus plasma membranes

It has been recently hypothesized that in PIH a placental oxidant-antioxidant imbalance might cause the release of lipoperoxidation products into the circulation, with subsequent damage of endothelial cell membranes. In this hypothesis the endothelial cell and further increase in circulating lipoperoxide levels, which are by themselves able to induce smooth muscle constriction and increased pressor responsiveness to angiotensin II. In order to investigate this issue, we studied the basal content of lipid peroxides in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes (SPM) from PIH women. Moreover, we investigated the susceptibility to peroxidation of SPM using anin vitro oxidative stress as a tool to verify the predisposition to thein vivo development of peroxidation products. The fatty acid composition of the membranes was also analyzed. Microvillus membrane lipoperoxide concentrations were significantly increased in PIH women (62.8±7.6 ng MDA/mg prot) compared with healthy pregnant subjects (37.6±4.8 ng MDA/mg prot; p<0.01).The formation of TBARS under the action of phenylhydrazine was significantly greater in PIH women (90.3±7.4 mmol MDA/mol cholesterol) than in normal pregnant subjects (68.6±6.4 mmol MDA/mol cholesterol; p<0.01). In PIH microvillus membrane we also observed a significant increase of the content of polyunsaturated arachidonic acid.The increased susceptibility to oxidative stress of SPMs from PIH women might be due either to reduced antioxidant systems or to an abnormality of the lipid composition of the membrane. The present work also demonstrated in PIH a reduction in the SPM content of saturated fatty acids with an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are the major substrate for peroxidation. On the other hand, the higher lipoperoxidation may be due to the observed increased susceptibility to peroxidative stress, to a primary reduction in placental perfusion with tissue hypoxia or to both factors, which can potentiate each other.     

On some formulas in a partnership model from the perspective of a semi-Markov process

Many deterministic models of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as population models in general, contain elements of stochastic or statistical reasoning. An example of such a model is that of Dietz and Hadeler (1988) concerning sexually transmitted diseases in which there is partnership formation and dissolution. Among the interesting formulas in this paper, which enter into the analysis of the model, are those for the expected number of partners a male or female has during a lifetime. To a probabilist such formulas suggest the possibility that some stochastic process may be constructed so as to yield these formulas as well as others that may be of interest. The principal purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that such a stochastic process does indeed exist in the form of a three state semi-Markov process in continuous time with stationary laws of evolution and with a one-step density matrix determined by four parameters which were interpreted as constant latent risk functions in the classical theory of competing risks. This construction of a semi-Markov process not only provides a framework for the systematic derivation of the formulas of Dietz and Hadeler but also suggests pathways,for extensions to the age-dependent case.This research was partially supported by NATO Grant D.890350     

中国对虾维生素营养的研究:Ⅰ.维生素A对中国对虾生长及视觉器官的影响

本文研究维生素Ａ对中国对虾（Ｐｅｎａｅｕｓ　ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）生长及视觉器官的影响,获得如下结果：１．体长 ４ｃｍ、体重１ｇ小虾对饲料中ＶＡ的最适添加量为 １８,０００ ＩＵ／１００ｇ饲料,体长８ｃｍ,体重７ｇ大虾对饲料 中ＶＡ的最适添加量为１２,０００ ＩＵ／１００ｇ饲料,在ＶＡ最适添加量下,对虾增长、增重最快,饲料系数最 低。２．中国对虾的视网膜电图在暗适应条件下有ｂ、ｃ、ｄ三波,在白、蓝、黄三种光照刺激下,只有Ａ３组 （１２,０００ＩＵ／１００ｇ饲料）其视网膜电位达最高值,即ｂ波振幅达２．４５ｍＶ,ｄ波振幅达３．７ｍＶ,表明ＶＡ 在最适添加量下,视觉反应灵敏,视觉功能正常; ３．ＶＡ最适添加量的 Ａ３组对虾眼组织完整、无畸变, 而ＶＡ含量过高或不足各组,其小眼、视网膜、髓体、Ｘ－器官等都有不同程度的畸变、不完整、干瘪等现 象,表明ＶＡ投喂量不当时,会引起视觉器官的发育障碍或病变。     

Gestation length in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

We describe some of the sources of variation in gestation length among rhesus macaques. the data were obtained from the timed-mating breeding program at the California Regional Primate Research Center (CRPRC). Information about approximately 700 pregnancies that resulted in spontaneous vaginal deliveries of liveborn young is presented. The average length of these pregnancies was 166.5 days. In this population, older females with higher parities had significantly longer pregnancies and significantly heavier infants than other females did. Other factors, including infant sex, month of conception, maternal reproductive history, and paternal identity, had no consistent effect upon gestation length.     

花馔及其氨基酸营养

应用日立835 50型高效氨基酸自动分析仪,对十五种常见食用花卉干样进行了水解蛋白氢基酸成分测定,结果发现:①花馔中酸水解蛋白氨的基酸种类齐全,总氨基酸含量较高,占食用干物质的6.00—29.45％。②花馔中人体必需氨基酸含量丰富,占总氨基酸含量的29.50—42.60％。尤以亮氨酸、苯丙氨酸、赖氨酸和苏氨酸含量为高。③花馔中甜、鲜类氨基酸含量也较高,分别占总氨基酸的25.94—39.89％,23.35—33.38％,花馔是兼有营养、颜色、美味的天然食物,值得人类利用。     

A surplus no more? Variation in krill availability impacts reproductive rates of Antarctic baleen whales

The krill surplus hypothesis of unlimited prey resources available for Antarctic predators due to commercial whaling in the 20th century has remained largely untested since the 1970s. Rapid warming of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the past 50 years has resulted in decreased seasonal ice cover and a reduction of krill. The latter is being exacerbated by a commercial krill fishery in the region. Despite this, humpback whale populations have increased but may be at a threshold for growth based on these human-induced changes. Understanding how climate-mediated variation in prey availability influences humpback whale population dynamics is critical for focused management and conservation actions. Using an 8-year dataset (2013–2020), we show that inter-annual humpback whale pregnancy rates, as determined from skin-blubber biopsy samples (n = 616), are positively correlated with krill availability and fluctuations in ice cover in the previous year. Pregnancy rates showed significant inter-annual variability, between 29% and 86%. Our results indicate that krill availability is in fact limiting and affecting reproductive rates, in contrast to the krill surplus hypothesis. This suggests that this population of humpback whales may be at a threshold for population growth due to prey limitations. As a result, continued warming and increased fishing along the WAP, which continue to reduce krill stocks, will likely impact this humpback whale population and other krill predators in the region. Humpback whales are sentinel species of ecosystem health, and changes in pregnancy rates can provide quantifiable signals of the impact of environmental change at the population level. Our findings must be considered paramount in developing new and more restrictive conservation and management plans for the Antarctic marine ecosystem and minimizing the negative impacts of human activities in the region.     

The components of taurine transport across the rat small intestine A kinetic study

Summary The transport of taurine across adult Sprague-Dawley rat small intestine was studied in vitro using small intestinal strips. The kinetics of the transport mechanism were investigated under both steady-state and influx conditions. Our findings were compatible with the presence of two distinct transport mechanisms; a linear non-carrier mediated component and a saturable carrier mediated component, with almost equal contribution from each. The mediated component was found to be largely Na⁺-dependent and exhibited marked inhibition by B-alanine and structurally related sulfur amino acids.     

MRI在剖宫产术后瘢痕妊娠诊疗路径中的应用价值

摘要 目的：探讨磁共振成像在剖宫产术后瘢痕妊娠（cesarean scar pregnancy,CSP）诊疗路径中的应用价值。方法：回顾性分析24例经手术和（或）病理证实为瘢痕妊娠的孕妇临床和影像检查资料,记录MRI上妊娠囊位置、大小、T1、T2信号强度、妊娠囊类型、妊娠囊与子宫前壁下段肌层及膀胱的关系,分析MR特征对临床诊疗路径的应用价值。结果：24例妊娠囊均位于子宫下段,为圆形或卵圆形,11例妊娠囊为单纯囊性,12例妊娠囊为混杂包块型,1例因清宫术后行MR,未见明确妊娠囊,仅见子宫下段混杂信号。10例妊娠囊附着处子宫肌厚度不可测量,余14例妊娠囊附着处子宫肌厚度约0.9～5.0 mm,平均2.5±1.1 mm。据此,CSP分型为I型5例,II型7例,III型12例。结论：MRI能较好的评估CSP, 在CSP诊疗路径中的应用价值较大。     

Subcellular distribution of selenium during uptake and its influence on mitochondrial oxidations in germinatingVigna radiata L

The metabolic significance of Se in plants is not well documented, though the presence of many selenoenzymes in bacteria and the essentiality of Se in higher animals is established. Since germination is an active process in plant growth and metabolism, the effect of Se was investigated in germinatingVigna radiata L, a nonaccumulating Sedeficient legume. Growth and protein were enhanced in seedlings supplemented with selenium (Se) as sodium selenite in the medium up to 1 μg/mL. The pattern of uptake of⁷⁵Se in the differentiating tissues and the subcellular distribution were investigated. The percentage of incorporation of⁷⁵Se was greater in the mitochondria at the lowest level (0.5 μg/mL) of Se supplementation compared to higher levels of Se exposure. Proteins precipitated from the postmitochondrial supernatant fractions, when separated by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), indicated a major selenoprotein in the seedlings germinated at 2.0 μg/mL Se. In seedlings grown with supplemented Se, enhanced respiratory control ratio and succinate dehydrogenase activity were observed in the mitochondria of tissues, indicative of a role for Se in mitochondrial membrane functions.     

Growth responses of some soil fungi to spatially heterogeneous nutrients

Abstract The natural nutritional environments of most fungi are spatially non-uniform, yet the majority of studies of fungal growth take no account of this fact. An experimental system is described which permits the growth responses of eucarpic fungi to heterogeneously distributed nutrient resources to be studied. The system comprises tesselations of agar tiles of contrasting nutrient status separated by air gaps. Growth responses in such systems of Alternaria alternata, Mucor sp., Phoma foveata , Rhizoctonia solani and Trichoderma viride are described. Generally, the growth of the fungi reflected the nutrient status of the underlying substrate. There was evidence for growth in low-nutrient tiles being greater when high-nutrient tiles were included in the tessellation. Reproductive structures tended to be formed only in low nutrient tiles with Trichoderma and Rhizoctonia and only high nutrient tiles with Alternaria . Growth responses of Rhizoctonia were strongly asymmetric in nutritionally symmetric, but heterogeneous, tesselations. The consequences of the observations for fungal growth in heterogeneous environments such as soil is discussed.