Changes of Connexin43 Expression in Non‐pregnant Porcine Myometrium Correlate with Progesterone Concentration During Oestrous Cycle

Connexin43 (Cx43) is a major protein of myometrial gap junctions. The number of Cx43 gap junctions increase dramatically with the onset of labour in association with development of synchronized uterine contractions. The formation of myometrial gap junctions follows an increase in the oestrogen to progesterone ratio indicating an important role of steroid hormones in regulating Cx43 expression at term. However, no relationship has been established between the expression of Cx43 in the non‐pregnant myometrium and concentration of steroid hormones during the oestrous cycle. Here, we used immunofluorescence and Western blotting to analyse the expression of Cx43 gap junctions in the myometrium of pre‐pubertal pigs (n = 7) and mature pigs at pre‐ovulatory (n = 7), luteal (n = 5) and late luteal (n = 3) stages of the oestrous cycle. The number of Cx43 gap junctions calculated per 1 mm² of the myometrial section was low in pre‐pubertal pigs and significantly higher (p < 0.022) in pre‐ovulatory animals. In relation to pre‐ovulatory animals the number of myometrial gap junctions was significantly lower (p < 0.019) at the luteal phase and correlated with significantly higher (p < 0.005) concentration of endogenous progesterone. Phosphorylated isoforms of Cx43 protein were expressed in the myometrium of pre‐pubertal pigs and mature animals at pre‐ovulatory and late luteal phases, while they were down regulated at the luteal stage. These results indicate that changes of Cx43 expression in the porcine myometrium during the oestrous cycle may be regulated by progesterone concentration and may contribute to the modulation of uterine motility.     

Localization of Transforming Growth Factor Beta3 in Squamous Metaplasia of the Porcine Oviduct: a Case Report

Squamous metaplasia of the oviduct epithelium is a rare disorder of reproductive organs. We noted squamous metaplasia of the oviduct epithelium in a sow routinely slaughtered at day 2 of the oestrous cycle. Expression of transforming growth factor beta3 (TGF beta3) in the metaplastic epithelia was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, because TGF beta3 appears to play a key role as regulator of a variety of tissue remodelling events. Our results show that TGF beta3 immunostaining was specifically localized to foci of squamous metaplasia of the epithelial linings. Non‐metaplastic epithelial cells of the oviduct were not immunostained with anti‐TGF beta3 antibody. At the subcellular level, TGF beta3‐labelled cells occasionally showed signs of apoptotic cell death. It is concluded that signals produced by TGF beta3 in metaplastic lesions of the oviduct are potentially involved in pathophysiological processes.     

Nonemployment Income and the Economic Base of Michigan Counties: 1959–1986

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that nonemployment income makes up approximately one-third of all personal income, its impact on local area economies has not been closely examined. This study uses Michigan county data to examine the impact of nonemployment income on nonbasic income over a twenty-seven-year period. This impact is compared to the impact of basic income by employing regression analysis to estimate comparative multiplier effects for both types of income. Nonemployment income is found to have a significant impact on nonbasic income, particularly in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan urban counties, where its impact appears to be stronger than that of basic income.     

Long-term phosphorus fertilisation increased the diversity of the total bacterial community and the phoD phosphorus mineraliser group in pasture soils

Fertilisers, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supplies, are frequently used in agricultural soil management to attain high crop yields. However, the intensive application of these chemical inputs can decrease the quality of agricultural soils and increase the probability of environmental pollution. In this study, the impact of P fertilisation on the diversity of the soil bacterial community was assessed. For this, a culture-independent approach targeting 16 rRNA and phoD genes was used on DNA extracted from pasture soils subjected to three different P fertilisation regimes for a long-term (42 years). As alkaline phosphomonoesterase (ALP) is necessary for mineralisation of organic P, an inverse relationship between the level of potential ALP activity and soil available P was expected. Indeed, a lower ALP activity was observed in soil subjected to higher chemical P fertiliser input. Analysis of the prevalence of three divergent families of ALP (PhoA, PhoD and PhoX) in metagenomic datasets revealed that PhoD is the most frequent ALP in soil samples and was selected as the most representative ALP possessed by the soil bacterial communities. Diversity of the phoD phosphorus mineraliser group, as well as the total bacterial community, was both increased in response to long-term P fertilisation. Specifically, phosphorus fertilisation decreased the relative abundance of certain taxa, including Acidobacteria and Pseudomonas fluorescens. In conclusion, this study shows that P fertilisation affects the microbial diversity of soil ecosystems, which might potentially modulate the soil biogeochemical cycle.     

Quantum superposition of macroscopic persistent-current states

Microwave spectroscopy experiments have been performed on two quantum levels of a macroscopic superconducting loop with three Josephson junctions. Level repulsion of the ground state and first excited state is found where two classical persistent-current states with opposite polarity are degenerate, indicating symmetric and antisymmetric quantum superpositions of macroscopic states. The two classical states have persistent currents of 0.5 microampere and correspond to the center-of-mass motion of millions of Cooper pairs.     

Pattern-oriented modeling of agent-based complex systems: lessons from ecology

Agent-based complex systems are dynamic networks of many interacting agents; examples include ecosystems, financial markets, and cities. The search for general principles underlying the internal organization of such systems often uses bottom-up simulation models such as cellular automata and agent-based models. No general framework for designing, testing, and analyzing bottom-up models has yet been established, but recent advances in ecological modeling have come together in a general strategy we call pattern-oriented modeling. This strategy provides a unifying framework for decoding the internal organization of agent-based complex systems and may lead toward unifying algorithmic theories of the relation between adaptive behavior and system complexity.     

Direct observations of structural phase transitions in planar crystallized ion plasmas

Laser-cooled 9Be+ ions confined in two-dimensionally extended lattice planes were directly observed, and the images were used to characterize the structural phases of the ions. Five different stable crystalline phases were observed, and the energetically favored structure could be sensitively tuned by changing the areal density of the confined ions. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions for the planar (infinite in two dimensions) one-component plasma. Qualitatively similar structural phase transitions occur, or are predicted to occur, in other experimentally realizable planar systems.