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This study aims to determine whether the benthic meiofaunal assemblages on the intertidal zone of Danshuei River estuary (DRE) in Taiwan vary from the estuary to the upper stream, and in response to different habitats. A total of six major taxa (Nematoda, Copepoda, Ostracoda, Polychaeta, Oligochaeta and Gastrotricha) of meiofauna and 44 nematode genera were recorded at 12 sampling stations in DRE in October, 2013. Meiofauna densities ranged between 4.67 ± 2.08 and 294.00 ± 180.40 ind./10 cm2, the average was 162.31 ± 84.36 ind./10 cm2. Nematodes were the dominant group (relative abundance, RA: 89.27%) in the meiofaunal community at all stations, with its assemblage in DRE dominated by nonselective deposit feeders (55.14%). There were striking differences in nematode assemblages between mangroves and mangroves with reed habitats. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the dominances of the genera Anoplostoma, Metacylicolaimus and Deontostoma were significantly negative while Terschellingia correlated positively with salinity. These genera showed either decreasing or increasing trends at stations from the estuary to the upper stream. The dominances of the genera Megadesmolaimus and Theristus were significantly positively correlated with the proportion of sand and negatively correlated with the proportion of silt and clay. Our results indicate that salinity and sediment type influenced nematode assemblages in the DRE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of inhibin A simultaneously in the maternal serum and placental extract in preeclampsia (PE) with or without small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and normal controls at term, and to evaluate the relationship among changes in serum and placental inhibin A according to the severity of PE and PE with or without SGA. Material and Methods: This study involved 40 pregnant women; normal ( n = 20), and PE ( n = 20), the latter of who were classified into (i) mild ( n = 10) and severe PE ( n = 10); (ii) PE with SGA ( n = 7) and without SGA ( n = 13). Inhibin A concentrations were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the maternal serum and placental extract. Inhibin-α subunit in the placenta was stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and its intensity was graded by a semiquantitative scoring method. Results: There was a positive correlation in inhibin A concentrations between the serum and placental extract ( r = 0.57, P < 0.001). Both maternal serum and placental inhibin A in PE groups were significantly higher than in controls, but there was no severity-dependent increase of inhibin A when compared with mild and severe PE. There was no difference in inhibin A levels between PE with and without SGA. Moreover, the inhibin-α subunit was predominantly abundant in the cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblasts, where the PE groups showed higher staining intensity than the controls ( P < 0.000). Conclusion: Serum inhibin A level might be a useful biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]