Seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection exploration by JARE-43 on Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica

The 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-43) carried out seismic exploration experiments on Mizuho Plateau,East Antarctica,in the austral summer season of ,2001-2002. The exploration was composed of seven large explosions and 161seismic stations distributed along the 151 km-long seismic line.The first arrival time data are analyzed by a refraction method.It is found that the ice sheet is composed of two layers:the upper layer with P wave velocity of 2.7-2.9 km/s has thickness of 35-45 m,and the lower layer with P wave velocity of 3.7-3.9 km/s continues to the bedrock.Lateral velocity variation in the upper-most crust is revealed:P wave velocity for the upper-most crust in the southern and central parts is 6.1-6.2 km/s and that in the northern part is5.9 km/s. This result implies that the geological boundary observed along the coast in the Lu tzow-Holm Bay and Prince Olav Coast regions possibly continues to the inland area.The S wave velocity is also obtained to be roughly 3.5km/s for the whole upper-most crust.Travel time analysis of two distinct reflection phases shows two horizontal reflecting planes located at 19 and 40km depth; the latter corresponds to the Moho discontinuity

Biogeography and evolution of the Carassius auratus-complex in East Asia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Carassius auratus </it>is a primary freshwater fish with bisexual diploid and unisexual gynogenetic triploid lineages. It is distributed widely in Eurasia and is especially common in East Asia. Although several genetic studies have been conducted on <it>C. auratus</it>, they have not provided clear phylogenetic and evolutionary descriptions of this fish, probably due to selection bias in sampling sites and the DNA regions analysed. As the first step in clarifying the evolutionary entity of the world's <it>Carassius </it>fishes, we attempted to clarify the phylogeny of <it>C. auratus </it>populations distributed in East Asia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We conducted a detailed analysis of a large dataset of mitochondrial gene sequences [<it>CR</it>, 323 bp, 672 sequences (528 sequenced + 144 downloaded); <it>CR </it>+ <it>ND4 </it>+ <it>ND5 </it>+ <it>cyt b</it>, 4669 bp in total, 53 sequences] obtained from <it>C. auratus </it>in East Asia. Our phylogeographic analysis revealed two superlineages, one distributed mainly among the Japanese main islands and the other in various regions in and around the Eurasian continent, including the Ryukyus and Taiwan. The two superlineages include seven lineages with high regional specificity that are composed of endemic populations indigenous to each region. The divergence time of the seven lineages was estimated to be 0.2 million years ago (Mya) by a fossil-based method and 1.0-1.9 Mya by the molecular clock method. The antiquity and endemism of these lineages suggest that they are native to their respective regions, although some seem to have been affected by the artificial introduction of <it>C. auratus </it>belonging to other lineages. Triploids of <it>C. auratus </it>did not form a monophyletic lineage but were clustered mostly with sympatric diploids.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of the present study revealed the existence of two superlineages of <it>C. auratus </it>in East Asia that include seven lineages endemic to each of the seven regions examined. The lack of substantial genetic separation between triploids and diploids indicates that triploids are not composed of a single independent lineage. The ancient origins and evolutionary uniqueness of the seven lineages warrant their conservation. An overall phylogenetic framework obtained from the present study will be of use for estimating the phylogenetic relationships of <it>Carassius </it>fishes on the Eurasian continent.</p

Characteristics of Clinical and Imaging Findings of Epidermoid Cysts under the Skin of the Mental Region

Epidermoid cyst often arises in the fl oor of oral cavity; however, it is relatively rare to arise subcutaneously in the mental region. We reported characteristics of clinical and imaging fi ndings of epidermoid cysts under the skin of the mental region. The patient was a 53-year-old male. He complained of a subcutaneous mass without pain in the left mental region. A palpable soft and movable thumb-sized mass without pain was observed at the fi rst examination. Ultrasound examination revealed a well-demarcated mass with heterogenous hyper-echoic internal echo and posterior echo enhancement. On power Doppler sonography, a small amount of blood supply was found around the periphery of the mass. Plain CT scan revealeda globular soft-tissue mass with peripheral high and central low CT values area. The mass was removed under local anesthesia using intraoral approach. A histopathologic diagnosis was epidermoid cyst. Recurrence is not observed 2 years after surgery. There were only 3 reports of epidermoid cysts in the mental region, including our case in Japan, clinically characteristics of age ranging 20 to 66 years of age and the mean age of 46 years, with 2 males and 1 female. The size wasfrom 20 mm to 12 mm in diameter and from the tip of a thumb up to the tip of a small fi nger. Ultrasound images of the inside of epidermoid cysts that we experienced this time showed enhancement of relatively uniform hyperechoic image and posterior echo, which was characteristically slightly diff erent from fi ndings of epidermoid cysts generally reported

The novel heart-specific RING finger protein 207 is involved in energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes

A failing heart shows severe energy insufficiency, and it is presumed that this energy shortage plays a critical role in the development of cardiac dysfunction. However, little is known about the mechanisms that cause energy metabolic alterations in the failing heart. Here, we show that the novel RING-finger protein 207 (RNF207), which is specifically expressed in the heart, plays a role in cardiac energy metabolism. Depletion of RNF207 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCs) leads to a reduced cellular concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Consistent with this result, we observed here that the expression of RNF207 was significantly reduced in mice with common cardiac diseases including heart failure. Intriguingly, proteomic approaches revealed that RNF207 interacts with the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), which is considered to be a key regulator of mitochondria function, as an RNF207-interacting protein. Our findings indicate that RNF207 is involved in ATP production by cardiomyocytes, suggesting that RNF207 plays an important role in the development of heart failure

Morphological association between the muscles and bones in the craniofacial region.

The strains of inbred laboratory mice are isogenic and homogeneous for over 98.6% of their genomes. However, geometric morphometric studies have demonstrated clear differences among the skull shapes of various mice strains. The question now arises: why are skull shapes different among the mice strains? Epigenetic processes, such as morphological interaction between the muscles and bones, may cause differences in the skull shapes among various mice strains. To test these predictions, the objective of this study is to examine the morphological association between a specific part of the skull and its adjacent muscle. We examined C57BL6J, BALB/cA, and ICR mice on embryonic days € 12.5 and 16.5 as well as on postnatal days (P) 0, 10, and 90. As a result, we found morphological differences between C57BL6J and BALB/cA mice with respect to the inferior spine of the hypophyseal cartilage or basisphenoid (SP) and the tensor veli palatini muscle (TVP) during the prenatal and postnatal periods. There was a morphological correlation between the SP and the TVP in the C57BL6J, BALB/cA, and ICR mice during E15 and P0. However, there were not correlation between the TVP and the SP during P10. After discectomy, bone deformation was associated with a change in the shape of the adjacent muscle. Therefore, epigenetic modifications linked to the interaction between the muscles and bones might occur easily during the prenatal period, and inflammation seems to allow epigenetic modifications between the two to occur