Intermodal Network Accessibility in Eastern Asia: System Building and Case Studies

Building a GIS Platform for the Quantitative Approach to Regional Studies in Northeast Asi

Properties of the Disorder Induced in the Purple Membrane Structure by Iodination

Iodination induces disorder in the crystalline structure of purple membrane. The properties Of the disorder were examined by X-ray diffraction experiments on the iodinated purple membrane. The analysis of the intensity and the integral width of the Bragg reflections revealed that the disorder was well characterized by the second kind of disorder. The g value, which represents the extent of the second kind of disorder, is obtained for iodinated purple membrane with various extent of iodination. The g value and the wavelength at absorption maximum of iodinated PM are well correlated, indicating that the local change around retinal is reflected in the disorder in the crystalline structure of purple membrane

Immunohistochemical diagnosis and significance of forensic neuropathological changes

Immunohistochemistry is very useful when investigating the cause of death. Ischemic cell changes in the hippocampal neurons were not obvious in the brains damaged by hypoxic injury. However, it is suggested that even a moderate hypoxia, which may affect the neuronal proteins and metabolism, induced astrocytes is in the CA3 and CA4 regions, and that in patients with a history of hypoxic attacks neuronal damage may be severe even several hours after ischemic injury. Furthermore, hsp70 expression was found in the CA2, CA3 and CA4 regions of long-term survivors after severe hypoxic / ischemic injury. In forensic practice, detailed information about the duration and extent of a hypoxic / ischemic injury is often unavailable, so that immunohistochemical detection of hsp70 and glial cell staining can be of great value in diagnosing not only the hypoxic / ischemic injury during the process of death but also the victim’s past history of hypoxic attacks. In diffuse axonal injury, degeneration of axon and myelin, such as swelling and waving, were observed in survivors of more than 8 hours. Retraction balls appeared in survivors of more than 1 days. In longer term survivors, such as 3 or 5 months, breakdown of myelin and fat-granule cells were observed. In addition, retraction balls were also found. Immunohistochemical staining of 200 kD neurofilament was a very useful method to examine axonal changes, because antisera is specific for degenerative neurofilaments. In our study, all cases which had pathological findings of diffuse axonal injury (DAI)were associated with focal head injuries. From the immunohistochemical staining of neurons in the hippocampus, it was suggested that neurons in the hippocampus were injured by diffuse brain damage. Furthermore, repairing and protective mechanisms occurred especially from CA2 toCA4. It was considered that neuronal damage in diffuse brain injury was elucidated not only morphologically but also functionally. Therefore, in cases of suspected diffuse brain damage, it is recommended to examine the neuronal changes in addition to observing the findings of diffuse axonal injury. Immunohistochemical staining of the carotid body is potentially very useful for necropsy diagnosis, since it provides a method to detect evidence of mechanical asphyxia in suspected cases of manual and/or ligature strangulation

ジュウミン ノ コウフク オ ハンエイ シタ チイキ コウツウ システム ノ ヒョウカ : コウツウ ジャクシャ ノ センザイ ノウリョク ノ ソクテイ

アマルティア・センの「潜在能力アプローチ」による地域交通システムの評価方法を広大な農村部分と中山間地をもつ宮城県栗原市を対象に適用する。そして個人属性によって類型化される"交通弱者"の地域交通ネットワークから得られる福祉の特性を明らかにすると共に、都市郊外部を対象とした分析結果と比較検討する

HSP70 and c-Fos expression of brain stem hypoglossal nucleus in drowning

The brain stem hypoglossal nucleus (HN) is the center of nerves innervating the upper respiratory tract and is related to control of mastication, deglutition, speech and respiration. To elucidate the relationship between asphyxia and the HN, we investigated the change of hypoglossal neurons in cases of hanging, strangulation, smothering, choking, drowning and respiratory failure. Using immunohistochemical techniques, we observed the brain stem HN with antibodies against microtubule-associated protein2(MAP2), muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR), c-fos gene product (c-Fos) and 72kD heat-shock protein (HSP70). MAP2, a cytoskeletal protein of the neuron, is a marker of neuronal damage. Muscarinic AChR was used as a marker of neuronal membrane and ACh signaling. We employed both HSP70 and c-Fos as markers of stress- or damage-related events. We measured the percentage of immunopositive neurons in total neurons of HN. Drowning produced higher expression of HSP70 and c-Fos than other causes of asphyxia, suggesting that drowning induces more severe damage in HN neurons. Furthermore, it was suspected that neuronal changes in drowning might relate to functions of the HN. These observations indicate that immunohistochemical examination of the brain stem HN could provide useful information for determining the cause of asphyxia

Small RNA class transition from siRNA/piRNA to miRNA during pre-implantation mouse development

Recent studies showed that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) in mammalian germ cells play important roles in retrotransposon silencing and gametogenesis. However, subsequent contribution of those small RNAs to early mammalian development remains poorly understood. We investigated the expression profiles of small RNAs in mouse metaphase II oocytes, 8–16-cell stage embryos, blastocysts and the pluripotent inner cell mass (ICM) using high-throughput pyrosequencing. Here, we show that during pre-implantation development a major small RNA class changes from retrotransposon-derived small RNAs containing siRNAs and piRNAs to zygotically synthesized microRNAs (miRNAs). Some siRNAs and piRNAs are transiently upregulated and directed against specific retrotransposon classes. We also identified miRNAs expression profiles characteristic of the ICM and trophectoderm (TE) cells. Taken together, our current study reveals a major reprogramming of functional small RNAs during early mouse development from oocyte to blastocyst

Association of Human Leukocyte Antigen with Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Protective Role for Shared Epitope

INTRODUCTION: Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is frequently associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) as one of extra-articular manifestations. Many studies for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) allelic association with RA have been reported, but few have been validated in an RA subpopulation with ILD. In this study, we investigated the association of HLA class II alleles with ILD in RA. METHODS: An association study was conducted on HLA-DRB1, DQB1, and DPB1 in 450 Japanese RA patients that were or were not diagnosed with ILD, based on the findings of computed tomography images of the chest. RESULTS: Unexpectedly, HLA-DRB1*04 (corrected P [Pc] = 0.0054, odds ratio [OR] 0.57), shared epitope (SE) (P = 0.0055, OR 0.66) and DQB1*04 (Pc = 0.0036, OR 0.57) were associated with significantly decreased risk of ILD. In contrast, DRB1*16 (Pc = 0.0372, OR 15.21), DR2 serological group (DRB1*15 and *16 alleles) (P = 0.0020, OR 1.75) and DQB1*06 (Pc = 0.0333, OR 1.57, respectively) were significantly associated with risk of ILD. CONCLUSION: HLA-DRB1 SE was associated with reduced, while DR2 serological group (DRB1*15 and *16) with increased, risk for ILD in Japanese patients with RA

High resolution imaging polarimetry of HL Tau and magnetic field structure

We present high quality near infrared imaging polarimetry of HL Tau at 0.4 to 0.6 arcsec resolution, obtained with Subaru/CIAO and UKIRT/IRCAM. 3-D Monte Carlo modelling with aligned oblate grains is used to probe the structure of the circumstellar envelope and the magnetic field, as well as the dust properties. At J band the source shows a centrosymmetric pattern dominated by scattered light. In the H and K bands the central source becomes visible and its polarisation appears to be dominated by dichroic extinction, with a position angle inclined by ~40 degrees to the disc axis. The polarisation pattern of the environs on scales up to 200 AU is consistent with the same dichroic extinction signature superimposed on the centrosymmetric scattering pattern. These data can be modelled with a magnetic field which is twisted on scales from tens to hundreds of AU, or alternatively by a field which is globally misaligned with the disc axis. A unique solution to the field structure will require spatially resolved circular polarisation data. The best fit Monte Carlo model indicates a shallow near infrared extinction law. When combined with the observed high polarisation and non-negligible albedo these constraints can be fitted with a grain model involving dirty water ice mantles in which the largest particles have radii slightly in excess of 1 um. The best fit model has an envelope structure which is slightly flattened on scales up to several hundred AU. Both lobes of the bipolar outflow cavity contain a substantial optical depth of dust (not just within the cavity walls). Curved, approximately parabolic, cavity walls fit the data better than a conical cavity. The small inner accretion disc observed at millimetre wavelengths is not seen at this spatial resolution.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS, 21 pages, 10 figure

Population Genetic Structure of Peninsular Malaysia Malay Sub-Ethnic Groups

Patterns of modern human population structure are helpful in understanding the history of human migration and admixture. We conducted a study on genetic structure of the Malay population in Malaysia, using 54,794 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism genotype data generated in four Malay sub-ethnic groups in peninsular Malaysia (Melayu Kelantan, Melayu Minang, Melayu Jawa and Melayu Bugis). To the best of our knowledge this is the first study conducted on these four Malay sub-ethnic groups and the analysis of genotype data of these four groups were compiled together with 11 other populations' genotype data from Indonesia, China, India, Africa and indigenous populations in Peninsular Malaysia obtained from the Pan-Asian SNP database. The phylogeny of populations showed that all of the four Malay sub-ethnic groups are separated into at least three different clusters. The Melayu Jawa, Melayu Bugis and Melayu Minang have a very close genetic relationship with Indonesian populations indicating a common ancestral history, while the Melayu Kelantan formed a distinct group on the tree indicating that they are genetically different from the other Malay sub-ethnic groups. We have detected genetic structuring among the Malay populations and this could possibly be accounted for by their different historical origins. Our results provide information of the genetic differentiation between these populations and a valuable insight into the origins of the Malay sub-ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysia