The Late Cretaceous dinoflagellate cyst Manumiella : biostratigraphy, systematics and palaeoecological signals in Antarctica

This study of the Maastrichtian (latest Cretaceous, 71–65 Ma) species of Manumiella Bujak and Davies 1983 in the James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula is focussed on the biostratigraphical and palaeoecological significance of this peridinioid dinoflagellate cyst genus, in particular with reference to oceanic changes associated with the Cretaceous/Tertiary (KT) boundary. New palynological analyses throughout the upper part of the latest Maastrichtian López de Bertodano Formation on Seymour Island has resulted in the emendation of Manumiella to include the presence of a mesophragm, and the formal description of Manumiella bertodano sp. nov. A morphological continuum exists between species of Manumiella, but the apparent biostratigraphical significance of the end-member morphologies emphasises the need for consistent and distinct species concepts. Consequently, a new botanical key has been devised based on the morphological features of Manumiella bertodano sp. nov., Manumiella conorata [Stover, L.E., 1973. Palaeocene and Eocene species of Deflandrea (Dinophyceae) in Victorian coastal and offshore basins, Australia. In: Glover, J.E., Playford, G. (Eds.), Mesozoic and Cainozoic Palynology: Essays in Honour of Isabel Cookson. Geological Society of Australia, Special Publication vol. 4, 167–188.] Bujak and Davies 1983, Manumiella druggii [Stover, L.E., 1973. Palaeocene and Eocene species of Deflandrea (Dinophyceae) in Victorian coastal and offshore basins, Australia. In: Glover, J.E., Playford, G. (Eds.), Mesozoic and Cainozoic Palynology: Essays in Honour of Isabel Cookson. Geological Society of Australia, Special Publication vol. 4, 167–188.] Bujak and Davies 1983, Manumiella seelandica (Lange, D., 1969. Mikroplankton aus dem Fischton von Stevns-Klint auf Seeland. Beiträge zur Meereskunde, 24–25, 110–121.) Bujak and Davies emend. Firth 1987 and Manumiella seymourensis Askin 1999. Manumiella druggii and Manumiella seelandica are retained as separate species. The key has been successfully tested on the well-preserved dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from the uppermost López de Bertodano Formation on Seymour Island, resulting in a clear biostratigraphy based on an existing preliminary scheme. Manumiella seymourensis is prominent in the lowermost part of the succession, and the uppermost part of the range of this species overlaps with that of Manumiella bertodano sp. nov. The latter species ranges into the latest Maastrichtian, where it co-occurs with Manumiella conorata and Manumiella seelandica. Manumiella druggii is confined to the uppermost part of the succession examined. Abundance spikes of Manumiella immediately prior to the KT boundary in this succession have also been recognised globally, and may be related to short-term regressions and/or ocean cooling before the KT event

ZoneModa Journal

ZoneModa Journal nasce dall'idea di un gruppo di docenti dei Corsi di Laurea di Moda, sede di Rimini, Universit\ue0 di Bologna allo scopo di istituire uno strumento di ricerca focalizzato sui Fashion Studies e immaginato per un pubblico di studiosi italiani e stranieri. La necessit\ue0 che ci ha spinto a produrre il progetto editoriale \ue8 stata dettata soprattutto dalla mancanza, in Italia, di uno strumento di questo tipo, capace di raccogliere studi e riflessioni sul complesso e articolato universo del fashion. L\u2019obiettivo, che rappresenta un costante work in progress, \ue8 di far diventare ZoneModa Journal un punto di riferimento imprescindibile per degli studiosi di moda. L\u2019osservazione del contesto entro il quale i fenomeni di moda si manifestano e si consolidano \ue8 sempre pi\uf9 globale, uno spazio dai confini geografici, politici e massmediali sempre pi\uf9 ampi. Per questi motivi, fin dal primo numero, il progetto ha previsto la definizione di nuovi contatti sia con colleghi italiani che stranieri, nonch\ue9 la sua diffusione nelle due lingue, italiano ed inglese. ZoneModa Journal intende proporsi come un appuntamento fisso, un\u2019area di raccordo, per dar vita a occasioni di riflessione comune su un tema di volta in volta suggerito e affrontato sotto molti e diversi punti di vista, con la regia di un curatore per ogni numero. Lo scopo \ue8 quello di sollecitare discussioni e confronti pi\uf9 allargati possibile, di mettere a disposizione uno spazio per contatti, convergenze e critiche costruttive. La rivista si rivolge agli studiosi di Fashion Studies e agli studenti universitari dei corsi umanistici, con l\u2019obiettivo di costituire uno strumento utile ad inquadrare i fenomeni legati al fashion entro un quadro di riflessione ampio, che faccia riferimento a pi\uf9 ambiti culturali e di ricerca. I suoi punti di forza sono l\u2019aspetto multidisciplinare e la predisposizione ad ospitare discussioni critiche su aspetti culturali di ampio respiro (come ad esempio: morphing, made in Italy, cultura pop, well-being)

Gene expression patterns in transgenic mouse models of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in myosin regulatory light chain

Using microarray and bioinformatics, we examined the gene expression profiles in transgenic mouse hearts expressing mutations in the myosin regulatory light chain shown to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We focused on two malignant RLC-mutations, Arginine 58→Glutamine (R58Q) and Aspartic Acid 166 → Valine (D166V), and one benign, Lysine 104 → Glutamic Acid (K104E)-mutation. Datasets of differentially expressed genes for each of three mutants were compared to those observed in wild-type (WT) hearts. The changes in the mutant vs. WT samples were shown as fold-change (FC), with stringency FC ≥ 2. Based on the gene profiles, we have identified the major signaling pathways that underlie the R58Q-, D166V- and K104E-HCM phenotypes. The correlations between different genotypes were also studied using network-based algorithms. Genes with strong correlations were clustered into one group and the central gene networks were identified for each HCM mutant. The overall gene expression patterns in all mutants were distinct from the WT profiles. Both malignant mutations shared certain classes of genes that were up or downregulated, but most similarities were noted between D166V and K104E mice, with R58Q hearts showing a distinct gene expression pattern. Our data suggest that all three HCM mice lead to cardiomyopathy in a mutation-specific manner and thus develop HCM through diverse mechanisms