85 research outputs found

    Temporal change in rock-magnetic properties of volcanic ashes ejected during a 1-year eruption event: a case study on the Aso Nakadake 2019-2020 eruption

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    We investigated temporal changes in the rock-magnetic properties of volcanic ash ejected from the Aso Nakadake volcano during a sequence of ash eruptions from 2019 to 2020. For 39 volcanic ash samples, magnetic hysteresis parameters, including saturation magnetization (M-s), saturation remanent magnetization (M-rs), coercivity (B-c), and coercivity of remanence (B-cr), were obtained. Curie temperature (T-c) of the samples was also estimated using thermomagnetic analyses. Titanium-rich and -poor titanomagnetites were the dominant magnetic minerals in the volcanic ash, of which the titanium-rich phase was dominant. Systematic magnetic measurements of the volcanic ash ejected during the 1-year eruption event indicate that temporal changes in the hysteresis parameters occurred throughout the event. These temporal changes suggest that the M-rs/M-s and B-c values of the volcanic ash increased considerably during several periods. The clear increases in M-rs/M-s and B-c, associated with the central peak in FORC diagrams, indicate that non-interacting single-domain grains increased. For these high M-rs/M-s and B-c samples, thermal demagnetizations of 3-axis IRM show that the low unblocking-temperature component up to 250-300 & DEG;C has apparently higher coercivity, suggesting that the above-mentioned, non-interacting single-domain grains are Ti-rich titanomagnetite. Interestingly, the high M-rs/M-s and B-c values were synchronous with observations of volcanic glow. These results suggest that changes in the magnetic properties of titanomagnetite grains in volcanic ash reflect changes in physical conditions from the vent to the conduit of the volcano

    Temporal variation in the depth of the magma surface at Aso volcano in 2014–2015

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    Monitoring the depth of the magma surface at open-vent volcanoes can be a practical tool to infer temporal variations in the magma supply during an eruption. We focus on the magmatic eruption of Aso volcano in 2014–2015 to estimate the temporal change in the depth of the magma surface, and show that this needs to be coupled with an understanding of the shallow conduit geometry if it is to be done in a representative manner. The eruption lasted 5 months from November 2014 and ending with a crater floor collapse in May 2015. During the eruption, we recorded seismo-acoustic waveforms related to frequent Strombolian explosions. The infrasound signals show several distinct peak frequencies derived from acoustic resonance inside the vent. We estimate the depth of the magma surface using the time delay of seismo-acoustic signals and the peak frequency of infrasound signals. In addition, the temporal variation in the shape of the conduit is constrained by the overtone frequency of the acoustic resonance. From the beginning of the eruption to early-January 2015, the magma surface was located at a depth of ∼ 200 m, and the conduit was a cylindrical pipe. Later, between January and February, the magma surface rose to ∼ 120 m, and the shape of the conduit changed to a conical frustum flaring inside. This finding indicates that the magma was injected into the shallow conduit and that it heated and weakened the conduit wall near the magma surface. Before the cessation of the magmatic eruption, the magma surface dropped by approximately 70 m. This magma drainage and, primarily, the instability of the conduit shape caused the crater floor to collapse. We show the possibility of tracking and assessing the depth of the magma surface and the shallow conduit geometry even with limited seismo-acoustic observations

    Spred2 Regulates High Fat Diet-Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation, and Metabolic Abnormalities in Mice

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    Chronic low-grade inflammation in visceral adipose tissues triggers the development of obesity-related insulin resistance, leading to the metabolic syndrome, a serious health condition with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. In the present study, we investigated whether Sprouty-related EVH1-domain-containing protein 2 (Spred2), a negative regulator of the Ras/Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway, plays a role in the development of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, and insulin resistance. Spred2 knockout (KO) mice, fed with HFD, exhibited an augmented body weight gain, which was associated with enhanced adipocyte hypertrophy in mesenteric white adipose tissue (mWAT) and deteriorated dyslipidemia, compared with wild-type (WT) controls. The number of infiltrating macrophages with a M1 phenotype, and the crown-like structures, composed of macrophages surrounding dead or dying adipocytes, were more abundant in Spred2 KO-mWAT compared to in WT-mWAT. Exacerbated adipose tissue inflammation in Spred2 KO mice led to aggravated insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. To analyze the mechanism(s) that caused adipose tissue inflammation, cytokine response in mWAT was investigated. Stromal vascular fraction that contained macrophages from Spred2 KO-mWAT showed elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) compared with those from WT-mWAT. Upon stimulation with palmitate acid (PA), bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) derived from Spred2 KO mice secreted higher levels of TNFα and MCP-1 than those from WT mice with enhanced ERK activation. U0126, a MEK inhibitor, reduced the PA-induced cytokine response. Taken together, these results suggested that Spred2, in macrophages, negatively regulates high fat diet-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, and insulin resistance by inhibiting the ERK/MAPK pathway. Thus, Spred2 represents a potential therapeutic tool for the prevention of insulin resistance and resultant metabolic syndrome

    Seismic Exploration Using Active Sources at Kuchierabujima Volcano, Southwest Japan

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    Seismic exploration using artificial sources was conducted at Kuchierabujima volcano, southwest Japan in November 2004 by 40 participants from 9 national universities andJapan Meteorological Agency to investigate the subsurface seismic structure. The exploration was the 11th joint experiment under the National Project for Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions. A total of 183 temporal stations equippedwith a 2 Hz vertical component seismometer (including 75 3component seismometers) and a portable data logger were deployed on Kuchierabu Island. Dynamite shots with charges of 10-115 kg were detonated at 19 locations, and seismic signals were successfully recorded. To reveal the P-wave velocity structure, 2955 arrival times of the first motion were picked from the seismograms, and 2187 were classified into ranks A and B. From the record sections and the arrival time data, characteristics reflecting the geological structure were identified. Refracted waves of 5 km/s were observed at stations>5km from the shot points. Apparent velocities near the shot points depend on the surface geology around the shots. P-wave arrived earlier at stations near the summits. Strongly scattered waves were observed similarly near the summits

    Seismic exploration at Fuji volcano with active sources : The outline of the experiment and the arrival time data

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    Fuji volcano (altitude 3,776m) is the largest basaltic stratovolcano in Japan. In late August and early September 2003, seismic exploration was conducted around Fuji volcano by the detonation of 500 kg charges of dynamite to investigate the seismic structure of that area. Seismographs with an eigenfrequency of 2 Hz were used for observation, positioned along a WSW-ENE line passing through the summit of the mountain. A total of 469 seismic stations were installed at intervals of 250-500 m. The data were stored in memory on-site using data loggers. The sampling interval was 4 ms. Charges were detonated at 5 points, one at each end of the observation line and 3 along its length. The first arrival times and the later-phase arrival times at each station for each detonation were recorded as data. P-wave velocities in the surface layer were estimated from the travel time curves near the explosion points, with results of 2.5 km/s obtained for the vicinity of Fuji volcano and 4.0 km5/s elsewhere

    The Constrained Maximal Expression Level Owing to Haploidy Shapes Gene Content on the Mammalian X Chromosome.

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    X chromosomes are unusual in many regards, not least of which is their nonrandom gene content. The causes of this bias are commonly discussed in the context of sexual antagonism and the avoidance of activity in the male germline. Here, we examine the notion that, at least in some taxa, functionally biased gene content may more profoundly be shaped by limits imposed on gene expression owing to haploid expression of the X chromosome. Notably, if the X, as in primates, is transcribed at rates comparable to the ancestral rate (per promoter) prior to the X chromosome formation, then the X is not a tolerable environment for genes with very high maximal net levels of expression, owing to transcriptional traffic jams. We test this hypothesis using The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) and data from the Functional Annotation of the Mammalian Genome (FANTOM5) project. As predicted, the maximal expression of human X-linked genes is much lower than that of genes on autosomes: on average, maximal expression is three times lower on the X chromosome than on autosomes. Similarly, autosome-to-X retroposition events are associated with lower maximal expression of retrogenes on the X than seen for X-to-autosome retrogenes on autosomes. Also as expected, X-linked genes have a lesser degree of increase in gene expression than autosomal ones (compared to the human/Chimpanzee common ancestor) if highly expressed, but not if lowly expressed. The traffic jam model also explains the known lower breadth of expression for genes on the X (and the Z of birds), as genes with broad expression are, on average, those with high maximal expression. As then further predicted, highly expressed tissue-specific genes are also rare on the X and broadly expressed genes on the X tend to be lowly expressed, both indicating that the trend is shaped by the maximal expression level not the breadth of expression per se. Importantly, a limit to the maximal expression level explains biased tissue of expression profiles of X-linked genes. Tissues whose tissue-specific genes are very highly expressed (e.g., secretory tissues, tissues abundant in structural proteins) are also tissues in which gene expression is relatively rare on the X chromosome. These trends cannot be fully accounted for in terms of alternative models of biased expression. In conclusion, the notion that it is hard for genes on the Therian X to be highly expressed, owing to transcriptional traffic jams, provides a simple yet robustly supported rationale of many peculiar features of X's gene content, gene expression, and evolution

    Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) Guidelines 2014 for treatment of colorectal cancer

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    Discovery of widespread transcription initiation at microsatellites predictable by sequence-based deep neural network

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    Using the Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) technology, the FANTOM5 consortium provided one of the most comprehensive maps of transcription start sites (TSSs) in several species. Strikingly, ~72% of them could not be assigned to a specific gene and initiate at unconventional regions, outside promoters or enhancers. Here, we probe these unassigned TSSs and show that, in all species studied, a significant fraction of CAGE peaks initiate at microsatellites, also called short tandem repeats (STRs). To confirm this transcription, we develop Cap Trap RNA-seq, a technology which combines cap trapping and long read MinION sequencing. We train sequence-based deep learning models able to predict CAGE signal at STRs with high accuracy. These models unveil the importance of STR surrounding sequences not only to distinguish STR classes, but also to predict the level of transcription initiation. Importantly, genetic variants linked to human diseases are preferentially found at STRs with high transcription initiation level, supporting the biological and clinical relevance of transcription initiation at STRs. Together, our results extend the repertoire of non-coding transcription associated with DNA tandem repeats and complexify STR polymorphism

    沈み込む海洋性プレートの層構造とプレート内地震面との関係

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    本文データは平成22年度国立国会図書館の学位論文(博士)のデジタル化実施により作成された画像ファイルを基にpdf変換したものである京都大学0048新制・論文博士博士(理学)乙第9782号論理博第1328号新制||理||1060(附属図書館)UT51-98-G381(主査)教授 安藤 雅孝, 教授 尾池 和夫, 助教授 中西 一郎学位規則第4条第2項該当Doctor of ScienceKyoto UniversityDFA
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