VLF/LF sounding of the lower ionosphere to study the role of atmospheric oscillations in the lithosphere-ionosphere coupling

It is shown that sounding of the lower ionosphere boundary by subionospheric signals from powerful VLF/LF transmitters can be a useful tool for the investigation of Planetary Waves (PW) with periods in a range of 2-30 days. A specific spring-time transition in the PW dynamic periodograms is revealed from our analysis of several years data using Tsushima, Japan VLF transmitter (10.2kHz) along the path with length of about 1000km. Earthquake influence m the periodograms could be sometime recognized as an appearance of specific wavelets. We discuss a possibility of PW transportation from the bottom to the upper atmosphere as modulation of shorter-scale gravity waves (GW) inside the troposphere and subsequent demodulation of the GW at the atmosphere-ionosphere boundary for the explanation of observational results. The existence of modulation due to gravity waves in LF signal amplitude is presented to support the above hypothesis

Effects of Pleistocene climate changes on species ranges and evolutionary processes in the Neotropical Atlantic Forest

The effects of global glaciations on the distribution of organisms is an essential element of many diversification models. However, the empirical evidence supporting this idea is mixed, in particular with respect to explaining tropical forest evolution. In the present study, we evaluated the impacts of range shifts associated with Pleistocene global glacial cycles on the evolution of tropical forests. In particular, we tested the predictions: (1) that population genetic structure increases with fragmentation variation between the present and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and also (2) with geographical range instability; and (3) that genetic diversity increases with range stability and (4) decreases with fragmentation variation between periods. To address our predictions, we studied population genetic structures and modelled present and past distributions of 15 Atlantic Forest (AF) endemic birds. Afterwards, we evaluated the relationship of population genetic parameters with metrics of species range shifts between the present and the LGM. We found that geographical ranges of AF birds changed in concert with Pleistocene glacial cycles but, unexpectedly, our findings suggest the novel idea that ranges during glacial maxima were slightly larger on average, as well as equally fragmented and displaced from the interglacial ranges. Our findings suggest that range shifts over the late Pleistocene impacted on the diversification of forest organisms, although they did not show that those range shifts had a strong effect. We found that a combination of fragmentation variation across time, small current range size, and range stability increased population genetic structure. However, neither fragmentation, nor range stability affected genetic diversity. Our study showed that evolutionary responses to range shifts across AF birds have a high variance, which could explain the mixed support given by single-species studies to the action of Pleistocene range shifts on population evolution.Fil: Cabanne, Gustavo Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Calderón, Pablo Luciano Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Trujillo Arias, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Flores, Pamela. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento; ArgentinaFil: Pessoa, Rodrigo. Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros; BrasilFil: d'Horta, Fernando M.. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia; BrasilFil: Miyaki, Cristina Y.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

An Alkyl Ether Carboxylate and Alkyl Carboxylate Formulated Cleanser Decreases Facial Sebum and Inflammatory Acne Without Inducing Dry Xerotic Skin in Thai Females

Many Thai females feel that their facial skin is oily and suffer from acne. Previously we have confirmed that a facial cleanser formulated with alkyl ether carboxylate (AEC) and alkyl carboxylate (AC) effectively removed sebum and decreased acne prompt without inducing dry skin on Japanese male subjects. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of this formulated facial cleanser on Thai female subjects with moderate or mild grade acne in Bangkok, Thailand. We designed a controlled clinical trial. Sixteen female subjects used AEC/AC formulated cleanser twice a day after discontinuing their currently using facial cleansers. Assessment of the efficacy was conducted prior to the start of the study, and at the end of weeks 2 and 4. Following usage of this cleanser for 4 weeks, sebum secretion levels on the forehead skin significantly decreased. Corresponding to decrease in facial sebum, 10 subjects had decrease in non-inflammatory acne. Furthermore eight subjects decreased in inflammatory acne, and the decreases in the number of inflammatory acne within 4 weeks were statistically significant. These decreases in sebum and acne prompt were recognized by subjects. Despite the sebum were cleansed well, the cutaneous capacitance increased significantly within 4 weeks, and there were no complaints of dryness or irritation of the skin during the study. From these results, we conclude that washing the face with cleanser formulated with AEC and AC is effective for acne care in Thai female

COL11A1 in FAP polyps and in sporadic colorectal tumors

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that the α-1 chain of type 11 collagen (COL11A1), not normally expressed in the colon, was up-regulated in stromal fibroblasts in most sporadic colorectal carcinomas. Patients with germline mutations in the APC gene show, besides colonic polyposis, symptoms of stromal fibroblast involvement, which could be related to COL11A1 expression. Most colorectal carcinomas are suggested to be a result of an activated Wnt- pathway, most often involving an inactivation of the APC gene or activation of β-catenin. METHODS: We used normal and polyp tissue samples from one FAP patient and a set of 37 sporadic colorectal carcinomas to find out if the up-regulation of COL11A1 was associated with an active APC/β-catenin pathway. RESULTS: In this study we found a statistically significant difference in COL11A1 expression between normal tissue and adenomas from one FAP patient, and all adenomas gave evidence for an active APC/β-catenin pathway. An active Wnt pathway has been suggested to involve stromal expression of WISP-1. We found a strong correlation between WISP-1 and COL11A1 expression in sporadic carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that expression of COL11A1 in colorectal tumors could be associated with the APC/β-catenin pathway in FAP and sporadic colorectal cancer

The microRNA-29 family in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis

MicroRNAs have been shown to function in cartilage development and homeostasis, as well as in progression of osteoarthritis. The objective of the current study was to identify microRNAs involved in the onset or early progression of osteoarthritis and characterise their function in chondrocytes. MicroRNA expression in mouse knee joints post-DMM surgery was measured over 7 days. Expression of miR-29b-3p was increased at day 1 and regulated in the opposite direction to its potential targets. In a mouse model of cartilage injury and in end-stage human OA cartilage, the miR-29 family were also regulated. SOX9 repressed expression of miR-29a-3p and miR-29b-3p via the 29a/b1 promoter. TGFβ1 decreased expression of miR-29a, b and c (3p) in primary chondrocytes, whilst IL-1β increased (but LPS decreased) their expression. The miR-29 family negatively regulated Smad, NFκB and canonical WNT signalling pathways. Expression profiles revealed regulation of new WNT-related genes. Amongst these, FZD3, FZD5, DVL3, FRAT2, CK2A2 were validated as direct targets of the miR-29 family. These data identify the miR-29 family as microRNAs acting across development and progression of OA. They are regulated by factors which are important in OA and impact on relevant signalling pathways

Serum microRNA array analysis identifies miR-140-3p, miR-33b-3p and miR-671-3p as potential osteoarthritis biomarkers involved in metabolic processes.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in circulation have emerged as promising biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to identify a circulating miRNA signature for osteoarthritis (OA) patients and in combination with bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the utility of selected differentially expressed miRNAs in the serum as potential OA biomarkers. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 12 primary OA patients, and 12 healthy individuals were screened using the Agilent Human miRNA Microarray platform interrogating 2549 miRNAs. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the deregulated miRNAs. Expression levels of selected miRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in all serum and in articular cartilage samples from OA patients (n = 12) and healthy individuals (n = 7). Bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the involved pathways and target genes for the above miRNAs. Results: We identified 279 differentially expressed miRNAs in the serum of OA patients compared to controls. Two hundred and five miRNAs (73.5%) were upregulated and 74 (26.5%) downregulated. ROC analysis revealed that 77 miRNAs had area under the curve (AUC) > 0.8 and p < 0.05. Bioinformatics analysis in the 77 miRNAs revealed that their target genes were involved in multiple signaling pathways associated with OA, among which FoxO, mTOR, Wnt, pI3K/akt, TGF-β signaling pathways, ECM-receptor interaction, and fatty acid biosynthesis. qRT-PCR validation in seven selected out of the 77 miRNAs revealed 3 significantly downregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-33b-3p, hsa-miR-671-3p, and hsa-miR-140-3p) in the serum of OA patients, which were in silico predicted to be enriched in pathways involved in metabolic processes. Target-gene analysis of hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-33b-3p, and hsa-miR-671-3p revealed that InsR and IGFR1 were common targets of all three miRNAs, highlighting their involvement in regulation of metabolic processes that contribute to OA pathology. Hsa-miR-140-3p and hsa-miR-671-3p expression levels were consistently downregulated in articular cartilage of OA patients compared to healthy individuals. Conclusions: A serum miRNA signature was established for the first time using high density resolution miR-arrays in OA patients. We identified a three-miRNA signature, hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-671-3p, and hsa-miR-33b-3p, in the serum of OA patients, predicted to regulate metabolic processes, which could serve as a potential biomarker for the evaluation of OA risk and progression.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

A gross anatomical study of the styloid process of the temporal bone in Japanese cadavers

Background: The incidence of an elongated styloid process (SP) and average length and diameter of SP have not been reported using Japanese cadavers. Data on the female-to-male ratio of an elongated SP vary. We calculated the average length and diameter of SP in Japanese cadavers and compared SP lengths between sexes. Materials and methods: Twenty-seven sides (right and left of bodies) in males and 51 sides in females were analyzed. Measurements were obtained from the inferior external acoustic meatus to the distal tip of the SP. SP diameters at the proximal base, midpoint, and distal tip were measured. SP &gt;30 mm was considered elongated. We used Welch’s t-test for the statistical analysis. Fisher’s exact two-tailed test was also performed to analyze the female-to-male elongation ratio. A p-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: SP elongation prevalence was 29.5% in our sample. The average full length was 27.04±7.88 mm overall; the average diameters were 5.41±1.77 mm at the proximal base and 2.21±1.22 mm at the distal tip. The average SP measurement was 26.81±5.92 mm in males and 27.16±8.79 mm in females (p=0.74). The female-to-male ratio of SP elongation was 1:2 (p=0.041). Females had longer full lengths of non-elongated SPs than males (p=0.004). Males had wider diameters at the proximal base of elongated SPs than females (p=0.017). Conclusions: The average length of SP was 27.04 mm in the Japanese population and about 30% of the Japanese presented SP≥30 mm. Male had significantly higher rate than female among the SP≥30 mm, and female had significantly longer SPs than male among the SP&lt;30 mm. Anatomically, the SP gets narrow as distally goes. Our anatomical findings would be beneficial to creating treatment plans, diagnosis, and surgery

DNA Methylation Status of the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene is associated with Depressive Symptoms in Japanese Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: Polymorphisms in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, that is considered to be the most important genetic determinant of blood homocysteine concentration, are associated with various diseases, including psychiatric disorders. However, the epigenetic factors influencing on the transcription and expression of this gene are unclear. The current study aims to detect the relationship between epigenetic factor-DNA methylation status, on the human MTHFR gene and depressive symptoms in Japanese workers. Methods: 774 DNA samples were extracted from saliva samples collected from subjects recruited for a mental health study, and an Illumina Human Methylation 450K Microarray Assay was used to examine DNA methylation profile across the human MTHFR gene. Depressive symptoms were determined by K6 questionnaire. Four independent DNA pools were created based on K6 scores, and the methylation levels were compared among the pools. Results: The DNA methylation level was lower in subjects with higher degrees of depression for both the entire gene (p=2.10×1

Spiral and Interlocking Grain in Eucalyptus Dunnii

Spiral grain in 181 trees from a 9-year-old plantation-grown Eucalyptus dunnii was normally distributed with mean 0.33 degrees (to the left) and standard deviation 1.7 degrees, and was affected by family and by crown asymmetry. Interlocking grain was common, exhibiting a mean amplitude of 3.4 degrees (standard deviation 1.5 degrees) and a mean wavelength of 39 mm (standard deviation 12 mm). The relatively large amplitude of interlocking grain means that most trees will have spiral grain that alternates between left and right during each year. The wavelength of interlocking grain is influenced by tree size, but amplitude of interlocking is under genetic control. Both spiral grain and the amplitude of any interlocking were heritable (h2 = 0.99 and 0.63 respectively)