Craniosynostosis is a common yet complex birth defect, characterized by premature fusion of the cranial sutures that can be syndromic or nonsyndromic. With over 180 syndromic associations, reaching genetic diagnoses and understanding variations in underlying cellular mechanisms remains a challenge. Variants of FGFR2 are highly associated with craniosynostosis and warrant further investigation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the previously unexplored domain of water vapor/gas separation using graphene oxide (GO) membranes, expecting future applications, including gas dehumidifiers and superior humidity controllers. While the importance of manipulation of GO nanosheet size and surface chemistry in traditional water purification and gas separation has been acknowledged, their potential impact on water vapor/gas separation remained unexplored until now. We applied sonication and hydrogen peroxide treatments to GO water dispersions and systematically evaluated the size and surface chemistry of each GO nanosheet.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraphene oxide (GO) has attracted attention as an excellent membrane material for water treatment and desalination owing to its high mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, and permeability. In this study, composite membranes were prepared by coating GO on various polymeric porous substrates (polyethersulfone, cellulose ester, and polytetrafluoroethylene) using suction filtration and casting methods. The composite membranes were used for dehumidification, that is, water vapor separation in the gas phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Through the evolution of novel wing structures, bats (Order Chiroptera) became the only mammalian group to achieve powered flight. This achievement preceded the massive adaptive radiation of bats into diverse ecological niches. We investigate some of the developmental processes that underlie the origin and subsequent diversification of one of the novel membranes of the bat wing: the plagiopatagium, which connects the fore- and hind limb in all bat species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious genotype:phenotype mapping of the mouse and primate dentition revealed the presence of pre- and post-canine modules in mice and anthropoid primates, as well as molar and premolar submodules in anthropoid primates. We estimated phenotypic correlation matrices for species that sample broadly across Mammalia to test the hypothesis that these modules exist across a broader range of taxa and thereby represent a conserved mammalian trait. We calculated phenotypic correlation matrices from linear dental measurements of 419 individual specimens representing 5 species from 4 mammalian orders: Artiodactyla (), Carnivora ( and ), Didelphimorphia (), and Primates ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFColor polymorphic species can offer exceptional insight into the ecology and genetics of adaptation. Although the genetic architecture of animal coloration is diverse, many color polymorphisms are associated with large structural variants and maintained by biotic interactions. Grasshoppers are notably polymorphic in both color and karyotype, which makes them excellent models for understanding the ecological drivers and genetic underpinnings of color variation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) contributes to the proton motive force that drives ATP synthesis in many mammalian tissues. In eutherian (placental) mammals, brown adipose tissue (BAT) can also dissipate this proton gradient through uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) to generate heat, but the evolutionary events underlying the emergence of BAT are unknown. An essential step in FAO is the transport of cytoplasmic long chain acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) into the mitochondrial matrix, which requires the action of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B) in striated muscle and BAT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEquilibrative nucleobase transporter 1 (ENBT1/SLC43A3) has recently been identified as a purine-selective nucleobase transporter. Although it is highly expressed in the liver, its role in nucleobase transport has not been confirmed yet in hepatocytes or any relevant cell models. We, therefore, examined its role in adenine transport in the HepG2 cell line as a human hepatocyte model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA method for the simultaneous extraction and determination of indoor volatile compounds, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), was developed using a multi-bed solid phase extraction (SPE)-type collection device. The collection device was prepared by packing styrene-divinylbenzene polymer particles and activated carbon particles. The collected analytes were completely desorbed by passing 7 mL of acetone, and the solvent was then injected into a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry without the concentration process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe dentition is an extremely important organ in mammals with variation in timing and sequence of eruption, crown morphology, and tooth size enabling a range of behavioral, dietary, and functional adaptations across the class. Within this suite of variable mammalian dental phenotypes, relative sizes of teeth reflect variation in the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. Two ratios of postcanine tooth lengths capture the relative size of premolars to molars (premolar-molar module, PMM), and among the three molars (molar module component, MMC), and are known to be heritable, independent of body size, and to vary significantly across primates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, in-door air semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) including 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (texanol), and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate (TXIB), which are scheduled for adding as regulated compounds concerning indoor air reference values in Japan, were quantitatively extracted using a solid-phase extraction-type collection device, followed by sensitively determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The developed method has shown a good extraction recovery up to an air sampling volume of 900 L. The extracted analytes were quantitatively and rapidly eluted by 7 mL of acetone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCatastrophic events can significantly impact the demographic processes that shape natural populations of organisms. However, linking the outcomes of such events to specific demographic parameters is often challenging due to a lack of detailed pre-event data. The eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex on 4 June 2011 had profound consequences for the biota of southwestern Argentina.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, a solid-phase extraction-type collection device, with styrene-divinylbenzene polymer particles (Sunpak-H) as the adsorbent, was used for the quantitative determination of phthalate esters in air samples. The collection and elution recoveries of eight volatile phthalate esters, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFreshwater cyanobacteria produce toxic microcystins (MCs), which travel from freshwater areas into the sea. The MCs produced by cyanobacteria in a freshwater reservoir were discharged frequently into the adjacent Isahaya Bay, remained in the surface sediments, and then accumulated in various macrobenthic animals on the seafloor. The MCs were transported further outside of Isahaya Bay (Ariake Bay), and the median values of the MC contents in the sediments were in the same levels in both bays, while their temporal variations were also similar during the study period.
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