The anatomy and feeding mechanism of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus).

The fully aquatic Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) is a member of the Cryptobranchidae, and is currently distributed in western Japan, with other members of this group restricted to China and North America. Their feeding behaviour is characterized by a form of suction feeding that includes asymmetric movements of the jaw and hyobranchial apparatus. Previous studies on the North American species, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, have suggested that this specialized jaw movement is produced by a flexible quadrate-articular joint combined with a loosely connected lower jaw symphysis including two small fibrocartilaginous pads.

A Classical Phenotype of Fabry Disease with Novel Mutation Found by Kidney Biopsy, A Case Report.

Fabry disease (FD) is a multi-organ disorder caused by a deficiency of alpha-galactosidase (α-GLA) or reduced activity of the enzyme due to mutations in the GLA gene on the X chromosome, making it an X-linked hereditary disease. A 37-year-old man previously diagnosed with sudden deafness and cardiac hypertrophy was referred to our department after an abnormal urine finding during a public health checkup. A renal biopsy revealed characteristic findings, and he was diagnosed with FD with a novel GLA abnormality (c.

Evolutionary process toward avian-like cephalic thermoregulation system in Theropoda elucidated based on nasal structures.

It has long been discussed whether non-avian dinosaurs were physiologically closer to ectotherms or endotherms, with the internal nasal structure called the respiratory turbinate present in extant endotherms having been regarded as an important clue for this conundrum. However, the physiological function and relevance of this structure for dinosaur physiology are still controversial. Here, we found that the size of the nasal cavity relative to the head size of extant endotherms is larger than those of extant ectotherms, with that of the dromaeosaurid being below the extant endotherms level.

Lung evolution in vertebrates and the water-to-land transition.

A crucial evolutionary change in vertebrate history was the Palaeozoic (Devonian 419-359 million years ago) water-to-land transition, allowed by key morphological and physiological modifications including the acquisition of lungs. Nonetheless, the origin and early evolution of vertebrate lungs remain highly controversial, particularly whether the ancestral state was paired or unpaired. Due to the rarity of fossil soft tissue preservation, lung evolution can only be traced based on the extant phylogenetic bracket.

Feeding behaviour and functional morphology of the neck in the long-snouted aquatic fossil reptile Champsosaurus (Reptilia: Diapsida) in comparison with the modern crocodilian Gavialis gangeticus.

The extinct freshwater choristoderan reptiles Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus are characterised by large body size and an elongated snout. They have often been considered as eco-analogues of crocodilians based on superficial similarities. The slender-snouted Champsosaurus has been described as a 'gavial-like reptile', which implies it feeds underwater with a lateral swipe of the head and neck, as in the living slender-snouted crocodilians such as Gavialis gangeticus.

The sandwich structure of keratinous layers controls the form and growth orientation of chicken rhinotheca.

The upper beak bone of birds is known to be overlain by the rhinotheca, which is composed of the horny sheath of keratinous layers. However, the details of the structure and growth pattern of the rhinotheca are yet to be understood. In this study, the microstructure of the rhinotheca from chicken specimens of different growth stages (ranging from 1 to ~ 80 days old) was analyzed using a combination of thin section and scanning electron microscopy observations, and small-angle X-ray scattering analysis.

How does the curvature of the upper beak bone reflect the overlying rhinotheca morphology?

The beak has independently been evolved accompanied by the edentulism in many tetrapod linages, including extant Testudinata and Aves, and its form and function have been greatly diversified. The beak is formed by beak bones and the overlying keratinous cover, although their profiles are different from each other. Therefore, it is difficult to reliably reconstruct the entire profile of the beak in extinct taxa, whose keratinous tissues are rarely preserved.

The first record of albanerpetontid amphibians (Amphibia: Albanerpetontidae) from East Asia.

Albanerpetontids are an enigmatic fossil amphibian group known from deposits of Middle Jurassic to Pliocene age. The oldest and youngest records are from Europe, but the group appeared in North America in the late Early Cretaceous and radiated there during the Late Cretaceous. Until now, the Asian record has been limited to fragmentary specimens from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan.

Long-term outcomes of tonsillectomy for IgA nephropathy patients: A retrospective cohort study, two-centre analysis with the inverse probability therapy weighting method.

Aim: The effect of tonsillectomy on IgA nephropathy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of tonsillectomy on the outcome, end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and all-cause death in IgA nephropathy patients who did and did not undergo tonsillectomy.

Methods: All basic data were retrospectively gathered from patients who had undergone renal biopsies at two Japanese clinical centres.

The palatal dentition of tetrapods and its functional significance.

The presence of a palatal dentition is generally considered to be the primitive condition in amniotes, with each major lineage showing a tendency toward reduction. This study highlights the variation in palatal tooth arrangements and reveals clear trends within the evolutionary history of tetrapods. Major changes occurred in the transition between early tetrapods and amphibians on the one hand, and stem amniotes on the other.

Morphology and function of the palatal dentition in Choristodera.

Choristoderes are a group of extinct freshwater reptiles that were distributed throughout Laurasia from the Middle Jurassic to the Miocene. They are inferred to have had a lifestyle similar to that of extant gavialid crocodiles, but they differed from crocodiles in retaining an extensive palatal dentition. All choristoderes had teeth on the vomers, palatines and pterygoids, and teeth are rarely present on the parasphenoid.

A report of an adult case of tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome, with a review of 102 Japanese cases.

Background: Although TINU syndrome is characterized by idiopathic TIN with bilateral anterior uveitis, few reports have provided a comprehensive summary of the features of this disorder. Previous reports have suggested that many Japanese patients had HLA-A2 and -A24 (7), but there is no evidence.

Case Report: A 44-year-old female was referred to our hospital due to renal dysfunction in March 2012.

New material of the enigmatic reptile Khurendukhosaurus (Diapsida: Choristodera) from Mongolia.

New material of the enigmatic diapsid Khurendukhosaurus is described from the Mongolian type locality, Khuren Dukh, providing additional data on the vertebral column, pelvis, and hind limb. It confirms the choristoderan status of the genus and permits a more detailed phylogenetic analysis that supports a relationship between Khurendukhosaurus and the long-necked Asian Hyphalosauridae. The existence of tall caudal neural spines implies that Khurendukhosaurus was a deep-tailed swimmer.

[Exacerbation of acute leukemia bearing isolated i(17q) along with proliferation of blasts with high BMI-1 expression].

We report a case of acute leukemia with an isolated isochromosome 17q karyotypic abnormality, which may be transformed from myeloproliferative disease (MPD)/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). A 69-year-old male patient with 27% of blasts in the peripheral blood underwent hematological examinations including cytochemical staining of cells such as myeloperoxydase (MPO), surface marker study on blasts, chromosomal test and bcr-abl mRNA analysis. The cytological and molecular findings (MPO-positive, myeloid marker CD13 expression (67.