81690 research outputs found
Sort by
Same-sex couples under Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act Using the precedents of the European Court of Human Rights as materials（2）
No full text
Traumatic copulation and counterpart female traits are widespread in fritillary butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae : Argynnini)
No full textFemale fritillary butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Argynnini) are known to have diversified genital structures, especially at the entrance of the bursa copulatrix. However, the origin and function of such elaborated structures are poorly known to date. We examined the male and female genital structures of six Japanese species selected from five genera/subgenera [Argynnis (Argynnis), Argynnis (Damora), Argynnis (Argyronome), Fabriciana, and Speyeria] of the Argynnini tribe and found that traumatic copulation is widespread in Argynnini. Various male genital structures, such as the uncus, valva, and phallus, can cause wounds to the female genitalia. The eighth venter of the female, where the highest morphological diversity in female genitalia was detected, is hooked and held by the male uncus during copulation. It is very likely that the diversified female genital structure coevolved with the male uncus as a counterpart for traumatic coupling. Female fritillary butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Argynnini) are known to have diversified genital structures. We found that the traumatic copulation is widespread in Argynnini. It is very likely that the highly diversified female genital structure coevolved with the male uncus as a counterpart trait. imag
Deep learning to assess right ventricular ejection fraction from two-dimensional echocardiograms in precapillary pulmonary hypertension
No full textBackground: Precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by a sustained increase in right ventricular (RV) afterload, impairing systolic function. Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography is the most performed cardiac imaging tool to assess RV systolic function; however, an accurate evaluation requires expertise. We aimed to develop a fully automated deep learning (DL)-based tool to estimate the RV ejection fraction (RVEF) from 2D echocardiographic videos of apical four-chamber views in patients with precapillary PH. Methods: We identified 85 patients with suspected precapillary PH who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography. The data was divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) datasets, and a regression model was constructed using 3D-ResNet50. Accuracy was assessed using five-fold cross validation. Results: The DL model predicted the cardiac MRI-derived RVEF with a mean absolute error of 7.67%. The DL model identified severe RV systolic dysfunction (defined as cardiac MRI-derived RVEF < 37%) with an area under the curve (AUC) of .84, which was comparable to the AUC of RV fractional area change (FAC) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) measured by experienced sonographers (.87 and .72, respectively). To detect mild RV systolic dysfunction (defined as RVEF <= 45%), the AUC from the DL-predicted RVEF also demonstrated a high discriminatory power of .87, comparable to that of FAC (.90), and significantly higher than that of TAPSE (.67). Conclusion: The fully automated DL-based tool using 2D echocardiography could accurately estimate RVEF and exhibited a diagnostic performance for RV systolic dysfunction comparable to that of human readers
Slow decrease in temperature produces readthrough transcripts in mammalian hibernation
No full textAccumulating evidence suggests that various cellular stresses interfere with the end processing of mRNA synthesis and lead to the production of abnormally long transcripts, known as readthrough transcripts (RTTs), which extend beyond the termination sites. Small mammalian hibernators repeatedly enter a state referred to as deep torpor (DT), where the metabolic rate, respiration rate, and core body temperature become extremely low, which produces various types of cellular stresses and therefore induces RTTs. However, the types of stresses and processes around the DT that cause RTTs are unclear. In the present study, we showed that RTTs are produced from different gene loci in the livers of Syrian hamsters under DT and summer-like conditions. Moreover, in vitro analysis using hamster primary hepatocytes revealed that DT-specific RTTs are induced by a slow decline in temperature, as seen in body temperature in the entrance phase of DT, but not by rapid cold treatment or hypoxia. In addition, it was observed that RTTs were not elongated under a significantly cold temperature (4 degrees C). These results indicate that DT-specific RTTs are produced during the entrance phase of torpor by a slow decrease in body temperature
Review on studies of fossils in Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Malacostraca : Peracarida)
No full textThe current knowledge on the diversity of fossil tanaidacean crustaceans is reviewed. To date, three suborders, 10 families, 23 genera, and 27 valid species have been reported spanning from the Carboniferous (Visean) to the Neogene (Aquitanian). Among these 27 species, 14 have been discovered in amber. All specimens have been reported from countries in the Northern Hemisphere, namely, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Swiss Confederation, Spain, Germany, Hungary, France, Bulgaria, Morocco, Myanmar, the USA, and Mexico. Currently, there are no known records of fossil tanaidaceans in Japan