As part of a comprehensive, nationwide evaluation of geothermal resources for Japan, the first of the Curie point depth maps, covering the island of Kyushu, has been prepared. The map was created by inverting gridded, regional aeromagnetic data. Two satisfactory algorithms were developed to invert the gridded data based upon a distribution of point dipoles. The first algorithm estimates [Formula: see text],[Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], the coordinates of the centroid of the distribution, by computing a least‐squares fit to the radial frequency of the Fourier transform; the second algorithm estimates centroid depth only by computing a least‐squares fit to the squared amplitude of the frequency estimates. The average depth to the top, [Formula: see text] of the collection of point dipoles, was estimated by a variation of the second algorithm. The depth to the bottom of the dipoles, inferred Curie point depth, is [Formula: see text]. The depth estimates are hand contoured to produce the final map. The Curie point depth map is then compared to regional geology and heat flow data, and to a limited set of gravity data. Good correlations are found between the Curie point depths and the heat flow and regional geology. A spatial correlation observed between gravity and Curie point depths is considered a secondary, structural effect. Locations of the currently operating geothermal power plants correspond to the shallowest Curie point depths. Based on these comparisons, we conclude that the methods provide geologically reasonable results which are usable in a nationwide geothermal assessment program.

T.Abo and T.Inada contributed equally to this workSsrA RNA of Escherichia coli, also known as 10Sa RNA or tmRNA, acts both as tRNA and mRNA when ribosomes are paused at the 3¢ end of an mRNA lacking a stop codon. This process, referred to as trans-translation, leads to the addition of a short peptide tag to the C-terminus of the incomplete nascent polypeptide. The tagged polypeptide is then degraded by C-terminal-speci®c proteases. Here, we focused on endogenous targets for the SsrA system and on a potential regulatory role of SsrA RNA. First, we show that trans-translation events occur frequently in normally growing E.coli cells. More speci®cally, we report that the lacI mRNA encoding Lac repressor (LacI) is a speci®c natural target for trans-translation. The binding of LacI to the lac operators results in truncated lacI mRNAs that are, in turn, recognized by the SsrA system. The SsrA-mediated tagging and proteolysis of LacI appears to play a role in cellular adaptation to lactose availability by supporting a rapid induction of lac operon expression.

Abstract:Every year the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in Bangladesh transport 316 and 721 million tonnes of sediment, respectively. These high loads of suspended sediment re¯ect the very high rate of denudation in their drainage basins. The average mechanical denudation rate for the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins together is 365 mm 10 3 yr À1 . However, the rate is higher in the Brahmaputra Basin than that in the Ganges Basin. Several factors, including mean trunk channel gradient, relief ratio, runo, basin lithology and recurring earthquakes are responsible for these high denudation rates. Of the total suspended sediment load (i.e. 1037 million tonnes) transported by these rivers, only 525 million tonnes (c. 51% of the total load) are delivered to the coastal area of Bangladesh and the remaining 512 million tonnes are deposited within the lower basin, osetting the subsidence. Of the deposited load, about 289 million tonnes (about 28% of the total load) are deposited on thē oodplains of these rivers. The remaining 223 million tonnes (about 21% of the total load) are deposited within the river channels, resulting in aggradation of the channel bed at an average rate of about 3 . 9 cm yr À1 . Although the Brahmaputra transports a higher sediment load than the Ganges, the channel bed aggradation rate is much higher for the Ganges. This study also documents a wide range of interannual, seasonal and daily variation in suspended sediment transport and water discharge. Interannual variation in sediment deposition within the basin is also suggested.

Background: We have shown recently that read-through of a normal stop codon by a suppressor tRNA in specific genes possessing a Rho-independent terminator leads to SsrA-mediated tagging of extended proteins in Escherichia coli cells. Miscoding antibiotics such as kanamycin and streptomycin reduce translational fidelity by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit. The aim of the present study was to address how miscoding antibiotics affect the read-through of stop codons and SsrA-mediated protein tagging.

Antiangiogenesis therapies are now part of the standard repertoire of cancer therapies, but the mechanisms for the proliferation and survival of endothelial cells are not fully understood. Although endothelial cells are covered with a glycocalyx, little is known about how endothelial glycosylation regulates endothelial functions. Here, we show that α2,6-sialic acid is necessary for the cell-surface residency of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that plays multiple roles in cell adhesion, mechanical stress sensing, antiapoptosis, and angiogenesis. As a possible underlying mechanism, we found that the homophilic interactions of PECAM in endothelial cells were dependent on α2,6-sialic acid. We also found that the absence of α2,6-sialic acid down-regulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of PECAM and recruitment of Src homology 2 domain-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase 2 and rendered the cells more prone to mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis, as evaluated using PECAM- deficient endothelial cells. The present findings open up a new possibility that modulation of glycosylation could be one of the promising strategies for regulating angiogenesis.