A foraminiferal fauna similar to that in in southeastern Tasmania is documented from raised shallow-water sediment of 130-119 Ka age (Late Pleistocene; Marine Isotope 5e) at about 24m above modern sea level on White Rock Point. Foraminifera and sediment characteristics indicate that occurred in very shallow, highly oxygenated, high-energy marine conditions in an area of open circulation. There ...

Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) I mediates signaling from Rho to the actin cytoskeleton. To investigate the in vivo functions of ROCK-I, we generated ROCK-I-deficient mice. Loss of ROCK-I resulted in failure of eyelid closure and closure of the ventral body wall, which gave rise to the eyes open at birth and omphalocele phenotypes in neonates. Most ROCK-I(-/-) mice died soon after birth as a resul...

Stability analyses are routinely performed in order to assess the safe and functional design of an excavated slope (e.g. open pit mining, road cuts, etc.), and/or the equilibrium conditions of a natural slope. The analysis technique chosen depends on both site conditions and the potential mode of failure, with careful consideration being given to the varying strengths, weaknesses and limitation...

RhoE belongs to the Rho GTPase family, the members of which control actin cytoskeletal dynamics. RhoE induces stress fiber disassembly in a variety of cell types, whereas RhoA stimulates stress fiber assembly. The similarity of RhoE and RhoA sequences suggested that RhoE might compete with RhoA for interaction with its targets. Here, we show that RhoE binds ROCK I but none of the other RhoA tar...

Despite its harsh and arid conditions, the Gobi Desert has played an important role in shaping Holocene populations, including transition from hunting to herding lifeways. Here we present three newly documented rock art sites Gobi-Altai Mountains of south-central Mongolia, a cave (Gazar Agui 1), shelter 13) open-air landscape site overlooking palaeolake (Unegt Uul). In addition, re-examine pres...

There is currently scarce information on the occurrence and distributions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the air from industrial estates in Nigeria. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the extent and sources of pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air from some industrial estates in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria. Ten air samples have been collected from the...

OBJECTIVE Fine particulate matter <2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) has been implicated in vasoconstriction and potentiation of hypertension in humans. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to PM(2.5) in the angiotensin II (AII) infusion model. METHODS AND RESULTS Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to PM(2.5) or filtered air (FA) for 10 weeks. At week 9, minipumps containing AII were implanted...

Intact rock properties together with rock mass characteristics should be well investigated for selection of proper tunnel boring machine (TBM) for tunneling in various ground conditions. This is due to the significant impact of rock mass characteristics on machine performance. TBMs are site specific and designed for optimal performance in given ground conditions. When selected and put to work a...