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Ribosome biogenesis is a cellular process critical for protein homeostasis during cell growth and multiplication. Our previous study confirmed up-regulation of ribosome biogenesis during endometriosis progression and malignant transition, thus anti-ribosome biogenesis may be effective for treating endometriosis and the associated complications. A mouse model with human endometriosis features was established and treated with three different drugs that can block ribosome biogenesis, including inhibitors against mTOR/PI3K (GSK2126458) and RNA polymerase I (CX5461 and BMH21). The average lesion numbers and disease frequencies were significantly reduced in treated mice as compared to controls treated with vehicle. Flow cytometry analyses confirmed the reduction of small peritoneal macrophage and neutrophil populations with increased large versus small macrophage ratios, suggesting inflammation suppression by drug treatments. Lesions in treated mice also showed lower nerve fiber density which can support the finding of pain-relief by behavioral studies. Our study therefore suggested ribosome biogenesis as a potential therapeutic target for treating endometriosis.

Geodetic evidence for slow slip recurrence changed by stress perturbations was rare, especially from afterslip following a nearby large earthquake. The first observed slow slip events in the southernmost Ryukyu subduction had occurred in 2005, 2009, and 2015 following the nearby 2002 March 31 Mw 7.1 Hualien offshore earthquake. To investigate whether the Mw 7.1 earthquake had influenced the occurrence times of the slow slip, we calculated the coseismic slip distribution and afterslip distribution using the surface displacements from onshore Global Navigation Satellite System observations. The stress perturbation on the slow-slip regions caused by the coseismic slip was quantified using the Coulomb failure criteria. We also examined the aftershock distribution and the evolution with time to clarify the stress perturbations from the afterslip offshore. Our results show that the primary afterslip distribution may have overlapped the 2009 and 2015 slow-slip patch at the downdip of the earthquake. The coseismic stress perturbation may have influenced the SSEs area directly by a Coulomb stress increase of probably 0.10 MPa. However, the 2005 SSE patch in the updip depths had only a little coseismic slip and afterslip with the Coulomb stress increase of approximately 0.06 MPa. We find that most of the aftershocks had occurred in the 2009 and 2015 slow-slip region that evolved into a typical aftershock sequence at least 2.5 years after the earthquake. The surface geodetic displacements reveal that the afterslip may have lasted longer than 4.5 years after the earthquake. The evidence for the afterslip proves that the 2009 and 2015 slow-slip patch was influenced by the afterslip directly for years. We suggest that the ongoing afterslip may have modulated the coseismic stress perturbation. It may explain the delay of the 2009 slow slip occurrence compared with the recurrence interval between the 2009 and 2015 slow slip events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural data from two transects across the active Taiwan arc-continent collision indicate that normal faulting is an important mechanism in the exhumation of the hinterland. The normal faulting extends to at least the brittle-ductile transition, records extension at a high angle to the topographic grain of the orogenic belt, and is responsible for the regional-scale rotation of ductile fabrics. These results are supported by a recent GPS survey of southern Taiwan that reveals extension in the hinterland contemporaneous with shortening in the foreland and collided arc.

Catastrophic landslides often cause serious disasters, and such incidents are often the focus of our attention. The well-known Tasoling Landslides occurred repeatedly, which were triggered by earthquakes, typhoons, and torrential rains in 1862, 1898, 1941, 1942, 1951, 1979, and 1999. Among these, the landslides in 1862, 1941, and 1999 were triggered by earthquakes. The Tsaoling area geologically belongs to a dip-slope terrain in interbedded Pliocene sandstone, mudstone, and shales. The volume of the rock debris accumulated from previous landslide events was about 0.026 - 0.126 km3, which formed a landslide dam with a height of 70-170 m and blocked the Qingshui river. The sudden failures of these landslide dams often resulted in additional catastrophes in the downstream areas, three of which occurred years after the landslide event. With the progress of surveying technology, high-resolution DEMs data could be used for important topics, such as landslides and geomorphic change. In this study, we presented multi-temporal remote sensing datasets for geomorphic changes in the Tsaoling landslide area before and after the Chichi earthquake and provided an effective DEM analysis technique to better estimate volume changes and surface movements. We found that multi-temporal data comparison could show the geomorphic changes of the Tsaoling landslide area directly at different times by using aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR DEM analysis. The observed results of geomorphic changes in the shorter period of 1- 3 years from 2011 to 2012, 2012 to 2016, 2016 to 2017 and over a long period time of about 9 years from 2002 to 2011, including the location of the landslide accumulation area, the change of cliff retreat, and the volume change of the debris after the landslide event. By means of terrain profile comparison, elevation change calculation and Particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis from image and DEM data during 2016-2017, we found some surface displacement located in the lower half of the Tsaoling landslide area and distributed in the Chinshui shale area. Within the range of about 80 hectares, there was a clear trend of surface displacement, indicating that this range of the Tsaoling area may have slipped, which was similar to the scale as the 1942 landslide event. This study shows that the integrated use of aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR DEM data analysis method with multi-temporal topographic data collection and field surveys in the landslide area, and could resolve the surface changes and possible impacts of this large landslide and river geomorphological changes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most commonly used 1:50,000 geological maps, which are generally in low resolution, provide only conceptual drawing for geological features. For advanced applications in science and engineering, the traditional geological maps no longer satisfy the requirements of precise 3D geological structures and accurate lithological distribution, particularly for engineering purposes. In order to solve the problem of insufficient accuracy of geological maps, we must apply a feasible set of techniques to further develop high-precision geological maps. Although various types of space measurement technology have made great progress in recent years, their application in producing geological maps is still seriously stagnant. This may be related to difficulty in obtaining comprehensive high-precision terrain models, lack of three-dimensional visual mapping environments, and especially failure to effectively develop techniques or modules needed to produce high-precision geological maps. In this study we used existing high-resolution LiDAR data and the latest computerized 3D environments to conduct and explore high-precision geological mapping. We developed computational modules for geological map production and explore various geological features in three dimensions for overcoming difficulties in traditional mapping. We mapped the terrain of the sedimentary rocks in the fold-and-thrust belt of western Taiwan, which contains typical strata from the Oligocene to Miocene. The study provides a new three-dimensional concept of geological mapping with a finished case example from the Shuanghsi quadrangle map in northern Taiwan. This research is expected to modify traditional geological mapping concepts and provides preliminary mapping techniques to enhance the foundation and strength of three-dimensional geological mapping for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]