ß-Delayed One and Two Neutron Emission Probabilities Southeast of

The ß-delayed one- and two-neutron emission probabilities (P_{1n} and P_{2n}) of 20 neutron-rich nuclei with N≥82 have been measured at the RIBF facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. P_{1n} of ^{130,131}Ag, ^{133,134}Cd, ^{135,136}In, and ^{138,139}Sn were determined for the first time, and stringent upper limits were placed on P_{2n} for nearly all cases. ß-delayed two-neutron emission (ß2n) was unambiguously identified in ^{133}Cd and ^{135,136}In, and their P_{2n} were measured. Weak ß2n was also detected from ^{137,138}Sn. Our results highlight the effect of the N=82 and Z=50 shell closures on ß-delayed neutron emission probability and provide stringent benchmarks for newly developed macroscopic-microscopic and self-consistent global models with the inclusion of a statistical treatment of neutron and γ emission. The impact of our measurements on r-process nucleosynthesis was studied in a neutron star merger scenario. Our P_{1n} and P_{2n} have a direct impact on the odd-even staggering of the final abundance, improving the agreement between calculated and observed Solar System abundances. The odd isotope fraction of Ba in r-process-enhanced (r-II) stars is also better reproduced using our new data.

First Direct Measurement of an Astrophysical p-Process Reaction Cross Section Using a Radioactive Ion Beam.

We have performed the first direct measurement of the ^{83}Rb(p,γ) radiative capture reaction cross section in inverse kinematics using a radioactive beam of ^{83}Rb at incident energies of 2.4 and 2.7A MeV. The measured cross section at an effective relative kinetic energy of E_{cm}=2.393 MeV, which lies within the relevant energy window for core collapse supernovae, is smaller than the prediction of statistical model calculations. This leads to the abundance of ^{84}Sr produced in the astrophysical p process being higher than previously calculated. Moreover, the discrepancy of the present data with theoretical predictions indicates that further experimental investigation of p-process reactions involving unstable projectiles is clearly warranted.

Individual response of humans to ionising radiation: governing factors and importance for radiological protection.

Tissue reactions and stochastic effects after exposure to ionising radiation are variable between individuals but the factors and mechanisms governing individual responses are not well understood. Individual responses can be measured at different levels of biological organization and using different endpoints following varying doses of radiation, including: cancers, non-cancer diseases and mortality in the whole organism; normal tissue reactions after exposures; and, cellular endpoints such as chromosomal damage and molecular alterations. There is no doubt that many factors influence the responses of people to radiation to different degrees. In addition to the obvious general factors of radiation quality, dose, dose rate and the tissue (sub)volume irradiated, recognized and potential determining factors include age, sex, life style (e.g., smoking, diet, possibly body mass index), environmental factors, genetics and epigenetics, stochastic distribution of cellular events, and systemic comorbidities such as diabetes or viral infections. Genetic factors are commonly thought to be a substantial contributor to individual response to radiation. Apart from a small number of rare monogenic diseases such as ataxia telangiectasia, the inheritance of an abnormally responsive phenotype among a population of healthy individuals does not follow a classical Mendelian inheritance pattern. Rather it is considered to be a multi-factorial, complex trait.

Water nanodroplets make a greater contribution to facial skin moisture levels in air-conditioned rooms during winter than in summer.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: By performing experiments in air-conditioned chamber, we previously demonstrated that the presence of water nanodroplets (mist) improved facial skin moisture levels without reducing water loss from the facial skin surface or inducing excessive humidity. Some previous studies have demonstrated that the epidermis is a less effective barrier to water in winter because the corneocytes that comprise facial skin become smaller in winter as skin turnover increases in cold environments. We hypothesized that it would be easier for mist to penetrate into the facial stratum corneum (SC) in winter than in summer. In the present study, we investigated the ability of mist to improve facial skin moisture levels in winter and summer. METHODS: We examined transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as an index of barrier function and skin conductance as an index of SC hydration at the forehead, lateral canthus, and cheeks in eight healthy Japanese females (mean ± SD: 45.5 ± 3.2 years) in the presence or absence of mist in February-March and July. RESULTS: In the absence of mist, skin conductance at the forehead and lateral canthus was significantly higher in summer than in winter, but these seasonal differences were diminished in the presence of mist. In the presence of mist, skin conductance was increased in winter and decreased in summer at the lateral canthus; however, these changes were not significant. Thus, our findings suggest that mist penetrates into the SC and improves skin moisture levels in winter. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that it is easier for mist to penetrate into the SC at the lateral canthus during winter than in summer. Thus, mist is expected to improve facial moisture levels in winter by penetrating into and remaining in the SC. Hence, mist could be used to help prevent facial skin from becoming dry in air-conditioned rooms during winter.

Seroprevalence survey on measles, mumps, rubella and varicella antibodies in healthcare workers in Japan: sex, age, occupational-related differences and vaccine efficacy.

A seroprevalence survey on measles, mumps, rubella and varicella was conducted on healthcare workers (HCWs) at Shimane University Hospital, Japan utilizing an enzyme immunoassay. Of 1811 HCWs tested, 91.8% were seropositive to measles, 92.1% to mumps, 89.5% to rubella and 96.3% to varicella. Sex-related differences in seroprevalence were found in rubella (males vs. females: 84.7 vs. 92.2%, P < 0.001). Moreover, males aged 30-39 years were most susceptible to rubella (22.4%), which may be attributed to the design of childhood immunization programmes in Japan. Individuals aged ≤ 29 years were more susceptible to measles (14.3%) and mumps (10.9%), compared to other age groups. There were no significant sex- and age-related differences in varicella seroprevalence. The physician occupational group was more susceptible to rubella, but no significant occupational-related difference was observed in the other diseases. Susceptible subjects, with negative or equivocal serological results were given a vaccine which induced seroconversion in most vaccinees. Seroconversion occurred more frequently in the equivocal group than in the negative group. These findings provide a new insight for the seroprevalence survey of vaccine-preventable diseases in Japanese HCWs with special reference to vaccine efficacy.

Retention and adaptiveness of photoperiodic EGG diapause in Florida populations of invasive Aedes albopictus.

Female Aedes albopictus, F2-F3 descendents from individuals collected as immatures at 6 geographic sites in the USA during 2008, exposed to short daylengths (10 h of light and 14 h of darkness at 21 degrees C) laid eggs in diapause, whose frequency depended upon population origin. Diapause responses in northern Florida and Illinois were strong, as had been reported approximately 10 years earlier for Ae. albopictus from these regions. For southern Florida, the diapause response was polymorphic, and its mean incidence decreased at 2 of 3 collection sites compared to 10 years earlier. Exposure in the field for 2- to 4-wk intervals in Vero Beach (lat 27 degrees 35'N) during January 2009 revealed that eggs laid by short-day females had significantly higher survivorship, even though <50% were estimated, from laboratory results, to be in diapause. Enhanced desiccation resistance may select for retention of diapause in southern Florida.

Differential Survivorship of Invasive Mosquito Species in South Florida Cemeteries: Do Site-Specific Microclimates Explain Patterns of Coexistence and Exclusion?

Within 2 yr of the arrival of the invasive container mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse), the previously dominant invasive mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) disappeared from many Florida cemeteries. At some cemeteries, however, Ae. aegypti populations seem stable despite Ae. albopictus invasion. We sought to understand this variation in the outcome (exclusion, coexistence) of this invasion, given that previous experiments show that Ae. albopictus is the superior larval competitor. We tested experimentally the hypothesis that climate-dependent egg survivorship differs between exclusion and coexistence cemeteries and that differences in invasion outcome are associated with microclimate. Viability of eggs oviposited in the laboratory and suspended in vases at six cemeteries was significantly greater for Ae. aegypti than for Ae. albopictus, and greater in 2001 than in 2006. Cemeteries differed significantly in egg survivorship of Ae. albopictus, but not of Ae. aegypti, which is consistent with the hypothesis that Ae. albopictus suffers site-specific, climate-driven egg mortality that mitigates the competitive superiority of larval Ae. albopictus. Principal component (PC) analysis of microclimate records from vases during the experiments yielded three PCs accounting for >96% of the variance in both years of experiments. Multivariate analysis of variance of the three PCs revealed significant microclimate differences among the six cemeteries and between exclusion versus coexistence cemeteries. Stepwise logistic regression of egg survivorship versus microclimate PCs yielded significant fits for both species, and twice as much variance explained for Ae. albopictus as for Ae. aegypti in both years. Higher mortalities in 2006 were associated with high average daily maximum temperatures in vases, with lethal thresholds for both species at ≈40°C. From 1990 to 2007, vase occupancy by Ae. albopictus increased and that by Ae. aegypti decreased, with increasing seasonal precipitation at one well-sampled cemetery. Results support the hypothesis that locally variable climate-driven mortality of Ae. albopictus eggs contributes to patterns of exclusion of, or coexistence with, Ae. aegypti.

Getting into the Golgi.

The intermediate compartment residing between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi is now recognized to be a dynamic structure that captures cargo released from the ER in COPII vesicular carriers and promotes recycling by COPI vesicular carriers. These and other findings now provide compelling evidence for the importance of this intermediate in balancing anterograde and retrograde flow through the early secretory pathway and in the formation and maintenance of the Golgi stack.

A di-acidic signal required for selective export from the endoplasmic reticulum.

Transport of membrane proteins between intracellular compartments requires specific sequences in the protein cytoplasmic domain to direct packaging into vesicle shuttles. A sequence that mediates export from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has proved elusive. A di-acidic signal (Asp-X-Glu, where X represents any amino acid) on the cytoplasmic tail of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) and other cargo molecules was required for efficient recruitment to vesicles mediating export from the ER in baby hamster kidney cells. The existence of such a signal provides evidence that export from the ER occurs through a selective mechanism.

Adrenal function in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Adrenal insufficiency is believed to occur frequently in severe sepsis and septic shock. The aim of the present study was to determine whether adrenal function is also related to the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In total, 64 Japanese patients with CAP were consecutively enrolled in the present study, which was carried out during 2005-2006. Serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol were measured in each subject, as was the response of cortisol secretion when 250 mug of cosyntropin was administered. Analyses were performed comparing these values with the score calculated according to the Pneumonia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) cohort study, the number of in-hospital deaths and the length of hospital stay. As the PORT score increased, serum ACTH and cortisol also increased, while the response of cortisol secretion to the administration of cosyntropin decreased. In the analysis by receiver operating characteristic curves, adrenal dysfunction was related significantly to both the number of in-hospital deaths and the length of hospital stay. Adrenal dysfunction was shown to correlate with the Pneumonia Patient Outcomes Research Team score and the clinical outcomes, while adrenal insufficiency defined by the cosyntropin stimulation test was rare in the present study.

Interspecific larval competition between Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in northern Virginia.

Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes japonicus (Theobald) are two of the most recent and widespread invasive mosquito species to have become established in the United States. The two species co-occur in water-filled artificial containers, where crowding and limiting resources are likely to promote inter- or intraspecific larval competition. The performance of northern Virginia populations of Ae. japonicus and Ae. albopictus competing as larvae under field conditions was evaluated. Per capita rates of population increase for each species were estimated, and the effects of species composition and larval density were determined. In water-containing cups provided with oak leaves, Ae. albopictus larvae exhibited a competitive advantage over Ae. japonicus as a consequence of higher survivorship, shorter developmental time, and a significantly higher estimated population growth rate under conditions of interspecific competition. Intraspecific competition constrained population performance of Ae. albopictus significantly more than competition with Ae. japonicus. In the context of the Lotka-Volterra model of competition, these findings suggest competitive exclusion of Ae. japonicus in those habitats where this species co-occurs with Ae. albopictus.

Comparative Oviposition Site Selection in Containers by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Florida.

Invasive container mosquito species Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) frequently co-occur in nature where they are typically segregated spatially by distinctive macrohabitat preferences that may select for different oviposition strategies. In a standard cage environment, we compared oviposition site selection by individual gravid females of these species exposed to variable numbers of water-holding cups and the presence or absence of a rugose wettable container lining. Offered plastic cups with and without lining, both species laid a significantly higher percentage of eggs in cups with lining (95.3% for Ae. aegypti, 88.4% for Ae. albopictus), than in cups without (4.7% for Ae. aegypti, 11.6% for Ae. albopictus). Linear regressions of container availability versus the number of lined cups colonized were similar for Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Rates of oviposition on the water surface differed by species for both cup types, with Ae. albopictus laying a higher percentage of eggs on the water surface in cups without lining (28.1% for Ae. aegypti, 51.3% for Ae. albopictus), than in cups with (5.3% for Ae. aegypti, 2.5% for Ae. albopictus). The more varied oviposition strategies of Ae. albopictus are interpreted in the context of its broader macrohabitat use and inferior egg desiccation resistance.

Evolution of spall-damage in iron caused by repeated plate impacts: Ultrasonic evaluation.

This paper focuses on the developed of spall-damage that occurs in pure iron as a result of repeated impact. The employed low-frequency scanning acoustic microscopy (LF-SAM) observations combined with the measurements of ultrasonic wave velocity, attenuation, backscattering intensity and amplitude spectrum of the reflected wave, enabled us to provide a nondestructive evaluation. The spall-damage distribution was analyzed in the C-scan images, and we found the spall-damage increase with impact stress when the latter exceeds the characteristic spall-threshold stress. Moreover, we recorded the decreased sound velocity, amplitude ratio, and the increase of backscattering intensity, significant attenuation (the high frequency component of the reflected wave) for enhanced impact stress. It was also demonstrated that the tiny cracks generated in iron develop significantly during subsequent impacts either with lower or higher impact stress. Since the presented results concern for the first time the multiple-impact experiments, we contend that the applied ultrasonic investigations constitute the effective method of nondestructive spall-damage evaluation.

Effects of kin-structured seed dispersal on the genetic structure of the clonal dioecious shrub ilex leucoclada.

Nonrandom patterns of gene dispersal have been identified as possible causes of genetic structuring within populations. Attempts to model these patterns have generally focused solely on the effects of isolation by distance, but the processes involved are more complex than such modeling suggests. Here, we extend considerations of gene dispersal processes beyond simple isolation by distance effects by directly evaluating the effects of kin-structured gene dispersal mediated by the group dispersal of related seeds within fruits (i.e., kin-structured seed dispersal) by birds on genetic structure in Ilex leucoclada, a clonal dioecious shrub. To examine the genetic structure patterns, we established two 30x30 m plots (one with immature soils in old-growth forest and one in secondary forest, designated IM and SC, respectively) with different I. leucoclada stem densities. In these two plots 145 and 510 stems were found, representing 78 and 85 genets, respectively, identified by analyzing their genotypes at eight microsatellite loci. The clonal structure was stronger in the SC plot than in the IM plot. Correlograms of coancestry for genets in both plots exhibited significant, positive, high values in the shortest distance class, indicating the presence of strong genetic structure. However, Sp statistics revealed that the pattern of the genetic structure differed between the plots. In addition, to estimate the family structure within fruits, we sampled forty fruits, in total, from 15 randomly selected plants in the area around the IM and SC plots, and found that 80% of the fruits were multiseeded and 42-100% of the multiseeded fruits contained at least one pair of full sibs. Simulations based on these estimates demonstrated that the group dispersal of related seeds produced through correlated mating both within and across fruits, but not unstructured half-sib dispersal, could generate the observed magnitude and trends of genetic structure found in the IM plot. Furthermore, in addition to kin-structured seed dispersal, isolation by distance processes is also likely to promote genetic substructuring in the SC plot. After discussing possible ecological factors that may have contributed to the observed genetic structure, we contrast our results with those predicted by general isolation by distance models, and propose that kin-structured seed dispersal should promote some evolutionary phenomena, and thus should be incorporated, where appropriate, in models of gene dispersal in natural plant populations.

The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on aggression in young adults. A placebo-controlled double-blind study.

41 students took either docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich oil capsules containing 1.5-1.8 grams DHA/day (17 females and 5 males) or control oil capsules containing 97% soybean oil plus 3% fish oil (12 females and 7 males) for 3 mo in a double-blind fashion. They took a psychological test (P-F Study) and Stroop and dementia-detecting tests at the start and end of the study. The present study started at the end of summer vacation and ended in the middle of mental stress such as final exams. In the control group extraggression (aggression against others) in P-F Study was significantly increased at the end of the study as compared with that measured at the start (delta = +8.9%, P = 0.0022), whereas it was not significantly changed in the DHA group (delta = -1.0%). The 95% CI of differences between the DHA and control groups were -16.8 to -3.0%. DHA supplementation did not affect the Stroop and dementia-detecting tests. Thus, DHA intake prevented extraggression from increasing at times of mental stress. This finding might help understand how fish oils prevent disease like coronary heart disease.

PU.1 acts as tumor suppressor for myeloma cells through direct transcriptional repression of IRF4.

We previously reported that PU.1 is downregulated in the majority of myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells of certain myeloma patients, and conditional expression of PU.1 in such myeloma cell lines induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We found downregulation of IRF4 protein in the U266 myeloma cell line following induction of PU.1. Previous studies reported that knockdown of IRF4 in myeloma cell lines induces apoptosis, prompting us to further investigate the role of IRF4 downregulation in PU.1-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in myeloma cells. PU.1 induced downregulation of IRF4 at the protein level, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in six myeloma cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) revealed that PU.1 directly binds to the IRF4 promoter, whereas a reporter assay showed that PU.1 may suppress IRF4 promoter activity. Stable expression of IRF4 in myeloma cells expressing PU.1 partially rescued the cells from apoptosis induced by PU.1. As it was reported that IRF4 directly binds to the IRF7 promoter and downregulates its expression in activated B cell-like subtype of diffuse large B cell lymphoma cells, we performed ChIP assays and found that IRF4 directly binds the IRF7 promoter in myeloma cells. It is known that IRF7 positively upregulates interferon-ß (IFNß) and induces apoptosis in many cell types. Binding of IRF4 to the IRF7 promoter decreased following PU.1 induction, accompanied by downregulation of IRF4 protein expression. Knockdown of IRF7 protected PU.1-expressing myeloma cells from apoptosis. Furthermore, IFNß, which is a downstream target of IRF7, was upregulated in myeloma cells along with IRF7 after PU.1 induction. Finally, we evaluated the mRNA expression levels of PU.1, IRF4 and IRF7 in primary myeloma cells from patients and found that PU.1 and IRF7 were strongly downregulated in contrast to the high expression levels of IRF4. These data strongly suggest that PU.1-induced apoptosis in myeloma cells is associated with IRF4 downregulation and subsequent IRF7 upregulation.