Halo Structure of the Neutron-Dripline Nucleus

The heaviest bound isotope of boron ^{19}B has been investigated using exclusive measurements of its Coulomb dissociation, into ^{17}B and two neutrons, in collisions with Pb at 220 MeV/nucleon. Enhanced electric dipole (E1) strength is observed just above the two-neutron decay threshold with an integrated E1 strength of B(E1)=1.64±0.06(stat)±0.12(sys) e^{2} fm^{2} for relative energies below 6 MeV. This feature, known as a soft E1 excitation, provides the first firm evidence that ^{19}B has a prominent two-neutron halo. Three-body calculations that reproduce the energy spectrum indicate that the valence neutrons have a significant s-wave configuration and exhibit a dineutronlike correlation.

Improvement of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid secretion during Halomonas sp. KM-1 cultivation with saccharified Japanese cedar by the addition of urea.

UNLABELLED: Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is a major species in artificial Japanese forests. The Halomonas sp. KM-1 was recently isolated and found to grow effectively on saccharified Japanese cedar wood, resulting in the intracellular storage of poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) under aerobic conditions. Under microaerobic conditions, the extracellular secretion of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid ((R)-3-HB) led to the degradation of intracellular PHB. In this study, the production of PHB and the secretion of (R)-3-HB using saccharified Japanese cedar were much improved in cultures that were grown in the presence of urea. The level of intracellular PHB production after 36 h under aerobic cultivation was 23·6 g l(-1) ; after shifting to microaerobic conditions for 24 h, the (R)-3-HB concentration in the medium reached 21·1 g l(-1) . Thus, KM-1 efficiently utilizes saccharified Japanese cedar to produce PHB and secretes (R)-3-HB, making it a practical candidate for use in the industrial production of (R)-3-HB. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Japanese cedar is a major species grown in artificial Japanese forests, and its thinning is crucial for the health of artificial forests and the Japanese economy. Halomonas sp. KM-1 grew effectively on saccharified Japanese cedar wood, resulting in intracellular storage of poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) under aerobic conditions. Under microaerobic conditions, extracellular secretion of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid ((R)-3-HB) caused intracellular PHB degradation. (R)-3-HB is a chiral compound that is useful in the chemical, health food and pharmaceutical industries. The production of PHB and secretion of (R)-3-HB using saccharified wood was dramatically improved, which may positively affect its future industrial production.

Degradation characteristics of polylactide in thermophilic anaerobic digestion with hyperthermophilic solubilization condition.

To test whether hyperthermophilic treatment promotes polylactide (PLA) dissolution and methane conversion under anaerobic digestion conditions, a single thermophilic control reactor (55 °C) and a two-phase system consisting of a hyperthermophilic reactor (80 °C) and a thermophilic reactor (55 °C) were continuously fed with a mixture of PLA and artificial kitchen garbage. In Runs 1 and 2, the PLA dissolution ratios in the two-phase system were 79.2 ± 6.5% and 85.2 ± 7.0%, respectively, higher than those of the control. Batch experimental results indicated that hyperthermophilic treatment could promote PLA dissolution to a greater degree as compared with single thermophilic treatment and that ammonia addition also had a promotional effect on PLA dissolution. In the two-phase system, after hyperthermophilic treatment, dissolved PLA was converted to methane gas under the subsequent thermophilic condition.

Retrospective study on the usefulness of radius and lumbar bone density in the separation of hemodialysis patients with fractures from those without fractures.

We measured bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (LS-BMD), 1/3 radius (1/3R-BMD), and ultradistal radius (UDR-BMD) in 59 men (4 with spine fractures and 4 with nonspine fractures) and 65 women (10 with spine fractures and 9 with nonspine fractures), all receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD). The BMD at each site expressed absolutely in g/cm2 was significantly lower in women than in men (p = 0.0001). In men, the absolute and age-matched values of both 1/3R- and UDR-BMD were inversely and significantly correlated with the duration of HD, and with serum alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone levels (p < 0.05), whereas such relationships were obscure in women. On the other hand, the absolute values of BMD at each site in women but not in men were inversely and significantly correlated with patient age (p < 0.001). In both sexes, R-BMD was significantly lower in both the spine and nonspine fracture groups than in the nonfracture group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas the only significant difference in LS-BMD was that it was lower in women with spine fractures than in women without fractures, when expressed as its absolute value (p < 0.05). By receiver operating characteristic analyses, both the absolute and age-matched values of R-BMD were better than LS-BMD as a determinant of non-spine fracture histories, and were similar to absolute LS-BMD as a determinant of spine fracture histories. We conclude that R-BMD is more valuable than LS-BMD for discriminating HD patients with all types of fractures from those without fractures.

Management of individuals with Parkinson's disease: rationale and case studies.

In this article, we present a systematic approach to physical therapy management of individuals with Parkinson's disease. This approach is based on a model that relates knowledge of the underlying pathology of the disease to impairments and disability. We discuss use of the model to evaluate, interpret, and treat impairments and disabilities of the patient with Parkinson's disease. We emphasize the relative influence of impairments that arise directly from the neuroanatomical pathology and those that arise indirectly through subsequent musculoskeletal alterations. We illustrate the use of the model in setting goals and in developing a treatment program. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the application of this approach to specific patient care. These case studies suggest the efficacy of physical therapy initiated early in the disease process. The first case study illustrates improvements of balance, gait, and functional movement made by an individual who was not yet receiving medication for Parkinson's disease. The second case study illustrates improvements of balance, gait, and functional movement made by an individual who was already receiving medication for the disease. These case studies illustrate the dramatic improvements that can be achieved in the patient with Parkinson's disease.

Early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity by radionuclide angiocardiography.

For the early detection of myocardial damage associated with anthracycline therapy, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and radionuclide angiocardiography were used to assess cardiac function in 37 patients receiving anthracyclines (ie, adriamycin and daunorubicin at a total dose of 100-2,030 mg/m2). None of the patients developed clinical congestive heart failure. There were no significant changes of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters after anthracycline administration. The left ventricular ejection fraction did not change significantly on radionuclide angiocardiography. However, the 1/3 peak filling rate (PFR) corrected by the end-diastolic count (EDC) (1/3 PFR/EDC) and the 1/3 filling fraction (1/3 FF), the indices of early diastolic function, showed a significant decrease. These findings suggest that the 1/3 PFR/EDC and 1/3 FF determined by radionuclide imaging are useful for detecting silent myocardial damage induced by anthracyclines.

P-glycoprotein gene (MDR1) cDNA from human adrenal: normal P-glycoprotein carries Gly185 with an altered pattern of multidrug resistance.

We isolated a full-length MDR1 cDNA from human adrenal where P-glycoprotein is expressed at high level. The deduced amino acid sequence shows two amino acid differences from the sequence of P-glycoprotein obtained from colchicine-selected multidrug resistant cultured cells. The amino acid substitution Gly----Val at codon 185 in P-glycoprotein from colchicine resistant cells occurred during selection of cells in colchicine. As previously reported, cells transfected with the MDR1 cDNA carrying Val185 acquire increased resistance to colchicine compared to other drugs. The other amino acid substitution Ser----Ala at codon 893 probably reflects genetic polymorphism. The MDR1 gene, the major member of the P-glycoprotein gene family expressed in human adrenal, is sufficient to confer multidrug-resistance on culture cells.