Lifetime measurements and dipole transition rates for superdeformed states in 190Hg

High-precision lifetime measurements have been performed in two of the superdeformed (SD) bands of 190Hg with the Doppler-shift attenuation method. Intrinsic quadrupole moments, Q0, were extracted for the yrast and first excited SD bands in this nucleus. Dipole transition rates have been established for the inter-band transitions which connect the first excited SD band to the yrast states in the second minimum. The results support the interpretation of the excited SD band as a band based on an octupole vibration

Identification of the unfavored N=7 superdeformed band in Hg191

A new superdeformed band has been identified in Hg191 bringing the total number of bands observed in this nucleus to four. The new band has properties similar to those of a superdeformed band reported recently in Hg193. Both bands are believed to be built on the unfavored signature of the j15/2 intruder configuration. Comparisons between the data and cranked Woods-Saxon calculations highlight the strengths and weaknesses of theory in describing high-N orbitals at large deformation

Regulated trafficking of cellulose synthases

New findings reveal that proteins involved in cellulose biosynthesis undergo regulated trafficking between intracellular compartments and the plasma membrane. The coordinated secretion and internalization of these proteins involve both the actin and cortical microtubule cytoskeletons. This regulated trafficking allows the dynamic remodeling of cellulose synthase complex (CSC) secretion during cell expansion and differentiation. Several new actors of the cellulose synthesis machinery have been recently identified