Effects of nuclear orientation on fusion and fission in the reaction using 238U target nucleus

Fission fragment mass distributions in the reaction of 30Si+238U were measured around the Coulomb barrier. At the above-barrier energies, the mass distribution showed a Gaussian shape. At the subbarrier energies, triple-humped distribution was observed, which consists of symmetric fission and asymmetric fission peaked at AL/AH ~ 90/178. The asymmetric fission should be attributed to quasifission from the results of the measured evaporation residue (ER) cross-sections for 30Si+238U. The cross-section for 263Sg at the abovebarrier energy agree with the statistical model calculation which assumes that the measured fission cross-section originates from fusion-fission, whereas the one for 264 Sg measured at the sub-barrier energy is smaller than the calculation, which suggests the presence of quasifission

A Novel Mutation of Human Liver Alanine:Glyoxylate Aminotransferase Causes Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1: Immunohistochemical Quantification and Subcellular Distribution

A novel alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) mutation involved in primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) was studied in Japanese patients. Two mutations in exon 7, c.751T>A and c.752G>A, lead to a W251K amino acid substitution. Proband 1 (patient 1) was homozygous for the W251K mutation allele (DDBJ Accession No. AB292648), and AGT-specific activity in the patient’s liver was very low. To reveal the cause of the low enzymatic activity, the intracellular localization of AGT (W251K) was studied using immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. The latter analysis showed that patient 2 had only one-fifth of the normal AGT expression per catalase, suggesting impairment of AGT (W251K) dependent transport into peroxisomes. Peroxisomal transport of human AGT is believed to be dependent on the presence of the type 1 peroxisomal targeting sequence. The C-terminal tripeptide of AGT, KKL is necessary for peroxisomal targeting. In cultured cells, EGFP-AGT (W251K) localized both in the peroxisome and cytosol. These results were consistent with the data obtained from liver analysis of patient 2. The subcellular distribution of AGT (W251K) and the results from a random mutagenesis study suggest that KKL is necessary for peroxisomal targeting of human AGT, but additional signal other than KKL may be necessary

Diagnosing nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy: A case study of two children

AbstractWe describe two children of nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE) diagnosed using carefully observed nocturnal sleep EEGs and detailed patient histories.Case #1, a 14-year-old boy, showed repeated generalized tonic convulsions and frequent eyes opening seizures during sleep. Conventional EEGs – done with the patient awake or in sleep stage I – showed no abnormalities, while a nocturnal sleep EEG – done during in sleep stage II – revealed the repeated, sharp wave bursts predominantly in the right frontal lobe characteristic of NFLE. During these wave bursts, we noticed the boy's eyes opening, although his parents had not been aware this NFLE symptom.Case #2, a 12-year-old boy, showed one daytime generalized convulsion. He had also been suffering from repeated paroxysmal episodes similar to parasomnia – waking up, sitting, walking, screaming, and speaking – which always followed the same patterns lasting several minutes. During the nocturnal sleep EEG, episodes occurred twice, showing abnormal epileptic discharges predominantly in the frontal lobe. His parents did not mention the episodes to us until questioned, as they had recognized them as parasomnia. The previous conventional EEG showed abnormal slow waves in the frontal lobe, which led us to suspect frontal lobe epilepsy and to take a detailed patient history.The frequency and stereotypy of their symptoms during sleep caused us to perform nocturnal sleep EEGs and led us NFLE diagnosis. Detailed patient histories including sleep habits and carefully observed nocturnal sleep EEGs enabled us to recognize these NFLE clinical features

Polyethylene Glycol-Based Synthetic Hydrogel Sealant for Closing Vitrectomy Wounds: An In Vivo and Histological Study

Purpose We conducted an in vivo study using Dutch pigmented rabbit eyes to test the usefulness of polyethylene glycol (PEG) sealant for the closure of sutureless sclerotomies in microincisional vitrectomy surgery (MIVS). Methods: Three-port, 23-gauge vitrectomy was performed on rabbit eyes. After air leakage was confirmed by the application of 0.625% povidone–iodine at the sclerotomy site, PEG sealant was subconjunctivally injected using a 27-gauge needle through conjunctival incisions to cover the sclerotomy wounds, following which it was polymerized by the application of xenon light for 60 seconds. Ophthalmological examinations and intraocular pressure measurements were conducted the day before and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after surgery. The eyes were enucleated for histological evaluation 7 days after surgery. Results: PEG sealant was rapidly polymerized by the application of xenon light after subconjunctival injection, and it firmly sealed the sclerotomies without air leakage, as confirmed by povidone–iodine dropping, in all cases. Conjunctival and scleral wounds closed with PEG sealant were successfully attached and remained intact till the end of the follow-up period. There was no sign of postoperative hypotony or infection in any eye, and no adverse effects of PEG sealant were found. In histological examination, linear scar formation and eosinophilic staining of collagen fibers were observed at the sclerotomy sites, while the sclerotomy tunnels appeared tightly closed. Conclusions: PEG sealant can be useful for the closure of sutureless 23-gauge vitrectomy incisions in rabbits. Translational Relevance The PEG sealant may become an effective option for closing vitrectomy incisions including pediatric cases

Paraspeckles are subpopulation-specific nuclear bodies that are not essential in mice

Mouse NEAT1 is required for paraspeckle formation in a subset of cells but is not essential for animal health and viability

Long noncoding RNA NEAT1 (nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1) is critical for phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells

In response to vascular injury, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) may switch from a contractile to a proliferative phenotype thereby contributing to neointima formation. Previous studies showed that the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1 is critical for paraspeckle formation and tumorigenesis by promoting cell proliferation and migration. However, the role of NEAT1 in VSMC phenotypic modulation is unknown. Herein we showed that NEAT1 expression was induced in VSMCs during phenotypic switching in vivo and in vitro. Silencing NEAT1 in VSMCs resulted in enhanced expression of SM-specific genes while attenuating VSMC proliferation and migration. Conversely, overexpression of NEAT1 in VSMCs had opposite effects. These in vitro findings were further supported by in vivo studies in which NEAT1 knockout mice exhibited significantly decreased neointima formation following vascular injury, due to attenuated VSMC proliferation. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that NEAT1 sequesters the key chromatin modifier WDR5 (WD Repeat Domain 5) from SM-specific gene loci, thereby initiating an epigenetic "off" state, resulting in down-regulation of SM-specific gene expression. Taken together, we demonstrated an unexpected role of the lncRNA NEAT1 in regulating phenotypic switching by repressing SM-contractile gene expression through an epigenetic regulatory mechanism. Our data suggest that NEAT1 is a therapeutic target for treating occlusive vascular diseases

Foreign-body granulomas and abscesses caused by dropped gallstones after cholecystectomy : Four cases diagnosed with multimodality imaging.

Four cases (age range, 60-78 years, male:female = 1:3) who had undergone cholecystectomy presented with fever (n = 1), right abdominal pain with fever (n = 1), appetite loss with fever (n = 1), and absence of symptoms (n = 1). Computed tomography (CT) showed an irregular-shaped invasive mass or fluid collection in the right Morrison\u27s pouch, right paracolic gutter, gallbladder fossa, subphrenic space, or abdominal wall. CT and ultrasound revealed gallstones in the granuloma in 3 cases and an abscess in one case. The inflammatory process induced by dropped gallstones may mimic peritoneal malignancies. Awareness of cholecystectomy and the detection of gallstones in the lesion are essential for the diagnosis of dropped gallstones

Economic predictors of differences in interview faking between countries : economic inequality matters, not the state of economy

Many companies recruit employees from different parts of the globe, and faking behavior by potential employees is a ubiquitous phenomenon. It seems that applicants from some countries are more prone to faking compared to others, but the reasons for these differences are largely unexplored. This study relates country-level economic variables to faking behavior in hiring processes. In a cross-national study across 20 countries, participants (N = 3839) reported their faking behavior in their last job interview. This study used the random response technique (RRT) to ensure participants anonymity and to foster honest answers regarding faking behavior. Results indicate that general economic indicators (gross domestic product per capita [GDP] and unemployment rate) show negligible correlations with faking across the countries, whereas economic inequality is positively related to the extent of applicant faking to a substantial extent. These findings imply that people are sensitive to inequality within countries and that inequality relates to faking, because inequality might actuate other psychological processes (e.g., envy) which in turn increase the probability for unethical behavior in many forms