Electrogenic transport and K(+) ion channel expression by the human endolymphatic sac epithelium.

The endolymphatic sac (ES) is a cystic organ that is a part of the inner ear and is connected to the cochlea and vestibule. The ES is thought to be involved in inner ear ion homeostasis and fluid volume regulation for the maintenance of hearing and balance function. Many ion channels, transporters, and exchangers have been identified in the ES luminal epithelium, mainly in animal studies, but there has been no functional study investigating ion transport using human ES tissue. We designed the first functional experiments on electrogenic transport in human ES and investigated the contribution of K(+) channels in the electrogenic transport, which has been rarely identified, even in animal studies, using electrophysiological/pharmacological and molecular biological methods. As a result, we identified functional and molecular evidence for the essential participation of K(+) channels in the electrogenic transport of human ES epithelium. The identified K(+) channels involved in the electrogenic transport were KCNN2, KCNJ14, KCNK2, and KCNK6, and the K(+) transports via those channels are thought to play an important role in the maintenance of the unique ionic milieu of the inner ear fluid

Singlet superfield extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model with Peccei-Quinn symmetry and a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson at the LHC

Motivated by the mu-problem and the axion solution to the strong CP-problem, we extend the MSSM with one more chiral singlet field $X_e$. The underlying PQ-symmetry allows only one more term $X_e H_u H_d$ in the superpotential. The spectrum of the Higgs system includes a light pseudoscalar $a_X$ (in addition to the standard CP-even Higgs boson), predominantly decaying to two photons: $a_X \to \gamma \gamma$. Both Higgs bosons might be in the range accessible to current LHC experiments.Comment: 5 pages with 3 figure

Fusion reaction of a weakly-bound nucleus with a deformed target

We discuss the role of deformation of the target nucleus in the fusion reaction of the $^{15}$C + $^{232}$Th system at energies around the Coulomb barrier, for which $^{15}$C is a well-known one-neutron halo nucleus. To this end, we construct the potential between $^{15}$C and $^{232}$Th with the double folding procedure, assuming that the projectile nucleus is composed of the core nucleus, $^{14}$C, and a valance neutron. By taking into account the halo nature of the projectile nucleus as well as the deformation of the target nucleus, we simultaneously reproduce the fusion cross sections for the $^{14}$C + $^{232}$Th and the $^{15}$C + $^{232}$Th systems. Our calculation indicates that the net effect of the breakup and the transfer channels is small for this system.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Coupled-channels analyses for 9,11^{9,11}Li + 208^{208}Pb fusion reactions with multi-neutron transfer couplings

We discuss the role of two-neutron transfer processes in the fusion reaction of the $^{9,11}$Li + $^{208}$Pb systems. We first analyze the $^{9}$Li + $^{208}$Pb reaction by taking into account the coupling to the $^{7}$Li + $^{210}$Pb channel. To this end, we assume that two neutrons are directly transferred to a single effective channel in $^{210}$Pb and solve the coupled-channels equations with the two channels. By adjusting the coupling strength and the effective $Q$-value, we successfully reproduce the experimental fusion cross sections for this system. We then analyze the $^{11}$Li + $^{208}$Pb reaction in a similar manner, that is, by taking into account three effective channels with $^{11}$Li + $^{208}$Pb, $^{9}$Li + $^{210}$Pb, and $^{7}$Li + $^{212}$Pb partitions. In order to take into account the halo structure of the $^{11}$Li nucleus, we construct the potential between $^{11}$Li and $^{208}$Pb with a double folding procedure, while we employ a Wood-Saxon type potential with the global Aky\"uz-Winther parameters for the other channels. Our calculation indicates that the multiple two-neutron transfer process plays a crucial role in the $^{11}$Li + $^{208}$Pb fusion reaction at energies around the Coulomb barrier

Lanczos exact diagonalization study of field-induced phase transition for Ising and Heisenberg antiferromagnets

Using an exact diagonalization treatment of Ising and Heisenberg model Hamiltonians, we study field-induced phase transition for two-dimensional antiferromagnets. For the system of Ising antiferromagnet the predicted field-induced phase transition is of first order, while for the system of Heisenberg antiferromagnet it is the second-order transition. We find from the exact diagonalization calculations that the second-order phase transition (metamagnetism) occurs through a spin-flop process as an intermediate step.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Extended optical model analyses of 11^{11}Be+197^{197}Au with dynamic polarization potentials

We discuss angular distributions of elastic, inelastic, and breakup cross sections for $^{11}$Be + $^{197}$Au system, which were measured at energies below and around Coulomb barrier. To this end, we employ Coulomb dipole excitation (CDE) and long-range nuclear (LRN) potential to take into account long range effects by halo nuclear system and break up effects by weakly-bound structure. We then analyze recent experimental data including 3-channes i.e. elastic, inelastic, and breakup cross sections, at $E_{\textrm{c.m.}}$=29.6 MeV and $E_{\text{c.m.}}$=37.1 MeV. From the extracted parameter sets using $\chi^{2}$ analysis, we successfully reproduce the experimental angular distributions of the elastic, inelastic, and breakup cross sections for $^{11}$Be+$^{197}$Au system simultaneously. Also we discuss the necessity of LRN potential around Coulomb barrier from analyzed experimental data