Histopathological diagnosis of Japanese spotted fever using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsy specimens Usefulness of immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR analysis

AbstractJapanese spotted fever (JSF) is caused by Rickettsia japonica, and lethal cases are reported yearly in southwest Japan. We thus established the method of diagnosing JSF by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsy specimens. Two monoclonal antibodies were used for IHC, and the 17k genus common antigen gene served as the target of RT-PCR. We collected skin biopsy (n = 61) and autopsy (n = 1) specimens from 50 patients clinically suspected of JSF. Immunohistochemically, the rickettsial antigens were localized as coarse dots in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells and macrophages. Thirty-one seropositive cases plus one autopsy case (group A) and nine seronegative cases but with positive IHC and/or RT-PCR (group B) were judged as JSF. Nine cases were regarded as non-JSF disorders based on negative serology, IHC and RT-PCR (group C). Of 50 biopsies (eschar 34, eruptions 10, and scabs 6) from groups A and B, IHC and RT-PCR positivities were 94% (32/34) and 62% (21/34) for eschar, 80% (8/10) and 30% (3/10) for eruptions, and 33% (2/6) and 50% (3/6) for scabs. For IHC, eschar was most suitable, and scabs were insufficient. Unexpectedly, 18 biopsies happened to be fixed in 100% formalin, and this lowered the detection rate by RT-PCR, but IHC was tolerant. Sequence analysis using five skin biopsy specimens confirmed a 114 bp DNA stretch homologous to that reported for the target gene of R. japonica. In 26 (84%) of the 31 seropositive patients, the diagnosis was made by IHC and/or RT-PCR earlier than serology

Quasicontinuum γ\gamma-decay of 91,92^{91,92}Zr: benchmarking indirect (n,γn,\gamma) cross section measurements for the ss-process

Nuclear level densities (NLDs) and $\gamma$-ray strength functions ($\gamma$SFs) have been extracted from particle-$\gamma$ coincidences of the $^{92}$Zr($p,p' \gamma$)$^{92}$Zr and $^{92}$Zr($p,d \gamma$)$^{91}$Zr reactions using the Oslo method. The new $^{91,92}$Zr $\gamma$SF data, combined with photonuclear cross sections, cover the whole energy range from $E_{\gamma} \approx 1.5$~MeV up to the giant dipole resonance at $E_{\gamma} \approx 17$~MeV. The wide-range $\gamma$SF data display structures at $E_{\gamma} \approx 9.5$~MeV, compatible with a superposition of the spin-flip $M1$ resonance and a pygmy $E1$ resonance. Furthermore, the $\gamma$SF shows a minimum at $E_{\gamma} \approx 2-3$~MeV and an increase at lower $\gamma$-ray energies. The experimentally constrained NLDs and $\gamma$SFs are shown to reproduce known ($n, \gamma$) and Maxwellian-averaged cross sections for $^{91,92}$Zr using the {\sf TALYS} reaction code, thus serving as a benchmark for this indirect method of estimating ($n, \gamma$) cross sections for Zr isotopes.Comment: 10 pages and 9 figure

Predicted cross sections for photon-induced particle emission

Cross sections for the photon-induced particle-emission reactions (gamma,n), (gamma,p), and (gamma,alpha) are given for all natural isotopes from Ti to Bi. The target nuclei are assumed to be in their ground states, except for 180Ta which is naturally occurring as the isomer 180mTa. The cross sections are calculated in a statistical model (Hauser-Feshbach) approach and covering an energy range from threshold up to 7.35 MeV above the threshold (14.7 MeV above threshold for (gamma,alpha) reactions). The results are intended to aid conception and analysis of experiments which can also be used to test the methods involved in predicting astrophysical reaction rates for nucleosynthesis.Comment: 74 pages (including three long tables), accepted for publication in Atomic Data Nuclear Data Tables, corrected header of Table

Astrophysical reaction rate for α(αn,γ)\alpha(\alpha n,\gamma)9^{9}Be by photodisintegration

We study the astrophysical reaction rate for the formation of $^{9}$Be through the three body reaction $\alpha(\alpha n,\gamma)$. This reaction is one of the key reactions which could bridge the mass gap at A = 8 nuclear systems to produce intermediate-to-heavy mass elements in alpha- and neutron-rich environments such as r-process nucleosynthesis in supernova explosions, s-process nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and primordial nucleosynthesis in baryon inhomogeneous cosmological models. To calculate the thermonuclear reaction rate in a wide range of temperatures, we numerically integrate the thermal average of cross sections assuming a two-steps formation through a metastable $^{8}$Be. Off-resonant and on-resonant contributions from the ground state in $^{8}$Be are taken into account. As input cross section, we adopt the latest experimental data by photodisintegration of $^{9}$Be with laser-electron photon beams, which covers all relevant resonances in $^{9}$Be. We provide the reaction rate for $\alpha(\alpha n,\gamma)^{9}$Be in the temperature range from T$_{9}$=10$^{-3}$ to T$_{9}$=10$^{1}$ both in the tabular form and in the analytical form. The calculated reaction rate is compared with the reaction rates of the CF88 and the NACRE compilations. The CF88 rate is valid at $T_{9} > 0.028$ due to lack of the off-resonant contribution. The CF88 rate differs from the present rate by a factor of two in a temperature range $T_{9} \geq 0.1$. The NACRE rate, which adopted different sources of experimental information on resonance states in $^{9}$Be, is 4--12 times larger than the present rate at $T_{9} \leq 0.028$, but is consistent with the present rate to within $\pm 20$ at $T_{9} \geq 0.1$.Comment: 32 pages (incl 6 figures), Nucl. Phys. in pres

Pygmy dipole strength close to particle-separation energies - the case of the Mo isotopes

The distribution of electromagnetic dipole strength in 92, 98, 100 Mo has been investigated by photon scattering using bremsstrahlung from the new ELBE facility. The experimental data for well separated nuclear resonances indicate a transition from a regular to a chaotic behaviour above 4 MeV of excitation energy. As the strength distributions follow a Porter-Thomas distribution much of the dipole strength is found in weak and in unresolved resonances appearing as fluctuating cross section. An analysis of this quasi-continuum - here applied to nuclear resonance fluorescence in a novel way - delivers dipole strength functions, which are combining smoothly to those obtained from (g,n)-data. Enhancements at 6.5 MeV and at ~9 MeV are linked to the pygmy dipole resonances postulated to occur in heavy nuclei.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, proceedings Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics II, May 16-20, Debrecen, Hungary. The original publication is available at www.eurphysj.or

Subaru FOCAS Spectroscopic Observations of High-Redshift Supernovae

We present spectra of high-redshift supernovae (SNe) that were taken with the Subaru low resolution optical spectrograph, FOCAS. These SNe were found in SN surveys with Suprime-Cam on Subaru, the CFH12k camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). These SN surveys specifically targeted z>1 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). From the spectra of 39 candidates, we obtain redshifts for 32 candidates and spectroscopically identify 7 active candidates as probable SNe Ia, including one at z=1.35, which is the most distant SN Ia to be spectroscopically confirmed with a ground-based telescope. An additional 4 candidates are identified as likely SNe Ia from the spectrophotometric properties of their host galaxies. Seven candidates are not SNe Ia, either being SNe of another type or active galactic nuclei. When SNe Ia are observed within a week of maximum light, we find that we can spectroscopically identify most of them up to z=1.1. Beyond this redshift, very few candidates were spectroscopically identified as SNe Ia. The current generation of super red-sensitive, fringe-free CCDs will push this redshift limit higher.Comment: 19 pages, 26 figures. PASJ in press. see http://www.supernova.lbl.gov/2009ClusterSurvey/ for additional information pertaining to the HST Cluster SN Surve

Evidence for transfer followed by breakup in 7Li + 65Cu

The observation of a large cross-section for the alpha + d channel compared to breakup into the alpha + t channel from an exclusive measurement for the 7Li+65Cu system at 25 MeV is presented. A detailed analysis of the angular distribution using coupled channels Born approximation calculations has provided clear evidence that the observed alpha + d events arise from a two step process, i.e. direct transfer to the 2.186 MeV (3+) resonance in the alpha + d continuum of 6Li followed by breakup, and are not due to final state interaction effects.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, To be published in Phys. Letts.

Clinicopathological significance of EZH2 mRNA expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), a member of the polycomb group protein family, plays a crucial role in the regulation of embryonic development and has been associated with the regulation of the cell cycle. Recently, several studies have shown that EZH2 is highly expressed in aggressive tumours, including human breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphomas. We thus analysed EZH2 expression using real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and correlated its expression status with various clinicopathological parameters in 66 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found high expression of EZH2 in human liver cancer cell lines. Furthermore, EZH2 gene-expression levels in tumour tissue specimens (0.34±0.52) were significantly higher (P<0.0001) than those in the corresponding nontumour tissue specimens (0.07±0.09). The incidence of cancer cell invasion into the portal vein was significantly higher (P<0.001) in the high EZH2 expression group (26 of the 33, 79%) than in the low expression group (13 of the 33, 39%). However, there was no significant difference in the disease-free survival rate between the two groups. The findings of this study indicate that EZH2 mRNA expression was upregulated in human HCC and may play an important role in tumour progression, especially by facilitating portal vein invasion

Region of hadron-quark mixed phase in hybrid stars

Hadron--quark mixed phase is expected in a wide region of the inner structure of hybrid stars. However, we show that the hadron--quark mixed phase should be restricted to a narrower region to because of the charge screening effect. The narrow region of the mixed phase seems to explain physical phenomena of neutron stars such as the strong magnetic field and glitch phenomena, and it would give a new cooling curve for the neutron star.Comment: to be published in Physical Review