Single step links of the superdeformed band in Pb-194:A measure of the absolute excitation energy, spin and parity of the superdeformed states

The EUROGAM array has been used to investigate the decay out of the yrast superdeformed (SD) band in Pb-194. Six single step decays from the lowest observed SD slates to low-lying states at normal deformation (ND) have been identified. From this observation, the excitation energy of the SD band in Pb-194 is established at 4877 +/- 1.5 keV for the 6(+) SD state. The most probable spins and parities of all members of the SD band are also deduced assuming that the SD states have even spin and positive parity

Isolation and characterization of renal cancer stem cells from patient-derived xenografts.

As rapidly developing patient-derived xenografts (PDX) could represent potential sources of cancer stem cells (CSC), we selected and characterized non-cultured PDX cell suspensions from four different renal carcinomas (RCC). Only the cell suspensions from the serial xenografts (PDX-1 and PDX-2) of an undifferentiated RCC (RCC-41) adapted to the selective CSC medium. The cell suspension derived from the original tumor specimen (RCC-41-P-0) did not adapt to the selective medium and strongly expressed CSC-like markers (CD133 and CD105) together with the non-CSC tumor marker E-cadherin. In comparison, PDX-1 and PDX-2 cells exhibited evolution in their phenotype since PDX-1 cells were CD133high/CD105-/Ecadlow and PDX-2 cells were CD133low/CD105-/Ecad-. Both PDX subsets expressed additional stem cell markers (CD146/CD29/OCT4/NANOG/Nestin) but still contained non-CSC tumor cells. Therefore, using different cell sorting strategies, we characterized 3 different putative CSC subsets (RCC-41-PDX-1/CD132+, RCC-41-PDX-2/CD133-/EpCAMlow and RCC-41-PDX-2/CD133+/EpCAMbright). In addition, transcriptomic analysis showed that RCC-41-PDX-2/CD133 12 over-expressed the pluripotency gene ERBB4, while RCC-41-PDX-2/CD133+ over-expressed several tumor suppressor genes. These three CSC subsets displayed ALDH activity, formed serial spheroids and developed serial tumors in SCID mice, although RCC-41-PDX-1/CD132+ and RCC-41-PDX-2/CD133+ displayed less efficiently the above CSC properties. RCC-41-PDX-1/CD132+ tumors showed vessels of human origin with CSC displaying peri-vascular distribution. By contrast, RCC-41-PDX-2 originated tumors exhibiting only vessels of mouse origin without CSC peri-vascular distribution. Altogether, our results indicate that PDX murine microenvironment promotes a continuous redesign of CSC phenotype, unmasking CSC subsets potentially present in a single RCC or generating ex novo different CSC-like subsets

Determination of the 233^{233}Pa(n,f) reaction cross section from 0,5 to 10 MeV neutron energy using the transfer reaction 232^{232}Th(3^{3}He,p)234^{234}Pa

The fission probability distributions of 232, 233, 234Pa and 231Th have been measured up to an excitation energy of 15 MeV, using the transfer reactions 232Th(3He, t)232Pa, 232Th(3He, d)233Pa, 232Th(3He, p)234Pa and 232Th(3He, 4He)231Th. From these measurements, the neutron induced fission cross sections of 231Pa, 233Pa and 230Th have been determined from the product of the fission probabilities of 232Pa, 233Pa and 231Th respectively with the calculated compound nucleus formation cross sections in the 231Pa+n, 233Pa+n and 230Th+n reactions. The validity of the applied method has been successfully tested with the existing neutron induced fission cross sections of 230Th and 231Pa. Special emphasis is put on the 233Pa(n, f) reaction which is of importance for thorium fueled nuclear reactors. Based on a statistical model analysis of the neutron induced fission cross section as a function of neutron energy, it has been possible to determine the barrier parameters of the 234Pa fissioning nucleus. Cross sections for the compound nucleus inelastic scatttering 233Pa(n, n′) and radiative capture 233Pa(n, γ) reactions have also been calculated and compared with recent evaluations