Question of low-lying intruder states in Be-8 and neighboring nuclei

The presence of not yet detected intruder states in Be-8, e.g., a J = 2(+) intruder at 9 MeV excitation would affect the shape of the beta(-/+)-delayed alpha spectra of Li-8 and B-8. In order to test the plausibility of this assumption, shell-model calculations with up to 4 (h) over bar omega excitations in Be-8 (and up to 2 (h) over bar omega excitations in Be-10) were performed. With the above restrictions on the model spaces, the calculations did not yield any low-lying intruder state in Be-8. Another approach-the simple deformed oscillator model with self-consistent frequencies and volume conservation-gives an intruder state in 8Be which is lower in energy than the above shell-model results, but its energy is still considerably higher than 9 MeV.This work was supported by Department of Energy Grant No. DE-FG02-95ER40940, by DGICYT -Spain grants under Contracts No. PB95/0123 and SA95-0371.Peer reviewe

ACCURACY OF THE BRCAPRO RISK ASSESSMENT MODEL IN MALES PRESENTING TO MD ANDERSON FOR BRCA TESTING

ACCURACY OF THE BRCAPRO RISK ASSESSMENT MODEL IN MALES PRESENTING TO MD ANDERSON FOR BRCA TESTING Publication No. _______ Carolyn A. Garby, B.S. Supervisory Professor: Banu Arun, M.D. Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) syndrome is due to mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with HBOC have high risks to develop breast and ovarian cancers. Males with HBOC are commonly overlooked because male breast cancer is rare and other male cancer risks such as prostate and pancreatic cancers are relatively low. BRCA genetic testing is indicated for men as it is currently estimated that 4-40% of male breast cancers result from a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation (Ottini, 2010) and management recommendations can be made based on genetic test results. Risk assessment models are available to provide the individualized likelihood to have a BRCA mutation. Only one study has been conducted to date to evaluate the accuracy of BRCAPro in males and was based on a cohort of Italian males and utilized an older version of BRCAPro. The objective of this study is to determine if BRCAPro5.1 is a valid risk assessment model for males who present to MD Anderson Cancer Center for BRCA genetic testing. BRCAPro has been previously validated for determining the probability of carrying a BRCA mutation, however has not been further examined particularly in males. The total cohort consisted of 152 males who had undergone BRCA genetic testing. The cohort was stratified by indication for genetic counseling. Indications included having a known familial BRCA mutation, having a personal diagnosis of a BRCA-related cancer, or having a family history suggestive of HBOC. Overall there were 22 (14.47%) BRCA1+ males and 25 (16.45%) BRCA2+ males. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for the cohort overall, for each particular indication, as well as for each cancer subtype. Our findings revealed that the BRCAPro5.1 model had perfect discriminating ability at a threshold of 56.2 for males with breast cancer, however only 2 (4.35%) of 46 were found to have BRCA2 mutations. These results are significantly lower than the high approximation (40%) reported in previous literature. BRCAPro does perform well in certain situations for men. Future investigation of male breast cancer and men at risk for BRCA mutations is necessary to provide a more accurate risk assessment

Screening small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) field gene bank accessions for phenotypic characters, yield potential and disease resistance

Evaluation of 117 field gene bank accessions of small cardamom for phenotypic characters along with yield potential and disease resistance (rhizome rot and leaf blight) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Regional Station, Appangala revealed significant variation with respect to phenotypic characters. The highest plant height (350 cm) and number of bearing tillers (36.4) were recorded in the accessions, field gene bank (FGB) 65 and FGB 16, respectively. The highest fresh weight of capsules (399.61 g) and maximum number of capsules (244.20) plant-1 were recorded in the accession, FGB 13. Further, based on screening for disease resistance, 35 and 15 accessions of cardamom were identified as resistant to leaf blight and highly resistant to rhizome rot, respectively. Based on the multivariate cluster analysis, 117 FGB accessions were classified into 5 clusters viz., clusters 1 and 2 encompassing equal number of accessions (44), cluster 3 with one accession (FGB 10), clusters 4 and 5 with 8 and 20 accessions, respectively

Chronic kidney disease referrals from general practitioners pre- and post National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance 2014.

Introduction: Mortality from chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing. Most patients die from cardiovascular disease and management of cardiovascular risks is key to prevent both mortality and progression to end-stage renal disease. In 2014, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) introduced guidance to help general practitioners (GPs) manage CKD patients. Aim: We aimed to determine the impact of the updated CKD guidance on CKD/cardiovascular risks optimisation and the timeliness of referral from the primary care. Methods: All new GP referrals to the Regional Renal Service in 2012 and 2016 were analysed. Data were collected on patient age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at referral, blood pressure (BP), smoking, body mass index, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; in diabetic patients) and lipid assessment. Results: A total of 486 new GP referrals were received in 2012, and 574 in 2016 (18% increase post NICE CKD guideline). Post NICE, fewer stage 4 and 5 CKD patients were being referred. But late referrals (eGFR <20 mL/min/1.73 m2) were not improved. BP control had improved. More patients had cholesterol-levels checked. The number of smokers and obese patients had not improved. Conclusion: Post NICE guidelines, GPs are better in optimising BP. Diabetes management and lifestyle modifications need further improvement

A Review of Standardized Testing Practices and Perceptions in Maine

This report summarizes the resulting effort, which included a literature scan, document analysis, and surveys of two groups of school practitioners (testing administrators and teachers) to analyze the amount of time Maine students spend on testing, the types of tests administered, and whether the results are perceived as useful for practitioners

Non-Scissors-Mode Behaviour of Isovector Magnetic Dipole Orbital Transitions Involving Isospin Transfer

We study the response of isovector orbital magnetic dipole (IOMD) transitions to the quadrupole-quadrupole ($Q \cdot Q$) interaction, to the isospin-conserving pairing interaction (ICP) and to combinations of both. We find qualitatively different behaviours for transitions in which the final isospin differs from the initial isospin versus cases where the two isospins are the same. For $N=Z$ even-even nuclei with $J^{\pi}=0^+, T=0$ ground states such as $^8Be$ and $^{20}Ne$, the summed $T=0 \to T=1$ IOMD from the ground state to all the $J=1, T=1$ states in the $0 \hbar \omega$ space does not vanish when the $Q \cdot Q$ interaction is turned off. The pairing interaction (ICP) alone leads to a finite transition rate. For nuclei with $J=0^+, T=1$ ground states such as $^{10}Be$ and $^{22}Ne$, the summed $T=1 \to T=1$ IOMD $does$ vanish when the $Q \cdot Q$ interaction is turned off, as is expected in a good scissors-mode behaviour. However this is not the case for the corresponding sum of the $T=1 \to T=2$ IOMD transitions. In $^{22}Ne$ (but not in $^{10}Be$) the sum of the $T=1 \to T=2$ IOMD transitions is remarkably insensitive to the strengths of both the $Q \cdot Q$ and the ICP interactions. In $^{22}Ne$ an energy weighted-sum is similarly insensitive. All our calculations were carried out in the $0 \hbar \omega$ space.Comment: 19 pages (including 5 figures). submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Effects of the Spin-Orbit and Tensor Interactions on the M1M1 and E2E2 Excitations in Light Nuclei

The effects of varying the spin-orbit and tensor components of a realistic interaction on $M1$ excitation rates and $B(E2)'s$ are studied on nuclei in the $0p$ and $1s-0d$ shells. Not only the total $M1$ but also the spin and orbital parts separately are studied. The single-particle energies are first calculated with the same interaction that is used between the valence nucleons. Later this stringent condition is relaxed somewhat and the $1s$ level is raised relative to $0d$. For nuclei up to $^{28}Si$, much better results i.e stronger $B(M1)$ rates are obtained by increasing the strength of the spin-orbit interaction relative to the free value. This is probably also true for $^{32}S$, but $^{36}Ar$ presents some difficulties. The effects of weakening the tensor interaction are also studied. On a more subtle level, the optimum spin-orbit interaction in the lower half of the $s-d$ shell, as far as $M1$ excitations are concerned, is substantially larger than the difference $E(J=3/2^+)_1-E(J=5/2^+)_1=5.2~MeV$ in $^{17}O$. A larger spin-orbit splitting is also needed to destroy the triaxiality in $^{22}Ne$. Also studied are how much $M1$ orbital and spin strength lies in an observable region and how much is buried in the grass at higher energies. It is noted that for many nuclei the sum $B(M1)_{orbital}+B(M1)_{spin}$ is very close to $B(M1)_{total}$, indicating that the summed cross terms are very small.Comment: 39 pages, revtex 3.

Lighthouse Schools and Crop Museums in the Philippines

In The Philippines, Lighthouse Schools (LSs) and school-based Crop Museums (CMs) serve as repositories of crop biodiversity. Specifically, LSs are research sites where the integration of school feeding, nutrition education and school gardens, is demonstrated and evidence is established; while CMs are located within the large network of LS and act as seed banks that enable the multiplication and exchange of crop types and varieties across schools. Together they have helped conserve and promote multiple varieties of traditional and indigenous vegetables (IVs)and fruits

Conserving and prioritizing indigenous fruits in the Philippines

Nutrition-related problems are a widespread challenge in the Philippines. Many factors contribute to these problems - the availability and affordability of fruits, for example, which are jeopardized by challenges such as seasonality and inconsistent yields due to the impacts of climate change. Crop improvement and on-farm diversification, particularly using indigenous fruits (IFs), can help address these challenges, while also improving rural livelihoods, nutrition, food security; and even safeguarding local culture and tradition