Search for Tetraneutron by Pion Double Charge Exchange Reaction at J-PARC

Tetraneutron ($^4n$) has come back in the limelight, because of recent observation of a candidate resonant state at RIBF. We propose to investigate the pion double charge exchange (DCX) reaction, i.e. $^4\mathrm{He}({\pi}^- , {\pi}^+)$, as an alternative way to populate tetraneutron. An intense ${\pi}^-$ beam with the kinetic energy of ~850 MeV, much higher than that in past experiments at LAMPF and TRIUMF, will open up a possibility to improve the experimental sensitivity of the formation cross section, which will be much smaller than hitherto known DCX cross sections such as $^9\mathrm{Be}({\pi}^-, {\pi}^+)^9\mathrm{He}\ (g.s.)$.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Meson-Nucleon Physics and the Structure of the Nucleon (MENU2016), Kyoto, Japan, 25-30 July 201

Impact of Anatomical Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Microportal Invasion (vp1): A Multi-institutional Study by the Kyushu Study Group of Liver Surgery

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the value of anatomical resectionfor HCC with micro-portal vascular invasion (vp1) between 2000 and 2010. Summaryof Background: Vascular invasion has been reported as a prognostic factor of liverresection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Anatomical resection for HCC has resulted in optimum outcomes of eradicating intrahepatic micrometastases through the portal vein, but opposite results have also been reported. Methods: A clinical chart review was performed for 546 HCC patients with vp1. We retrospectively evaluated the recurrence-free survival (RFS) between anatomical (AR)and non-anatomical resection (NAR). The site of recurrence was also compared between these groups. The influence of AR on the overall survival (OS) and RFS rates was analyzed in patients selected by propensity score matching, and the prognostic factors were identified.Results: A total of 546 patients were enrolled, including 422 in the AR group and 124 in the NAR group. There was no difference in the 5-year OS and RFS rates between the two groups. Local recurrence was significantly more frequent in the NAR group than in the AR group. In a multivariate analysis, hepatitis C (HCV), PIVKAII ?380 mAU/ml, tumor diameter ?5 cm and ?70 years of age were significant predictors of a poor RFS after liverresection. There were no significant differences in the OS or RFS between the AR and NAR groups by a propensity score-matched analysis. Conclusion: Although local recurrence around the resection site was suppressed by AR, AR for HCC with vp1 did not influence the RFS or OS rates after hepatectomy in the modern era

Expression of alr gene from Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 in Escherichia coli and molecular characterization of the recombinant alanine racemase

Oikawa T, Tauch A, Schaffer S, Fujioka T. Expression of alr gene from Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 in Escherichia coli and molecular characterization of the recombinant alanine racemase. JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY. 2006;125(4):503-512.We constructed the high-expression system of the alr gene from Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) to characterize the enzymological and structural properties of the gene product, Alr. The Alr was expressed in the soluble fractions of the cell extract of the E. coli clone and showed alanine racemase activity. The purified Alr was a dimer with a molecular mass of 78 kDa. The Alr required pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) as a coenzyme and contained 2 mol of PLP per mol of the enzyme. The holoenzyme showed maximum absorption at 420 nm, while the reduced form of the enzyme showed it at 3 10 nm. The Alr was specific for alanine, and the optimum pH was observed at about nine. The Alr was relatively thermostable, and its half-life time at 60 degrees C was estimated to be 26 min. The K-m and V-max values were determined as follows: L-alanine to D-alanine, K-m (L-alanine) 5.01 mM and V-max 306 U/Mg; D-alanine to L-alanine, K-m (D-alanine) 5.24 mM and V-max 345 U/mg. The K-eq value was calculated to be 1.07 and showed good agreement with the theoretical value for the racemization reaction. The high substrate specificity of the Alr from C glutamicum ATCC 13032 is expected to be a biocatalyst for D-alanine production from the L-counter part. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved