Recent development of CDCC

This paper shows a brief review on CDCC and the microscopic reaction theory as a fundamental theory of CDCC. The Kerman-McManus-Thaler theory for nucleon-nucleus scattering is extended to nucleus-nucleus scattering. New development of four-body CDCC is presented. An accurate method of treating inclusive reactions is presented as an extension of CDCC and the Glauber model.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, the proceedings of the Dynamics and Correlations in Exotic Nuclei (DCEN2011

Slow movement resistance training in women

A resistance training protocol of low intensity and short duration allows for increased training frequency and improved compliance. This study aimed to examine the short-term (response of growth hormone (GH) and testosterone after one exercise session) and long-term (change of fitness level and body fat percentage after the exercise period) effects of slow movement resi- stance training using the individual’s body mass (hiroNARI style training) in adult women and to clarify their subjective sense of training contin- uity. Nineteen healthy adult women performed hiroNARI style training three times a week for 12 weeks. This protocol consisted of 12 types of exercise for 7 muscle groups. GH and testos-terone increased significantly after one exercise session (70% and 23.3%, p < 0.05, respectively). Height and the circumferences of the upper arm (flexed), chest, waist, hip, and thigh changed si- gnificantly. Except for the upper arm circumfe- rence, these parameters improved significantly after 6 weeks. There were significant improvem- ents in measurements of physical fitness after 6 weeks including one leg raise with eyes closed, side step, and repeated sit ups for 30 s. After 12 weeks, anteflexion from a long sitting position improved as well. Triglycerides and HDL and LDL cholesterol changed significantly after 12 weeks. In conclusion, resistance training may have po- sitive effects and is associated with high comp- liance. However, it will be necessary to reexam- ine the training protocol for increasing back and lower limb muscle strength and necessary vari- ations to prevent overtraining of certain muscle groups

Determining the Optical Geometry of a Gold Semi-Shell under the Kretschmann Configuration

Dielectric nanoparticles coated with metals (half-shell or semi-shell structures) have attracted attention as potential composite plasmonic nanomaterials with large optical anisotropy and absorption cross-sections. Structures approximately 100 nm in size can excite plasmons in the visible and near-infrared ranges, highlighting their distinct optical properties. This study employed metal semi-shell structures (metal: gold, dielectric: silica) in the Kretschmann configuration to experimentally and numerically demonstrate the optical determination of single-structure orientations through a finite-difference time-domain method. Gold semi-shell structures were fabricated through deposition and etching. These structures were removed from their substrate in ultrapure water and randomly dropped onto a thin gold substrate. In the single structure, we experimentally observed changes in the scattering light spectrum based on the optical geometry of the gold semi-shell at wavelengths ranging from 530 to 700 nm. The obtained results closely resembled those of a simulation and confirmed the presence of eigenmodes in the orientation through electric field analysis. These observations allow for the cost-effective and rapid determination of the orientations of numerous structures that are approximately 100 nm in size, solely through optical methods. This technique is a valuable development for measurement applications in nanostructure orientation control and functionality enhancement

Slow movement resistance training in women

A resistance training protocol of low intensity and short duration allows for increased training frequency and improved compliance. This study aimed to examine the short-term (response of growth hormone (GH) and testosterone after one exercise session) and long-term (change of fitness level and body fat percentage after the exercise period) effects of slow movement resi- stance training using the individual’s body mass (hiroNARI style training) in adult women and to clarify their subjective sense of training contin- uity. Nineteen healthy adult women performed hiroNARI style training three times a week for 12 weeks. This protocol consisted of 12 types of exercise for 7 muscle groups. GH and testos-terone increased significantly after one exercise session (70% and 23.3%, p < 0.05, respectively). Height and the circumferences of the upper arm (flexed), chest, waist, hip, and thigh changed si- gnificantly. Except for the upper arm circumfe- rence, these parameters improved significantly after 6 weeks. There were significant improvem- ents in measurements of physical fitness after 6 weeks including one leg raise with eyes closed, side step, and repeated sit ups for 30 s. After 12 weeks, anteflexion from a long sitting position improved as well. Triglycerides and HDL and LDL cholesterol changed significantly after 12 weeks. In conclusion, resistance training may have po- sitive effects and is associated with high comp- liance. However, it will be necessary to reexam- ine the training protocol for increasing back and lower limb muscle strength and necessary vari- ations to prevent overtraining of certain muscle groups

Biosynthetic Pathway for Sex Pheromone Components Produced in a Plusiinae Moth, Plusia festucae

While many Plusiinae species commonly secrete (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:OAc) as a key pheromone component, female moths of the rice looper (Plusia festucae) exceptionally utilize (Z)-5-dodecenyl acetate (Z5-12:OAc) to communicate with their partners. GC–MS analysis of methyl esters derived from fatty acids included in the pheromone gland of P. festucae showed a series of esters monounsaturated at the ω7-position, i.e., (Z)-5-dodecenoate, (Z)-7-tetradecenoate, (Z)-9-hexadecenoate (Z9-16:Me), and (Z)-11-octadecenoate (Z11-18:Me). By topical application of D3-labled palmitic acid (16:Acid) and stearic acid (18:Acid) to the pheromone glands, similar amounts of D3-Z5-12:OAc were detected. The glands treated with D13-labeled monoenoic acids (Z9-16:Acid and Z11-18:Acid), which were custom-made by utilizing an acetylene coupling reaction with D13-1-bromohexane, also produced similar amounts of D13-Z5-12:OAc. These results suggested that Z5-12:OAc was biosynthesized by ω7-desaturase with low substrate specificity, which could introduce a double bond at the 9-position of a 16:Acid derivative and the 11-position of an 18:Acid derivative. Additional experiments with the glands pretreated with an inhibitor of chain elongation supported this speculation. Furthermore, a comparative study with another Plusiinae species (Chrysodeixis eriosoma) secreting Z7-12:OAc indicated that the β-oxidation systems of P. festucae and C. eriosoma were different

Succession of Genetic Diversity of Botryococcus braunii (Trebouxiophyceae) in Two Japanese Reservoirs

AbstractBotryococcus braunii is a green colonial alga that produces large volumes of liquid hydrocarbon. Therefore, B. braunii is expected to be useful as an alternative fuel resource. Natural blooms of B. braunii have been recorded in several lakes and reservoirs. Elucidation of natural B. braunii blooming would provide important information for the development of an open-pond cultivation system. In this study, we periodically assessed the genetic diversity and colony density of B. braunii populations, along with several environmental parameters, in two Japanese reservoirs (provisionally called “N” and “S”) from December 2008 to December 2009. Reservoir N had low numbers of B. braunii colonies whereas Reservoir S was characterized by periodic density increases that occurred in December 2008, and in March, September, and December 2009. Population genetics analysis using specific environmental sequences (PGA-SES method) was conducted for B. braunii populations for the first time. Among the B. braunii-dominated samples of Reservoir S, high levels of genetic diversity were observed in December 2008 and March 2009, whereas the diversity levels in September and December 2009 were low. The results suggest that B. braunii periodicity can be categorized into a high genetic diversity type and a low genetic diversity type. The high genetic diversity type may be caused by simultaneous growth of many genotypes, whereas the low genetic diversity type seems to be explained by increases in the cell density of only a few adapted genotypes