Neutron Density Distributions of Neutron-Rich Nuclei Studied with the Isobaric Yield Ratio Difference

The isobaric yield ratio difference (IBD) between two reactions of similar experimental setups is found to be sensitive to nuclear density differences between projectiles. In this article, the IBD probe is used to study the density variation in neutron-rich $^{48}$Ca. By adjusting diffuseness in the neutron density distribution, three different neutron density distributions of $^{48}$Ca are obtained. The yields of fragments in the 80$A$ MeV $^{40, 48}$Ca + $^{12}$C reactions are calculated by using a modified statistical abrasion-ablation model. It is found that the IBD results obtained from the prefragments are sensitive to the density distribution of the projectile, while the IBD results from the final fragments are less sensitive to the density distribution of the projectile.Comment: 3 figure

Visual field analysis in idiopathic demyelinating optic neuritis, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and papillaedema

AIM: To compare the visual field characteristics of patients with idiopathic demyelinating optic neuritis(IDON), non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(NAION)and papilledema(PE), and analyze their occurrence mechanism.<p>METHODS: It was a retrospective case series study. Visual field data of patients with IDON, NAION, and PE who were treated in Department of Ophthalmology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University from March 2011 to May 2012 were collected. Ages, gender, best-corrected visual acuities(BCVA), pupil sizes, the visual field testing duration, types of visual field defect, the defect locations, mean deviation(MD)and pattern standard deviation(PSD)of the patients were compared and the reasons of these differences were analyzed by SPSS 12.0.<p>RESULTS: There were 17 cases(20 eyes)with IDON, 21 cases(26 eyes)with NAION, 11 cases(22 eyes)with PE included in this study. All differences from mean age, gender composition, BCVA, pupil size, visual field testing duration, MD and PSD among three groups had statistical significance(<i>P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION: Although these visual fields of patients with IDON, NAION and PE are complex, they have different features closely related with the pathogenesis of disease. These features can provide important evidence for differential diagnosis among optic nerve diseases

6-(Trifluoro­meth­yl)pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione monohydrate

The title compound, C5H3F3N2O2·H2O, was prepared by the reaction of ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-oxobutano­ate with urea. In the crystal, the 6-(trifluoro­meth­yl)pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione and water mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. A ring dimer structure is formed by additional inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

Conserved chemosensory proteins in the proboscis and eyes of Lepidoptera

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are endowed with several different functions besides being carriers for pheromones and odorants. Based on a previous report of a CSP acting as surfactant in the proboscis of the moth Helicoverpa armigera, we revealed the presence of orthologue proteins in two other moths Plutella xylostella and Chilo suppressalis, as well as two butterflies Papilio machaon and Pieris rapae, using immunodetection and proteomic analysis. The unusual conservation of these proteins across large phylogenetic distances indicated a common specific function for these CSPs. This fact prompted us to search for other functions of these proteins and discovered that CSPs are abundantly expressed in the eyes of H. armigera and possibly involved as carriers for carotenoids and visual pigments. This hypothesis is supported by ligand-binding experiments and docking simulations with retinol and β-carotene. This last orange pigment, occurring in many fruits and vegetables, is an antioxidant and the precursor of visual pigments. We propose that structurally related CSPs solubilise nutritionally important carotenoids in the proboscis, while they act as carriers of both β-carotene and its derived products 3-hydroxyretinol and 3-hydroxyretinal in the eye. The use of soluble olfactory proteins, such as CSPs, as carriers for visual pigments in insects, here reported for the first time, parallels the function of retinol-binding protein in vertebrates, a lipocalin structurally related to vertebrate odorant-binding proteins

6-Hy­droxy-4-(pyridin-3-yl)-5-(2-thienyl­carbon­yl)-6-trifluoro­meth­yl-3,4,5,6-tetra­hydro­pyrimidin-2(1H)-one

In the title compound, C15H12F3N3O3S, the pyrimidine ring adopts a half-chair conformation with the mean plane formed by the ring atoms excluding the C atom bonded to thio­phene-2-carbonyl group lying nearly perpendicular to the pyridine and thio­phene rings, making dihedral angles of 84.91 (4) and 87.40 (5)°, respectively. The dihedral angle between the pyridine and thio­phene rings is 54.44 (5)°. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter­molecular O—H⋯O and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and weak C—H⋯O inter­actions further consolidate the structure