Exotic atoms and exotic nuclei

We briefly review the study of the exotic atoms and exotic nuclei, and report recent research activities of eta-mesic nucleus and kaonic atoms in this article.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Talk given at II Symposium on applied nuclear physics and innovative technologies, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, Acta Physica Polonica B (2015) in pres

Formation of Heavy Meson Bound States by Two Nucleon Pick-up Reactions

We develop a model to evaluate the formation rate of the heavy mesic nuclei in the two nucleon pick-up reactions, and apply it to the $^6$Li target cases for the formation of heavy meson-$\alpha$ bound states, as examples. The existence of the quasi-deuteron in the target nucleus is assumed in this model. It is found that the mesic nuclei formation in the recoilless kinematics is possible even for heavier mesons than nucleon in the two nucleon pick-up reactions. We find the formation rate of the meson-$\alpha$ bound states can be around half of the elementary cross sections at the recoilless kinematics with small distortions.Comment: 1 table, 10 figures, 8 page

Structural Insights into Differences in Drug-binding Selectivity between Two Forms of Human α1-Acid Glycoprotein Genetic Variants, the A and F1*S Forms

Human α1-acid glycoprotein (hAGP) in serum functions as a carrier of basic drugs. In most individuals, hAGP exists as a mixture of two genetic variants, the F1*S and A variants, which bind drugs with different selectivities. We prepared a mutant of the A variant, C149R, and showed that its drug-binding properties were indistinguishable from those of the wild type. In this study, we determined the crystal structures of this mutant hAGP alone and complexed with disopyramide (DSP), amitriptyline (AMT), and the nonspecific drug chlorpromazine (CPZ). The crystal structures revealed that the drug-binding pocket on the A variant is located within an eight-stranded β-barrel, similar to that found in the F1*S variant and other lipocalin family proteins. However, the binding region of the A variant is narrower than that of the F1*S variant. In the crystal structures of complexes with DSP and AMT, the two aromatic rings of each drug interact with Phe-49 and Phe-112 at the bottom of the binding pocket. Although the structure of CPZ is similar to those of DSP and AMT, its fused aromatic ring system, which is extended in length by the addition of a chlorine atom, appears to dictate an alternative mode of binding, which explains its nonselective binding to the F1*S and A variant hAGPs. Modeling experiments based on the co-crystal structures suggest that, in complexes of DSP, AMT, or CPZ with the F1*S variant, Phe-114 sterically hinders interactions with DSP and AMT, but not CPZ. © 2011 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc

Towards Retinoid Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is associated with a variety of pathophysiological features, including amyloid plaques, inflammation, immunological changes, cell death and regeneration processes, altered neurotransmission, and age-related changes. Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoids are relevant to all of these. Here we review the pathology, pharmacology, and biochemistry of AD in relation to RARs and retinoids, and we suggest that retinoids are candidate drugs for treatment of AD

Interfacial adsorption phenomena of the three-dimensional three-state Potts model

We study the interfacial adsorption phenomena of the three-state ferromagnetic Potts model on the simple cubic lattice by the Monte Carlo method. Finite-size scaling analyses of the net-adsorption yield the evidence of the phase transition being of first-order and $k_{\rm B} T_{\rm C} / J = 1.8166 (2)$.Comment: 14 page

The envelope of IRC+10216 reflecting the galactic light: UBV surface brightness photometry and interpretation

We present and analyse new optical images of the dust envelope surrounding the high mass-loss carbon star IRC+10216. This envelope is seen due to external illumination by galactic light. Intensity profiles and colors of the nebula were obtained in the UBV bandpasses. The data are compared with the results of a radiative transfer model calculating multiple scattering of interstellar field photons by dust grains with a single radius. The data show that the observed radial shape of the nebula, especially its half maximum radius, does not depend on wavelength (within experimental errors), suggesting that grains scatter in the grey regime, etc, etc (this abstract has been shortened)Comment: accepted by A

Properties of aerosols and their wet deposition in the arctic spring during ASTAR2004 at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard

During the period of scientific campaign "Arctic Study of Tropospheric Aerosols, Clouds and Radiation 2004" (ASTAR2004), precipitation samples were collected in late spring at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard and their ionic components were analyzed in parallel with the measurement of properties of atmospheric aerosol particles at the same place. Backward trajectory analyses indicated that the air mass above the observatory initially dominated by air masses from the Arctic Ocean, then those from western Siberia and later those from Greenland and the Arctic Ocean. In the measurement period, six precipitation samples were obtained and five of them were analyzed their ionic components by ionchromatography. The concentrations of nss-sulphate in precipitations were between 1.8 and 24.6 ppm from which the scavenging ratio and scavenging coefficients were calculated using the data such as the concentrations of nss-sulphate in aerosol particles, amounts of precipitations, and the heights of precipitations obtained from radar echo data. The scavenging ratio ranged from 1.0×10<sup>6</sup> to 17×10<sup>6</sup> which are comparable values reported in other areas. A detailed comparison between precipitation events and the number concentration of aerosol particles obtained from optical particle counters suggests that the type of precipitations, i.e. rain or snow, significantly affects the number concentrations of aerosol particles