The magic nature of 132Sn explored through the single-particle states of 133Sn

Atomic nuclei have a shell structure where nuclei with 'magic numbers' of neutrons and protons are analogous to the noble gases in atomic physics. Only ten nuclei with the standard magic numbers of both neutrons and protons have so far been observed. The nuclear shell model is founded on the precept that neutrons and protons can move as independent particles in orbitals with discrete quantum numbers, subject to a mean field generated by all the other nucleons. Knowledge of the properties of single-particle states outside nuclear shell closures in exotic nuclei is important for a fundamental understanding of nuclear structure and nucleosynthesis (for example the r-process, which is responsible for the production of about half of the heavy elements). However, as a result of their short lifetimes, there is a paucity of knowledge about the nature of single-particle states outside exotic doubly magic nuclei. Here we measure the single-particle character of the levels in 133Sn that lie outside the double shell closure present at the short-lived nucleus 132Sn. We use an inverse kinematics technique that involves the transfer of a single nucleon to the nucleus. The purity of the measured single-particle states clearly illustrates the magic nature of 132Sn.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures and 4 table

False selection of syringe-brand compatibility and the method of correction during target-controlled infusion of propofol

Background: We evaluated volumetric differences of syringe brand compatibilities, and investigated the impact of false brand settings on target-controlled infusion (TCI) and their methods of correction. Methods: Gravimetric measurement of 10 ml bolus infusions was performed using BD Plastipak (BDP) and Terumo compatible syringes, while setting to 7 different kinds of brand compatibilities (BDP, Sherwood Monoject, BD Perfusion, Braun Perfusor, Braun Omnifix, Fresenius Injectomat, and Terumo). To investigate the performance of TCI using BDP with a false setting to Terumo (BDPTERUMO) and Terumo to BDP (TERUMOBDP), 24 TCI targeting 4.0 μg/ml of effect-site concentration (Ceff) of propofol were performed. Subsequently, another 24 TCI were evaluated for simple corrections of false settings at 30 min. We also investigated 24 TCI using active corrections (fill-up for BDPTERUMO, evacuation for TERUMOBDP) based on the pharmacokinetics of propofol. The Ceff at 30 min of TCI and time to normalize to ± 5% of target concentration (T±5%target) were compared. Results: The Ceff of BDPTERUMO showed negative bias and 17.2% inaccuracy, and the Ceff of TERUMOBDP showed positive bias and 19.5% inaccuracy. The Ceff at 30 min showed no difference between the methods of correction in BDPTERUMO or TERUMOBDP. The T±5%target in both the active corrections was significantly shorter than that of each simple corrections (P < 0.001). Conclusions: False brand setting of syringe proportionally maintained different predicted concentrations as much as the volumetric differences of syringe brand. Based on the results, it is proposed that correction methods based on pharmacokinetics could effectively normalize the differences, without giving up the wrong TCI

Association between change in lifestyle and cognitive functions among elderly Koreans: findings from the Korean longitudinal study of aging (2006-2016)

BACKGROUND: South Korea is an aged society that continues to age rapidly. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between changes in lifestyle and cognitive functions in the South Korean elderly using a nationally representative survey. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) 2006-2016, a biannual panel survey. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed with repeated measurements data to examine the association between lifestyle change and cognitive functions over 2 years. Lifestyle combined the scores of four factors (smoking status, alcohol drinking status, body weight, and exercise), and then categorized them into four groups (Good--&gt;Good, Bad--&gt;Good, Good--&gt;Bad, and Bad--&gt;Bad) according to the two-year change. Cognitive functions were set according to the scores measured through the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). RESULTS: Among females, the K-MMSE score was the highest in the Bad--&gt;Good group compared to the reference group, Bad--&gt;Bad (beta = 0.914; SD = 3.744; p &lt; .0001). The next highest scores were in the Good--&gt;Good group (beta = 0.813; SD = 4.654; p = 0.0005) and the Good--&gt;Bad group (beta = 0.475; SD = 4.542; p = 0.0481). Among males, only the K-MMSE of the Good--&gt;Good group was statistically significant (beta = 0.509; SD = 3.245; p = 0.0077). The results of subgroup analysis showed that the K-MMSE scores of females who did not participate in any social activities were more affected by their lifestyle (Good-Good: beta = 1.614; SD = 4.270; p = 0.0017, Bad-Good: beta = 1.817; SD = 3.945; p &lt; .0001). Subgroup analysis showed that females who started drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol had lower K-MMSE scores (Good-Bad: beta = - 2.636; SD = 2.915; p = 0.0011). Additionally, in both sexes, exercising, among the four lifestyle options, had a strong and significant association with higher K-MMSE scores. CONCLUSIONS: Following a healthy lifestyle or improving an unhealthy lifestyle can help people prevent or slow down cognitive decline. Regularly engaging in an adequate amount of exercise can help the cognitive function of the elderly. Females, specifically, can experience positive effects on their cognitive function if they participate in social activities while maintaining healthy lifestyles, in particular not drinking too much alcohol

Dominant predictors of early post-transplant outcomes based on the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY)

Data for Asian kidney transplants are very limited. We investigated the relative importance of prognostic markers in Asian kidney transplants by using Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) cohort. Prediction models were developed by data-driven variable selection approach. The relative importance of the selected predictors was measured by dominance analysis. A total of 4854 kidney transplant donor-recipient pairs were analyzed. Overall patient survival rates were 99.8%, 98.8%, and 91.8% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Death-censored graft survival rates were 98.4%, 97.0%, and 95.8% at 1, 3, and 5 years. Biopsy-proven acute rejection free survival rates were 90.1%, 87.4%, and 87.03% at 1, 3, and 5 years. The top 3 dominant predictors for recipient mortality within 1 year were recipient cardiovascular disease history, deceased donor, and recipient age. The dominant predictors for death-censored graft loss within 1 year were acute rejection, deceased donor, and desensitization. The dominant predictors to acute rejection within 1 year were donor age, HLA mismatched numbers, and desensitization. We presented clinical characteristics of patients enrolled in KOTRY during the last 5 years and investigated dominant predictors for early post-transplant outcomes, which would be useful for clinical decision-making based on quantitative measures

Possible Novel Therapy for Malignant Gliomas with Secretable Trimeric TRAIL

Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors. Despite intensive clinical investigation and many novel therapeutic approaches, average survival for the patients with malignant gliomas is only about 1 year. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has shown potent and cancer-selective killing activity and drawn considerable attention as a promising therapy for cancers, but concerns over delivery and toxicity have limited progress. We have developed a secretable trimeric TRAIL (stTRAIL) and here evaluated the therapeutic potential of this stTRAIL-based gene therapy in brain tumors. An adenovirus (Ad-stTRAIL) delivering stTRAIL was injected into intra-cranial human glioma tumors established in nude mice and tumor growth monitored using the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ad-stTRAIL gene therapy showed potent tumor suppressor activity with no toxic side effects at therapeutically effective doses. When compared with 1, 3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), a conventional therapy for malignant gliomas, Ad-stTRAIL suppressed tumor growth more potently. The combination of Ad-stTRAIL and BCNU significantly increased survival compared to the control mice or mice receiving Ad-stTRAIL alone. Our data indicate that Ad-stTRAIL, either alone or combined with BCNU, has promise as a novel therapy for malignant gliomas

The importance of muscle mass in predicting intradialytic hypotension in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing hemodialysis are susceptible to sarcopenia. As intracellular reservoirs of water, skeletal muscles are important contributors to intradialytic hypotension. This study was designed to determine the role of skeletal muscle mass in intradialytic hypotension. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, the body composition of 177 patients was measured immediately after hemodialysis using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The parameters measured were skeletal muscle mass, intracellular and extracellular water contents, total body water, and cell-membrane functionality (in phase angle at 50 kHz). Data from laboratory tests, chest radiography, measurements of handgrip strength and mid-arm circumference, and questionnaires were collected. The main outcome was intradialytic hypotension, defined as more than two episodes of hypotension (systolic blood pressure of &lt;90 mmHg) with intervention over the 3 months following enrollment. Logistic regression models including each parameter related to sarcopenia were compared with a clinical model. RESULTS: Patients with a low ratio of skeletal muscle mass to dry body weight (SMM/WT) had a higher rate of intradialytic hypotension (40.7%). Most low-SMM/WT patients were female, obese, diabetic, and had a lower handgrip strength compared with the other patients. In the high-SMM/WT group, the risk of intradialytic hypotension was lower, with an odds ratio of 0.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.28) and adjusted odds ratio of 0.06 (95% CI, 0.01-0.29). CONCLUSION: Measurement and maintenance of skeletal muscle can help prevent intradialytic hypotension in frail patients undergoing hemodialysis

Microarray Analysis of the Effect of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus M-Like Protein in Infecting Porcine Pulmonary Alveolar Macrophage

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), which belongs to Lancefield group C streptococci, is an important pathogen of domesticated species, causing septicemia, meningitis and mammitis. M-like protein (SzP) is an important virulence factor of S. zooepidemicus and contributes to bacterial infection and antiphagocytosis. To increase our knowledge of the mechanism of SzP in infection, we profiled the response of porcine pulmonary alveolar macrophage (PAM) to infection with S. zooepidemicus ATCC35246 wild strain (WD) and SzP-knockout strain (KO) using the Roche NimbleGen Porcine Genome Expression Array. We found SzP contributed to differential expression of 446 genes, with upregulation of 134 genes and downregulation of 312 genes. Gene Ontology category and KEGG pathway were analyzed for relationships among differentially expressed genes. These genes were represented in a variety of functional categories, including genes involved in immune response, regulation of chemokine production, signal transduction and regulation of apoptosis. The reliability of the data obtained from the microarray was verified by performing quantitative real-time PCR on 12 representative genes. The data will contribute to understanding of SzP mediated mechanisms of S. zooepidemicus pathogenesis

Interaction between M-Like Protein and Macrophage Thioredoxin Facilitates Antiphagocytosis for Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus

Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus, S.z) is one of the common pathogens that can cause septicemia, meningitis, and mammitis in domesticated species. M-like protein (SzP) is an important virulence factor of S. zooepidemicus and contributes to bacterial infection and antiphagocytosis. The interaction between SzP of S. zooepidemicus and porcine thioredoxin (TRX) was identified by the yeast two-hybrid and further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. SzP interacted with both reduced and the oxidized forms of TRX without inhibiting TRX activity. Membrane anchored SzP was able to recruit TRX to the surface, which would facilitate the antiphagocytosis of the bacteria. Further experiments revealed that TRX regulated the alternative complement pathway by inhibiting C3 convertase activity and associating with factor H (FH). TRX alone inhibited C3 cleavage and C3a production, and the inhibitory effect was additive when FH was also present. TRX inhibited C3 deposition on the bacterial surface when it was recruited by SzP. These new findings indicated that S. zooepidemicus used SzP to recruit TRX and regulated the alternative complement pathways to evade the host immune phagocytosis

Differential Protein Expression in Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Larvae: Underlying Caste Differentiation

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) exhibits divisions in both morphology and reproduction. The queen is larger in size and fully developed sexually, while the worker bees are smaller in size and nearly infertile. To better understand the specific time and underlying molecular mechanisms of caste differentiation, the proteomic profiles of larvae intended to grow into queen and worker castes were compared at 72 and 120 hours using two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), network, enrichment and quantitative PCR analysis. There were significant differences in protein expression between the two larvae castes at 72 and 120 hours, suggesting the queen and the worker larvae have already decided their fate before 72 hours. Specifically, at 72 hours, queen intended larvae over-expressed transketolase, aldehyde reductase, and enolase proteins which are involved in carbohydrate metabolism and energy production, imaginal disc growth factor 4 which is a developmental related protein, long-chain-fatty-acid CoA ligase and proteasome subunit alpha type 5 which metabolize fatty and amino acids, while worker intended larvae over-expressed ATP synthase beta subunit, aldehyde dehydrogenase, thioredoxin peroxidase 1 and peroxiredoxin 2540, lethal (2) 37 and 14-3-3 protein epsilon, fatty acid binding protein, and translational controlled tumor protein. This differential protein expression between the two caste intended larvae was more pronounced at 120 hours, with particular significant differences in proteins associated with carbohydrate metabolism and energy production. Functional enrichment analysis suggests that carbohydrate metabolism and energy production and anti-oxidation proteins play major roles in the formation of caste divergence. The constructed network and validated gene expression identified target proteins for further functional study. This new finding is in contrast to the existing notion that 72 hour old larvae has bipotential and can develop into either queen or worker based on epigenetics and can help us to gain new insight into the time of departure as well as caste trajectory influencing elements at the molecular level