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Biomimetic dopamine-conjugated polyaspartamides as novel adhesive materials were synthesized and characterized. These modified polyaspartamides contain three different groups combined with dopamine (DOPA), i.e., γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), ethanolamine (EA) and octylamine (OA), which are referred to as PolyAspAm (DOPA/GABA), PolyAspAm(DOPA/EA) and PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA), respectively. These three water-swollen polymer glues show good adhesion (0.1~0.4 MPa) with various daily-life materials (aluminum foil, glass and paper) as well as some plastic substrates (PET and PMMA). Compared to the polymers with more hydrophilic groups (GABA and EA), the polymer glue with the hydrophobic alkyl group (OA) exhibited higher adhesive strength values on most substrates. In addition, when applied to biological porcine skin, these glues demonstrated adhesion of values of 15~20 kPa with EA- and OA-conjugated polymers. These results suggest the great potential of dopamine-modified polyaspartamides as versatile and efficient polymeric glues for industrial and biomedical applications.

One-neutron knockout from 24O leading to the first excited state in 23O has been measured for a proton target at a beam energy of 62 MeV/nucleon. The decay energy spectrum of the neutron unbound state of 23O was reconstructed from the measured four momenta of the 22O fragment and emitted neutron. A sharp peak was found at E decay = 50 ± 3 keV , corresponding to an excited state in 23O at 2.78 ± 0.11 MeV , as observed in previous measurements. The longitudinal momentum distribution for this state was consistent with d-wave neutron knockout, providing support for a J π assignment of 5 / 2 + . The associated spectroscopic factor was deduced to be C 2 S ( 0 d 5 / 2 ) = 4.1 ± 0.4 by comparing the measured cross section ( σ − 1 n exp = 61 ± 6 mb ) with a distorted wave impulse approximation calculation. Such a large occupancy for the neutron 0 d 5 / 2 orbital is in line with the N = 16 shell closure in 24O.

The neutron-rich oxygen isotope O-23 has been investigated via proton inelastic scattering on a liquid hydrogen target at 63.5 MeV/nucleon. The invariant mass method in inverse kinematics was employed to reconstruct the energy spectrum. A sharp resonance state was observed at 42(5) keV above the neutron threshold. A comparison of the differential cross section leading to this state with a microscopic DWBA calculation allowed a J (pi) assignment of 5/2(+) for this state.

Early and proper diagnosis of cancer is the most critical factor for the survival and treatment of veterinary cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated extracellular cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (ECPKA) level in serum as a useful cancer biomarker in dogs.ECPKA levels were detected in sera from dogs with cancers (n = 48), benign tumours (n = 18), and non-tumour diseases (n = 102) as well as healthy control dogs (n = 54) utilizing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Sera from dogs bearing various types of cancer exhibited markedly increased levels of ECPKA by up to 7.1-, 8.8-, and 10.9-fold compared with those from dogs harbouring benign tumours, dogs with non-tumour diseases, and healthy control dogs, respectively (P .0001). In addition, serum ECPKA level did not show statistically significant correlation with gender, breed, or age of dogs or their non-cancerous disease conditions.Our data strongly propose that detection of serum ECPKA level is a potential and specific diagnostic tool for cancer in dogs.

In order to understand the scintillation characteristics of nuclear recoil events in CsI(Tl) crystals and for application to the analysis of Dark Matter (DM) searches, we study quenching and channeling effects with simulations of recoil ion motion in CsI(Tl) and experiments using neutrons impinging on the crystal. The electronic energy loss versus penetration depth of recoil ions in a CsI(Tl) target are simulated by the SRIM and MARLOWE programs and modified by the application of a measured scintillation efficiency function. They are used to produce quenching factors as a function of recoil energy. The application of the MARLOWE code to a monocrystalline target yields a light yield distribution including tails which are correlated with ions' enhanced ranges. The 2.4 MeV pulsed neutrons impinging on a monocrystalline CsI(Tl) target and an array of neutron detectors located at different scattering angles are used to measure the light yield distribution and the status of the measurement is reported.

The neutron-rich carbon isotopes (19,17)C and a boron isotope (14)B are investigated respectively via proton inelastic and charge-exchange reactions on a liquid hydrogen target at around 70 MeV/nucleon at RIKEN. The invariant mass method in inverse kinematics involving coincidence detection of a charged fragment and a neutron both emitted at forward angles is employed to map the energy spectrum above the neutron decay threshold. Several resonance structures are revealed in the invariant mass spectra, and the nature for some of them is discussed from comparisons of differential cross section data with predictions of microscopic DWBA calculations based on spsdp f shell model wave functions and a recent parametrization of semi-microscopic nucleon-nucleus optical model potential (JLMB). By extrapolating the (p, n) cross sections leading to the 1(+) state at 1.27 MeV in (14)B to zero momentum transfer the Gamow-Teller transition strength is deduced. The value is found to compare well with that reported in a beta-delayed neutron emission study.

Recently, the shift of the kaonic helium-4 2p state was precisely determined by the E570 and SIDDHARTA experiments. Prior to the experiment by E570, the average of three earlier experimental results showed - 43±8 eV, while most of the theoretical calculations give ∼ 0 eV. This five-sigma discrepancy between theory and experiment was known as the "kaonic helium puzzle". A recent theoretical model showed a possible resonance-like shift of maximum 10 eV for a certain value of a deep antikaon-nucleon interaction potential, which is different in helium 3 and helium 4. The E570 experiment determined the shift of the kaonic helium-4 2p state as +2±2 (stat)±2 (sys) eV in 2007. The SIDDHARTA experiment determined the shift as 0±6 (stat)±2 (sys) eV in 2009. The results of these experiments resolved the long-standing puzzle. A new experiment of the kaonic helium-3 X-ray measurement is being prepared by the J-PARC E17 collaborators, and the kaonic helium-3 X-ray data taken very recently by the SIDDHARTA experiment are on the way to be analyzed. The results of the E570, E17 and SIDDHARTA experiments examine the strong interaction for light nuclei with different isospin, and test furthermore recent theoretical predictions. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Transplanting stem cells differentiated towards a cardiac lineage can regenerate cardiac muscle tissues to treat myocardial infarction. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1) induces cardiomyogenic differentiation of adiposederived stromal cells (ADSCs) in vitro. Rat ADSCs were cultured with TGF-b1 (10ngml � 1 ) for 2 weeks in vitro. ADSCs cultured without TGF-b1 served as a control. The mRNA expression of cardiac-specific gene was induced by TGF-b1, while the control culture did not show cardiac-specific gene expression. Immunocytochemical analyses showed that a small fraction of ADSCs cultured with TGF-b1 for 2 weeks stained positively for cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) and a-sarcomeric actin. Flow cytometric analyses showed that the proportion of cells expressing cardiac MHC increased with TGF-b1. However, no mesenchymal differentiation (e.g., osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation) was detected other than cardiomyogenic differentiation. These results showed that TGF-b1 induce ADSC cardiomyogenic differentiation in vitro, which could be useful for myocardial infarction stem cell therapy. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words—adult stem cell; adipose-derived stromal cells; cardiomyogenic differentiation; transforming growth factor-b1; osteogenic differentiation

We present an experimental study of Λ(1405) via the in‐flight (K−,n) reaction on the deuteron target (J‐PARC E31). We will measure all Σ+π−, Σ−π+ and Σ0π0 final states so that the isospin structure of the produced hyperon resonance state can be decomposed. In this report, we present an overview of the experiment and preparation status.

A superconducting kaon spectrometer has been installed in the north experimental hall of the KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron. The spectrometer was designed to serve for nuclear physics experiments with meson beams in the 1 GeV/c region, particular emphasis being laid on study of Λ-hypernuclei via (π+, K+) reactions. In order to obtain Λ-hypernuclear data with better statistics and energy resolution, it was designed to have a good momentum resolution of 0.1% FWHM and a large acceptance of 100 msr. It consists of a large superconducting dipole magnet, tracking chambers, and trigger counters that can efficiently select kaons from large background of pions and protons. The overall energy resolution for scattering is realized together with a beam-line spectrometer in the K6 beam line, the momentum resolution of which was also designed to be better than 0.1% FWHM. A good energy resolution of better than 2 MeV FWHM has been confirmed in π−-12C elastic scattering and in the (π+,K+) reaction on 12C.

In searches for rare phenomena such as elastic scattering of dark matter particles or neutrinoless double beta decay, alpha decays of Rn222 progenies attached to the surfaces of the detection material have been identified as a serious source of background. In measurements with CsI(Tl) scintillator crystals, we demonstrate that alpha decays of surface contaminants produce fast signals with a characteristic mean-time distribution that is distinct from those of neutron- and gamma-induced events., 9 pages, 8 figures

We will measure the X‐rays from kaonic 3He 3d → 2p transition with a precision below 2 eV. It can provide crucial information on the kaon‐nucleus strong interaction. The experiment (J‐PARC E17) will be performed as Day‐1, which is one of the first experiments in the J‐PARC hadron facility in the year 2011. An overview and the present status of the J‐PARC E17 experiment are described.

The unbound excited states of the neutron drip-line isotope 24O have been investigated via the 24O(p,p')23O+n reaction in inverse kinematics at a beam energy of 62 MeV/nucleon. The decay energy spectrum of 24O* was reconstructed from the momenta of 23O and the neutron. The spin-parity of the first excited state, observed at Ex = 4.65 +/- 0.14 MeV, was determined to be Jpi = 2+ from the angular distribution of the cross section. Higher lying states were also observed. The quadrupole transition parameter beta2 of the 2+ state was deduced, for the first time, to be 0.15 +/- 0.04. The relatively high excitation energy and small beta2 value are indicative of the N = 16 shell closure in 24O., Comment: to be submitted to Physical Review Letters

We have measured the branching ratio of the three-body process in the nonmesonic weak decay of Lambda12C to be 0.29+/-0.13. This result was obtained by reproducing the nucleon and the nucleon pair yields introducing a measured final state interaction. At the same time, we have determined the absolute decay widths, Gamma(n) and Gamma(p), along with Gamma2N, whose relative ratio has been a long-standing puzzle. Including the three-body process, we have successfully reproduced the nucleon energy distribution, the coincidence two-nucleon angular correlation, and the momentum sum distribution simultaneously.

Single charged pion production in charged-current muon neutrino interactions with carbon is studied using data collected in the K2K long-baseline neutrino experiment. The mean energy of the incident muon neutrinos is 1.3 GeV. The data used in this analysis are mainly from a fully active scintillator detector, SciBar. The cross section for single $��^{+}$ production in the resonance region ($W, 15 pages, 12 figures, 7 tables. Uses revtex4. Minor revisions to match version accepted for publication in Physical Review D

An ISOL‐based radioactive nuclear beam facility, Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex (TRIAC), has been jointly constructed by High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The facility started to provide RNBs for experiments in 2005. RNBs, including fission fragments with energies up to 1.1 MeV/nucleon, are available. The experiments were performed with accelerated 8Li beams of various energies. Current status of the equipments and preliminary results on these experimental studies are presented.

We have measured the angular correlation of the pair nucleons np and nn emitted from the nonmesonic weak decay (NMWD) of Λ12C produced via the (π+,K+) reaction in coincidence measurement. The Λp → np and Λn → nn modes were clearly identified by measuring the back‐to‐back correlation of the emitted nucleon pairs which is the characteristic of two‐body kinematics. From the measured nucleon pair numbers Nnn and Nnp, the ratio Γn/Γp of the partial decay widths Γn(Λn → nn) and Γp(Λp → np) of Λ12C was extracted to be 0.51 ± 0.13(stat)±0.04(syst); this result is almost free from the ambiguity due to the nuclear final state interaction and 3‐body decay process, which were inherent in the previous results. The obtained Γn/Γp ratio of Λ12C (p‐shell) is close to that of Λ5He (s‐shell). The results are consistent with those of recent theoretical calculations.

We performed an improved search for nu(mu) --nu(e) oscillation with the KEK to Kamioka (K2K) long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment, using the full data sample of 9.2 x 10(19) protons on target. No evidence for a nu(e) appearance signal was found, and we set bounds on the nu(mu) --nu(e) oscillation parameters. At Deltam(2)=2.8 x 10(-3) eV(2), the best-fit value of the K2Knu(mu) disappearance analysis, we set an upper limit of sin(2)2theta(mue)0.13 at a 90% confidence level.

We performed a coincidence measurement of two nucleons emitted from the nonmesonic weak decay of lambda(5)He formed via the 6Li(pi+, K+) reaction. The energies of the two nucleons and the pair number distributions in the opening angle between them were measured. In both np and nn pairs, we observed a clean back-to-back correlation coming from the two-body weak reactions of lambda p --np and lambda n --nn, respectively. The ratio of the nucleon pair numbers was N(nn)/N(np) = 0.45 +/- 0.11(stat) +/- 0.03(syst) in the kinematic region of cos theta(NN)-0.8. Since each decay mode was exclusively detected, the measured ratio should be close to the ratio of gamma(lambda p --np)/gamma(lambda n --nn). The ratio is consistent with recent theoretical calculations based on the heavy meson and/or direct-quark exchange picture.

The structure and decay properties of a Λ hypernucleus, Λ89Y, have been studied by using the SKS spectrometer in KEK-PS E369. The excitation energy spectrum of Λ89Y in the (π+,K+) reaction was measured with the energy resolution of 1.65 MeV(FWHM) in a very wide energy range. The lifetime of Λ89Y and the energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from non-mesonic weak decay processes were also measured. In-medium properties of a Λ hyperon are discussed in this paper.

Numbers of protons per Gamma hypernuclear weak decay were measured as a function of proton energy above 40 MeV, explicitly identifying production of Gamma hypernuclei by the (pi+,K+) reaction. The ratios between the neutron-stimulated to proton-stimulated nonmesonic decay widths, Gamma((Lambda)n--nn)/Gamma((Lambda)p--np) ( = Gamma(n)/Gamma(p)) were extracted by fitting the proton energy spectra. The present result claims that the proton yields are suppressed and the Gamma(n)/Gamma(p) ratios are close to 1 both for 12LambdaC and 28LambdaSi in contradiction to theoretical expectations based on meson exchange models.

In spite of the recent progresses achieved at BNL and KEK, a consistent understanding of the non-mesonic weak decay is yet to be achieved. The rapid saturation of total decay rate in its mass dependence, Γn/Γp ratio puzzle, opposite sign of decay asymmetry parameter between Λ5He and Λ12C, and ΔI=1/2 rule of non-mesonic weak decay are the current concerns, but not understood yet. The difficulties are largely in the treatment of the final state interaction. In the paper, we discuss on the role of final state interaction in the interpretation of the newly measured decay particle spectra in the non-mesonic weak decay of Λ hypernuclei.

We report on the first measurement of a hypernuclear gamma-transition probability. gamma rays emitted in the E2(5/2(+)--1/2(+)) transition of (7)(Lambda)Li were detected by a large-acceptance germanium detector array (Hyperball), and the lifetime of the parent state ( 5/2(+)) was determined by the Doppler shift attenuation method. The obtained result, 5.8(+0.9)(-0.7)+/-0.7 ps, was then converted into the reduced transition probability [ B(E2)] to be B(E2;5/2(+)--1/2(+)) = 3.6+/-0.5(+0.5)(-0.4) e(2) fm(4). Compared with the B(E2) of the corresponding E2(3(+)--1(+)) transition in the 6Li nucleus, our result gives evidence that the size of the 6Li core in (7)(Lambda)Li is smaller than the 6Li nucleus in the free space.

We carried out an experiment to study asymmetric weak decays of polarized 5ΛHe produced via (π+,K+) reaction on 6Li. The experiment aims mainly at investigation of the ΛN weak interaction through the hypernuclear weak decays. We introduce the experiment and report current status of analysis.

The persistent positive analyzing powers in the backward hemisphere for moderate energy ( p , p' ) reactions to the continuum are found to be reproduced by one-step DWBA calculations. An analysis of these calculations shows that the effect arises from protons incident on one side of the nucleus and leaving on the other.

The proton depolarization resulting from elastic and inelastic scattering from copper has been measured with an 18 MeV polarized proton beam at scattering angles of 45°, 90° and 135° and excitation energies up to 12 MeV. Outgoing proton polarization was measured by scattering from 4He in a high pressure gas cell with a resolution of 1 to 1.7 MeV. The depolarization at all angles drops from unity at the lowest excitation energies to near zero above 8 MeV excitation energy.

Search for the neutron-rich hypernucleus ${}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{9}\mathrm{He}$ is reported by the FINUDA experiment at DA$\ensuremath{\Phi}$NE, INFN-LNF, studying $({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+},{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}})$ pairs in coincidence from the ${K}_{\mathrm{stop}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+{}^{9}\mathrm{Be}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{9}\mathrm{He}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ production reaction followed by ${}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{9}\mathrm{He}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{9}\mathrm{Li}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ weak decay. An upper limit of the production rate of ${}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{9}\mathrm{He}$ undergoing this two-body ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ decay is determined to be $(2.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.9)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}/{K}_{\mathrm{stop}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ at the 90$%$ confidence level.