potential mechanisms involved in resistant phenotype of MCF-7breast carcinoma cells to ionizing radiation induced apoptosis

In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms of apoptosis resistance and the roles of the phosphorylation of BRCA1, p21, the Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio and cell cycle arrest in IR-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. X-irradiation, in particular at low dose (1 Gy), but not carbon ion irradiation, had a significant antiproliferative effect on the growth of MCF-7 cells. 1 Gy X-irradiation resulted in G1 and G2 phase arrest, but 4 Gy induced a significant G1 block. In contrast, carbon ion irradiation resulted in a significant accumulation in the G2 phase. Concomitant with the phosphorylation of H2AX induced by DNA damage,carbon ion irradiation resulted in an approximately 1.9–2.8-fold increase in the phosphorylation of BRCA1 on serine residue 1524, significantly greater than that detected for X-irradiation. Carbon ion irradiation caused a dramatic increase in p21 expression and drastic decrease in Bax expression compared with X-irradiation. The data implicated that phosphorylation of BRCA1 on serine residue 1524 might,at least partially, induce p21 expression but repress Bax expression. Together, our results suggested that the phosphorylation of BRCA1 at Ser-1524 might contribute to the G2 phase arrest and might be an upstream signal involved in preventing apoptosis signal via upregulation of p21 and downregulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

Single nucleon potential and effective mass with ground state correlations in hot nuclear matter

In the framework of the finite temperature Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach including the contribution of the microscopic three-body force, the single nuclear potential and the nucleon effective mass in hot nuclear matter at various temperatures and densities have been calculated by using the hole-line expansion for mass operator, and the effects of the three-body forces and the ground state correlations on the single nucleon potential have been investigated. It is shown that both the ground state correlations and the three-body force affect considerably the density and temperature dependence of the single nucleon potential. The rearrangement correction in the single nucleon potential is repulsive and it reduces remarkably the attraction of the single nucleon potential in the low-momentum region. The rearrangement contribution due to the ground state correlations becomes smaller as the temperature rises up and becomes larger as the density increases. The effect of the three-body force on the ground state correlations is to reduce the contribution of rearrangement. At high densities, the single nucleon potential containing both the rearrangement correction and the contribution of the three-body force becomes more repulsive as the temperature increases.

Parton energy loss in heavy-ion collisions via direct-photon and charged-particle azimuthal correlations

Charged-particle spectra associated with direct photon (gamma(dir)) and pi(0) are measured in p + p and Au + Au collisions at center-of-mass energy root(S)(NN) = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A shower-shape analysis is used to partially discriminate between gamma(dir) and pi(0). Assuming no associated charged particles in the gamma(dir) direction ( near side) and small contribution from fragmentation photons (gamma(frag)), the associated charged-particle yields opposite to gamma(dir) (away side) are extracted. In central Au + Au collisions, the charged-particle yields at midrapidity (vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1) and high transverse momentum (3 < (assoc)(PT) < 16 GeV/c) associated with gamma(dir) and pi(0) (vertical bar eta vertical bar < 0.9, 8 < (trig)(PT) < 16 GeV/c) are suppressed by a factor of 3-5 compared with p + p collisions. The observed suppression of the associated charged particles is similar for gamma(dir) and pi(0) and independent of the gamma(dir) energy within uncertainties. These measurements indicate that, in the kinematic range covered and within our current experimental uncertainties, the parton energy loss shows no sensitivity to the parton initial energy, path length, or color charge.

Azimuthal di-hadron correlations in d plus Au and Au plus Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV measured at the STAR detector

Yields, correlation shapes, and mean transverse momenta p(T) of charged particles associated with intermediate-to high-p(T) trigger particles (2.5 < p(T) < 10 GeV/c) in d + Au and Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV are presented. For associated particles at higher p(T) greater than or similar to 2.5 GeV/c, narrow correlation peaks are seen in d + Au and Au + Au, indicating that the main production mechanism is jet fragmentation. At lower associated particle pT < 2 GeV/c, a large enhancement of the near- (Delta phi similar to 0) and away-side (Delta phi similar to pi) associated yields is found, together with a strong broadening of the away-side azimuthal distributions in Au + Au collisions compared to d + Au measurements, suggesting that other particle production mechanisms play a role. This is further supported by the observed significant softening of the away-side associated particle yield distribution at Delta phi similar to pi in central Au + Au collisions.

Observation of charge-dependent azimuthal correlations and possible local strong parity violation in heavy-ion collisions

Parity (P)-odd domains, corresponding to nontrivial topological solutions of the QCD vacuum, might be created during relativistic heavy-ion collisions. These domains are predicted to lead to charge separation of quarks along the orbital momentum of the system created in noncentral collisions. To study this effect, we investigate a three-particle mixed-harmonics azimuthal correlator which is a P-even observable, but directly sensitive to the charge-separation effect. We report measurements of this observable using the STAR detector in Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 and 62 GeV. The results are presented as a function of collision centrality, particle separation in rapidity, and particle transverse momentum. A signal consistent with several of the theoretical expectations is detected in all four data sets. We compare our results to the predictions of existing event generators and discuss in detail possible contributions from other effects that are not related to P violation.

Spin and spin-isospin instabilities and Landau parameters of Skyrme interactions with tensor correlations

The Landau parameters of Skyrme interactions in the spin and spin-isospin channels are studied using various Skyrme effective interactions with and without tensor correlations. We focus on the role of the tensor terms on the spin and spin-isospin instabilities that can occur in nuclear matter above saturation density. We point out that these instabilities are realized in nuclear matter at the critical density of about two times the saturation density for all the adopted parameter sets. The critical density is shown to be very much dependent not only on the choice of the Skyrme parameter set, but also on the inclusion of the tensor terms.

Effects of Pairing Correlations on Formation of Proton Halo in C-9

Properties for the ground state of C-9 are studied in the relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory with the NLSH, NLLN and TM2 effective interactions. Pairing correlations are taken into account by a density-dependent delta-force with the pairing strength for protons determined by fitting either to the experimental binding energy or to the odd-even mass difference from the five-point formula. The effects of pairing correlations on the formation of proton halo in the ground state of C-9 are examined. The halo structure is shown to be formed by the partially occupied valence proton levels p(3/2) and p(1/2).

红毛菜发育过程及其生理基础

红毛菜（Bangia Lyngb.）属于红藻门，与紫菜属同属红毛菜科，其味道和营养都优于紫菜。目前红毛菜栽培产业已在我国福建莆田展开，但栽培技术还有待提高。海藻栽培技术的发展和成熟依赖于对其生长发育过程的认识。本研究针对红毛菜发育过程及相关光合生理展开，并初步探讨了一采自山西娘子关泉淡水红毛菜群体（FWB）的系统地位。 色素突变标记的壳孢子萌发特征表明最初两次分裂产生的4细胞决定了完整植株的形态建成。成熟植株，为雌雄异体。雌性生殖器果胞的标志性分化结构为原始受精丝，环境因子是促发原始受精丝发展的外部因素，其膨大程度随受精的延迟而增大。原孢子是主要的无性生殖孢子类型，在不良环境中，藻体也会形成内生孢子或休眠包囊，或者藻体断裂后重新形成完整的植株。 红毛菜的生长发育很大程度上受环境因子的控制。高温不利于配子体的发育，15-20 ºC比较适宜。红毛菜无性繁殖的最适温度-光照组合为20 ºC-8 h，有性繁殖为15 ºC-12h。 不同发育阶段，PSII实际光合效率（Y(II)）与细胞的健康状况以及光合器官完整性及其在细胞内的分布有关，而与细胞的类型关系不大。健康的假根细胞、已分化未成熟的精子以及果孢子细胞均具有很高的Y(II)。色素体由中间位变为围周位，中央大液泡（营养藻丝）和大小纤维囊泡（成熟孢子与精子）的产生，使得细胞Y(II)降低。刚放散的壳孢子Y(II)很低，说明在壳孢子由贝壳基质释放到自由水体过程，光合作用受到一定程度抑制；而2h后，Y(II)开始恢复，rbcL的转录水平非常高，为孢子的萌发储备物质和能量需求。 在失水和低盐胁迫下，藻体均维持较高的Y(II)。干出处理至藻体重量不再变化，复水后Y(II)可回复初始水平。海生红毛菜在100％淡水培养基中（约20ºC）培养7天后，部分雄性藻体依然活着。从而体现了红毛菜位居高潮带的生理优势。 FWB终生行无性繁殖，藻体形态与发生以及染色体数目（4条）与海生群体没有区别。而rbcL-rbcS Spacer序列显示，红毛菜海生群体（无性和有性）具有完全相同的序列，而FWB与它们有5bp差异，但是与欧洲、北美地区的淡水群体仅1bp不同，初步说明所有淡水红毛菜群体具有共同的原始起源。