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Akira Iwamoto

Other affiliations: Juntendo University
Bio: Akira Iwamoto is an academic researcher from Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The author has contributed to research in topics: Fission & Saddle point. The author has an hindex of 20, co-authored 72 publications receiving 1964 citations. Previous affiliations of Akira Iwamoto include Juntendo University.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A model based on quantum molecular dynamics incorporated with a statistical decay model (SDM) to describe various nuclear reactions in a unified way is proposed and a unified description of the three major reaction mechanisms, i.e., compound, preequilibrium, and spallation processes, is given.
Abstract: We propose a model based on quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) incorporated with a statistical decay model (SDM) to describe various nuclear reactions in a unified way. In this first part of the work, the basic ingredients of the model are defined and the model is applied systematically to the nucleon- (N-)induced reactions. It has been found that our model can give a remarkable agreement in the energy-angle double differential cross sections of (N,${\mathit{xN}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) type reactions for incident energies from 100 MeV to 3 GeV with a fixed parameter set. A unified description of the three major reaction mechanisms of (N,${\mathit{xN}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) reactions, i.e., compound, preequilibrium, and spallation processes, is given with our model.

316 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Feb 2001-Nature
TL;DR: It is found that observed fission features—such as the distributions of fission fragment mass and kinetic energy, and the different energy thresholds for symmetric and asymmetric fission—are very closely related to topological features in the calculated five-dimensional energy landscapes.
Abstract: Nuclei undergoing fission can be described by a multi-dimensional potential-energy surface that guides the nuclear shape evolution--from the ground state, through intermediate saddle points and finally to the configurations of separated fission fragments. Until now, calculations have lacked adequate exploration of the shape parameterization of sufficient dimensionality to yield features in the potential-energy surface (such as multiple minima, valleys, saddle points and ridges) that correspond to characteristic observables of the fission process. Here we calculate and analyse five-dimensional potential-energy landscapes based on a grid of 2,610,885 deformation points. We find that observed fission features--such as the distributions of fission fragment mass and kinetic energy, and the different energy thresholds for symmetric and asymmetric fission--are very closely related to topological features in the calculated five-dimensional energy landscapes.

238 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that the cooperative effect of the clogging and cell wall thickening enables VISA to prevent vancomycin from reaching its true target in the cytoplasmic membrane, exhibiting a new class of antibiotic resistance in gram-positive pathogens.
Abstract: As an aggressive pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus poses a significant public health threat and is becoming increasingly resistant to currently available antibiotics, including vancomycin, the drug of last resort for gram-positive bacterial infections. S. aureus with intermediate levels of resistance to vancomycin (vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus [VISA]) was first identified in 1996. The resistance mechanism of VISA, however, has not yet been clarified. We have previously shown that cell wall thickening is a common feature of VISA, and we have proposed that a thickened cell wall is a phenotypic determinant for vancomycin resistance in VISA (L. Cui, X. Ma, K. Sato, et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 41:5-14, 2003). Here we show the occurrence of an anomalous diffusion of vancomycin through the VISA cell wall, which is caused by clogging of the cell wall with vancomycin itself. A series of experiments demonstrates that the thickened cell wall of VISA could protect ongoing peptidoglycan biosynthesis in the cytoplasmic membrane from vancomycin inhibition, allowing the cells to continue producing nascent cell wall peptidoglycan and thus making the cells resistant to vancomycin. We conclude that the cooperative effect of the clogging and cell wall thickening enables VISA to prevent vancomycin from reaching its true target in the cytoplasmic membrane, exhibiting a new class of antibiotic resistance in gram-positive pathogens.

236 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new type of asymmetric fission, not caused by large shell effects related to fragment magic proton and neutron numbers, as observed in the actinide region, is studied by using resonant laser ionization with subsequent mass separation at ISOLDE (CERN).
Abstract: A very exotic process of {beta}-delayed fission of {sup 180}Tl is studied in detail by using resonant laser ionization with subsequent mass separation at ISOLDE (CERN). In contrast to common expectations, the fission-fragment mass distribution of the post-{beta}-decay daughter nucleus {sup 180}Hg (N/Z=1.25) is asymmetric. This asymmetry is more surprising since a mass-symmetric split of this extremely neutron-deficient nucleus would lead to two {sup 90}Zr fragments, with magic N=50 and semimagic Z=40. This is a new type of asymmetric fission, not caused by large shell effects related to fragment magic proton and neutron numbers, as observed in the actinide region. The newly measured branching ratio for {beta}-delayed fission of {sup 180}Tl is 3.6(7)x10{sup -3}%, approximately 2 orders of magnitude larger than in an earlier study.

160 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present fission-barrier height calculations for nuclei throughout the periodic table based on a realistic macroscopic-microscopic model, and they formulate their model so that they obtain continuity of the potential energy at the division point between a single system and separated fission fragments or colliding nuclei.
Abstract: We present fission-barrier-height calculations for nuclei throughout the periodic table based on a realistic macroscopic-microscopic model. Compared to other calculations (i) we use a deformation space of a sufficiently high dimension, sampled densely enough to describe the relevant topography of the fission potential, (ii) we unambiguously find the physically relevant saddle points in this space, and (iii) we formulate our model so that we obtain continuity of the potential energy at the division point between a single system and separated fission fragments or colliding nuclei, allowing us to (iv) describe both fission-barrier heights and ground-state masses throughout the periodic table.

114 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Dec 1949-Nature
TL;DR: Wentzel and Jauch as discussed by the authors described the symmetrization of the energy momentum tensor according to the Belinfante Quantum Theory of Fields (BQF).
Abstract: To say that this is the best book on the quantum theory of fields is no praise, since to my knowledge it is the only book on this subject But it is a very good and most useful book The original was written in German and appeared in 1942 This is a translation with some minor changes A few remarks have been added, concerning meson theory and nuclear forces, also footnotes referring to modern work in this field, and finally an appendix on the symmetrization of the energy momentum tensor according to Belinfante Quantum Theory of Fields Prof Gregor Wentzel Translated from the German by Charlotte Houtermans and J M Jauch Pp ix + 224, (New York and London: Interscience Publishers, Inc, 1949) 36s

2,935 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
23 Mar 2007-Cell
TL;DR: The intrinsic mechanisms not commonly specified by mobile elements, such as efflux pumps that expel multiple kinds of antibiotics, are now recognized as major contributors to multidrug resistance in bacteria.

1,446 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, the subject of quantum electrodynamics is presented in a new form, which may be dealt with in two ways: using redundant variables and using a direct physical interpretation.
Abstract: THE subject of quantum electrodynamics is extremely difficult, even for the case of a single electron. The usual method of solving the corresponding wave equation leads to divergent integrals. To avoid these, Prof. P. A. M. Dirac* uses the method of redundant variables. This does not abolish the difficulty, but presents it in a new form, which may be dealt with in two ways. The first of these needs only comparatively simple mathematics and is directly connected with an elegant general scheme, but unfortunately its wave functions apply only to a hypothetical world and so its physical interpretation is indirect. The second way has the advantage of a direct physical interpretation, but the mathematics is so complicated that it has not yet been solved even for what appears to be the simplest possible case. Both methods seem worth further study, failing the discovery of a third which would combine the advantages of both.

1,398 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is now becoming clear that sequential point mutations in key global regulatory genes contribute to the hVISA and VISA phenotypes, which are associated predominately with cell wall thickening and restricted vancomycin access to its site of activity in the division septum.
Abstract: The emergence of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) over the past decade has provided a challenge to diagnostic microbiologists to detect these strains, clinicians treating patients with infections due to these strains, and researchers attempting to understand the resistance mechanisms. Recent data show that these strains have been detected globally and in many cases are associated with glycopeptide treatment failure; however, more rigorous clinical studies are required to clearly define the contribution of hVISA to glycopeptide treatment outcomes. It is now becoming clear that sequential point mutations in key global regulatory genes contribute to the hVISA and VISA phenotypes, which are associated predominately with cell wall thickening and restricted vancomycin access to its site of activity in the division septum; however, the phenotypic features of these strains can vary because the mutations leading to resistance can vary. Interestingly, changes in the staphylococcal surface and expression of agr are likely to impact host-pathogen interactions in hVISA and VISA infections. Given the subtleties of vancomycin susceptibility testing against S. aureus, it is imperative that diagnostic laboratories use well-standardized methods and have a framework for detecting reduced vancomycin susceptibility in S. aureus.

862 citations