Doppler-Shift Proton Fraction Measurement on a CW Proton Injector

A spectrometer/Optical Multi-channel Analyzer has been used to measure the proton fraction of the cw proton injector developed for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) and the Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) at Los Alamos. This technique, pioneered by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), was subsequently adopted by the international fusion community as the standard for determining the extracted ion fractions of neutral beam injectors. Proton fractions up to 95 {+-} 3% have been measured on the LEDA injector. These values are in good agreement with results obtained by magnetically sweeping the ion beam, collimated by a slit, across a Faraday cup. Since the velocity distribution of each beam species is measured, it also can be used to determine beam divergence. While divergence has not yet been ascertained due to the wide slit widths in use, non-Gaussian distributions have been observed during operation above the design-matched perveance. An additional feature is that the presence of extracted water ions can be observed. During ion source conditioning at 75 kV, an extracted water fraction > 30% was briefly observed

A tritium vessel cleanup experiment in TFTR

A simple tritium cleanup experiment was carried out in TFTR following the initial high power deuterium-tritium discharges in December 1993. A series of 34 ohmic and deuterium neutral beam fueled shots was used to study the removal of tritium implanted into the wall and limiters. A very large plasma was created in each discharge to ``scrub`` an area as large as possible. Beam-fueled shots at 2.5 to 7.5 MW of injected power were used to monitor tritium concentration levels in the plasma by detection of DT-neutrons. The neutron signal decreased by a factor of 4 during the experiment, remaining well above the expected T-burnup level. The amount of tritium recovered at the end of the cleanup was about 8% of the amount previously injected with high power DT discharges. The experience gained suggests that measurements of tritium inventory in the torus are very difficult to execute and require dedicated systems with overall accuracy of 1%

Matrix Metalloprotease 9 Mediates Neutrophil Migration into the Airways in Response to Influenza Virus-Induced Toll-Like Receptor Signaling

The early inflammatory response to influenza virus infection contributes to severe lung disease and continues to pose a serious threat to human health. The mechanisms by which neutrophils gain entry to the respiratory tract and their role during pathogenesis remain unclear. Here, we report that neutrophils significantly contributed to morbidity in a pathological mouse model of influenza virus infection. Using extensive immunohistochemistry, bone marrow transfers, and depletion studies, we identified neutrophils as the predominant pulmonary cellular source of the gelatinase matrix metalloprotease (MMP) 9, which is capable of digesting the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, infection of MMP9-deficient mice showed that MMP9 was functionally required for neutrophil migration and control of viral replication in the respiratory tract. Although MMP9 release was toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling-dependent, MyD88-mediated signals in non-hematopoietic cells, rather than neutrophil TLRs themselves, were important for neutrophil migration. These results were extended using multiplex analyses of inflammatory mediators to show that neutrophil chemotactic factor, CCL3, and TNFα were reduced in the Myd88−/− airways. Furthermore, TNFα induced MMP9 secretion by neutrophils and blocking TNFα in vivo reduced neutrophil recruitment after infection. Innate recognition of influenza virus therefore provides the mechanisms to induce recruitment of neutrophils through chemokines and to enable their motility within the tissue via MMP9-mediated cleavage of the basement membrane. Our results demonstrate a previously unknown contribution of MMP9 to influenza virus pathogenesis by mediating excessive neutrophil migration into the respiratory tract in response to viral replication that could be exploited for therapeutic purposes

High-Q plasmas in the TFTR tokamak

In the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor, the highest neutron source strength S{sub n} and D-D fusion power gain Q{sub DD} are realized in the neutral-beam fueled and heated supershot'' regime that occurs after extensive wall conditioning to minimize recycling. For the best supershots, S{sub n} increases approximately as P{sub b}{sup 1.8}. The highest-Q shots are characterized by high T{sub e}, T{sub i}, and stored energy highly peaked density profiles, broad T{sub e} profiles, and lower Z{sub eff}. Replacement of critical areas of the graphite limiter tiles with carbon-fiber composite tiles, and improved alignment with the plasma, have mitigated the carbon bloom.'' Wall conditioning by lithium pellet injection prior to the beam pulse reduces carbon influx and particle recycling. Empirically, Q{sub DD} increases with decreasing pre-injection carbon radiation, and increases strongly with density peakedness during the beam pulse. To date the best fusion results are S{sub n} = 5 {times} 10{sup 16} n/s, Q{sub DD} = 1.85 {times} 10{sup {minus}3}, and neutron yield = 4.0 {times} 10{sup 16} n/pulse, obtained at I{sub p} = 1.6 to 1.9 MA and beam energy E{sub b} = 95 to 103 keV, with nearly balanced co- and counter-injected beam power. Computer simulations of supershot plasmas show that typically 50--60% of S{sub n} arises from beam-target reactions, with the remainder divided between beam-beam and thermonuclear reactions, the thermonuclear fraction increasing with P{sub b}. The simulations predict that Q{sub DT} = 0.3 to 0.4 would be obtained for the best present plasma conditions, if half the deuterium neutral beams were to be replaced by tritium beams. Somewhat higher values are calculated if D beams are injected into a predominantly tritium target plasma. The projected central beta of fusion alphas is 0.4--0.6%, a level sufficient for the study of alpha-induced collective effects. 16 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

Evasion of influenza A viruses from innate and adaptive immune responses

The influenza A virus is one of the leading causes of respiratory tract infections in humans. Upon infection with an influenza A virus, both innate and adaptive immune responses are induced. Here we discuss various strategies used by influenza A viruses to evade innate immune responses and recognition by components of the humoral and cellular immune response, which consequently may result in reduced clearing of the virus and virus-infected cells. Finally, we discuss how the current knowledge about immune evasion can be used to improve influenza A vaccination strategies

Laser coupling to reduced-scale targets at NIF Early Light

Deposition of maximum laser energy into a small, high-Z enclosure in a short laser pulse creates a hot environment. Such targets were recently included in an experimental campaign using the first four of the 192 beams of the National Ignition Facility [J. A. Paisner, E. M. Campbell, and W. J. Hogan, Fusion Technology 26, 755 (1994)], under construction at the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These targets demonstrate good laser coupling, reaching a radiation temperature of 340 eV. In addition, the Raman backscatter spectrum contains features consistent with Brillouin backscatter of Raman forward scatter [A. B. Langdon and D. E. Hinkel, Physical Review Letters 89, 015003 (2002)]. Also, NIF Early Light diagnostics indicate that 20% of the direct backscatter from these reduced-scale targets is in the polarization orthogonal to that of the incident light