Forward modeling of collective Thomson scattering for Wendelstein 7-X plasmas: Electrostatic approximation

In this paper, we present a method for numerical computation of collective Thomson scattering (CTS). We developed a forward model, eCTS, in the electrostatic approximation and benchmarked it against a full electromagnetic model. Differences between the electrostatic and the electromagnetic models are discussed. The sensitivity of the results to the ion temperature and the plasma composition is demonstrated. We integrated the model into the Bayesian data analysis framework Minerva and used it for the analysis of noisy synthetic data sets produced by a full electromagnetic model. It is shown that eCTS can be used for the inference of the bulk ion temperature. The model has been used to infer the bulk ion temperature from the first CTS measurements on Wendelstein 7-X

Conceptual design of a liquid-metal divertor for the European DEMO

Liquid metal (LM) divertors are considered for the European DEMO reactor, because they may offer improved performance compared to the tungsten monoblock concept. The goal of this work is to provide a concept design, and explore the limitations of liquid metal divertors. To this end, a set of design requirements was formulated in close collaboration with the EUROfusion Power Plant Physics and Technology team (responsible for the design of the EU-DEMO). Tin was chosen as the preferred liquid metal, because unacceptable Tritium retention issues arise when lithium is used in DEMO. A concept design was then chosen that consists of water cooled pipes that are square on the outside and round on the inside, a corrosion barrier, and a 3D-printed porous tungsten armor layer filled with liquid tin. The porous armor layer acts as a Capillary Porous System (CPS). The design was analyzed using thermo-mechanical FEM simulations for various armor thicknesses and heat sink materials: Densimet, W/Cu composites, and CuCrZr. The highest heat loading capability achieved is 26.5 MW/m2 in steady state (18.9 MW/m2 when taking into account a safety margin of 1.4). This is achieved using a CuCrZr pipe, with a 1.9 mm thick armor. When increasing the armor layer to 3 mm thick, more than 80 MW/m2 can be withstood during slow transients thanks to vapor shielding, but at the same time the steady-state capability is reduced to 18 MW/m2. Resilience against disruptions cannot yet be proven, but is deemed within the realm of possibility based on estimates regarding the behavior of vapor shielding. This should be further investigated. Overall, the concept is considered a significant improvement compared to the original specifications (which are also the specifications to the tungsten monoblocks: 10 MW/m2 in steady state, and ∼20 MW/m2 during slow transients). Moreover, the possibility of withstanding disruptions is regarded as a potentially major improvement

Conceptual design of a liquid-metal divertor for the European DEMO

Liquid metal (LM) divertors are considered for the European DEMO reactor, because they may offer improved performance compared to the tungsten monoblock concept. The goal of this work is to provide a concept design, and explore the limitations of liquid metal divertors. To this end, a set of design requirements was formulated in close collaboration with the EUROfusion Power Plant Physics and Technology team (responsible for the design of the EU-DEMO). Tin was chosen as the preferred liquid metal, because unacceptable Tritium retention issues arise when lithium is used in DEMO. A concept design was then chosen that consists of water cooled pipes that are square on the outside and round on the inside, a corrosion barrier, and a 3D-printed porous tungsten armor layer filled with liquid tin. The porous armor layer acts as a Capillary Porous System (CPS). The design was analyzed using thermo-mechanical FEM simulations for various armor thicknesses and heat sink materials: Densimet, W/Cu composites, and CuCrZr. The highest heat loading capability achieved is 26.5 MW/m2 in steady state (18.9 MW/m2 when taking into account a safety margin of 1.4). This is achieved using a CuCrZr pipe, with a 1.9 mm thick armor. When increasing the armor layer to 3 mm thick, more than 80 MW/m2 can be withstood during slow transients thanks to vapor shielding, but at the same time the steady-state capability is reduced to 18 MW/m2. Resilience against disruptions cannot yet be proven, but is deemed within the realm of possibility based on estimates regarding the behavior of vapor shielding. This should be further investigated. Overall, the concept is considered a significant improvement compared to the original specifications (which are also the specifications to the tungsten monoblocks: 10 MW/m2 in steady state, and ~20 MW/m2 during slow transients). Moreover, the possibility of withstanding disruptions is regarded as a potentially major improvement

Transforming pre-service teacher education in Bolivia: from indigenous denial to decolonisation?

In line with a broader Latin American turn to the left, since 2006 Bolivia’s ‘politics of change’ of president Evo Morales includes a new ‘decolonising’ education reform called Avelino Sinani Elizardo Perez (ASEP). With the aim to break down deep historical processes of indigenous denial and exclusion in education, this ‘revolutionary reform’ envisions a radical restructuring of Bolivian society and a revaluation of indigenous epistemological, cultural and linguistic heritage through education. Inspired by Latin America debates on coloniality theory and theories of alternative knowledges, and geared towards broader socio-political processes of social justice, Bolivia’s envisaged education transformation is built around four pillars, being: (1) decolonization, (2) intra- and inter-culturalism together with plurilingualism, (3) productive education and (4) communitarian education. The transformation of pre-service teacher education in Bolivia’s Normales is seen as a crucial step in these processes of socio-educational change. This paper particularly focuses on the ways in which the new ASEP Reforms’ first two pillars of decolonisation and inter-/intracultural education apply to pre-service teacher education and how these discourses for change stand in contrast to various implementation challenges in the teacher education sector, including: a lack of conceptual clarity and information sharing with educators, long and complex processes of a negotiated teacher education curriculum and a general shortage of both teacher trainers’ and future teachers’ indigenous language skills. While Bolivia’s new decolonising education reform is contested by various educational actors, the paper also highlights how the changed socio-political make-up helps to fuel future teachers’ indigenous self-identification, cultural recognition and pluri-linguistic potentials

Updated results of the MINDACT trial: 70-gene signature to guide de-escalation of chemotherapy in early breast cancer

SCOPUS: ar.jDecretOANoAutActifinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora

Vorapaxar in the secondary prevention of atherothrombotic events

Item does not contain fulltextBACKGROUND: Thrombin potently activates platelets through the protease-activated receptor PAR-1. Vorapaxar is a novel antiplatelet agent that selectively inhibits the cellular actions of thrombin through antagonism of PAR-1. METHODS: We randomly assigned 26,449 patients who had a history of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or peripheral arterial disease to receive vorapaxar (2.5 mg daily) or matching placebo and followed them for a median of 30 months. The primary efficacy end point was the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke. After 2 years, the data and safety monitoring board recommended discontinuation of the study treatment in patients with a history of stroke owing to the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. RESULTS: At 3 years, the primary end point had occurred in 1028 patients (9.3%) in the vorapaxar group and in 1176 patients (10.5%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio for the vorapaxar group, 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 0.94; P<0.001). Cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or recurrent ischemia leading to revascularization occurred in 1259 patients (11.2%) in the vorapaxar group and 1417 patients (12.4%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.95; P=0.001). Moderate or severe bleeding occurred in 4.2% of patients who received vorapaxar and 2.5% of those who received placebo (hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.43 to 1.93; P<0.001). There was an increase in the rate of intracranial hemorrhage in the vorapaxar group (1.0%, vs. 0.5% in the placebo group; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of PAR-1 with vorapaxar reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or ischemic events in patients with stable atherosclerosis who were receiving standard therapy. However, it increased the risk of moderate or severe bleeding, including intracranial hemorrhage. (Funded by Merck; TRA 2P-TIMI 50 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00526474.)