Integrated physics analysis of plasma start-up scenario of helical reactor FFHR-d1

1D physics analysis of the plasma start-up scenario of the large helical device (LHD)-type helical reactor FFHR-d1 was conducted. The time evolution of the plasma profile is calculated using a simple model based on the LHD experimental observations. A detailed assessment of the magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and neo-classical energy loss was conducted using the integrated transport analysis code TASK3D. The robust controllability of the fusion power was confirmed by feedback control of the pellet fuelling and a simple staged variation of the external heating power with a small number of simple diagnostics (line-averaged electron density, edge electron density and fusion power). A baseline operation control scenario (plasma start-up and steady-state sustainment) of the FFHR-d1 reactor for both self-ignition and sub-ignition operation modes was demonstrated

The Relationship between Peripheral Nerve Conduction Velocity and Ophthalmological Findings in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Early Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose. Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) is an indicator of neuronal damage in the distal segment of the peripheral nerves. Here, we determined the association between NCV and other systemic and ocular clinical findings, in type 2 diabetes patients with early diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods. This study included 42 eyes of 42 type 2 diabetes patients (median age: 54 years) with no DR or with mild nonproliferative DR. Standard statistical techniques were used to determine associations between clinical findings. Results. Sural sensory conduction velocity (SCV) and tibial motor conduction velocity (MCV) were significantly lower in mild nonproliferative DR patients than patients with no DR (P=0.008 and P=0.01, resp.). Furthermore, logistic regression analyses revealed that sural SCV and tibial MCV were independent factors contributing to the presence of mild nonproliferative DR (OR 0.83, P=0.012 and OR 0.69 P=0.02, resp.). Tibial MCV was correlated with choroidal thickness (CT) (P=0.01), and a multiple regression analysis revealed that age, tibial MCV, and carotid intima-media thickness were independent associating factors with CT (P=0.035, P=0.015, and P=0.008, resp.). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that reduced NCV may be closely associated with early DR in type 2 diabetes patients. Thus, reduced nerve conduction is a potential early biomarker of DR

Core Plasma Design of the Compact Helical Reactor with a Consideration of the Equipartition Effect

Integrated physics analysis of plasma operation scenario of the compact helical reactor FFHR-c1 has been conducted. The DPE method, which predicts radial profiles in a reactor by direct extrapolation from the reference experimental data, has been extended to implement the equipartition effect. Close investigation of the plasma operation regime has been conducted and a candidate plasma operation point of FFHR-c1 has been identified within the parameter regime that has already been confirmed in LHD experiment in view of MHD equilibrium, MHD stability and neoclassical transport

Conceptual design of a compact helical fusion reactor FFHR-c1 for the early demonstration of year-long electric power generation

Conceptual design of a compact large helical device (LHD)-type helical fusion reactor FFHR-c1 has been conducted. This design focuses on a year-long electric power generation with as small a reactor size as possible by adopting the operation with auxiliary heating and innovative ideas for the design of the superconducting magnet, divertor and blanket system. The primary design parameters, which have been selected by extrapolation from the previous design FFHR-d1B using simple scalings, has been examined by the systems code and the 1D integrated physics analysis code from the viewpoint of plant power balance and the achievable plasma operation regime. The design feasibility of the proposed design point has been confirmed with the physics parameters that are consistent with the LHD experiment. Further improvement of the plasma performance is expected by the optimisation of the helical coil winding law. Although intensive R&D is needed to realise the innovative ideas of the engineering design, this design ensures the path to helical commercial power plants and provides more options and increases the probability of solving critical issues of fusion reactors

Mass spectrometry of short peptides reveals common features of metazoan peptidergic neurons

The evolutionary origins of neurons remain unknown. Although recent genome data of extant early-branching animals have shown that neural genes existed in the common ancestor of animals, the physiological and genetic properties of neurons in the early evolutionary phase are still unclear. Here, we performed a mass spectrometry-based comprehensive survey of short peptides from early-branching lineages Cnidaria, Porifera and Ctenophora. We identified a number of mature ctenophore neuropeptides that are expressed in neurons associated with sensory, muscular and digestive systems. The ctenophore peptides are stored in vesicles in cell bodies and neurites, suggesting volume transmission similar to that of cnidarian and bilaterian peptidergic systems. A comparison of genetic characteristics revealed that the peptide-expressing cells of Cnidaria and Ctenophora express the vast majority of genes that have pivotal roles in maturation, secretion and degradation of neuropeptides in Bilateria. Functional analysis of neuropeptides and prediction of receptors with machine learning demonstrated peptide regulation of a wide range of target effector cells, including cells of muscular systems. The striking parallels between the peptidergic neuronal properties of Cnidaria and Bilateria and those of Ctenophora, the most basal neuron-bearing animals, suggest a common evolutionary origin of metazoan peptidergic nervous systems

Prognostic Significance of Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND:In patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms and haplotypes are reported to be associated with survival. We hypothesized that a similar association would be observed in patients with head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS:In a post-hoc analysis of our previous prospective cohort study, VDR polymorphisms including Cdx2 G/A (rs11568820), FokI C/T (rs10735810), BsmI A/G (rs1544410), ApaI G/T (rs7976091), and TaqI T/C (rs731236) were genotyped by sequencing in 204 consecutive patients with HNSCC who underwent tumor resection. Progression-free survival was compared between VDR polymorphisms using Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, gender, smoking status, primary tumor sites, postoperative stages, existence of residual tumor, and postoperative treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. RESULTS:During a median follow-up of 1,047 days, tumor progression and death occurred in 76 (37.3%) and 27 (13.2%) patients, respectively. The FokI T/T genotype was associated with poor progression-free survival: median survival for T/T was 265 days compared with 1,127 days for C/C or C/T (log-rank test: P = 0.0004; adjusted hazard ratio, 3.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.62 to 5.67; P = 0.001). In contrast, the other polymorphisms (Cdx2, BsmI, ApaI, TaqI) showed no significant association with progression-free survival. The A-T-G (Cdx2-FokI-ApaI) haplotype demonstrated a significant association with a higher progression rate (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION:These results suggest that VDR polymorphisms and haplotypes may be associated with prognosis in patients with HNSCC, although the sample size is not large enough to draw definitive conclusions

Extended capability of the integrated transport analysis suite, TASK3D-a, for LHD experiment

The integrated transport analysis suite, TASK3D-a (Analysis), has been developed to be capable for routine whole-discharge analyses of plasmas confined in three-dimensional (3D) magnetic configurations such as the LHD. The routine dynamic energy balance analysis for NBI-heated plasmas was made possible in the first version released in September 2012. The suite has been further extended through implementing additional modules for neoclassical transport and ECH deposition for 3D configurations. A module has also been added for creating systematic data for the International Stellarator–Heliotron Confinement and Profile Database. Improvement of neutral beam injection modules for multiple-ion species plasmas and loose coupling with a large-simulation code are also highlights of recent developments

The Relationship between Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Ocular Circulation in Type-2 Diabetes

Purpose. To compare clinical findings, including ocular blood flow and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery, in mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) patients, and to determine risk factors contributing to mild NPDR. Methods. In 129 subjects (129 eyes) with type-2 diabetes patients and mild NPDR or NDR, standard statistical techniques were used to determine associations between clinical findings, including diabetes duration, blood levels of creatinine and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), central macular thickness (CMT; measured with optical coherence tomography), mean blur rate (MBR; measured with laser speckle flowgraphy), and ultrasound-measured carotid IMT. Results. Diabetes duration, IMT, and CMT were significantly higher in the mild NPDR patients than the NDR patients (P=0.004, P=0.004, and P=0.003, respectively), while conversely, MBR in the overall optic nerve head (MBR-A) was lower in the mild NPDR patients. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes duration (OR, 1.11; P=0.006), diastolic blood pressure (OR, 0.93; P=0.025), heart rate (OR, 1.07; P=0.004), IMT (OR, 8.65; P=0.005), and CMT (OR, 1.03; P=0.007) were independent contributing factors to mild NPDR. Spearman’s rank correlation test also showed that IMT was negatively correlated with MBR-A (P=0.011). Conclusions. Increased IMT showed a close association with ocular ischemia in patients with type-2 diabetes and contributed to the presence of mild NPDR. These findings suggest that IMT may be an early biomarker of mild NPDR

Enhancement of postprandial endogenous insulin secretion rather than exogenous insulin injection ameliorated insulin antibody-induced unstable diabetes: a case report

Abstract Background Insulin injection, especially with insulin analogs, occasionally induces the production of insulin antibodies with high binding capacity and low affinity, similar to the insulin autoantibodies characteristic of insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS). Production of these “IAS-like” insulin antibodies causes marked glycemic fluctuations with postprandial hyperglycemia and fasting hypoglycemia. Case presentation A 66-year-old man with a 27-year history of diabetes was admitted because of marked glycemic fluctuations. Human insulin treatment had been initiated at age 56, followed by multiple daily injections of insulin analogs 5 years later. After the initial year of insulin analog treatment, the patient began to experience frequent morning hypoglycemic attacks and day-time hyperglycemia. Marked hyperinsulinemia (4500 μU/mL) and high titers of insulin antibodies (80.4%) with high binding capacity and low affinity indicated that IAS-like insulin antibodies were causing severe glucose fluctuations. Altering insulin formulations (insulin aspart → regular human insulin→ insulin lispro) proved to be ineffective. After several therapeutic trials, cessation of exogenous insulin and addition of mitiglinide to liraglutide with voglibose finally attenuated glycemic fluctuations with increased postprandial insulin secretion. Continuous glucose monitoring revealed improvement of morning hypoglycemia and postprandial hyperglycemia with smaller mean amplitude of glycemic excursion. Therefore, compared to exogenously injected insulin, endogenously secreted insulin directly and rapidly acts on hepatocytes and suppresses postprandial glucose output. Conclusions Proper enhancement of postprandial endogenous insulin aimed at suppressing postprandial glucose output without stimulating excessive glucose uptake in the periphery is potentially useful for treating diabetes with insulin antibody-induced glycemic instability