Safety study of somatostatin analogue octreotide for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in Japan

Abstract Background The total kidney volume (TKV) and total liver volume (TLV) increase and renal function decreases progressively in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Somatostatin analogues, such as octreotide, reduce these increases in TKV and TLV. The aim of this study was to examine the safety of the short-term administration of octreotide long-acting release (octreotide-LAR) in a small number of cases. Methods Four ADPKD patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) [ 45 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , TKV [ 1,000 mL, and TLV [ 3,000 mL were enrolled. Two 20-mg octreotide-LAR intramuscular injections were repeated every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Laboratory and clinical assessments were repeated every 4 weeks, and TKV and TLV were measured by magnetic resonance imaging before and after the study

Impurity Retention Effect in the Edge Ergodic Layer of the Large Helical Device

The impurity transport characteristics in the ergodic layer of the Large Helical Device (LHD) are analyzed using the 3D edge transport code (EMC3-EIRENE), in comparison with the experimental data. The 3D modeling predicts the impurity retention (screening) in the ergodic layer at the high-density plasma. It is found that the edge surface layer plays an important role in impurity retention, where the friction force significantly dominates over the thermal force. The line intensity measurements of CIII to CVI show consistent behavior with the modeling, indicating impurity retention in the ergodic layer. The applicability of the model for high-Z impurity is also discussed, and it is found that the experimental data is consistent with the results of edge transport modeling

Construction and commissioning of the compact energy-recovery linac at KEK

Energy-recovery linacs (ERLs) are promising for advanced synchrotron light sources, high-power free electron lasers (FELs), high-brightness gamma-ray sources, and electron–ion colliders. To demonstrate the critical technology of ERL-based light sources, we have designed and constructed a test accelerator, the compact ERL (cERL). Using advanced technology that includes a photocathode direct current (DC) electron gun and two types of 1.3-GHz-frequency superconducting cavities, the cERL was designed to be capable of recirculating low emittance (1 mm mrad) and high average-current (10 mA) electron beams while recovering the beam energy. During initial commissioning, the cERL demonstrated successful recirculation of high-quality beams with normalized transverse emittance of 0.14 mm mrad and momentum spread of 1.2 10−4 (rms) at a beam energy of 20 MeV and bunch charge below 100 fC. Energy recovery in the superconducting main linac was also demonstrated for high-average-current continuous-wave beams. These results constitute an important milestone toward realizing ERL-based light sources

The First Beam Recirculation and Beam Tuning in the Compact ERL at KEK

Superconducting(SC)-linac-based light sources, which can produce ultra-brilliant photon beams in CW operation, are attracting worldwide attention. In KEK, we have been conducting R&D; efforts towards the energy-recovery-linac(ERL)-based light source* since 2006. To demonstrate the key technologies for the ERL, we constructed the Compact ERL (cERL)** from 2009 to 2013. In the cERL, high-brightness CW electron beams are produced using a 500-kV photocathode DC gun. The beams are accelerated using SC cavities, transported through a recirculation loop, decelerated in the SC cavities, and dumped. In the February of 2014, we succeeded in accelerating and recirculating the CW beams of 4.5 micro-amperes in the cERL; the beams were successfully transported from the gun to the beam dump under energy recovery operation in the main linac. Then, precise tuning of beam optics and diagnostics of beam properties are under way. We report our experience on the beam commissioning, as well as the results of initial measurements of beam properties

Extension of Improved Particle and Energy Confinement Regime in the Core of LHD Plasma

Recent two major topics of Large Helical Device (LHD) towards fusion relevant conditions, high-density operation and high-ion-temperature operation, are reported. Super dense core plasma was obtained by the combination of repetitive hydrogen ice pellet injection and high power neutral beam injection (NBI) heating. A very peaked density profile with the highest central density of 1.1 × 1021 m-3 was produced showing that the particle transport was suppressed very well in the plasma core. The spatial density profile varies as the position of magnetic axis (Rax), and the steepest profile is obtained at Rax = 3.95 m. The highest central ion temperature of 5.6 keV was obtained in hydrogen plasma at electron density of 1.6 × 1019 m-3 by NBI, where a peaked ion-temperature profile with internal ion energy transport barrier was observed. The profile of electron temperature did not change much and was broad even when the ion temperature had a peaked profile. The central ion temperature is higher than the electron temperature, which is a new operation regime of LHD. High central ion temperature accompanied strong toroidal rotation and an extreme hollow profile of carbon ions (impurity hole). These steep temperature profiles were obtained so far at around Rax = 3.6 m. The compatibility between particle and energy confinement is a new issue of LHD to explore a new operation regime for attractive fusion reactor