On the mechanisms governing gas penetration into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection

A new 1D radial fluid code, IMAGINE, is used to simulate the penetration of gas into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection (MGI). The main result is that the gas is in general strongly braked as it reaches the plasma, due to mechanisms related to charge exchange and (to a smaller extent) recombination. As a result, only a fraction of the gas penetrates into the plasma. Also, a shock wave is created in the gas which propagates away from the plasma, braking and compressing the incoming gas. Simulation results are quantitatively consistent, at least in terms of orders of magnitude, with experimental data for a D 2 MGI into a JET Ohmic plasma. Simulations of MGI into the background plasma surrounding a runaway electron beam show that if the background electron density is too high, the gas may not penetrate, suggesting a possible explanation for the recent results of Reux et al in JET (2015 Nucl. Fusion 55 093013)

Alterações hepáticas em codornas japonesas submetidas à intoxicação prolongada por aflatoxina B1 Hepatic changes in japanese quail after long term intoxication by aflatoxin B1

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar os efeitos da aflatoxina B1 (AFB1) sobre as vísceras (fígado, baço e moela) de codornas poedeiras japonesas, em condições de exposição a baixas doses, tendo em vista que são poucos os dados de toxicidade de longa duração nesta espécie. Assim, foram constituídos 4 grupos formados, cada um, por 6 codornas de linhagem comercial, as quais receberam rações contendo AFB1 nas concentrações de 0 (controle), 25, 50 e 100mg.kg-1, durante 168 dias. As aves do grupo 100mg kg_1 apresentaram fígados com peso relativo médio menor (p < 0,05) do que o controle. Alterações histológicas foram constatadas apenas no fígado, sendo que todas as amostras provenientes das codornas intoxicadas apresentaram degeneração vacuolar macrogoticular, sugestivas de metamorfose gordurosa moderada a severa, particularmente nos grupos que receberam ração com os maiores níveis de AFB1 (50 e 100mg.kg-1). A hiperplasia de ductos biliares foi observada somente no grupo alimentado com 100mg.kg-1. Os resultados indicaram que a AFB1, a partir de 50mg.kg-1, pode ocasionar lesões hepáticas significativas em codornas de postura, em condições de exposição prolongada.<br>The aim of the present record was to study the effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on selected viscera (liver, spleen and gizzard) of laying Japanese quail under conditions of low level exposure, in view of the little information regarding the long term toxicity on this specie. Thus, four experimental groups of six commercial quails were constituted and given rations containing either 0 (controls), 25, 50 or 100mg aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)/kg feed, during 168 days. When compared to controls, birds from group 100mg.kg-1 presented low relative liver weight (p < 0.05). Histological changes were observed only in the livers, and all samples from quail exposed to AFB1 revealed moderate to severe hepatic cell vacuolation with fatty change, particularly in birds from groups receiving highest levels of toxin (50 and 100mg.kg-1). Bile duct hyperplasia occurred only in the birds exposed to 100mg.kg-1 of AFB1. The results indicated that long term administration of AFB1 at levels above 50mg.kg-1 can cause significant hepatic lesions in Japanese quail