APPLICATION OF OUTER SURFACE IRRADIATED LASER STRESS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS (L-SIP) TO PRESSURIZER AS RESIDUAL STRESS IMPROVEMENT METHOD FOR ALLOY 600 PWSCC MITIGATION

ABSTRACT Improvement of residual stress is effective in a countermeasure to deal with the stress corrosion cracks in pipe welds. A irradiated laser stress improvement process (L-SIP) will be introduced as a method to improve residual stress inside steel pipes. This work method is to improve inner surface residual stress from tensile stress to compressive stress by irradiating laser beam around the welds of steel pipe and utilizing the temperature differences between inner and outer surface. Recently this method is applied to PWR pressurizer surge nozzle on TRUGA unit 2. INTRODUCTION In the welds of steel pipes at nuclear power plant or thermal power plant, stress corrosion crack (SCC) is regarded as a damage mode. Stress corrosion crack is caused by tensile residual stress, materials and environment (including water quality and temperature, etc.). It is very difficult to improve the material and environment of pipes in operation plant. Therefore, the residual stress improvement work method is used as a simplified method. In order to improve residual stress, some ways of peening including shot peening are applied. In the welds of steel pipes, it is often impossible to apply them to inner surface of pipes where stress corrosion crack occurs due to the inaccessibility. To date, the use of laser beam as a maintenance technology for nuclear power plants have been studied (1)(2)(3)(4) , it is one of the applicable method from outside of the pipe. This study will report the first application to nuclear power plant in order to improve the inner residual stress of pressurizer surge nozzle

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for young children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Japan

Abstract Early intervention for preschoolers with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is important considering the impact on their prognosis. Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a psychotherapy treatment for the parent–child dyad and has been shown to be effective for children with disruptive behaviors. We present the treatment course of PCIT for two Japanese children with ADHD. Case 1 is a 2-year-old female child with hyperactivity and aggressiveness. Case 2 is a 4-year-old male child with restlessness and intolerability to daily events. For both cases, PCIT was effective in improving the problematic behaviors. PCIT may serve as a treatment option for Japanese children with ADHD

Use of a biomimetic chromatographic stationary phase for study of the interactions occurring between inorganic anions and phosphatidylcholine membranes.

A liquid chromatographic method for the study of ion-membrane interactions is reported. A phosphatidylcholine biomimetic stationary phase was established by loading dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) onto a reversed-phase octadecylsilica packed column. This column was then used to study the interaction of some inorganic anions with the stationary phase by UV and conductivity detection. Ten inorganic anions were selected as model ions and were analyzed with the proposed chromatographic system. Anion-DMPC interactions of differing magnitudes were observed for all of the model anions. Perchlorate-DMPC interactions were strongest, followed by thiocyanate-DMPC, iodide-DMPC, chlorate-DMPC, nitrate-DMPC, bromide-DMPC, chloride-DMPC, fluoride-DMPC, and then sulfate-DMPC. Cations in the eluent, especially H(+) ions and divalent cations such as Ca(2+), showed strong effects on anion-DMPC interactions. The chromatographic data suggest that DMPC interacts with both the anions and the cations. Anion-DMPC interactions were dependent on the surface potential of the stationary phase: at low surface potentials anion-DMPC interactions were predominantly solvation dependent in nature whereas at more positive surface potentials anion-DMPC interactions were predominantly electrostatic in nature. Cation-DMPC interactions served to raise the surface potential, causing the anion-DMPC interactions to vary from solvation dependent to electrostatic. The chromatographic data were used to provide quantitative estimates of the enthalpies of the anion-DMPC interactions

Resection of lesions in the ileum of patients with IgG4-related disease may ameliorate disease progression without steroid administration

Abstract Background IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a pathological condition that is characterized by an infiltrate composed of IgG4-positive plasma cells and recently recognized as an immune-mediated condition. It causes tissue throughout the body to become stiff and thickened due to autoimmune reactions that cause fibrosis and scarring. Disease-related changes commonly occur in the salivary glands, bile duct, pancreas, and lungs, but are seldom seen in the small bowel. A diagnosis of IgG4-RD is suspected if a high level of IgG4 is found on a blood test. The ideal diagnostic method is pathological examination, but because the clinical manifestations of IgG4-RD are very diverse and nonspecific, the disease may often go undiagnosed until an unrelated biopsy or resection specimen is obtained. The most common treatment for IgG4-RD is steroid use. However, tapering or stopping steroid administration is seen to result in recurrence in approximately 50% of cases. A complete cure is therefore considered extremely difficult. Case presentation A 69-year-old man with gastrointestinal obstruction underwent small bowel resection for two lesions. On histopathological examination, the specimen showed features of IgG4-RD. We performed several tests to detect other characteristics of IgG4-RD, but were unable to find any. The patient is being followed up regularly for a year and is being observed for any symptoms of recurrence. Conclusions We present a case of IgG4-RD wherein the ileum wall was significantly sclerosed, leading to gastrointestinal tract obstruction; therefore, we resected two sections of the ileum. We believe that resection of IgG4-RD lesions can help avoid long-term steroid use in patients, because the surgery completely eliminates the pathological origins of the condition

Current characteristics of hemophilia patients co?infected with HIV/HCV in Japan

Over 30 years have passed since co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) was first documented in hemophilia patients in Japan. In such cases, the leading cause of mortality is reportedly HCV-associated end-stage liver disease. However, the current characteristics of hemophilia patients co-infected with HIV/HCV are unknown. The aim of the present study was to reveal the current characteristics, notably HCV geno-prevalence and liver function, among hemophilia patients co-infected with HIV/HCV in Japan. Current characteristics were evaluated using cross-sectional retrospective data of 44 hemophilia patients positive for anti-HCV and anti-HIV antibodies who underwent screening of liver dysfunction. A total of 56.8% of hemophilia patients co-infected with HIV/HCV were positive for HCV RNA. The most common HCV genotypes were 1a, 1b and 3a. Liver cirrhosis was diagnosed in 26.3% patients negative for HCV RNA and 60.0% patients positive for HCV RNA. Decompensated liver cirrhosis was diagnosed in 33.3% HCV RNA-positive patients and none of the HCV RNA-negative patients. The rate of liver cirrhosis was greater for HCV genotype 3a compared with other genotypes. Overall, the current primary HCV RNA genotypes among hemophilia patients co-infected with HIV/HCV are 1a, 1b and 3a. Over 50% of HIV/HCV co-infected hemophilia patients positive for HCV RNA were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and some were diagnosed with decompensated liver cirrhosis