Separation of pygmy dipole and M1 resonances in 90Zr by a high-resolution inelastic proton scattering near 0°

A high-resolution measurement of inelastic proton scattering off (90)Zr near 0° was performed at 295 MeV with a focus on a pronounced strength previously reported in the low-energy tail of giant dipole resonance. A forest of fine structure was observed in the excitation energy region 7-12 MeV. A multipole decomposition analysis of the angular distribution for the forest was carried out using the ECIS95 distorted-wave Born approximation code with the Hartree-Fock plus random-phase approximation model of E1 and M1 transition densities and inclusion of E1 Coulomb excitation. The analysis separated pygmy dipole and M1 resonances in the forest at E(PDR)=9.15±0.18 MeV with Γ(PDR)=2.91±0.64 MeV and at E(M1)=9.53±0.06 MeV with Γ(M1)=2.70±0.17 MeV in the Lorentzian function, respectively. The B(E1)↑ value for pygmy dipole resonance over 7-11 MeV is 0.75±0.08 e(2)fm(2), which corresponds to 2.1±0.2% of the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule.

Development of a He- and He0 beam source for alpha particle measurement in a burning plasma

Proof of principle experiments of neutral helium beam production for alpha particle diagnostics was carried out on a test stand. Negative helium ions were produced in the Li charge exchange cell, in which stable and long time operation was possible. He(-) beam was accelerated to 157 keV. Finally, He(0) beam was successfully produced after the flight in the drift-tube through the auto-electron-detachment process from He(-) to He(0). A neutral beam detector using a pyroelectric device was also developed to measure He(0) beam intensity. The metastable component in the neutral helium beam was found to be less than 2%.

Extraction of a strongly focusing He+ beam from three-stage concave electrodes for alpha particle measurement system in ITER

A strongly focusing He(+) ion beam source equipped with concave multi-aperture electrodes was developed for production of He(-) through a charge exchange cell. The beam was extracted at a voltage less than 20 kV from 301 apertures distributed in an area of 100 mm φ, and focused at 750 mm distance. The beam current and the beam size of 2 A and 20 mm in diameter, respectively, were achieved with an arc power less than 10 kW. The optimum perveance was obtained at 0.02 A∕kV(1.5) at the beam energy less than 20 keV which is suitable for the conversion to He(-) in an alkali vapor cell.

An alpha particle measurement system using an energetic neutral helium beam in ITER (invited)

An energetic helium neutral beam is involved in the beam neutralization measurement system of alpha particles confined in a DT fusion plasma. A full size strong-focusing He(+) ion source (2 A, the beam radius of 11.3 mm, the beam energy less than 20 keV). Present strong-focusing He(+) ion source shows an emittance diagram separated for each beamlet of multiple apertures without phase space mixing, despite the space charge of a beamlet is asymmetric and the beam flow is non-laminar. The emittance of beamlets in the peripheral region was larger than that of center. The heat load to the plasma electrode was studied to estimate the duty factor for the ITER application.

Subacute cerebellar ataxia and atrophy developed in a young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus whose cerebrospinal fluid was positive for antineuronal cell antibody

Subacute cerebellar ataxia in combination with cerebellar atrophy has rarely been reported as one of the manifestations of lupus in the central nervous system (CNS). We describe a 27-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed subacute cerebellar ataxia. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of her brain showed cerebellar atrophy in both hemispheres, particularly on the right side. Moreover, increased antineuronal cell antibody levels were detected in her cerebrospinal fluid. The cerebellar ataxia improved markedly following high-dose corticosteroid administration. This suggests that a relationship exists between autoantibodies and subacute atrophic processes in CNS lupus.

The future of lupus therapy modulating autoantigen recognition

The mainstay of the current treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus consists of steroids and immunosuppressants. However, these non-specific immunosuppressive therapies can cause infection and other serious adverse events. The regulation of the autoantigen-specific immune response is a promising therapeutic approach with maximal efficacy and minimal adverse effects. T cells are essential components of antigen-specificity in the immune system. At present, we do not have a sufficient strategy for manipulating the responses of antigen-specific T cells. In this review, we describe the efficacy of two therapeutic approaches involving the modulation of autoantigen recognition by T cells in lupus model mice: (1) therapy involving engineered autoantigen-specific regulatory T cells generated by the gene transfer of autoantigen-specific TCR genes and appropriate regulatory genes into self lymphocytes; (2) therapy involving selective depletion of autoantigen presenting phagocytes. These selective immunosuppressive approaches could be useful strategies for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Fast neutron-gamma discrimination on neutron emission profile measurement on JT-60U

A digital signal processing (DSP) system is applied to stilbene scintillation detectors of the multichannel neutron emission profile monitor in JT-60U. Automatic analysis of the neutron-γ pulse shape discrimination is a key issue to diminish the processing time in the DSP system, and it has been applied using the two-dimensional (2D) map. Linear discriminant function is used to determine the dividing line between neutron events and γ-ray events on a 2D map. In order to verify the validity of the dividing line determination, the pulse shape discrimination quality is evaluated. As a result, the γ-ray contamination in most of the beam heating phase was negligible compared with the statistical error with 10 ms time resolution.

Detection of lost alpha particle by concealed lost ion probe

Full orbit-following calculation is performed for the final orbit of the lost alpha particles, showing some orbits escaping from the last closed flux surface could be detected by a concealed lost ion probe (CLIP) installed under the shadow of the original first wall surface. While both passing and trapped orbits hit the same wall panel, detecting a trapped orbit by the CLIP is easier than detecting passing orbits. Whether the final orbit is detected or not is determined by the position of the reflection point. The CLIP successfully detects the trapped orbits, which are reflected before they hit to a first wall. Then the pitch angles of the orbits at the CLIP are close to and smaller than 90°. Optimization of the position of the CLIP in terms of broader detection window is investigated.

Fine-structure characteristics in the emittance images of a strongly focusing He+ beam

The phase space distribution of a strongly focused He(+) ion beam source equipped with concave multiaperture electrodes was measured using a pepper-pot plate and a Kapton foil. The substructure of 301 merging He beamlets was clearly observed on a footprint of pepper-pot hole at the beam waist, where the beam density was 500 mA/cm(2). The position and the width of each beamlet substructure show the effect of interference of beamlets with surrounding one.

Involvement of Cot/Tp12 in Bone Loss during Periodontitis

Periodontitis causes resorption of alveolar bone, in which RANKL induces osteoclastogenesis. The binding of lipopolysaccharide to Toll-like receptors causes phosphorylation of Cot/Tp12 to activate the MAPK cascade. Previous in vitro studies showed that Cot/Tp12 was essential for the induction of RANKL expression by lipopolysaccharide. In this study, we examined whether Cot/Tp12 deficiency reduced the progression of alveolar bone loss and osteoclastogenesis during experimental periodontitis. We found that the extent of alveolar bone loss and osteoclastogenesis induced by ligature-induced periodontitis was decreased in Cot/Tp12-deficient mice. In addition, reduction of RANKL expression was observed in periodontal tissues of Cot/Tp12-deficient mice with experimental periodontitis. Furthermore, we found that Cot/Tp12 was involved in the induction of TNF-α mRNA expression in gingiva of mice with experimental periodontitis. Our observations suggested that Cot/Tp12 is essential for the progression of alveolar bone loss and osteoclastogenesis in periodontal tissue during experimental periodontitis mediated through increased RANKL expression.

Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and prognosis of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Background:

Recently, the vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism FokI was shown to be associated with susceptibility to ovarian cancer. We aimed to examine whether VDR FokI polymorphisms influence the survivals of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods:

VDR polymorphisms from FokI in 101 patients with EOC were genotyped by sequencing. Overall survival was compared between FokI single nucleotide polymorphism using Kaplan–Meier survival curves with log-rank tests and the Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for ages, stages, histology, and existence of residual tumour.

Results:

The FokI C/C genotypes were associated with better prognosis compared with the C/T and T/T genotypes (log-rank test: P=0.008; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.18; 95%CI 0.05–0.61; P=0.006).

Conclusions:

These results suggest that the VDR polymorphisms from the FokI genotype may be associated with improved prognosis of patients with EOC.

Can MRCP replace ERCP for the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis?

BACKGROUND

It is of utmost importance that autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) be differentiated from pancreatic cancer. Irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct is a characteristic finding in AIP; it is useful for differentiating AIP from pancreatic cancer stenosis. This study evaluated the usefulness of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for the diagnosis of AIP and assessed whether MRCP could replace endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for diagnosing AIP.

METHODS

The MRCP and ERCP findings of 20 AIP patients were compared.

RESULTS

On MRCP, the narrowed portion of the main pancreatic duct was not visualized, while the noninvolved segments of the pancreatic duct were visualized. The degree of upstream dilatation of the proximal main pancreatic duct was milder in AIP than in pancreatic cancer patients. In the skipped type, only skipped narrowed lesions were not visualized. After steroid therapy for AIP, the nonvisualized main pancreatic duct became visualized.

CONCLUSIONS

MRCP cannot replace ERCP for the diagnosis of AIP, since narrowing of the main pancreatic duct in AIP was not visualized on MRCP. MRCP findings of segmental or skipped nonvisualized main pancreatic duct accompanied by a less dilated upstream main pancreatic duct may suggest the presence of AIP. MRCP is useful for following AIP patients.

Feasibility and efficacy of gemcitabine and carboplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

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Background: The neoadjuvant M-VAC followed by radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer has improved survival compared to radical cystectomy alone. Nevertheless, M-VAC has been associated with severe toxicity. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the objective response rate, the impact on overall survival, disease-free survival, disease-free survival and toxicity adverse events of gemcitabine and carboplatin (GC) neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced bladder cancer. Methods: We reviewed the clinical and pathological data of 140 patients who underwent radical cystectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy for T2N0M0 to T4aN0M0 bladder cancer at our institution between January 2001 and August 2008. Seventy patients were treated with neoadjuvant GC followed by cystectomy between March 2005 and August 2008 (GC group), and 70 patients were treated with cystectomy alone between January 2001 and May 2007 (cystectomy alone group). In the GC group, the patients received 2 courses of GC therapy consisted of 800mg/m2 gemcitabine on days 1, 8, and 15 and carboplatin (AUC 4) on day 2. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate, and the secondary endpoints were overall survival, cancer-specific survival, disease free survival, and toxicity. Results: Fifteen patients (23.8%) had a complete response and 26 patients (41.3%) had a partial response in the GC group. At a mean follow-up period of 26.7 months, the overall survival was 85.0% in the GC group and 47.8% in the cystectomy alone group (p = 0.003). The cancer-specific survival was 78.4% in the GC group and 44.6% in the cystectomy alone group (p = 0.0018). The disease-free survival was 82.9% in the GC group and 35.7% in the cystectomy alone group (p = 0.0001). Hematologic toxicities were the main adverse events. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 26 patients (37.1%) and thrombocytopenia in 15 (21.4%). There was no grade 3/4 gastrointestinal toxicity and no renal function abnormalities. Conclusions: Although this is not a randomized study, the GC neoadjuvant therapy followed by radical cystectomy is feasible and may be associated with improved survival among patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. A randomized trial is warranted.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effects of adjuvant intra-operative radiation therapy after curative resection in pancreatic cancer patients : Results of a randomized study by 11 institutions in Japan

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Background: To evaluate the benefits of adjuvant intra-operative radiation therapy after curative resection in advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) patients, a multi-center phase III trial was conducted by 11 participating institutions in Japan. Methods: Eligibility included pts with potentially resectable APC (duct cell origin) by image diagnosis. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to adjuvant IORT or surgery alone less than a week before surgery. Stratification factors were tumor size (TS1/TS2,3,4), location (head/body and tail), and institution. Patients who were assigned to adjuvant IORT arm received IORT after curative resection before reconstruction. IORT consisted of 25Gy with electron beam energies of more than 6MeV and was delivered by the round shaped acrylic cylinder of 6–8cm diameter. The radiation field included the tumor bed and in most cases included the celiac axis, superior mesenteric artery, and the portal vein. The primary endpoint was overall survival. The secondary endpoint was local control rate at 2 years after surgery. Assuming 65 eligible pts in each arm, the study had 0,8 power to detect 20% difference in 2-year survival rate. Results: Between 05/2002 to 12/2006 198 pts were randomized and 153 pts underwent curative resection with assigned treatment. Among the 153 pts with curative resection, seven pts revealed ineligible by the histological examination. Finally full analysis sets were 144 pts. Seventy three pts were in the IORT arm and 71 pts in the surgery alone arm. There was only one hospital death in the IORT arm. Cause of the death was intraabdominal arterial bleeding due to pancreatic fistula. Conclusions: We now are collecting the final follow up data. The final analyses will be presented at the meeting.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effects of filament geometry on the arc efficiency of a high-intensity He+ ion source

A strongly focusing high-intensity He(+) ion source equipped with three concave electrodes has been designed and constructed as the beam source for a high-energy He(0) neutral beam probe system to diagnose fusion-produced alpha particles in thermonuclear fusion plasmas. The reduction of heat load onto the concave extraction electrodes is particularly important for a long pulse operation, as the heat load deforms the electrodes and thus the beam focal length. The effects on the arc efficiency (beam current/arc power) of the ion source due to the discharge filament structure (straight-type and L-shape-type filaments), size (filament diameters of 2 and 1.5 mm), number, and the locations have been studied. Choice of the appropriate filament structure improved the arc efficiency by 17%.

Full orbit calculation for lost alpha particle measurement on ITER

An orbit following calculation code with full gyromotion under the ITER magnetic field configuration has been developed to investigate escaping alpha particle orbits in ITER and to determine the geometrical arrangement for alpha particle detection. The code contained the full geometrical information of the first wall panels. It was carefully investigated whether an alpha particle escaping from the plasma through the last closed flux surface does not touch or intersect the first wall boundary before reaching the detection point. Candidates of blanket module modification have been studied to achieve effective measurement geometry for escaping alpha particle detection. The calculations showed that direct orbit loss and banana diffusion can be detected with a probe head recessed from the first wall surface.

Diagnostics of a He(+) beam extracted from a compact magnetic bucket-type ion source

Performance of a compact He(+) ion source was investigated before installing it to the experiment system developed for studying the efficiency of autodetachment neutralization from He(-) to He(0). Dependence of the extracted ion current upon the plasma parameters and that upon the extraction voltage indicated that the source performance was limited by space charge effect. The beam emittance was measured with a multislit system for various operation conditions. The experimentally determined emittance agreed well with the emittance obtained from ion trajectories calculated with input plasma parameters measured by a Langmuir probe. The beam current density of 60 mA/cm(2) and the emittance of less than 25pi mm mrad are expected to deliver enough current to the downstream of the He(-) neutralizer system to clarify factors affecting the final He(0) intensity.

Energy straggling of low-energy ion beam in a charge exchange cell for negative ion production

Energy straggling in a charge exchange cell, which is frequently used for negative ion production, was studied experimentally and compared with the results of theoretical evaluation. The change of the energy spectrum of a He(+) beam due to charge exchange processes in argon gas was measured in the energy range of 2-6 keV. Energy straggling by multiple collisions is expressed by the energy loss formula due to inelastic and elastic processes. The impact parameter is related to the elastic scattering angle, and the geometry of the charge exchange cell and other components of the beam transportation system determines the maximum acceptable scattering angle. The energy spread was evaluated taking the integral limit over the impact parameter into consideration. The theoretical results showed good agreement with those of actual measurement.

Development of a strongly focusing high-intensity He(+) ion source for a confined alpha particle measurement at ITER

A strongly focusing high-intensity He(+) ion source has been designed and constructed as a beam source for a high-energy He(0) beam probe system for diagnosis of fusion produced alpha particles in the thermonuclear fusion plasmas. The He(+) beam was extracted from the ion source at an acceleration voltage of 18-35 kV. Temperature distributions of the beam target were observed with an IR camera. The 1/e-holding beam profile half-width was about 15 mm at optimum perveance (Perv) of 0.03 (I(beam)=2.4 A). A beam current about 3 A was achieved at an acceleration voltage of 26.7 kV with an arc power of 10 kW (Perv=0.023).

A beam transport system for an intense He(-) beam source

We have been developing a test stand for fast He(0) beam production. One of the major issues is how to transport effectively the He(+) and He(-) beams from which the He(0) beam is produced. The beam should be focused in two transverse focal points, the center of the charge exchange cell and the electrostatic accelerator. We studied the beam transport system and effect of space charge neutralization in the test stand by experiments and calculation.

MRCP of congenital pancreaticobiliary malformation

BACKGROUND

Congenital pancreaticobiliary malformations are sometimes associated with acute or chronic pancreatitis and biliary carcinoma. Currently, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is one of the first choices for investigating and diagnosing pancreaticobiliary diseases noninvasively. We compared the accuracy of conventional MRCP and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in making the diagnosis of congenital pancreaticobiliary malformations.

METHODS

In patients with pancreas divisum (n = 17), pancreaticobiliary maljunction (n = 12), choledochocele (n = 2), and annular pancreas (n = 1) who underwent ERCP and MRCP, the diagnostic accuracy and findings on MRCP were compared with those on ERCP.

RESULTS

Of the 32 patients with congenital pancreaticobiliary malformations diagnosed on ERCP, 23 (72%) presented the same diagnosis on MRCP. Complete pancreas divisum was diagnosed in 73% on MRCP based on the finding of a dominant dorsal pancreatic duct crossing the lower bile duct and emptying into the duodenum without communicating with the ventral pancreatic duct. Pancreaticobiliary maljunction was diagnosed in 75% on MRCP based on the finding of an anomalous union between the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct and the existence of a long common channel.

CONCLUSIONS

Conventional MRCP is a useful, noninvasive tool for diagnosing congenital pancreaticobiliary malformations; and the diagnostic accuracy can be increased with three-dimensional MRCP or dynamic MRCP with secretin stimulation.

Pancreatographic investigation of the pancreatic duct system

BACKGROUND

Embryologically, the pancreatic duct system develops by the fusion between the dorsal and ventral pancreatic bud ducts. It has been suggested that the proximal part of the main dorsal pancreatic duct partially regresses to form the accessory pancreatic duct (APD). Aim of this study was to clarify the anatomy of the pancreatic duct system of the head of the pancreas and investigate the embryology of the normal pancreatic duct system.

METHODS

We reviewed endoscopic retrograde pancreatography of normal pancreatic heads (n = 256) and pancreas divisum (n = 36), focusing on long inferior branches arising from the APD and the main pancreatic duct (MPD). The accessory pancreatograms were divided into two patterns of course and shape, the long type (171 cases) and the short type (85 cases) according to the length of the MPD from the orifice to the junction with the APD. The long-type APD formed a straight line and joined the MPD at the neck portion of the pancreas. The short-type APD joined the MPD near its first inferior branch.

RESULTS

The shape of the long-type APD was quite similar to that of the dorsal pancreatic duct of pancreas divisum. The short-type APD was less likely to have a long inferior branch arising from the APD. The length of the APD from the orifice to the first long inferior branch was similar in the long-type APD (19.4 +/- 4.0 mm) and in the short-type APD (18.8 +/- 4.2 mm). The first long inferior branch from the long-type APD passed though the MPD near the origin of the inferior branch from the MPD, whereas the short-type APD joined the MPD near its inferior branch.

CONCLUSIONS

There are two types of APD. The long-type APD was quite similar to the shape of the dorsal pancreatic duct of pancreas divisum, and seems to represent a continuation of the main duct of the dorsal pancreatic bud. The short-type APD was less likely to have a long inferior branch, and seems to be formed by the most proximal part of the main duct of the dorsal pancreatic bud and its long inferior branch.

The presence of a common channel and associated pancreaticobiliary diseases: a prospective ERCP study

BACKGROUND

There are few endoscopic retrograde cholangiographic studies dealing with the relationship between the presence of a common channel and associated pancreaticobiliary diseases.

AIMS

To endoscopically determine the incidence of common channels and assess whether the anatomy of the pancreaticobiliary ductal drainage into the duodenum has any bearing on pancreaticobiliary diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We prospectively examined a common channel formation in 354 endoscopic retrograde cholangiographic cases. Cases with a common channel were divided into three groups: pancreaticobiliary maljunction, high confluence of pancreaticobiliary ducts with a common channel > or =6 mm in which the communication was occluded with the sphincter contraction, and common channel < or =5 mm in length.

RESULTS

A common channel was observed in 131 cases (37.0%) including 11 with pancreaticobiliary maljunction and 13 with high confluence of pancreaticobiliary ducts. In cases with a common channel, the incidences of associated gallbladder carcinoma and acute pancreatitis were both 11.5%, which were significantly higher than 1.8% and 4.9% seen in cases without a common channel. In pancreaticobiliary maljunction cases, incidence of associated gallbladder carcinoma was 72.7%.

CONCLUSION

The presence of an obvious common channel was observed in 37.0%. A close relationship is suggested between the presence of a common channel and development of gallbladder carcinoma and acute pancreatitis.

Plasma protein S activity correlates with protein S genotype but is not sensitive to identify K196E mutant carriers

BACKGROUND

Protein S (PS) is an anticoagulant protein that functions as a cofactor for activated protein C (APC), and congenital PS deficiency is a well-known risk factor for the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Recently, we and others identified the K196E missense mutation in the second epidermal growth factor-like domain of PS as a genetic risk factor for DVT in the Japanese population. The incidence of this mutation is high in the Japanese population.

OBJECTIVES

In the present study, we investigated the relationship between plasma PS activity and the presence of the K196E mutation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We measured PS activity as a cofactor activity for APC in 1,862 Japanese individuals and determined the PS K196E genotype in this population.

RESULTS

Individuals heterozygous for the mutant E-allele had lower plasma PS activity than wildtype subjects (mean +/- SD, 71.9 +/- 17.6%, n = 34 vs. 87.9 +/- 19.8%, n = 1,828, P < 0.0001). However, the PS activity of several heterozygous individuals (n = 8) was greater than the population average. In contrast, multiple wildtype subjects (n = 26) had PS activity less than 2 SD below the population mean, indicating that other genetic or environmental factors affect PS activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma PS activity itself is not suitable for identifying PS 196E carriers and other methods are required for carrier detection.