Assessment of the accuracy of plasma shape reconstruction by the Cauchy condition surface method in JT-60SA

For the purpose of stable plasma equilibrium control and detailed analysis, it is essential to reconstruct an accurate plasma boundary on the poloidal cross section in tokamak devices. The Cauchy condition surface (CCS) method is a numerical approach for calculating the spatial distribution of the magnetic flux outside a hypothetical surface and reconstructing the plasma boundary from the magnetic measurements located outside the plasma. The accuracy of the plasma shape reconstruction has been assessed by comparing the CCS method and an equilibrium calculation in JT-60SA with a high elongation and triangularity of plasma shape. The CCS, on which both Dirichlet and Neumann conditions are unknown, is defined as a hypothetical surface located inside the real plasma region. The accuracy of the plasma shape reconstruction is sensitive to the CCS free parameters such as the number of unknown parameters and the shape in JT-60SA. It is found that the optimum number of unknown parameters and the size of the CCS that minimizes errors in the reconstructed plasma shape are in proportion to the plasma size. Furthermore, it is shown that the accuracy of the plasma shape reconstruction is greatly improved using the optimum number of unknown parameters and shape of the CCS, and the reachable reconstruction errors in plasma shape and locations of strike points are within the target ranges in JT-60SA.

Usefulness of quantitative susceptibility mapping for the diagnosis of Parkinson disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Quantitative susceptibility mapping allows overcoming several nonlocal restrictions of susceptibility-weighted and phase imaging and enables quantification of magnetic susceptibility. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative susceptibility mapping and R2* (1/T2*) mapping to discriminate between patients with Parkinson disease and controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For 21 patients with Parkinson disease and 21 age- and sex-matched controls, 2 radiologists measured the quantitative susceptibility mapping values and R2* values in 6 brain structures (the thalamus, putamen, caudate nucleus, pallidum, substantia nigra, and red nucleus).

RESULTS

The quantitative susceptibility mapping values and R2* values of the substantia nigra were significantly higher in patients with Parkinson disease (P < .01); measurements in other brain regions did not differ significantly between patients and controls. For the discrimination of patients with Parkinson disease from controls, receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested that the optimal cutoff values for the substantia nigra, based on the Youden Index, were >0.210 for quantitative susceptibility mapping and >28.8 for R2*. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of quantitative susceptibility mapping were 90% (19 of 21), 86% (18 of 21), and 88% (37 of 42), respectively; for R2* mapping, they were 81% (17 of 21), 52% (11 of 21), and 67% (28 of 42). Pair-wise comparisons showed that the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were significantly larger for quantitative susceptibility mapping than for R2* mapping (0.91 versus 0.69, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative susceptibility mapping showed higher diagnostic performance than R2* mapping for the discrimination between patients with Parkinson disease and controls.

Tropomyosin-related receptor kinase B at the invasive front and tumour cell dedifferentiation in gastric cancer

Background:

Tropomyosin-related receptor kinase B (TrkB) promotes proliferation and invasion, relating to poor prognosis of various malignancies. We examined the role of TrkB at the invasive front of gastric cancer (GC) and its association with tumour cell dedifferentiation and tumour budding.

Methods:

Immunoreactive TrkB was evaluated at the tumour centre and margin using whole-tissue sections of 320 GC patients. Tumour cell dedifferentiation was defined as higher histologic grade at the tumour margin than the surface or tumour centre. Tumour budding was also scored on cytokeratin-stained sections.

Results:

Sixty-five patients (20%) showed higher TrkB expression at the invasive front (TrkB expression was higher at the tumour margin than tumour centre). It was significantly associated with several aggressive phenotypes in the full cohort (n=320). It showed a prognostic significance in test subgroup (n=98) and was identified as an independent prognostic factor (HR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.26–3.53) by multivariate analysis in validation subgroup (n=222). Twenty-one patients showed tumour cell dedifferentiation. In predominantly differentiated tumour, higher TrkB at the invasive front was significantly associated with tumour budding rather than tumour cell dedifferentiation.

Conclusions:

Assessment of immunoreactive TrkB at the invasive front by whole-tissue sections provides prognostic information for GC patients.

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in three landscapes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in three landscapes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Dung Beetles are important for biological control of intestinal worms and dipterans of economic importance to cattle, because they feed and breed in dung, killing parasites inside it. They are also very useful as bioindicators of species diversity in agricultural or natural environments. The aims of this paper were to study the species richness, and abundance of dung beetles, helping to answer the question: are there differences in the patterns of dung beetle diversity in three environments (pasture, agriculture and forest) in the municipality of Dourados, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A total of 105 samplings were carried out weekly, from November 2005 to November 2007, using three pitfall traps in each environment. The traps were baited with fresh bovine dung, and 44,355 adult dung beetles from 54 species were captured: two from Hyborosidae and 52 from Scarabaeidae. Five species were constant, very abundant and dominant on the pasture, two in the agricultural environment, and two in the environment of Semideciduous forest. Most of the species were characterised as accessories, common and not-dominant. The species with higher abundance was Ataenius platensis Blanchard, 1844. The indexes of Shannon-Wiener diversity were: 2.90 in the pasture, 2.84 in the agricultural environment and 2.66 in the area of native forest. The medium positive presence of dung beetles in the traps in each environment were: 36.88, 42.73 and 20.18 individuals per trap, in the pasture, agricultural environment and in the native forest, respectively. The pasture environment presented a higher diversity index. The species diversity of dung beetles was superior where there was higher abundance and regularity of resource (bovine dung).

SEMIAPHIS DAUCI (FABRICIUS) (INSECTA, HEMIPTERA, APHIDIDAE) – FORMAL RECORD OF OCCURRENCE ON ARRACACHA (ARRACACIA XANTHORRHIZA BANCR.) (APIACEAE) IN BRAZIL, MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION, DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES AND ARTHROPODS ASSOCIATED TO THE CULTURE

ABSTRACT This paper reports formally the occurrence and describes the damages by Semiaphis dauci (Fabricius, 1775) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Aphididae, Aphidinae, Macrosiphini) on arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancr.) (Apiaceae) in Brazil. The infestation was initially noted on April/2002 at Núcleo de Produção de Mudas, Departamento de Sementes Mudas e Matrizes, Coordenadoria de Assistência Técnica Integral, Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento, São Bento do Sapucaí, State of São Paulo. Posteriorly the occurrence was detected in other parts of the municipality of São Bento do Sapucaí such as Serrano, Paiol Grande and Cantagalo, being the incidence higher in localities at lower altitudes. The colonies, with large number of individuals, were settled on both sides of the leaves and also hidden under petiole, but with lower number of specimens. The adult plants were underdeveloped and the growing of aphid colonies induced the blossoming. In the seedlings the symptoms were severer with reduction in the development and death of plants. When the colonies were placed in the dorsal side of the leaves, there was a tendency to wrinkling and rolling to upper side that was used as shelter by the aphids. Morphological characterization, illustrations and notes on biology of .. dauci and a survey of the Arthropoda related with .. xanthorrhiza are also presented.

Crystal structure of 7-acetyl-5-benzoyl-6-phenyl-8-methyl-4,7-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-c]-1 H-pyrimidine-2-one

The title compound, C22H19N3 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a= 8.310(1) Å, b= 9.890(1) Å, c= 12.007(1) Å, α =92.17(1)°, β= 97.32(1)°, γ =106.72(1)°; Z=2; Dx=1.3270(3) (gcm-3); R=0.068 for 1618 observed reflections [I ≥ 2σ (I)]. The angle between the least squares planes formed by the N1–C2–N3 and C4–C5–C6 atoms of the pyrimidine ring is 30.1(3)°. The dihydropyrimidine ring adopts a distorted boat conformation. The dihedral angle between the two phenyl rings is 48.4(1)°. The pyrazole ring in the title compound is distorted from planarity with a maximum deviation of 0.153(3) Å for C4. Two molecules form a dimere with 1. There are the shortest four inter- and two intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the structure and {four intermolecular [N1–H1= 0.860(3) Å, N1...O2i= 2.902(3) Å, H1...O2i= 2.129(2) Å, N1–H1...O2i=.149.3(2)°, C4–H4=.0.981(3) Å, C4...O70= 2.895(4) Å, H4...O70= 2.460(2) Å, C4–H4...O70= 106.5(2)°; C65–H65= 0.930(3) Å, C65...O70ii= 3.346(4) Å, H65...O70ii= 2.540(2) Å, C65–H65...O70ii= 145.2(2)° and C71–H71A= 1.02(3) Å, C71...O50= 3.188(6) Å, H71A...O50= 2.51(3) Å, C71–H71A...O50=123(2)°; (i) ≡ 1-x,2-y, -z, (ii) ≡ -x, 2-y, -1-z] and two intramolecular [C4–H4= 0.980(3) Å, C4...O70= 2.895(3) Å, H4...O70= 2.460(2) Å, C4–H4...O70= 106.5(2)° and C71–H71A= 1.026(3) Å, C71...O50= 3.189(5) Å, H71...O5= 2.51(3) Å, C71–H71A...O50= 123(2)°]}.

Rotation drive and momentum transport with electron cyclotron heating in tokamak plasmas

The role of electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) on the toroidal rotation velocity profile has been investigated in the JT-60U tokamak device by separating the effects of the change in momentum transport, the intrinsic rotation by pressure gradient, and the intrinsic rotation by ECRH. It is found that ECRH increases the toroidal momentum diffusivity and the convection velocity. It is also found that ECRH drives the codirection (co) intrinsic rotation inside the EC deposition radius and the counterdirection (ctr) intrinsic rotation outside the EC deposition radius. This ctr rotation starts from the EC deposition radius and propagates to the edge region.

Capsule-supporting ring: a new device for resin embedding of glass-mounted specimens

The goal of specimen preparation for transmission electron microscopy is to obtain high-quality ultra-thin sections with which we can correlate cellular structure to physiological function. In this study, we newly developed a capsule-supporting ring that can be useful for resin embedding of glass-mounted specimens. The present device allowed us to re-embed a semi-thin section on a microscope slide into a resin block not only for efficient ultra-thin sectioning but also for a correlative light and electron microscopy. Similar to epoxy resins for morphological observations, semi-thin sections of low-viscosity hydrophilic resins, such as Lowicryl series, can be re-embedded into the resin, which can be useful for cytochemical gold labelling. A further application of the present device improved flat embedding of cultured cells on glass cover slips for electron microscopy, preserving in situ sub-cellular structures close to their native state. We practically describe the use of capsule-supporting ring and demonstrate representative micrographs as results.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of AUY922 in a phase I study of solid tumor patients

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Background: AUY922 is a synthetic inhibitor of Heat Shock Protein 90. Disruption of the HSP90 chaperone hetero- complex results in the loss of repression of heat shock factor-1 (HSF1), and subsequent induction of HSP70. We evaluated HSP70 as a pharmacodynamic (PD) marker of AUY922 activity in a phase I/II clinical trial in patients (pts) with solid tumors. Methods: Single agent AUY922 was administered by IV infusion once a week to pts with advanced solid malignancies. HSP70 levels in PBMC were quantitated by ELISA in samples taken at baseline and multiple time-points post the 1st and 5th treatments over two cycles. Fold change of HSP70 induction was calculated and compared to dose level and AUY922 blood exposure obtained within the first week of treatment (single dose) at 6, 24, 48, and 168 hours post-treatment. Results: Of the 40 pts treated to date, HSP70 levels in PBMC has been evaluated in 36, encompassing seven dose levels ranging from 2 mg/m2 to 40mg/m2. Baseline levels of HSP70 in PBMC ranged from 26.0 to 95.1 ng/mg protein, with a median of 42.5ng/mg. The highest level of HSP70 induction obtained over two cycles was increasing with dose from 2 to 40 mg/m2, with a range of 1.4 to 12.1 fold, and the amount of HSP70 induction was frequently higher in the second cycle of treatment. In the first cycle of treatment, HSP70 induction is correlated to blood AUC. The degree of HSP70 upregulation in PBMCs at 40 mg/m2 exceeds the 8-fold upregulation seen in BT474 xenograft tumor tissue when treated with efficacious doses of AUY922. Conclusions: PK/PD analyses show that the highest level of HSP70 achieved post-treatment increases with dose, and at the highest dose tested thus far (40mg/m2), this pharmacodynamic effect has not yet reached a maximum response. Additionally, our analysis suggests that in humans, the PD effect of AUY922 is reaching the level corresponding to that required for anti-tumor effect in the BT474 xenograft model.

[Table: see text]

Cigarette smoking, N-acetyltransferase 2 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus in a Japanese population

Cigarette smoking may be associated with an increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the underlying mechanism of this association remains unclear. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is highly variable and detoxifies aromatic amines, an important class of carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Individuals who possess homozygous polymorphic alleles have a slower rate of metabolic detoxification of aromatic amines. We investigated the relationship of the NAT2 polymorphism to the risk of SLE with special reference to the interaction with cigarette smoking among 152 SLE cases and 427 controls in a female Japanese population. NAT2*4, NAT2*5B, NAT2*6A and NAT2*7B alleles were detected with polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism. Individuals carrying the *4/*4 genotype are rapid acetylators, whereas those with homozygous non-*4 genotypes have a slow acetylator phenotype. Cigarette smoking was associated with an increased risk of SLE (odds ratio [OR] = 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.46–3.50). The slow acetylator genotype of NAT2 was significantly associated with an increased risk of SLE (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.21–4.52) compared with the rapid acetylator genotype. A gene-environment interaction was suggested, with a combination of the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype and smoking conferring significantly higher risk (OR = 6.44, 95% CI = 3.07–13.52; attributable proportion due to interaction = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.12–0.88), compared with the NAT2 rapid acetylator genotype and no history of smoking. This study suggests that, in this Japanese population, the NAT2 slow acetylator status may be a determinant in susceptibility to SLE.