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Several reports have suggested that the risk of exertional heat illness (EHI) in Thoroughbred racehorses increases in high ambient temperatures. Heat dissipation in horses during exercise becomes less efficient when the body temperature and ambient temperature are close. Therefore, we hypothesised that exercise at 40 °C may increase body temperature, oxygen consumption, and cardiac output during incremental exercise tests compared to 20 and 30 °C. Six trained Thoroughbred horses were studied in a randomised, crossover design at three ambient temperatures with a 6-day washout period. Using a 3% inclined treadmill, horses performed incremental exercise tests at 1.7, 3.5, 6, 8, and 10 m/s for 90 s at ambient temperatures of 20, 30, and 40 °C. The effects of ambient temperature at 10 m/s on physiological variables were analysed using mixed models (P2 partial pressure, O2 saturation, and pH at 40 °C were lower than those at 20 and 30 °C. Arterial CO2 partial pressure at 40 °C was higher than that at 20 and 30 °C. No differences were observed in arterial-mixed venous O2 concentration difference (P=0.391) and plasma lactate concentration (P=0.134) at different ambient temperatures. These results indicate that exercise at 40 °C causes excessive high body temperature, decreased running economy, and increased cardiac output compared to exercise at 20 and 30 °C. We strongly suggest that trainers and veterinarians should anticipate the occurrence of increased thermal stresses when ambient temperature is extremely high even in dry conditions and prepare to mitigate the risk of EHI from the perspective of equine welfare.

A glow discharge (GD) fusion neutron source that utilizes nuclear fusion reactions of deuterium has been upgraded. The fusion reactions in this device mainly occur by collisions between the charged or neutral particles and the hydrogen isotopes trapped at the surface of electrodes. In addition, it is known that the metal hydride coating on the electrode enhances the neutron production rate (NPR). Therefore, the elemental distribution, including deuterium, in the depth direction on the electrode is an essential factor in neutron production. However, the distribution on the electrode has not been experimentally investigated. This study aims to analyze the distribution experimentally and indicate the effect of the metal hydride coatings. To achieve this purpose, we prepared the titanium (Ti)-coated cathode and the uncoated cathode, of which the base material was stainless steel. After that, the neutron production test was performed in the range of from 5-to 40-mA currents and from 20-to 60-kV applied voltage. This test indicated that the NPR was improved by coating the cathode with Ti than the uncoated cathode. In addition, depth profiling on the cathodes by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) was performed. While the analysis indicated that the concentration of deuterium on both cathodes was increased after the test, there was no significant difference in the concentration of deuterium between both cathodes. Furthermore, the concentration of Ti on the Ti-coated cathode was vastly decreased. The cause of these changes needs to be investigated.

This article outlines Kyoto Fusioneering’s (KF’s) initial engineering and development activities for its self-cooled lithium lead-type blanket: Self-Cooled Yuryo Lithium-Lead Advanced (SCYLLA©). We provide details on overall design, including an initial tritium breeding ratio (TBR) assessment via neutronics analysis, as well as the status of SCYLLA©-relevant R&D. This includes silicon carbide composite (SiCf/SiC) manufacturing techniques, tritium extraction, materials compatibility, and heat transfer, which are being explored via collaboration with Kyoto University. Results of previous work in relation to this R&D are presented. Permeability coefficients indicate a promising property of SiCf/SiC tritium hermeticity at high temperatures. Tritium extraction technology via vacuum sieve tray (VST) is shown to be demonstrated at engineering scale. A local TBR of up to 1.4 can be achieved with the SCYLLA© configuration. Fabrication methods for various SiCf/SiC components including the blanket module, heat exchanger, and flow path components are provided. A tritium compatible high-temperature SiCf/SiC heat exchanger is discussed. Commercial viability and reactor adaptability are considered as a theme throughout. Finally, KF’s plans to build a facility for demonstration reactor relevant testing of a SCYLLA© prototype in the mid-2020s, which will provide a significant step toward commercial fusion energy, are presented.

Classical novae are shock-powered multi-wavelength transients triggered by a thermonuclear runaway on an accreting white dwarf. V1674 Her is the fastest nova ever recorded (time to declined by two magnitudes is t_2=1.1 d) that challenges our understanding of shock formation in novae. We investigate the physical mechanisms behind nova emission from GeV gamma-rays to cm-band radio using coordinated Fermi-LAT, NuSTAR, Swift and VLA observations supported by optical photometry. Fermi-LAT detected short-lived (18 h) 0.1-100 GeV emission from V1674 Her that appeared 6 h after the eruption began; this was at a level of (1.6 +/- 0.4)x10^-6 photons cm^-2 s^-1. Eleven days later, simultaneous NuSTAR and Swift X-ray observations revealed optically thin thermal plasma shock-heated to kT_shock = 4 keV. The lack of a detectable 6.7 keV Fe K_alpha emission suggests super-solar CNO abundances. The radio emission from V1674 Her was consistent with thermal emission at early times and synchrotron at late times. The radio spectrum steeply rising with frequency may be a result of either free-free absorption of synchrotron and thermal emission by unshocked outer regions of the nova shell or the Razin-Tsytovich effect attenuating synchrotron emission in dense plasma. The development of the shock inside the ejecta is unaffected by the extraordinarily rapid evolution and the intermediate polar host of this nova., 20 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Accepted to MNRAS

Section 3.2.1 last sentence, "channels" should be "channel". Section 3.2.2 first sentence "m/r" should be "μ/ρ". Section 3.3 end of 3rd line "form" should be "from".

Imaging bolometers have been studied for ITER to serve as a complementary diagnostic to the resistive bolometers for the measurement of radiated power. Two tangentially viewing InfraRed imaging Video Bolometers (IRVB) could be proposed for an ITER equatorial port, one having a view of the entire plasma cross-section (core viewing) and one tilted down 43 degrees from the horizontal to view the divertor (divertor viewing). The IRVBs have 7 cm (horizontal) by 9 cm (vertical) Pt sensor foils, 6 mm × 6 mm apertures, 15 × 20 pixels and focal lengths of 7.8 cm and 21 cm, respectively. Using SANCO and SOLPS models for a 840 m3 plasma radiating 67.3 MW, synthetic images from the IRVBs are calculated to estimate the maximum signal strengths to be 246 W/m2 and 62 W/m2, respectively. We propagate the X-ray energy spectra from the models through the synthetic diagnostics to give the photon energy spectrum for each IRVB pixel, which are used to calculate the fraction of the power absorbed by the foil as a function of foil thickness. Using a criteria of >95% absorbed power fraction, we selected foil thicknesses of 30 μm and 10 μm, respectively. We used these thicknesses and assumed IR systems having 105 fps, 1024×1280 pixels and sensitivities of 15 mK, to calculate the IRVB sensitivities of 3.19 W/m2 and 1.05 W/m2, and signal to noise ratios of 77 and 59, respectively. Using the Monte Carlo Nuclear Particle code we calculated for the core viewing IRVB the foil heating by neutrons to be 1.0 W/m2 and by gammas to be 117 W/m2. This indicates that countermeasures may be needed to remove the nuclear heating signal.

Trapping ions, such as deuterium and tritium, inside a potential well to generate neutrons is a well-established technology through electric and magnetic fields via the inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) and the tokamak, respectively. In the IECF, the straightforward configuration is a concentric cathode connected to a negative bias, surrounded by a grounded anode that serves as a vacuum vessel. Theoretically, neutrons are generated inside the vessel through fusion between ions that are accelerated by applying several tens kV voltage and tens mA current. Many parameters affect the plasma conditions and fusion in the system, hence the neutron production rate (NPR). This study investigates the cathode transparency and the number of apertures effect on NPR. For this end, eleven cathodes were fabricated from stainless steel in three different groups with different transparency and number of apertures. NPRs were investigated as a function of the cathode transparency and number of apertures at low power operating mode ∼1 kW. Experimental results revealed that higher NPR was produced from lower grid transparency and vice versa; this behavior was explained through beam–surface fusion with grid surface. In addition, a higher NPR was generated from the grid with many apertures; this was attributed to the effect of the deuterium ionization improvement by the number of ionizing electrons through the grid channels.

Symbiotic binaries sometimes hide their symbiotic nature for significant periods of time. There is mounting observational evidence that in those symbiotics that are powered solely by accretion of red-giant's wind material onto a white dwarf, without any quasi-steady shell burning on the surface of the white dwarf, the characteristic emission lines in the optical spectrum can vanish, leaving the semblance of an isolated red giant spectrum. Here we present compelling evidence that this disappearance of optical emission lines from the spectrum of RT Cru during 2019 was due to a decrease in the accretion rate, which we derive by modeling the X-ray spectrum. This drop in accretion rate leads to a lower flux of ionizing photons and thus to faint/absent photoionization emission lines in the optical spectrum. We observed the white dwarf symbiotic RT Cru with XMM-Newton and Swift in X-rays and UV and collected ground-based optical spectra and photometry over the last 33 years. This long-term coverage shows that during most of the year 2019, the accretion rate onto the white dwarf was so low, $\dot{M}= (3.2\pm 0.06)\, \times$10$^{-11}$ $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ (d/2.52 kpc)$^2$, that the historically detected hard X-ray emission almost vanished, the UV flux faded by roughly 5 magnitudes, the $U$, $B$ and $V$ flickering amplitude decreased, and the Balmer lines virtually disappeared from January through March 2019. Long-lasting low-accretion episodes as the one reported here may hamper the chances of RT Cru experiencing nova-type outburst despite the high-mass of the accreting white dwarf., Comment: Accepted in A&A

We present the first estimate of the Galactic nova rate based on optical transient surveys covering the entire sky. Using data from the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) and \textit{Gaia} -- the only two all-sky surveys to report classical nova candidates -- we find 39 confirmed Galactic novae and 7 additional unconfirmed candidates discovered from 2019--2021, yielding a nova discovery rate of $\approx 14$ yr$^{-1}$. Using accurate Galactic stellar mass models, three-dimensional dust maps, and incorporating realistic nova light curves, we have built a sophisticated Galactic nova model that allows an estimate of the recovery fraction of Galactic novae from these surveys over this time period. The observing capabilities of each survey are distinct: the high cadence of ASAS-SN makes it sensitive to fast novae, while the broad observing filter and high spatial resolution of \textit{Gaia} make it more sensitive to highly reddened novae across the entire Galactic plane and bulge. Despite these differences, we find that ASAS-SN and \textit{Gaia} give consistent Galactic nova rates, with a final joint nova rate of $26 \pm 5$ yr$^{-1}$. This inferred nova rate is substantially lower than found by many other recent studies. Critically assessing the systematic uncertainties in the Galactic nova rate, we argue that the role of faint fast-fading novae has likely been overestimated, but that subtle details in the operation of transient alert pipelines can have large, sometimes unappreciated effects on transient recovery efficiency. Our predicted nova rate can be directly tested with forthcoming red/near-infrared transient surveys in the southern hemisphere., 24 pages, 9 figures

We present a detailed study of the 2019 outburst of the cataclysmic variable V1047~Cen, which hosted a classical nova eruption in 2005. The peculiar outburst occurred 14 years after the classical nova event and lasted for more than 400 days, reaching an amplitude of around 6 magnitudes in the optical. Early spectral follow-up revealed what could be a dwarf nova (accretion disk instability) outburst. However, the outburst duration, high velocity ($>$2000\,km\,s$^{-1}$) features in the optical line profiles, luminous optical emission, and presence of prominent long-lasting radio emission together suggest a phenomenon more exotic and energetic than a dwarf nova outburst. The outburst amplitude, radiated energy, and spectral evolution are also not consistent with a classical nova eruption. There are similarities between V1047~Cen's 2019 outburst and those of classical symbiotic stars, but pre-2005 images of the field of V1047~Cen indicate that the system likely hosts a dwarf companion, implying a typical cataclysmic variable system. Based on our multi-wavelength observations, we suggest that the outburst may have started with a brightening of the disk due to enhanced mass transfer or disk instability, possibly leading to enhanced nuclear shell burning on the white dwarf, which was already experiencing some level of quasi-steady shell burning. This eventually led to the generation of a wind and/or bipolar, collimated outflows. The 2019 outburst of V1047~Cen appears to be unique, and nothing similar has been observed in a typical cataclysmic variable system before, hinting at a potentially new astrophysical phenomenon., 36 pages, 24 figures, 9 tables. Accepted in ApJ

We present the first observation by the Telescope Array Surface Detector (TASD) of the effect of thunderstorms on the development of cosmic ray single count rate intensity over a 700 km$^{2}$ area. Observations of variations in the secondary low-energy cosmic ray counting rate, using the TASD, allow us to study the electric field inside thunderstorms, on a large scale, as it progresses on top of the 700 km$^{2}$ detector, without dealing with the limitation of narrow exposure in time and space using balloons and aircraft detectors. In this work, variations in the cosmic ray intensity (single count rate) using the TASD, were studied and found to be on average at the $\sim(0.5-1)\%$ and up to 2\% level. These observations were found to be both in excess and in deficit. They were also found to be correlated with lightning in addition to thunderstorms. These variations lasted for tens of minutes; their footprint on the ground ranged from 6 to 24 km in diameter and moved in the same direction as the thunderstorm. With the use of simple electric field models inside the cloud and between cloud to ground, the observed variations in the cosmic ray single count rate were recreated using CORSIKA simulations. Depending on the electric field model used and the direction of the electric field in that model, the electric field magnitude that reproduces the observed low-energy cosmic ray single count rate variations was found to be approximately between 0.2-0.4 GV. This in turn allows us to get a reasonable insight on the electric field and its effect on cosmic ray air showers inside thunderstorms.

A heating source with off-axis electron cyclotron heating (ECH) alone produced a plasma with a quasi-steady-state hollow electron-temperature profile in the Large Helical Device. The clear formation of this quasi-steady-state hollow electron-temperature profile can be explained by adding the outward heat convection term to the diffusion term, as a simple model to describe the electron heat flux, using the energy conservation equation. In addition, we directly observed the non-locality of the non-diffusive (convective) contribution in transient electron thermal transport in the condition that power-modulated on-axis ECH was applied to the plasma sustained by off-axis ECH. The experimentally evaluated flux-gradient relation shows two different positive values of the electron heat flux at zero temperature gradient by going back and forth between positive and negative temperature gradient regions in the transport hysteresis phenomenon.

A new type of self-sustained divertor oscillation is discovered in the Large Helical Device stellarator, where the peripheral plasma is detached from material diverters by means of externally applied perturbation fields. The divertor oscillation is found to be a self-regulation of an isolated magnetic field structure (the magnetic island) width induced by a drastic change in a poloidal inhomogeneity of the plasma radiation across the detachment-attachment transitions. A predator-prey model between the magnetic island width and a self-generated local plasma current (the bootstrap current) is introduced to describe the divertor oscillation, which successfully reproduces the experimental observations.

In order to explore the compatibility of good core plasma performance with divertor heat load mitigation, the interaction between cold edge plasma and core plasma transport, including the edge transport barrier (ETB), has been analysed in the divertor detachment discharges of deuterium plasmas in LHD with resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) field application. The RMP application introduces a widened edge stochastic layer and sharp boundary in the magnetic field structure between the confinement region and the edge stochastic layer. The widened edge stochastic layer enhances impurity radiation and provides stable detachment operation as compared with the case without RMP. It is found that ETB is formed at the confinement boundary at the onset of detachment transition. However, as the detachment deepens, the resistive pressure gradient-driven MHD mode is excited, which degrades the ETB. At the same time, however, the core transport decreases to keep global plasma stored energy (W p) unchanged, showing clear core-edge coupling. After a gradual increase of density fluctuation during the MHD activity, a spontaneous increase of W p and the recovery of ETB are observed while the detachment is maintained. Then, the coherent MHD mode ceases and ELM-like bursts appear. In the improved mode, impurity decontamination occurs, and the divertor heat load increases slightly. Key controlling physical processes in the interplay between core and cold edge plasma are discussed. A comparison between deuterium and hydrogen plasmas shows that hydrogen plasmas exhibit similar features to the deuterium ones in terms of density and magnetic fluctuations, impurity decontamination towards higher confinement, etc. But most of the features are modest in the hydrogen plasmas and thus no clear confinement mode transition with clear ETB formation is defined. Better global confinement is obtained in the deuterium plasmas than the hydrogen ones at a higher radiation level.

We report on the detection and analysis of extended X-ray emission by the {\it Chandra} X-ray Observatory stemming from the 2006 eruption of the recurrent novae RS Oph. The extended emission was detected 1254 and 1927 days after the start of the 2006 eruption and is consistent with a bipolar flow oriented in the east-west direction of the sky with opening angles of approximately $70^{\circ}$. The length of both lobes appeared to expand from 1.3 arcsec in 2009 to 2.0 arcsec in 2011, suggesting a projected expansion rate of $1.1\pm0.1 {\rm ~mas~day}^{-1}$ and an expansion velocity of $4600\ {\rm km~s}^{-1}\ (D/2.4\ {\rm kpc})$ in the plane of the sky. This expansion rate is consistent with previous estimates from optical and radio observations of material in a similar orientation. The X-ray emission does not show any evidence of cooling between 2009 and 2011, consistent with free expansion of the material. This discovery suggests that some mechanism collimates ejecta away from the equatorial plane, and that after that material passes through the red-giant wind, it expands freely into the cavity left by the 1985 eruption. We expect similar structures to arise from latest eruption and to expand into the cavity shaped by the 2006 eruption., 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ApJ and as a chapter to my memoir: thank you for your patience, or other ways to stop apologizing for being late

The plasma radiation is an essential part of the power balance in current and future magnetic confinement fusion experiments and gives crucial insight for the challenges of power exhaust and divertor detachment as well as valuable information to understand plasma instabilities and transport effects. It is typically measured using various types of bolometers. Present day experimental devices, both the tokamak and stellarator, make use of metal resistor bolometers and infrared imaging video bolometers (IRVB), depending on the main focus of the respective measurement. The well-established sensor for absolutely calibrated measurements is the metal resistor bolometer. AXUVdiodes, often used in conjunction with bolometers, are ideal for observing fast transient events in a plasma due to their very short response times, but their sensitivity varies significantly over the full radiation spectrum and degrades over their lifetime. In cases where many lines-of-sight are needed to observe radiation profiles in complex geometries IRVB offers the ability to integrate high channel counts in rather narrow installation volumes. Fibre-optic bolometers are a new development promising measurements immune to electro-magnetic interference. These diagnostic concepts are presented as well as their pros and cons. For future devices like ITER and DEMO, R&D efforts are required to adapt sensors and diagnostic schemes to the harsh nuclear environment. An overview will be given over the activities for sensor development and integration challenges, which may also be relevant for long pulse operation in present experiments.

Evidence for a large-scale supergalactic cosmic-ray multiplet (arrival directions correlated with energy) structure is reported for ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) energies above 1019 eV using 7 years of data from the Telescope Array (TA) surface detector and updated to 10 years. Previous energy–position correlation studies have made assumptions regarding magnetic field shapes and strength, and UHECR composition. Here the assumption tested is that, because the supergalactic plane is a fit to the average matter density of the local large-scale structure, UHECR sources and intervening extragalactic magnetic fields are correlated with this plane. This supergalactic deflection hypothesis is tested by the entire field-of-view (FOV) behavior of the strength of intermediate-scale energy–angle correlations. These multiplets are measured in spherical cap section bins (wedges) of the FOV to account for coherent and random magnetic fields. The structure found is consistent with supergalactic deflection, the previously published energy spectrum anisotropy results of the TA (the Hotspot and Coldspot), and toy-model simulations of a supergalactic magnetic sheet. The seven year data posttrial significance of this supergalactic structure of multiplets appearing by chance, on an isotropic sky, is found by Monte Carlo simulation to be 4.2σ. The 10 years of data posttrial significance is 4.1σ. Furthermore, the starburst galaxy M82 is shown to be a possible source of the TA Hotspot, and an estimate of the supergalactic magnetic field using UHECR measurements is presented.

Despite a wide bandgap of 4.8 eV, Ga 2 O 3 has good electrical conductivity and thus has a wide range of potential applications. We previously reported that the bandgap of ϵ - Ga 2 O 3 is widened by Co-doping; here, we present a theoretical discussion of the changes in the electronic state induced by Co impurities. By comparing calculated and experimental absorptions, the experimentally observed optical bandgap was assigned to a transition from a bulk peak (1.0 eV below the valence band maximum) to the conduction band minimum. The photoabsorption of Ga 2 O 3:Co is not readily explained simply in terms of the bandgap of Ga 2 O 3. However, the adjustable shift of the cutoff in its photoabsorption spectrum can be explained in terms of midgap impurity levels due to Co-doping, while the bandgap of Ga 2 O 3 was almost unchanged even when the Co-impurity concentration was high. In addition, the work function, which was determined experimentally by photoemission spectroscopy, increased with the content of Co impurities. This was attributed to a lowering of the Fermi level induced by Co-doping.

The Telescope Array experiment studies ultra high energy cosmic rays using a hybrid detector. Fluorescence telescopes measure the longitudinal development of the extensive air shower generated when a primary cosmic ray particle interacts with the atmosphere. Meanwhile, scintillator detectors measure the lateral distribution of secondary shower particles that hit the ground. The Middle Drum (MD) fluorescence telescope station consists of 14 telescopes from the High Resolution Fly’s Eye (HiRes) experiment, providing a direct link back to the HiRes measurements. Using the scintillator detector data in conjunction with the telescope data improves the geometrical reconstruction of the showers significantly, and hence, provides a more accurate reconstruction of the energy of the primary particle. The Middle Drum hybrid spectrum is presented and compared to that measured by the Middle Drum station in monocular mode. Further, the hybrid data establishes a link between the Middle Drum data and the surface array. A comparison between the Middle Drum hybrid energy spectrum and scintillator Surface Detector (SD) spectrum is also shown.

We report on the search for steady point-like sources of neutral particles around 10$^{18}$ eV between 2008 May and 2013 May with the scintillator surface detector of the Telescope Array experiment. We found overall no significant point-like excess above 0.5 EeV in the northern sky. Subsequently, we also searched for coincidence with the Fermi bright Galactic sources. No significant coincidence was found within the statistical uncertainty. Hence, we set an upper limit on the neutron flux that corresponds to an averaged flux of 0.07 km$^{-2}$ yr$^{-1}$ for $E>1$ EeV in the northern sky at the 95% confidence level. This is the most stringent flux upper limit in a northern sky survey assuming point-like sources. The upper limit at the 95% confidence level on the neutron flux from Cygnus X-3 is also set to 0.2 km$^{-2}$ yr$^{-1}$ for $E>0.5$ EeV. This is an order of magnitude lower than previous flux measurements., 27 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to compare the survival rate and the marginal bone loss between short implants (≤7 mm) placed in the atrophic area and longer implants placed in the augmented bone area of posterior regions of maxillaries. Methods: Electronic search using three databases was performed up to May 2017 to identify Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) assessing short implants survival with a minimal follow-up of 12 months post-loading. For the meta-analysis, a Risk Difference (RD) with the 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was used to pool the results of implant failure rate for each treatment group. For the marginal bone changes, Mean Differences (MD) with 95% CI were calculated. Results: Seven randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, being included in qualitative and quantitative analyses. The RD between the short implant group and the control group was -0.02 (95% CI: -0.04 to 0.00), I2=0 and Chi2=3.14, indicating a favorable survival rate for short implant, but with no statistical significance (p=0.09). Discussion: For marginal bone loss, the mean difference was -0,13 (95%CI: -0.22 to -0.05), favoring the test group with statistical significance (p=0.002). The studies showed more heterogeneity for bone loss compared to survival rate. Short and longer implants showed similar survival rates after one year of loading, however the marginal bone loss around short implants was lower than in longer implants sites. Conclusion: Placement of implants ≤7 mm of length was found to be a predictable alternative for the rehabilitation of atrophic posterior regions, avoiding all the disadvantages intrinsic to bone augmentation procedures.

Trehalose is composed of two molecules of D-glucose joined by an α,α-1,1 glucosidic linkage and has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The present study investigated the effect of feeding a trehalose-supplemented diet on the growth performance, as well as the oxidative status and the intestinal innate immunity of juvenile chicks. A total of 16 d-old male broiler chicks were used in this study: two groups of 8 birds were fed on a 0% (control) or 0.5% trehalose-supplemented diet for 18 d. The mean body weight of the trehalose group was significantly greater than that of the control group, but feed efficiency was not altered by feeding the trehalose-supplemented diet. No differences in the levels of lipid peroxidation in skeletal muscle, liver and plasma were observed between the control and trehalose-supplemented groups. The mRNA levels of interferon-γ, tumour necrosis factor-like ligand 1A, interleukin-10, NADPH oxidase 4 and inducible NO synthase were significantly reduced by the trehalose supplementation. Our results suggest that dietary supplementation with trehalose after hatching may have beneficial effects on the growth performance of juvenile chicks, probably by improving their intestinal innate immunity.

A 59-year-old patient with diabetes mellitus had been treated with human recombinant insulin for 4 years. He developed a solid mass on his left abdomen at the insulin injection site, which had an overlying pigmented verrucous plaque and keratinized papules, similar to acanthosis nigricans (AN). On histological examination, the mass was found to contain a deposit of amyloid in the dermis, with hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis and acanthosis in the epidermis. Using immunohistochemistry, the amyloid deposits were found to be positive for insulin. A few cases of localized insulin-derived amyloid deposits at injection sites have been reported previously, but none had significant epidermal changes. The coexistence of dermal insulin-derived amyloidosis and an overlying AN-like change, as found in our patient, has not been reported previously, to our knowledge. The presence of a tumour-like lesion at the injection site should be carefully examined, as injection of insulin into amyloid deposits can result in insulin resistance.

Diabet. Med. 29, e138–e141 (2012) Abstract Background Insulinoma is a tumour of insulin-producing cells of the pancreas and is known to be one of the causes of hypoglycaemia. Usually, appropriate removal of the insulinoma results in normalization of blood glucose levels. However, we found novel cases of insulinoma, in which hyperglycaemia developed soon after resection of the insulinoma. Case report We encountered two patients with repeated hypoglycaemia caused by insulinoma. Following removal of the insulinoma, unanticipated hyperglycaemia was observed in both patients. Thereafter, their blood tests revealed low levels of serum C-peptide and high titres of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody, indicating concomitant Type 1 diabetes. Indeed, histological examination of the resected specimen revealed that one patient showed insulitis in non-tumorous pancreatic tissue in which β-cells had already disappeared. Moreover, inflammatory cells infiltrated the insulinoma, as if it were insulitis of Type 1 diabetes, suggesting the existence of anti-islet autoimmunity. Conclusion These are first cases of insulinoma associated with underlying Type 1 diabetes. Physicians should be aware of the possibility that insulinoma may mask Type 1 diabetes, and measurement of anti-islet autoantibodies may be helpful to find underlying Type 1 diabetes, such as in these cases. It is pathologically interesting that the immune cell infiltration into insulinoma may be suggestive of anti-islet autoimmunity.

Experimentally measured cross sections are presented for the natCu(α, xn)66,67,68Ga and 68Zn(p, xn)67,68Ga nuclear processes up to 36 and 20 MeV, respectively. Based on these results and the reliable cross section data available in the literature, the possible thick target yields were also calculated. Two different 68Ga production routes (Cu+α and Zn+p) are discussed in detail, especially with regard to the 66Ga and 67Ga contamination levels as a function of the target enrichment level and the incident bombarding energies. Both processes can be used for in-house 68Ga production with low (66Ga and/or 67Ga EOB contamination using enriched 68Zn (>80%) or 65Cu (>95%) target. The maximum available yield on 100% enriched 68Zn and 65Cu (irradiation time: 2.25 h; bombarding energy: Ep=20 MeV and E α =18 MeV) is 352.45 mCi/μA (13.04 GBq/μA) and 14.28 mCi/μA (528.36 MBq/μA), respectively.

A microwave reflectometer is developed for electron density profile measurement in Heliotron J. An amplitude modulation (AM) type system is adopted to reduce density fluctuation effects. The carrier frequency ranges from 33 to 56 GHz, and the modulation frequency is 200 MHz. The X-mode is selected as the propagation mode in order to measure a hollow density profile which is typically observed in ECH plasmas. A test-bench examination using an aluminum reflection plate shows that the measured phase shift agrees well with that expected from the change in the plate position. The initial measurement results show that the reconstructed density profile has hollow profile at low density and steep gradient at the edge in ECH plasma. The hollowness is weakened as the averaged density increases (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

We fabricated 16 times 16 format arrays of 180 mum square Ti/Au superconducting transition edge X-ray microcalorimeters of which transition temperatures range from 130 to 220 mK. All pixels are wired with Al, and stand on SiO2 and SiNx membranes that work as a weak thermal link. The membrane structure is formed by deep reactive ion etching. Energy resolution of a pixel in the array without a Au absorber was 11 eV (FWHM) at 5.9 keV, while the baseline resolution is about 3.7 eV.

Space-borne astronomical instruments require extensive characterization on the ground before launch. In the hard X-ray region however, it is difficult for a laboratory-based beamline using a conventional X-ray source to provide a capability sufficient for pre-flight high-precision calibration. In this paper, we describe an experiment to characterize a hard X-ray telescope at a synchrotron facility, mainly on the basis of experimental setup and examples of measured results. We have developed hard X-ray telescopes consisting of Wolter-I grazing incidence optics and platinum-carbon multilayer supermirror coatings. The telescopes have been characterized at the synchrotron facility SPring-8 beamline BL20B2. The measurements at BL20B2 have great advantages such as extremely high flux, large-sized and less-divergent beam, and monochromatic beam covering the entire hard X-ray region from 8 to over 100 keV. The telescope was illuminated by monochromatic hard X-rays, and the focused image was measured by high resolution hard X-ray imagers. The entire telescope aperture was mapped by a small beam, and the effective area and the point spread function were obtained as well as local optical properties for further diagnostics of the characteristics of the telescope.

Advances in intraocular lens (IOL) design have led to the use of lenses with improved performance including tinting, asphericity, multifocality and accommodation. To maximize the visual performance of these IOLs, postoperative complications such as secondary cataracts and anterior capsule contraction must be prevented. Various types of secondary cataracts may occur, each associated with complex biological reactions. Different design configurations, including square-edge IOLs, have been used to prevent secondary cataracts and anterior capsule contraction, but these have not been successful in sufficiently eliminating these complications. We have found that surface modification of IOL surfaces chemically improves surface quality and is also useful in preventing secondary cataracts and anterior capsule contraction. The UV/ozone treatment that we used as a surface modification method is a simple and highly effective method with no safety issues regarding materials following treatment. The combination of square-edge design and surface modification may be able to completely eliminate these postoperative complications.

We fabricated the TES microcalorimeter with TES(Ti/Au) and gold absorber, and obtained FWHM energy resolution of 4.8±0.3 eV at 5.9 keV. The baseline resolution, i.e. the resolution determined by noise, was 4.1±0.1 eV. From the noise spectra we found that the square of the baseline resolution could be approximately decomposed into contributions of three noise components. They are estimated to be (2.5 eV)2 (the intrinsic noise), (1.5 eV)2 (the readout noise), and (3.0 eV)2 (so-called excess noise). There is additional broadening of (2.5 eV)2 from the baseline resolution. The excess noise is the largest limiting factor of the energy resolution of the device.

We report on a new photon-counting detector possessing unprecedented spatial resolution and moderate spectral resolution for 0.1– 100 keV X-rays. It consists of an X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) and a scintillator. The scintillator is directly coupled to the back surface of the X-ray CCD. Low-energy X-rays below 10 keV can be directly detected by the CCD. The majority of hard X-rays above 10 keV pass through the CCD but can be absorbed by the scintillator, generating visible light photons. Since CCDs have a moderate detection efficiency, visible light photons can be detected by the CCD. We coupled the needlelike CsI(Tl) on the front surface of the back-illuminated (BI) CCD. We evaluated the spectroscopic performance for hard X-rays at the synchrotron facility, SPring-8, and found a good linear relationship between the incident X-ray energy and the pulse height up to 80 keV. The on-axis image of the hard X-ray telescope, supermirror, was measured by our device at 40 keV. A sharp core and the wing structure can be clearly imaged and high imaging capability of the SD-CCD can be demonstrated.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Heart rate (HR) recovery immediately after exercise is controlled by autonomic functions and the time constant (T) calculated from HR recovery is thought to be an index of parasympathetic activity in man. Objectives: To investigate whether it is possible to evaluate autonomic function using the time constant in horses. Methods: Five Thoroughbred horses were subjected to a standard exercise test. Following pre-medication with saline, atropine and/or propranolol, the horses ran for 2.5 min at a speed of 8 m/sec at a 10% incline and T was calculated from HR after the exercise. Secondly, 7 Thoroughbred horses were then trained for 11 weeks and T and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) measured at intervals of 1 or 2 weeks. In 6 horses, T with atropine pre-medication was also measured before and after the whole training period. Furthermore, the HR variability at rest was evaluated by power spectral analysis at intervals of 3 or 4 weeks. Results: Time constant was increased by atropine and/or propranolol pre-medication, decreased with the progress of training and inversely correlated with VO2max during training (r = 0.43, P

An electron-transfer protein (ETP) was theoretically investigated by the V–I characteristics in the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) where the ETP is placed between the metallic tip and substrate. The STM current rises nearly steplike at a threshold value of the tip bias potential ϕ in each of the positive and the negative region of ϕ. The ratio of these values enables us to determine the relative height of the active center (AC) within the ETP between the tip and the substrate. The differential conductance of the current makes a peak at these threshold values. Each shape of these peaks as a function of ϕ corresponds to the Marcus parabola measured electrochemically. Under photo-illumination, additional steplike rises of the STM current take place earlier than that mentioned above in each region of ϕ. In the case that the current is mediated by the reduced state AC− of the AC, a difference in ϕ between the threshold values for the steplike rises with and without photo-illumination enables us to directly measure the energy of reorganization associated with the redox change of AC−/AC. The free energy for an electron in the AC− can also be obtained. Measurable in the case that the current is mediated by the oxidized state AC+ are the reorganization energy associated with the redox change of AC+/AC and the free energy for a positive hole in the AC+.

Purpose To evaluate active oxygen processing on the surface of acrylic intraocular lenses (IOLs) to prevent secondary posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Mibu City, Tochigi, Japan. Methods Acrylic IOLs were prepared, and ultraviolet (UV)/ozone (UV/O 3 ) or argon plasma was irradiated to the surface of the IOLs. Elemental analysis (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis [ESCA]) of the IOL surfaces was performed to confirm surface modification. Changes produced by UV/O 3 or argon plasma treatment were examined for fibronectin and lens epithelial cell (LEC) adhesion. To evaluate the PCO prevention by treated IOLs, 8-week-old albino rabbits were used. The rabbit eyes randomly had phacoemulcification and implantation of 3 different IOLs: the UV/O 3 -treated IOLs, argon plasma–treated IOLs, and the control IOLs. After 2 weeks, the rabbits were killed and their globes were dissected and fixed using formaldehyde 10%. The PCO was observed using light microscopy (DX51, ORIMPUS) after hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results Comparison of IOL surface composition by ESCA showed an increase in nitrogen content and hydroxyl substitute and carboxyl substitute groups on surfaces of treated IOLs. The fibronectin adhesion and the LEC adhesion on the UV/O 3 -treated and argon plasma–treated samples were increased. In the untreated group, there was statistically significant inhibition of PCO formation in the UV/O 3 -treated and argon plasma–treated groups. Conclusion Active oxygen processing and argon plasma irradiation on the surface of IOLs was effective in preventing secondary PCO after cataract surgery.

Cross-sections of the 6 6 Zn(p,2pn) 6 4 Cu and 6 8 Zn(p,x) 6 4 Cu nuclear processes were measured on highly enriched zinc targets using the stacked-foil activation technique up to 100 MeV. The new cross-sections were compared to literature data. The optimum energy range for production of 6 4 Cu was found to be 70 → 35 MeV on 6 6 Zn and 37 → 20 MeV on 6 8 Zn. The thick-target yields were determined as 777 MBq/μAh (21.0 mCi/μAh) and 185 MBq/μAh (5.0 mCi/μAh), respectively. The yields of the longer-lived contaminant copper radioisotopes (i.e. 6 1 Cu when using 6 6 Zn as target material and both 6 1 Cu and 6 7 Cu in the case of 6 8 Zn target material) were also calculated. The results obtained from the present study indicate that both reactions are suited for the production of 6 4 Cu at a medium energy cyclotron. The optimum energy ranges are also complementary therefore the potential to utilize tandem targetry exists.

Excitation functions were measured for the 66Zn(p,n)66Ga, 68Zn(p,3n)66Ga, natZn(p,x)66Ga, 68Zn(p,2n)67Ga and natZn(p,x)67Ga nuclear processes up to 100 MeV. These results were compared to the available cross-section values from previous studies. A detailed compilation of the earlier works was also performed.

Excitation functions for 60 Cu and 61 Cu radioactive nuclei produced in 3 He bombardment of 59 Co up to 70 MeV has been measured using the stacked-foil activation technique. The experimental cross-sections of the 59 Co( 3 He,2n) 60 Cu and 59 Co( 3 He,n) 61 Cu nuclear reactions were compared with published literature data. Our yield calculations with respect to the application of the above reactions for practical production of 60 Cu showed that around 3.1 mCi/μA 60 Cu yield is available at EOB in the energy range 26 → 10 MeV (supposing one half-life of 60 Cu activation time). Unfortunately, the level of 61 Cu impurity increases continuously after EOB (1.4% at EOB), but remains around 4% even at the end of a PET study (supposing one half-live cooling (processing) time and around 20 min counting time with PET). On the bases of the present work the Co + 3 He route seems to be a good candidate for routine production of 60 Cu even with a low energy multiparticle cyclotron.

Three kinds of water model experiment were conducted to clarify the behaviour of the bubble in liquid caused by the Marangoni effect in relation to steel refining process: (1) The coalescence of bubbles was promoted by Marangoni flow when argon - ether gas was injected into water, while the coalescence of bubbles was suppressed when argon gas was injected into ether water solution. (2) In front of solidifying interface of C 8 H 17 SO 3 Na water solution, rising fine bubbles (10∼60μm in diameter within about 100 μm from the interface were moved horizontally toward the solidifying interface quickly, and then were engulfed by the interface, which can be attributed to the surface tension gradient around the bubble surface induced by the concentration gradient in front of the interface. (3) When the solidifying interface approached a larger bubble (around 1000 pm in diameter on the tip of the syringe needle, an oscillation of the larger bubble was observed. This phenomenon can also be attributed to a surface tension gradient around the bubble surface induced by a surfactant concentration gradient in front of the interface.

We combine ASCA and RXTE data of V1062 Tau to confirm the presence of a 62-min X-ray pulsation. We show that the pulsation is caused largely by the variation of dense partial absorption, in keeping with current models of accretion onto magnetic white dwarfs. Further parameterisation of the spin pulse is, however, hampered by ambiguities in the models.