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Given the aging population, healthcare systems need to be established to deal with health issues such as injurious falls. Wearable devices can be used to detect falls. However, most wearable devices are obtrusive, and patients generally do not like or may forget to wear them. In this study, we developed an unobtrusive monitoring system using infrared technology to unobtrusively detect locations and recognize human activities such as sitting, standing, walking, lying, and falling. We prototyped a system consisting of two 24×32 thermal array sensors and collected data from healthy young volunteers performing ten different scenarios. A supervised deep learning (DL)-based approach classified activities and detected locations from images. The performance of the DL approach was also compared with the machine learning (ML)-based methods. In addition, we fused the data of two sensors and formed a stereo system, which resulted in better performance compared to a single sensor. Furthermore, to detect critical activities such as falling and lying on floor, we performed a binary classification in which one class was falling plus lying on floor and another class was all the remaining activities. Using the DL-based algorithm on the stereo dataset to recognize activities, overall average accuracy and F1-score were achieved as 97.6%, and 0.935, respectively. These scores for location detection were 97.3%, and 0.927, respectively. These scores for binary classification were 97.9%, and 0.945, respectively. Our results suggest the proposed system recognized human activities, detected locations, and detected critical activities namely falling and lying on floor accurately.

The reversed field pinch (RFP) could be a valid basis for the 14.1-MeV neutron source as required in fusion–fission hybrid reactors (FFHRs). The use of superconductors in an RFP reactor, although mandatory in the magnetizing/equilibrium coils, could represent an issue due to their limitations in the allowed magnetic field derivative, which is quite high during the initial plasma current phase of the RFP operation. A new concept is proposed based on a double-coil system: the first made with superconductors and the other with conventional copper coils. The basic principle is first introduced with the help of a simplified model that allows understanding the double-coil system operation. A feasibility study applying this solution has been carried out in the design of the poloidal magnetic system of a pilot RFP ( $R$ = 4 m and $a\,\,=0.8$ m) as a fusion core for an FFHR. This article presents the preliminary results and, in particular, the possibility of obtaining high initial loop voltage for a fast rise of the RFP plasma current with a magnetic field derivative within the superconductor limits.

Dans le Bulletin 195 Barrages en Sol Cimenté, récemment publié par la Commission Internationale des Grands Barrages (CIGB), le terme « Sol Cimenté » désigne tout sol lié, que ce soit suite à un traitement à la chaux, au ciment, ou à la chaux en association avec le ciment, le cas échéant avec addition de composants pouzzolaniques. Le bulletin fait aussi mention des liants hydrauliques routiers. En Europe, où ces produits sont normalisés et contrôlés, ils peuvent avantageusement remplacer les ciments. Le traitement des sols est une technique ancienne et éprouvée qui a connu au cours des soixante dernières années un développement spectaculaire, en particulier dans le domaine des infrastructures de transport. Des exemples d’applications existent également dans le domaine des ouvrages hydrauliques, ce qui a conduit la CIGB à publier le Bulletin 54, Sol-ciment pour barrages en remblai (1986), consacré à l’utilisation de matériaux granulaires traités au ciment pour la protection des talus amont des barrages en terre. Depuis les années 1980, la technique a considérablement évolué grâce aux progrès de la technologie d’une part, et à une utilisation plus rationnelle de la chaux aérienne calcique d’autre part. En outre, d’importants programmes de recherche et des retours d’expériences positifs ont permis de mieux explorer et caractériser les performances des sols traités et d’en tirer un meilleur profit. Le nouveau Bulletin 195 couvre l’utilisation des sols cimentés dans la réalisation d’ouvrages hydrauliques. S’il s’appuie sur le Bulletin 54 exclusivement consacré au ciment, il le complète avec l’utilisation de la chaux aérienne calcique, permettant ainsi d’élargir le champ d’application de la technique au traitement des sols limono-argileux. S’agissant de la valorisation de matériaux naturels, donc non élaborés, il insiste particulièrement sur l’importance des études préalables : reconnaissance des gisements et études en laboratoire. Profitant de l’expérience acquise dans les infrastructures de transport, il étend largement l’utilisation des sols traités à d’autres applications que les protections de talus amont, notamment aux barrages homogènes de hauteur moyenne (jusqu’à 30 m de haut), aux barrages zonés et aux digues. Il fournit des recommandations utiles pour la conception, la construction et la réparation des barrages et des digues faisant usage de sols cimentés.

Background: Subjective symptoms, which are retrospectively assessed during clinical interviews in the office, may be influenced by patient recall in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Prospective collection of subjective data might be an effective tool to overcome this bias.Objective: We investigated the correspondence between prospectively and retrospectively assessed motor symptoms in PD.Methods: Forty-two consecutive patients (9 females, 67±9.8 years old) with mild to moderate PD reported their symptoms four times a day for two weeks, using the “SleepFit” application (app) for tablets. This app incorporates a new Visual Analogue Scale assessing global mobility (m-VAS), and the Scales for Outcome in Parkinson Assessment Diary Card (SCOPA-DC). At day 14, the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) parts II and IV questionnaires were completed at the hospital. Agreement (root mean square difference) and the tendency to under- or overestimate their symptoms by patients (relative difference after normalization) were calculated to compare prospectively vs. retrospectively collected information.Results: Although agreement was good for overall scores (m-VAS: 10.0%; SCOPA-DC: 18.3%), and for single motor symptoms (involuntary movements, hand dexterity, walking, changing position; each <20%), some individuals with more advanced disease, higher fatigue or worse sleep quality showed poor symptom recall in retrospect. Moreover, a subgroup of patients (16.7%) either over- or underestimated symptom severity.Conclusions: Regular, prospective monitoring of motor symptoms is suitable in PD patients. SleepFitmight be a useful tool in routine practice to identify patients tending to under- or overestimate their symptoms, and for their follow-up.

Previous studies have reported the arylation of unactivated arenes with ArX, base (KOtBu or NaOtBu), and an organic additive at high temperatures. Recently, we showed that this reaction proceeds in the absence of additives at rt but employs UV–vis light. However, details of mechanisms that can use a photoinduced base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution reaction (photo-BHAS) have remained elusive until now. This work examines different mechanistic routes of the essential electron-transfer step (ET) of this reaction in order to identify a possible path for the formation of 1-adamantyl radicals from 1-haloadamantanes (initiation step). On the basis of photochemical and photophysical experiments and computational studies, we propose an unprecedented initiation step that could also be applied to other ET reactions performed in DMSO. For the first time, it is reported that dimsyl anion, formed from a strong base and DMSO (solvent), is responsible for inducing the initiation by a photo-BHAS process on alkyl halides.

A novel approach for the synthesis of tetracyclic indoles and 7-azaindoles is reported. The strategy involves four steps, with a fast rt intramolecular α-arylation of ketones as key step. The reaction was inspected synthetically to achieve the synthesis of 11 novel tetracyclic structures with moderate to very good yields (39–85%). Theoretical combined with experimental studies led us to propose a probable polar mechanism (concerted SNAr).

Disruption of subthalamic nucleus dynamics in Parkinson’s disease leads to impairments during walking. Here, we aimed to uncover the principles through which the subthalamic nucleus encodes functional and dysfunctional walking in people with Parkinson’s disease. We conceived a neurorobotic platform embedding an isokinetic dynamometric chair that allowed us to deconstruct key components of walking under well-controlled conditions. We exploited this platform in 18 patients with Parkinson’s disease to demonstrate that the subthalamic nucleus encodes the initiation, termination, and amplitude of leg muscle activation. We found that the same fundamental principles determine the encoding of leg muscle synergies during standing and walking. We translated this understanding into a machine learning framework that decoded muscle activation, walking states, locomotor vigor, and freezing of gait. These results expose key principles through which subthalamic nucleus dynamics encode walking, opening the possibility to operate neuroprosthetic systems with these signals to improve walking in people with Parkinson’s disease.

This paper presents a series of challenges for developing mobile health solutions for mental health as a result of MONARCA project three-year activities. The lessons learnt on the design, development and evaluation of a mobile health system for supporting the treatment of bipolar disorder. The findings presented here are the result of over 3 years of activity within the MONARCA EU project. The challenges listed and detailed in this paper may be used in future research as a starting point for identifying important non-functional requirements involved in mobile health provisioning that are fundamental for the successful implementation of mobile health services in real life contexts.

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Impurity accumulation has been observed in many tokamak plasma experiments and predicted by collisional transport theory. However in most experimental cases observed transport departs from the collisional predictions ('anomalous transport'), admittedly due to turbulent effects. Diffusion is used as a criterion to assess the relative contributions of collisions and turbulence to observed impurity transport in the published literature. In the ITER relevant confinement modes (H-mode and internal transport barrier scenarios) turbulence always contributes but with large variations. The predicted parametric dependences of impurity transport are reviewed when available. Information on turbulent diffusion is scarce. Predicted collisional and turbulent convection velocities can be directed either inwards or outwards. The collisional predictions match satisfactorily a number of observations. Theoretical predictions of the turbulent convection velocity including recent quasilinear gyrokinetic results are in qualitative agreement with a dedicated experiment. This is only a first step toward a complete validation of the turbulent impurity convection theoretical models and predictive modelling of impurity transport in tokamaks.

The radical cations from 2,2,3,3-tetraphenylthiirane (1a), 2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,3-diphenylthiirane (1b), and trans-2,3-diphenylthiirane (1c) have been generated by photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions with tetranitromethane [C(NO2)4] and chloranil (CA). A charge-transfer complexe (CTC) absorption is observed by UV/Vis spectroscopy between thiiranes (1) and C(NO2)4. On the other hand, quenching studies with azulene suggest that the ET reaction occurs between thiiranes and the triplet CA (3CA). The photochemical reaction of the CTC between thiiranes 1 and C(NO2)4 yields mainly the corresponding alkenes from the fragmentation of the radical-cation intermediate 1·+, together with the products derived from nitration on the phenyl rings. However, oxygen transfer to afford the sulfoxides is not found. A marked solvent effect is observed in this reaction, with cage coupling favored in CH2Cl2 (nitration derivatives as primary products) and non-cage coupling observed in CH3CN (the alkene as the primary product). The PET reactions between 1a–b and CA, in the presence of CH3OH (or another possible oxygen-centered nucleophile), give the ketone derivatives through ring opening, followed by oxidative cleavage. Conversely, under the same experimental conditions, the thiirane 1c affords only trans-stilbene 2c. This different behavior is ascribed to a different spin density in the corresponding singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) of the radical cation. For 1c+·, the spin density is concentrated at the sulfur atom, whereas for 1a·+ and 1b·+, the charge is distributed onto the aromatic rings. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)

A tokamak plasma with internal transport barriers (ITBs) is the best candidate for a steady ITER operation, since the high energy confinement allows working at plasma currents (Ip) lower than the reference scenario. To build and sustain an ITB at the ITER high density (1020 m−3) and largely dominant electron (e−) heating is not trivial in most existing tokamaks. FTU can instead meet both requests, thanks to its radiofrequency heating systems, lower hybrid (LH, up to 1.9 MW) and electron cyclotron (EC up to 1.2 MW). By the combined use of them, ITBs are obtained up to peak densities ne0 > 1.3 × 1020 m−3, with central e− temperatures Te0 ≈ 5.5 keV, and are sustained for as long as the heating pulse is applied (>35 confinement times, τE). At ne0 ≈ 0.8 × 1020 m−3Te0 can be larger than 11 keV. Almost full current drive (CD) and an overall good steadiness is attained within about one τE, 20 times faster than the ohmic current relaxation time. The ITB extends over a central region with an almost flat or slightly reversed q profile and qmin ≈ 1.3 that is fully sustained by off-axis lower hybrid current drive. Consequent to this is the beneficial good alignment of the bootstrap current, generated by the ITB large pressure gradients, with the LH driven current. Reflectometry shows a clear change in the turbulence close to the ITB radius, consistent with the reduced e− transport. Ions (i+) are significantly heated via collisions, but thermal equilibrium with electrons cannot be attained since the e−–i+ equipartition time is always 4–5 times longer than τE. No degradation of the overall ion transport, rather a reduction of the i+ heat diffusivity, is observed inside the ITB. The global confinement has been improved up to 1.6 times over the scaling predictions. The ITB radius can be controlled by adjusting the LH power deposition profile that is affected mostly by the q value of the discharge, while the ITB strength can be varied through central EC heating. FTU experiments have shown that ITER-like e-ITBs are achievable.

A tokamak plasma with internal transport barriers (ITBs) is the best candidate for a steady ITER operation, since the high energy confinement allows working at plasma currents (Ip) lower than the reference scenario. To build and sustain an ITB at the ITER high density (?1020?m?3) and largely dominant electron (e?) heating is not trivial in most existing tokamaks. FTU can instead meet both requests, thanks to its radiofrequency heating systems, lower hybrid (LH, up to 1.9?MW) and electron cyclotron (EC up to 1.2?MW). By the combined use of them, ITBs are obtained up to peak densities ne0> 1.3 × 1020?m?3, with central e?temperatures Te0? 5.5?keV, and are sustained for as long as the heating pulse is applied (>35 confinement times, ?E). At ne0? 0.8 × 1020?m?3Te0can be larger than 11?keV. Almost full current drive (CD) and an overall good steadiness is attained within about one ?E, 20 times faster than the ohmic current relaxation time. The ITB extends over a central region with an almost flat or slightly reversed qprofile and qmin? 1.3 that is fully sustained by off-axis lower hybrid current drive. Consequent to this is the beneficial good alignment of the bootstrap current, generated by the ITB large pressure gradients, with the LH driven current. Reflectometry shows a clear change in the turbulence close to the ITB radius, consistent with the reduced e?transport. Ions (i+) are significantly heated via collisions, but thermal equilibrium with electrons cannot be attained since the e?-i+equipartition time is always 4-5 times longer than ?E. No degradation of the overall ion transport, rather a reduction of the i+heat diffusivity, is observed inside the ITB. The global confinement has been improved up to 1.6 times over the scaling predictions. The ITB radius can be controlled by adjusting the LH power deposition profile that is affected mostly by the qvalue of the discharge, while the ITB strength can be varied through central EC heating. FTU experiments have shown that ITER-like e-ITBs are achievable.

Experiments performed at JET during the past two years show that, in high triangularity H-mode plasmas with Ip = 2.5 MA, ne/nGr ≈ 1.0, it is possible to radiate separately up to ≈40% of the total injected power on closed flux surfaces in the pedestal region (argon seeding) and up to ≈50% of the injected power in the divertor region (nitrogen seeding), while maintaining the confinement improvement factor at the value required for ITER, H98(y, 2) ≈ 1.0. The total radiated power fraction achieved in both cases (65–70%) is close to that required for ITER. However, Type I ELMs observed with impurity seeding have the same characteristics as that observed in reference pulses without seeding: decreasing plasma energy loss per ELM with increasing pedestal collisionality. One has to reach the Type III ELM regime to decrease the transient heat load to the divertor to acceptable values for ITER, although at the expense of confinement. The feasibility of an integrated scenario with Type-III ELMs, and q95 = 2.6 to compensate for the low H factor, has been demonstrated on JET. This scenario would meet ITER requirements at 17 MA provided that the IPB98 scaling for energy content is accurate enough, and provided that a lower dilution is obtained when operating at higher absolute electron density.

An overview of the FTU results during the period 2003–4 is presented. A prototype ITER-relevant lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) launcher, the passive active multijunction, has been successfully tested (f = 8 GHz) showing high power handling and good coupling properties and current drive comparable to those of a conventional launcher. Effective electron and ion heating (via collisions) have been achieved with the 140 GHz ECRH systems up to 1.5 MW, as well as current drive (25 kA at ne0 = 8 × 1019 m−3). The mitigation of disruptions has been studied with on-axis ECRH. Ion Bernstein wave studies have shown the importance of recycling in achieving improved confinement plasmas. Advanced tokamak scenarios are presented including repetitive pellet enhanced plasmas and electron internal transport barriers (e-ITBs). Very peaked density profiles have been achieved with a low speed vertical pellet injector located at about mid-radius on the high field side. The performance is comparable to that achieved with a high-speed horizontal pellet injector. Possible reasons for this behaviour are discussed, among them the presence of an ‘MHD’ drift once particles reach the q = 1 surface. The effect of peaked density profiles on confinement is discussed. Electron ITBs can be produced at high density in FTU with LHCD only and with the combined use of LHCD and ECRH: Te0 = 6 keV with ne0 = 1.4 × 1020 m−3 and H97 = 1.6. Turbulence is strongly reduced. Ions are heated by collisions with ΔTi/Ti up to 35% showing that e-ITBs are not degraded by the electron–ion collisions. Particle pinch studies have been made at high densities in full current drive conditions where the Ware pinch plays no role. An anomalous inward pinch exists even at these high densities (ne0 = 1.5 × 1020 m−3). Despite the absence of energetic particles in FTU, MHD spectroscopy has revealed high frequency modes (30–80 kHz) that might have consequences for burning plasmas.

To test for the intermediacy of sulfide radical cations in biomimetic and enzymatic oxidations, the sulfides PhSCH3 (1a), PhSCH2Ph (1b), PhSCHPh2 (1c), PhSCPh3 (1d), CH3SCHPh2 (2), PhSCH2CH=CH2 (3), PhSCH2CH=CHPh (4) and CH3SCH2CH=CHPh (5) were studied, and their results were compared to those obtained for the corresponding chemical electron transfer (CET) and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) oxidations. The radical cations generated from 3−5 by CET in the presence of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) yielded only fragmentation products from the alkyl cations and the thiyl radicals (RS·), whereas 2·+ afforded both fragmentation and mainly α-deprotonation products. Photochemical treatment of the sulfides 1a and 1b with C(NO2)4 gave only the corresponding sulfoxides, while fragmentation was the main pathway for the photoreactions of 1c, 2 and 5, and for 1d only this latter process was observed. These results support our selection of the sulfides RSCHPh2, RSCH2CH=CHPh (R = Me, Ph) and PhSCPh3 as models for the biomimetic and enzymatic studies. As evidenced by the sulfoxides and sulfones detected as unique products both in protic and in aprotic solvents, it is proposed that the mechanism of the biomimetic sulfoxidations of sulfides 1c and 2−5 by TPPFeIIICl is direct oxygen transfer. Three enzymes − Coprinus cinereus peroxidase (CiP), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and chloroperoxidase (CPO) − were studied in the oxidation of sulfides 1a, 2, 4 and 5. The use of a racemic alkyl hydroperoxide in the CiP enzymatic oxidation of sulfides 5 and 2 yielded the corresponding sulfoxides (23 and 29%) and the aldehyde or benzophenone (5%), respectively. These results suggest the involvement of an ET process for the CiP-catalysed oxidation. Fragmentation products were observed in the enzymatic oxidation of sulfide 4 with HRP, which confirms the previously proposed ET mechanism. On the other hand, the CPO-enzymatic oxidation of sulfide 5 yielded only the corresponding sulfoxide, as would be expected for a direct oxygen-transfer or oxene mechanism. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)

AbstractThe design of diagnostics for the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) is challenging because of the compactness of the machine (8-cm-wide ports) and the low operating temperatures requiring the presence of a cryostat. Nevertheless, a rather complete diagnostic system has been progressively installed. The basic systems include a set of magnetic probes, various visible and ultraviolet spectrometers, electron cyclotron emission (ECE) for electron temperature profiles measurements and electron tails monitoring, far-infrared and CO2interferometry, X-ray (soft and hard) measurements, a multichord neutron diagnostics (with different type detectors), and a Thomson scattering system. Some diagnostics specific to the FTU physics program have been used such as microwave reflectometry for turbulence studies, edge-scanning Langmuir probes for radio-frequency coupling assessment, oblique ECE, and a fast electron bremsstrahlung (FEB) camera for lower hybrid current drive-induced fast electron tails.These systems are briefly reviewed in this paper. Further developments including a scanning CO2laser two-color interferometer, two FEB cameras for tomographic analysis, a motional Stark effect system, and a collective Thomson scattering system are also described.

Self-consistent modelling of energy and particle transport of the plasma background and impurities has been performed with the code RITM for argon seeded high density H-mode plasmas in JET. The code can reproduce both the profiles in the plasma core and the structure of the edge pedestal. The impact of argon on core transport is found to be small; in particular, no significant change in confinement is observed in both experimental and modelling results. The same transport model, which has been used to reproduce density peaking in the radiative improved mode in TEXTOR, reveals a flat density profile in Ar seeded JET H-mode plasmas in agreement with the experimental observations. This behaviour is attributed to the rather flat profile of the safety factor in the bulk of H-mode discharges.

In JET, Ar seeding has proven to be a successful means to reach quasi-stationary regimes that feature, simultaneously, high density, high confinement and an edge radiation belt without significant contamination of the plasma. A detailed analysis shows that in the presence of centrally deposited ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) Ar transport is modified, in the sense of a reduction of the inward pinch convection. Sawtooth (ST) crashes also hamper the accumulation of Ar in the core, though their contribution is less relevant compared to the effect of the ICRH. The analysis is carried out by means of a one-dimensional impurity transport code, which has been applied to several Ar-seeded discharges. The result about the role of ST crashes is independent of triangularity. In the high triangularity discharges, with continuous D refuelling, the convection of impurities in the core region is typically very small so that ICRH injection itself has little relevance in the control of the Ar behaviour.

Impurity injection in the JET ELMy H-mode regime has produced high-confinement, quasi-steady-state plasmas with densities close to the Greenwald density. However, at large Ar densities, a sudden loss of confinement is observed. A possible correlation between loss of confinement and the observed MHD phenomena, both in the core and in the edge of the plasma, was considered. The degradation in confinement coincided with impurity profile peaking following the disappearance of sawtooth activity. In addition, impurity density profile analysis confirmed that central MHD modes prevented impurity peaking. Experiments were designed to understand the role of sawtooth crashes in re-distributing impurities. Ion-cyclotron radio frequency heating was used to control the central q-profile and maintain sawtooth activity. This resulted in quasi-steady-state, high-performance plasmas with high Ar densities. At _E, were now maintained for the duration of the heating (Δ t ~ 9τ _E). The increased central heating may have an additional beneficial effect in opposing impurity accumulation by changing the core power balance and modifying the impurity transport as predicted by neo-classical theory.

Scaling to larger tokamaks of high confinement plasmas with radiating edges, induced by impurities, is being studied through internationally collaborative experiments on JET. In campaigns till the end of 2000, three different regimes have been explored. A small number of limiter L-mode discharges seeded with neon have most closely repeated the approach used on TEXTOR-94, but different collisionality and particle transport in JET impede central peaking of the density associated with improved confinement. Divertor L-modes at intermediate density, again with neon injection, have pursued transiently enhanced states found on DIII-D. Confinement up to H-mode quality, together with radiation fractions of &approx;40&percent;, have briefly been obtained, though central Z_eff quickly increases. Most effectively, neon and argon seeding of higher density ELMy H-modes formed mainly at low triangularity on the septum of the MkIIGB divertor, resembling a pumped-limiter arrangement, have been examined. Good confinement has been sustained at densities close to the Greenwald level in `afterpuff' (AP) phases following the end of main gas fuelling, for little change of central Z<sub>eff</sub> but up to &approx;60&percent; radiation. Outstanding normalized properties up to H<sub>97</sub>&equal;0.99 at f<sub>Gwd</sub>&equal;0.94 have thus been achieved, above the conventional H-mode density limit for diverted plasmas. Stationarity of states has also been extended to many energy confinement times by including low, extra gas inputs in the `AP', suggestive of an optimized fuelling scheme. Further development in 2001 is reported separately in [1]. Accompanying ELMs are generally reduced in frequency though not evidently in size, electron pedestal pressure being almost unchanged from unseeded behaviour. There are indications of the most favourable impurity species scaling with plasma parameters, performance, radiation and its concentration within a mantle all increasing with argon compared to neon in JET. These benefits in terms of integrated properties are just as required for long burning pulses in ITER, supporting its use of a radiating mantle to assist not only power exhaust but performance too. Impurity-seeded H-modes can therefore contribute directly to next-step scenario development.

ABSTRACTA field study was conducted to determine the natural biological control and key mortality factors of the pickleworm, Diaphania nitidalisStoll (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), in two cucumber varieties. Field data for mortality factors were used to construct an ecological life table for this pest. Predation by Paratrechinasp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and parasitism by Trichogramma pretiosumRiley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) were the most important mortality factors for the egg stage of D. nitidalis, whereas the most important factor for the pupal stage was predation by Labidus coecusLatr. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Larval phase was the critical mortality stage, and third and fifth instars were the critical mortality ones. Key mortality factors of D. nitidaliswere predation of its larva by Polybia ignobillisHaliday (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in the third instar and impact of rainfall during fifth instar.

The characteristics of the impurity transport in the RFX reversed field pinch experiment during enhanced confinement regimes, such as those obtained performing pulsed poloidal current drive and oscillating poloidal current drive, have been investigated. It is found that during the enhanced confinement period, the ratio between the Ly α line of C VI and the resonance line of C V increases systematically well beyond the expected enhancement due to the temperature improvement. Experimental data have been reproduced by means of a one-dimensional, time dependent, collisional–radiative impurity transport code, which simulates several C and O lines, continuum emission and radiated power. In standard RFX plasmas the typical diffusion coefficient is ~20 m² s⁻¹ at the plasma centre decreasing to ~1 m² s⁻¹ at the edge. Best simulations of the spectroscopic data during the enhancement confinement phases are obtained by expanding the low diffusion region at the edge from r/a&equal;0.9 to r/a&equal;0.8±0.05 and shrinking the neutral density profile at the edge.

The design value for ITER is based on operation at n/n_GW = 0.85, β_n = 1.8 and H98(y,2) = 1. These values have been routinely achieved in JET in argon seeded ELMy H-mode discharges in different divertor configurations and with different triangularities. Two main scenarios are emerging from the experiments. First, low triangularity (δ_u = 0.19) in septum configuration. In this case large D₂ fuelling rates lead to confinement degradation towards L-mode. The seeding of Ar during the D₂ fuelling phase gives rise to a density close to the Greenwald value. After the switch-off of the D₂ gas fuelling (`afterpuff' phase), the confinement recovers to H-mode quality whereas the density stays near the value reached at the end of the main fuelling phase and Z<sub>eff</sub> stays close to or below 2. Acting on the refuelling of Ar and D<sub>2</sub> in the `afterpuff' phase allows us to improve the stationarity of the high performance phase while maintaining up to the end of the heating phase the good confinement, density and radiation level. Second, high triangularity (δ_u = 0.45) in vertical target configuration. In this case large fuelling rates do not lead to strong confinement degradation and the D₂ fuelling is applied continuously throughout the discharge. A radiated power fraction of up to 70 %, H98(y,2) = 0.9 at β_n = 2.1 and n = 1.15n_GW - together with the formation of a radiating mantle and moderate Z_eff - are achieved in this scenario. Furthermore, there are indications of significantly reduced heat load on the divertor target plates.

This paper addresses the issues of impurity behaviour during the argon seeding experiments in JET, in which argon and D₂ have been simultaneously puffed in ELMy H-mode discharges to reach high density regimes, maintaining good confinement properties throughout the plasma discharge. The analysis is based mainly on a 1-D impurity diffusion model, which evaluates the impurity transport coefficients in three experimental scenarios. The available experimental data include, as a function of the time, the brightnesses of the soft x-rays and of several impurity lines, the effective charge Z_eff, the profiles of the radiated power and the fully stripped Ar and C ion densities from charge-exchange recombination. From the simulation of these data it is possible to characterize the considered scenarios in terms of high-Z ion increase in the plasma centre and high radiation from the edge. In particular, it has been found that the configuration at high triangularity with continuous D₂ puffing, characterized by an outward impurity pinch velocity, features flat or slightly hollow impurity ion profiles and high radiation from a narrow region at the edge, possibly associated to the presence of a significant neutral density. In this case an edge radiative mantle is established without high radiation from the plasma centre.

Plasma performance in reversed field pinch (RFP) devices, as in the tokamak, is strongly affected by neutrals at the edge. So far only a few experiments have been dedicated to an active control of the neutral particle using conventional solutions of axisymmetric magnetic divertors or throat limiters. The alternative `vented pump limiter' concept is more attractive for an RFP experiment due to the edge plasma and confinement properties of this magnetic configuration. In this paper, the application of a vented pump limiter to an RFP is discussed and the prototype module of the vented pump limiter designed for the RFX experiment is presented. Finally, the optimization of this concept for a next step RFP device is presented.