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Nuclear fusion is one of the most attractive alternatives to carbon-dependent energy sources

Disruption prediction and avoidance is a critical need for next-step tokamaks, such as ITER. Disruption Event Characterization and Forecasting (DECAF) research fully automates analysis of tokamak data to determine chains of events that lead to disruptions and to forecast their evolution allowing sufficient time for mitigation or complete avoidance of the disruption. Disruption event chains related to local rotating or global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes and vertical instability are examined with warnings issued for many off-normal physics events, including density limits, plasma dynamics, confinement transitions, and profile variations. Along with Greenwald density limit evaluation, a local radiative island power balance theory is evaluated and compared to the observation of island growth. Automated decomposition and analysis of rotating tearing modes produce physical event chains leading to disruptions. A total MHD state warning model comprised of 15 separate criteria produces a disruption forecast about 180 ms before a standard locked mode detector warning. Single DECAF event analyses have begun on KSTAR, MAST, and NSTX/-U databases with thousands of shot seconds of device operation using from 0.5 to 1 × 106 tested sample times per device. An initial multi-device database comparison illustrates a highly important result that plasma disruptivity does not need to increase as βN increases. Global MHD instabilities, such as resistive wall modes (RWMs), can give the briefest time period of warning before disruption compared to other physics events. In an NSTX database with unstable RWMs, the mode onset, loss of boundary and current control, and disruption event warnings are found in all cases and vertical displacement events are found in 91% of cases. An initial time-dependent reduced physics model of kinetic RWM stabilization created to forecast the disruption chain predicts instability 84% of the time for experimentally unstable cases with a relatively low false positive rate. Instances of the disruption event chain analysis illustrate dynamics including H–L back transitions for rotating MHD and global RWM triggering events. Disruption warnings are issued with sufficient time before the disruption (on transport timescales) to potentially allow active profile control for disruption avoidance, active mode control, or mitigation.

Charge exchange spectroscopy has been widely used in fusion devices to measure ion temperature, and toroidal and poloidal flow velocities of plasma. For local measurement, especially in the core re...

Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) program has made significant advances in the development of long pulse and high-performance plasma scenarios, utilizing the advantages of the fully superconducting tokamak. Ten years of KSTAR operation have produced outstanding progress in plasma control, extending the operating window of the plasma discharges, and achieving the H-mode up to 1.2 MA in plasma current, up to 90 s at top duration, and up to 2.16 in elongation. The unique features of the KSTAR device also produced a record 30 s long pulse in H-mode operation without an edge-localized-mode (ELM) crash, and progress in the fundamental transport physics through systematic study, using unique diagnostic capabilities. Therefore, the next near-term research focus will be on how to extend the high performance plasmas up to 300 s by overcoming scientific and engineering obstacles to steady state operation. For fusion reactors, the tokamak device needs to sustain a permanent plasma current. It is also known that the bootstrap current should play an important role in the plasma current for an efficient fusion reactor, and its contribution should be over as high as possible. An internal transport barrier discharge based on the reverse shear profile of the safety factor is one of the promising candidates for enhancing the bootstrap current. However, even in reverse shear mode, an additional external off axis current drive (CD) should be provided to control the current profile, as well as to supplement the plasma current. KSTAR has pursued steady state to operation, aiming for a fully non inductive state, based on real time (RT) plasma control by maximizing the long pulse capabilities of the superconducting machine. In order to deposit current at an arbitrary position, the first requirement is to have many highly efficient CD actuators capable of profile diversity. KSTAR has prepared several RF CD portfolios in addition to a conventional on and off axis CD neutral beam injection (NBI) system. The final target of an off axis current drive will be a 4 MW off-axis NB, 8 MW on-axis NB, 6 MW electron cyclotron heating (ECH), and 4 MW radio frequency heating and current drive (RFHCD) (ion cyclotron (IC), lower hybrid (LH), Helicon CD). In addition, as a long-term goal, demonstrating a long pulse core edge compatible plasma in a reactor relevant condition is important in present medium size tokamak, since it is expected to sustain a very high pressure pedestal height plasma using super H-mode, with parallel upgrades of the superconducting toroidal field (TF) coils.

A fast-ion Dα (FIDA) diagnostics system was installed for core and edge measurements on KSTAR. This system has two tangential FIDA arrays that cover both blue- and redshifted Dα lines (cold: 656.09 nm) in active views along the neutral beam 1 A centerline. The spectral band is 647-662.5 nm, and it covers the Doppler shift of the emission from the maximum energy of the neutral beam (100 keV). A curved filter strip with a motorized stage adequately prevents saturation of the electron multiplying charge-coupled device signal by the cold Dα line from the plasma edge. From comparisons of the measured spectra and FIDASIM modeling code, the FIDA spectra are well matched quantitatively. Moreover, the first measurements show that the FIDA radiance agrees with the neutron rate in the time trace during external heating and perturbation. In addition, responses are observed in the core FIDA radiance during the edge-localized mode cycle.

A small nonaxisymmetric (3D) magnetic field can induce nonambipolar transport of the particle species confined in a tokamak and thus a significant change of plasma rotation. This process can be in a favor of instability control in the region where the tokamak plasma is sufficiently collisional and resistive, as observed in the applications of n=1 resonant magnetic perturbations to the KSTAR tokamak. The plasma rotation can be globally accelerated due to radially drifting electrons and constrained to the electron root, if the radial transport is enhanced by an amplified 3D response. This mechanism is verified by a kinetically self-consistent magnetohydrodynamic modeling for both response and transport, which offers the quantitative explanations on the internal n=1 structure detected by electron-cyclotron-emission imaging and the cocurrent plasma spinning observed in the experiments.

A fast-ion Dα (FIDA) diagnostics system was installed for core and edge measurements on KSTAR. This system has two tangential FIDA arrays that cover both blue- and redshifted Dα lines (cold: 656.09 nm) in active views along the neutral beam 1 A centerline. The spectral band is 647–662.5 nm, and it covers the Doppler shift of the emission from the maximum energy of the neutral beam (100 keV). A curved filter strip with a motorized stage adequately prevents saturation of the electron multiplying charge-coupled device signal by the cold Dα line from the plasma edge. From comparisons of the measured spectra and FIDASIM modeling code, the FIDA spectra are well matched quantitatively. Moreover, the first measurements show that the FIDA radiance agrees with the neutron rate in the time trace during external heating and perturbation. In addition, responses are observed in the core FIDA radiance during the edge-localized mode cycle.

P2Y receptor activation causes the release of inflammatory cytokines in the bronchial epithelium, whereas G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), a novel estrogen (E2) receptor, may play an anti-inflammatory role in this process. We investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effect of GPER activation on the P2Y receptor-mediated Ca2+ signaling pathway and cytokine production in airway epithelia. Expression of GPER in primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) or 16HBE14o- cells was confirmed on both the mRNA and protein levels. Stimulation of HBE or 16HBE14o- cells with E2 or G1, a specific agonist of GPER, attenuated the nucleotide-evoked increases in [Ca2+]i, whereas this effect was reversed by G15, a GPER-specific antagonist. G1 inhibited the secretion of two proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, in cells stimulated by adenosine 5′-(γ-thio)triphosphate (ATPγS). G1 stimulated a real-time increase in cAMP levels in 16HBE14o- cells, which could be inhibited by adenylyl cyclase inhibitors. The inhibitory effects of E2 or G1 on P2Y receptor-induced increases in Ca2+ were reversed by treating the cells with a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. These results demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of G1 or E2 on P2Y receptor-mediated Ca2+ mobilization and cytokine secretion were due to GPER-mediated activation of a cAMP-dependent PKA pathway. This study has reported, for the first time, the expression and function of GPER as an anti-inflammatory component in human bronchial epithelia, which may mediate through its opposing effects on the pro‐inflammatory pathway activated by the P2Y receptors in inflamed airway epithelia. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00424-016-1840-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device is aimed at advanced tokamak (AT) research. Three years have passed since it achieved its first plasma in 2008. Because it is a superconducting machine and is working toward AT research, it has unique features in terms of the machine engineering and operation. The toroidal field (TF) magnet coils are made of Nb3Sn, which provide high TFs up to 3.5 T, and have been fully tested. The poloidal field (PF) magnet coils, consisting of both Nb3Sn and NbTi, which have a maximum current of 25 kA in their design, were tested up to 15 kA. A thermal hydraulic analysis is being conducted for PF magnet coil operation. All plasma-facing components (PFCs) are equipped with water cooled graphite tiles and have the capability of being baked up to 350°C. A startup scenario, which considered both the effect of the ferromagnetic material in the cable in conduit conductor jacket of the magnet coils as well as a nonferromagnetic up-down asymmetry in the cryostat structure, was developed and demonstrated its effectiveness by the last two year's reliable operations. Passive stabilizers and in-vessel control coils (IVCCs) are key components to realize AT operation in KSTAR. The segmented IVCC coils were connected to form circular coils for internal vertical control in 2010, and diverted plasmas with high elongation (κ~1.8, δ>;0.6) were achieved. A neutral beam injection (NBI) system was developed aiming at 2 MW, 300 s per ion source which meets the long-pulse requirement of KSTAR. An NBI ion source with a power of 1.7 MW at 100 kV has been commissioned for 10 s. Finally, ELMy H-modes were successfully produced with 1.3-MW NBI power at a plasma current of 0.6 MA in the 2010 campaign. The first H-mode discharge (#4200) in KSTAR was achieved one year earlier than officially planned and was done at BT = 2 T with Ip = 0.6 MA in a well-balanced double null configuration after boronization on the PFC. Successful operations in the early days of KSTAR including H-mode experiments revealed the capability of advanced and steady-state operation which is essential for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) and future fusion reactors.

The charge exchange spectroscopy (CES) system for the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device is designed to obtain profiles of the ion temperature and rotation velocity by using modulated neutral beam injection and a background system. The CES diagnostic will measure the ion temperature of carbon and other impurities, in conjunction with the neutral heating beam in KSTAR. The visible light from the plasma will be concentrated via collection optics, assembled, and imaged onto quartz fibers. We show the progress of the KSTAR CES diagnostic including the collection assembly, lens design, and cassette system. The KSTAR CES system utilizes a 1.33-m Czerny-Turner spectrometer with variable wavelength. The detector is a thinned back-illuminated charge-coupled device (CCD) that has high quantum efficiency and high readout speed. The spectrometer and CCD detector that will be used in the KSTAR CES system have been tested. Two CES diagnostics systems for KSTAR are compared.

The Hanbit mirror device has been renovated as Multi-Purpose Plasma (MP2) facility for the divertor plasma simulation, space propulsion, and astrophysical researches. The intensity ratios of He I e...

Cavendish banana cv. Formosana is a high yielding commercial cultivar resistant to race 4 of Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. cubense. Mass micropropagation of this cultivar has a serious problem of high mortality due to lethal browning of plantlets. The mineral contents in leaves and corms of diseased and healthy plantlets were similar. Amendment of culture medium with anion exchange resins, cation exchange resins, polyvinylpyrrolidone or activated charcoal did not reduce the disease incidence. However, addition of ascorbic acid to the surface of culture medium not only prevented the development of lethal browning but also greatly increased the number of plantlets produced. Even at 0.005% ascorbic acid was able to reduce the disease incidence by more than 60% and caused over 8-fold increase in number of plantlets produced. When cultures raised from 12 different Formosana corms were tested, ascorbic acid was able to reduce disease incidence by an average of 83%, and increase the number of plantlets in each test. When diseased plantlets were transferred to culture medium with ascorbic acid, all of them recovered, and resumed normal growth and multiplication, while all control plantlets on culture medium without ascorbic acid died after one month.

Background and purpose: Experiments were designed to determine the mechanism of the relaxation induced by tamoxifen in porcine coronary arteries at the tissue, cellular and molecular levels. Experimental approach: Porcine left circumflex coronary arteries were isolated and isometric tension was measured. [Ca2+]i in native endothelial cells of intact arteries was determined by a calcium fluorescence imaging technique and eNOS ser1177 phosphorylation was assayed by Western blotting. Key results: Tamoxifen induced an endothelium-dependent relaxation that was antagonized by ICI 182,780 and abolished by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or 1H-[1,2,4]oxadizolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ). L-Arginine reversed the effect of L-NAME while indomethacin was without effect. Tamoxifen-induced relaxation was attenuated by charybdotoxin (CTX) plus apamin, ouabain or by incubation in a K+-free solution. Moreover, tamoxifen triggered extracellular Ca2+-dependent increases in endothelial [Ca2+]i and this effect was abolished by ICI 182,780. Endothelium-independent relaxation to sodium nitroprusside was also inhibited by ouabain or in a K+-free solution. Furthermore, tamoxifen increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation at Ser-1177 and ICI 182,780 prevented this effect. Conclusions and Implications: The present results suggest that tamoxifen mainly induces endothelium-dependent relaxation and that endothelial nitric oxide (NO) is the primary mediator of this effect. NO-dependent responses may result from elevated [Ca2+]i in endothelial cells; an effect abolished by ICI 182,780. NO activates Na+/K+-ATPase in vascular smooth muscle, leading to relaxation. These results suggest that tamoxifen is able to modulate eNOS phosphorylation directly. British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 149, 703–711. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706921

Background and purpose: Absorptive epithelia express apical receptors that allow nucleotides to inhibit Na+ transport but ATP unexpectedly stimulated this process in an absorptive cell line derived from human bronchiolar epithelium (H441 cells) whilst UTP consistently caused inhibition. We have therefore examined the pharmacological basis of this anomalous effect of ATP.

The HANBIT device is a simple mirror-type device of which the length, radius, and magnetic field are about 5 m, 0.18 m, and 0.1-0.3 T, respectively, in the central cell. In HANBIT, two antenna systems are used for the plasma production, heating, and MHD stabilization; one is the slot antenna located near the center region with the maximum power of 500 kW and the typical frequency of 3.5 MHz, and the other DHT antenna located near the mirror throat with the maximum power of 100 kW and the frequency of 3.75 MHz. Recent experimental studies in HANBIT indicate that the slot antenna system can produce stable, high-density plasmas in apparently two different regimes; one is the fast wave regime with the ratio w/Wci∼2 and the other is the slow wave regime with w

During a recent survey of the inoculum source of twig dieback of tea caused by Macrophoma theicola, symptoms of canker were observed on branches of a number of tea cultivars. Most cankered areas contained minute black pycnidia of M. theicola, which ooze white conidial masses in strands when incubated under moist conditions. Macrophoma theicola was also consistently isolated from cankered branches. When healthy branches of tea were inoculated with conidia of M. theicola obtained from diseased branches, cankers similar to those occurring in nature developed in the inoculated areas, and M. theicola was re-isolated from all experimentally induced cankers. Isolates derived from conidia of M. theicola also caused dieback on healthy tea twigs, indicating that fruiting bodies on the cankered branches are the main inoculum source of twig dieback of tea. There was a positive correlation between the severity of twig dieback and the prevalence of branch canker among the tea cultivars surveyed. Six of the cultivars surveyed were highly resistant to M. theicola.

HANBIT is a magnetic mirror confinement device. Recent physics experiments have been mainly focused on identifying discharge characteristics and on getting stable plasma production and operation modes, by using a 500 kW slot antenna system at a fixed RF frequency of 3.5 MHz and varying discharge conditions such as fueling rate, RF power, and B-field intensity in central cell. Two distinct operation modes are found to be very sensitive to the RF power as well as the ratio of the RF frequency to the ion cyclotron frequency. A MHD interchange mode of m = -1 is clearly observed and the stabilizing mechanism can be explained by the sideband coupling theory.

HANBIT is a magnetic mirror confinement device. Recently, after finishing the first campaign for the basic system development, it started the second campaign for high-temperature plasma confinement physics study in a mirror configuration. Here, we introduce briefly the HANBIT device and report initial physics experiment results on RF-plasma heating and confinement in the simple mirror configuration. It appears that the discharge characteristics of HANBIT are quite different from those in other mirror devices, and an explanation is presented to clarify the difference.

Hot electrons have been created in the plug section of the Hanbit tandem mirror in order to allow a test of high-m ballooning stability provided by a high-β hot-electron plasma in a tandem mirror. A rectangular microwave cavity was built to confine the energy from a 2-kW 14-GHz klystron. The cavity was equipped with a diamagnetic loop, a skimmer probe, and bremsstrahlung windows. An end-loss probe has been added in the cusp section in order to study the hot-electron mirror losses from the plug. The end-loss probe contains a Silicon PIN diode that is used to detect the x-rays from fast electrons striking a tantalum radiator. The end-loss probe was scanned radially to determine the radius and radial width of the hot-electron distribution ring for two different magnetic fields. A clear ring is observed for both magnetic fields. Bremsstrahlung measurements have shown the presence of a hot-electron plasma in the plug with an electron temperature in the range of 60 to 120 keV. The temperature with the optimum magnetic field is ∼ 100 keV. Diamagnetic measurements give the total stored energy. Stored-energy measurements combined with the radial dimensions determined by the end-loss detector were used to give the value of beta with assumptions on the plasma length. The average beta value is much less than 1% due to the low power and short heating time.

A brief overview is presented on initial study results of plasma transport and confinement in HANBIT mirror device. The parallel confinement is calculated using a generalized Pastukhov's formula, a...

The HANBIT device is a non axi-symmetric mirror being operated as a national users’ facility. Plasmas are routinely produced by ICRF at 3.5 MHz with a slot antenna with gas puffing and the line-int...

In the KSTAR Tokamak, a “Tangential Thomson Scattering” (TTS) diagnostic system has been designed and installed to measure electron density and temperature profiles. In the edge system, TTS has 12 optical fiber bundles to measure the edge profiles with 10–15 mm spatial resolution. These 12 optical fibers and their spatial resolution are not enough to measure the pedestal width with a high accuracy but allow observations of L-H transition or H-L transitions at the edge. For these measurements, the prototype ITER edge Thomson Nd:YAG laser system manufactured by JAEA in Japan is installed. In this paper, the KSTAR TTS system is briefly described and some TTS edge profiles are presented and compared against the KSTAR Charge Exchange Spectroscopy and other diagnostics. The future upgrade plan of the system is also discussed in this paper.

A multi-chord PEM (photo elastic modulator)-based polarimetric motional Stark effect (MSE) system is under development for the KSTAR tokamak. The conceptual design for the front optics was optimized to preserve not only the polarization state of the input light for the MSE measurements but also the signal intensity of the existing charge exchange spectroscopy (CES) system that will share the front optics with the MSE. The optics design incorporates how to determine the number of channels and the number of fibers for each channel. A dielectric coating will be applied on the mirror to minimize the relative reflectivity and the phase shift between the two orthogonal polarization components of the incident light. Lenses with low stress-birefringence constants will be adopted to minimize non-linear and random changes in the polarization through the lenses, which is a trade-off with the rather high Faraday rotation in the lenses because the latter effect is linear and can be relatively easily calibrated out. Intensive spectrum measurements and their comparisons with the simulated spectra are done to assist the design of the bandpass filter system that will also use tilting stages to remotely control the passband. Following the system installation in 2014, the MSE measurements are expected to be performed during the 2015 KSTAR campaign.

The first phase of the HANBIT project that started in 1996, is ending this year. The goal of the first phase is to establish a decent experimental facility based on the HANBIT mirror device and to ...

Experiments with a spontaneously transformed equine epithelial cell line showed that certain nucleotides increased intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in cells plated on glass coverslips. The rank order of potency was ATP=UTP>5-Br-UTP, whilst UDP and ADP were ineffective. The response thus appears to be mediated by P2Y2 receptors. Nucleotides also increased short circuit current (ISC) in cells grown into epithelial monolayers and the rank order of potency was UDP>UTP>5-Br-UTP>ATP>ADP. The increase in [Ca2+]i and the rise in ISC thus have different pharmacological properties. Cross-desensitization experiments indicated that, as well as P2Y2 receptors, the monolayer cultures express at least one additional receptor population that allowed nucleotides to increase ISC. The UDP-evoked increase in ISC was essentially abolished in BAPTA-loaded epithelia suggesting that this response is dependent upon increased [Ca2+]i. Moreover, experiments in which ISC and [Ca2+]i were measured simultaneously showed that the UDP- and ADP-evoked increases in ISC were accompanied by increases in [Ca2+]i. When grown under conditions which favour the development of a polarized phenotype, these epithelial cells thus appear to express [Ca2+]i-mobilizing receptors sensitive to UDP and ADP that are not present in non-polarized cells on coverslips.

The short circuit current (ISC) technique was used to quantify electrolyte transport by equine cultured sweat gland epithelia. Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) and certain related compounds, caused transient increases in ISC when added to the apical solution. The order of potency was uridine triphosphate (UTP)>ATP>ADP>>AMP=adenosine. The responses to apical nucleotides were due to chloride and bicarbonate secretion and were reduced in pertussis toxin-treated cells. P2-receptors sensitive to uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP), that interact with inhibitory G proteins, therefore appear to be present in the apical membrane. Responses to ATP and UTP were reduced in cells loaded with BAPTA, a calcium chelator. BAPTA attenuated the response to ATP more than the response to UTP suggesting that these nucleotides may not act via a common pathway. Cross-desensitization experiments indicated that two populations of UTP-sensitive receptor were present. One was sensitive to UTP and ATP, whereas the second was sensitive only to UTP. Uridine diphosphate appeared to activate the ATP-insensitive receptor population selectively. These data suggest that apical pyrimidinoceptors may be expressed by these cells. The physiological role of these receptors is unknown but they may allow the autocrine regulation of epithelial function. British Journal of Pharmacology (1997) 121, 150–156; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0701093

One of the important rotational resonances in nonaxisymmetric neoclassical transport has been experimentally validated in the KSTAR tokamak by applying highly nonresonant $n=1$ magnetic perturbations to rapidly rotating plasmas. These so-called bounce-harmonic resonances are expected to occur in the presence of magnetic braking perturbations when the toroidal rotation is fast enough to resonate with periodic parallel motions of trapped particles. The predicted and observed resonant peak along with the toroidal rotation implies that the toroidal rotation in tokamaks can be controlled naturally in favorable conditions to stability, using nonaxisymmetric magnetic perturbations.

Background Fluid secretion by sweat glands in response to heat and exercise is underpinned by increases in intracellular calcium. In horses, this is primarily via β2-adrenoceptors, but studies in equine sweat gland cell lines have indicated a possible role for purinergic agonists. Knowledge of equine sweating stimulus-secretion mechanisms in intact glands from healthy animals would allow future comparison to determine whether these mechanisms are affected in equine anhidrosis. Hypothesis/objectives To determine whether purinergic agonists can induce changes in intracellular calcium in intact, freshly isolated equine sweat glands. Animals Eleven healthy thoroughbred horses from the Hong Kong Jockey Club were used in this study. Methods Freshly isolated equine sweat glands were loaded with the calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 AM, and changes in intracellular calcium were recorded before, during and after stimulation by purinergic agonists. Results Purinergic agonists ATP and UTP generated significant increases in intracellular calcium. Conclusions and clinical importance The results show that it is possible to investigate stimulus-secretion coupling mechanisms by fluorescence imaging in equine sweat glands that have been isolated from fresh skin samples. Such isolated glands retain functional β2-adrenoceptors and P2Y purinergic receptors that couple to a calcium-signalling pathway. Using isolated, intact sweat glands therefore offers a very useful model for the further study of secretory processes in equine sweat glands, and using this experimental approach could facilitate a better understanding of how these mechanisms are affected in equine anhidrosis.

Colony-type stability of asexual progeny of selfed-oospore cultures of Phytophthora cinnamomi was investigated. Progeny were divided into parental type A, types B to E for those different from type A but with a distinct uniform pattern, and type M for those with the overlapping appearance of two different types. Colonies derived from three successive zoospore generations of isolate P630 were of the same parental A type. However, colonies from oospores of the same isolate consisted of types A, B, C, D, E, and M. Some of the oospore cultures of type A or B and all the type M oospore cultures produced zoospores containing more than one type. Oospore cultures of types C, D, or E that were tested produced zoospores with the same colony type as their respective parent. Among the five cultures randomly selected from asexual progeny produced by oospore isolates P630-21 and P630-6, four displayed continuing variation in colony type in the three to five successive zoospore generations tested. Keywords: asexual variation, continuing variation, Phytophthora cinnamomi, sexual reproduction.

The conditions for improved yields of the α hormones of Phytophthora parasitica compared with those of the original technique established by Ko are described. Both hormones al and α2 were adsorbed on the Millipore filter by exposing both sides of the filter directly to freshly inoculated 40% V-8 agar blocks for 4 days. Usage of polycarbonate membrane in the original method to maintain sterility of the filter was replaced by sterilization of the filter with ethanol. Among five organic solvents tested, 95% ethanol was the most effective in extracting both α hormones from the Millipore filter. A 1-min shaking of the hormone-loaded filter with 95% ethanol was sufficient to extract ca. 95% of hormones α1 and α2. Results on the solubility properties suggest that the α hormones of Phytophthora parasitica are lipid-like natural products and that hormone α2 is more polar than hormone α1.Key words: sex hormone, hormone production, sexual reproduction, Phytophthora parasitica.

For a toroidal plasma facility to realize fusion energy, researching the transport of fast ions is important not only due to its close relation to the heating and current drive efficiencies but also to determine the heat load on the plasma-facing components. We present a theoretical analysis and orbit simulation for the origin of lost fast-ions during neutral beam injection (NBI) heating inKorea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device. We adopted a two-dimensional phase diagram of the toroidal momentum and magnetic moment and describe detectable momentums at the fast-ion loss detector (FILD) position as a quadratic line. This simple method was used to model birth ions deposited by NBI and drawn as points in the momentum phase space. A Lorentz orbit code was used to calculate the fast-ion orbits and present the prompt loss characteristics of the KSTAR NBI. The scrape-off layer deposition of fast ions produces a significant prompt loss, and the model and experimental results closely agreed on the pitch-angle range of the NBI prompt loss. Our approach can provide wall load information from the fast ion loss. (C) 2016 Author(s).

Effects of neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) induced by intrinsic error fields and toroidal field ripple on cocurrent toroidal rotation in H-mode tokamak plasmas are investigated. It is expected that large NTV torque can be localized at the edge region through the 1/ν-regime in the vicinity of Er∼0 in the cocurrent rotating H-mode plasma. Numerical simulation on toroidal rotation demonstrates that the edge localized NTV torque determined by the intrinsic error fields and toroidal field ripples in the level of most tokamaks can damp the toroidal rotation velocity over the whole region while reducing the toroidal rotation pedestal which is clearly observed in Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) tokamak. It is found that the NTV torque changes the toroidal rotation gradient in the pedestal region dramatically, but the toroidal rotation profile in the core region responds rigidly without a change in the gradient. On the other hand, it shows that the NTV torque induced by the intrinsic ...

Steep pedestal profiles of ion temperature (Ti) and toroidal rotation ( Vϕ) are routinely observed in neutral beam injection (NBI)-heated KSTAR H-mode plasmas [W. H. Ko et al., Nucl. Fusion 55, 083013 (2015)]. In this work, we report a result of detailed analysis of pedestal characteristics. By analyzing a set of data with different experimental conditions, we show that Ti and Vϕ pedestals are coupled to each other and correlation between them becomes stronger when NBI-torque is lower. This suggests the existence of intrinsic toroidal torque in the pedestal. Based on a 1D transport analysis, we find that the prevalence of residual micro-turbulences is necessary to explain momentum transport in the pedestal. The estimated strength of intrinsic torque is shown to be comparable to that from a 2.7 MW NBI source. Finally, we show that non-diffusive momentum flux is indispensable to explain momentum transport in the pedestal, and a residual stress model fits the observed momentum flux reasonably.

Edge localized modes (ELMs) in high-confinement mode plasmas were completely suppressed in KSTAR by applying $n=1$ nonaxisymmetric magnetic perturbations. Initially, the ELMs were intensified with a reduction of frequency, but completely suppressed later. The electron density had an initial 10% decrease followed by a gradual increase as ELMs were suppressed. Interesting phenomena such as a saturated evolution of edge ${T}_{e}$ and broadband changes of magnetic fluctuations were observed, suggesting the change of edge transport by the applied magnetic perturbations.

It is observed that the magnitude of the toroidal rotation speed is reduced by the central electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) regardless of the direction of the toroidal rotation. The magnetohydrodynamics activities generally appear with the rotation change due to ECRH. It is shown that the internal kink mode is induced by the central ECRH and breaks the toroidal symmetry. When the magnetohydrodynamics activities are present, the toroidal plasma viscosity is not negligible. The observed effects of ECRH on the toroidal plasma rotation are explained by the neoclassical toroidal viscosity in this Letter. It is found that the neoclassical toroidal viscosity torque caused by the internal kink mode damps the toroidal rotation.

The design, implementation, and characterization of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitive accelerometer-based middle ear microphone are presented in this paper. The microphone is intended for middle ear hearing aids as well as future fully implantable cochlear prosthesis. Human temporal bones acoustic response characterization results are used to derive the accelerometer design requirements. The prototype accelerometer is fabricated in a commercial silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MEMS process. The sensor occupies a sensing area of 1 mm × 1 mm with a chip area of 2 mm × 2.4 mm and is interfaced with a custom-designed low-noise electronic IC chip over a flexible substrate. The packaged sensor unit occupies an area of 2.5 mm × 6.2 mm with a weight of 25 mg. The sensor unit attached to umbo can detect a sound pressure level (SPL) of 60 dB at 500 Hz, 35 dB at 2 kHz, and 57 dB at 8 kHz. An improved sound detection limit of 34-dB SPL at 150 Hz and 24-dB SPL at 500 Hz can be expected by employing start-of-the-art MEMS fabrication technology, which results in an articulation index of approximately 0.76. Further micro/nanofabrication technology advancement is needed to enhance the microphone sensitivity for improved understanding of normal conversational speech.

Isolate 167F of Pythium splendens and its four selfed-oospore isolates gave rise to conidium progeny similar to their respective parents in growth rate. However, oospore progeny from these isolates displayed considerable variation in this phenotypic characteristic. These isolates also showed similarity in conidium progeny and dissimilarity in selfed-oospore progeny in sensitivity to streptomycin and chloramphenicol. Among the 117 oospore cultures obtained from isolate 167F, resistance to streptomycin and chloramphenicol was negatively correlated with the growth rates. Results from this study suggest the polygenic inheritance with alternate alleles at each locus for growth rate, sensitivity to streptomycin, and sensitivity to chloramphenicol. Key words: Pythium splendens, conidium progeny, oospore progeny, growth rate, antibiotic sensitivity.

It has been reported that supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) is an effective means of edge localized mode (ELM) mitigation. This paper newly reports the changes in the ELM, plasma profiles, and fluctuation characteristics during ELM mitigation by SMBI in Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research. During the mitigated ELM phase, the ELM frequency increased by a factor of 2–3 and the ELM size, which was estimated from the Dα amplitude, the fractional changes in the plasma-stored energy and the line-averaged electron density, and divertor heat flux during an ELM burst, decreased by a factor of 0.34–0.43. Reductions in the electron and ion temperatures rather than in the electron density were observed during the mitigated ELM phase. In the natural ELM phase, frequency chirping of the plasma fluctuations was observed before the ELM bursts; however, the ELM bursts occurred without changes in the plasma fluctuation frequency in the mitigated ELM phase.

All tested isolates of Phytophthora insolita and an unknown asexual Phytophthora species found in soil, ditch water, and diseased plant tissues in Taiwan produced ovoid, nonpapillate, nondeciduous sporangia on sporangiophores proliferating through an empty sporangium or in a nesting fashion, and formed irregular as well as spherical hyphal swellings. All tested Phytophthora isolates grew at an unusually high temperature of 39 °C, displayed similar or identical electrophoretic patterns of soluble proteins, and produced α1 hormone. The ability of one isolate of P. insolita to produce oospores was decreased and that of another was lost completely during storage. The results suggest that all isolates of the asexual Phytophthora sp. tested were Phytophthora insolita and were unable to produce oospores owing to a defect in the physiological process of sexual reproduction.Key words: asexual Phytophthora, Phytophthora insolita, high-temperature Phytophthora, sexual reproduction.

Some macadamia trees in commercial orchards in Hawaii showing quick decline syndrome had bleeding from the trunk. Phytophthora capsici was isolated from c. 67% of such sites, and was shown to kill branches of artificially-inoculated healthy macadamia trees. The pathogen was detected in both diseased and apparently healthy bark and isolated from wood 80 mm away from the bark. Results suggest that trunk infection by P. capsici may lead to girdling and rapid decline, and attract insects which then cause some bleeding by making wounds at the sites of recent infection.

The Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device is aimed at advanced tokamak (AT) research. Three years have passed since it achieved its first plasma in 2008. Because it is a superconducting machine and is pursuing AT research, it has unique features in terms of the machine engineering and operation. The toroidal field (TF) magnet coils are made of Nb 3 Sn, which provide high toroidal fields up to 3.5 T, and have been fully tested. The poloidal field (PF) magnet coils, consisting of both Nb3Sn and NbTi, which have a maximum current of 25 kA in their design, were tested up to 15 kA. A thermal hydraulic analysis is being conducted for PF magnet coil operation. All plasma facing components (PFCs) are equipped with water cooled graphite tiles and have the capability of being baked up to 350 °C. A startup scenario, which considered both the effect of the ferromagnetic material in the cable in conduit conductor (CICC) jacket in the magnet coils as well as a non-ferromagnetic up-down asymmetry in the cryostat structure, was developed and demonstrated its effectiveness by the last two year's reliable operations. Passive stabilizers and In-Vessel Control Coils (IVCC) are key components to realize AT Operation in KSTAR. The segmented IVCC coils were connected to form circular coils for internal vertical control in 2010 and diverted plasmas with high elongation (κ∼1.8, δ>0.6) were achieved. A neutral beam injection (NBI) system was developed aiming at 2 MW, 300 s per ion source which meets the long-pulse requirement of KSTAR. An NBI ion source with a power of 1.7 MW at 100 kV has been commissioned. Finally, ELMy H-modes were successfully produced with 1.3 MW NBI power at a plasma current of 0.6 MA in the 2010 campaign. The first H-mode discharge (#4200) in KSTAR was achieved one year earlier than officially planned and it was done at B T =2.0 T with Ip=0.6 MA in a well-balanced double null configuration after boronization on the PFC. Successful operations in the early days of KSTAR including H-mode experiments revealed the capability of advanced and steady-state operation which is essential for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and future fusion reactors

When sweat glands isolated from samples of horse skin were explanted and cultured under favourable conditions, they could exhibit cellular outgrowth. This growth could be maintained for 2–4 weeks and these primary cultures were then disaggregated and the resultant cell suspensions used to initiate epithelial cell lines. Secretion from intact equine sweat glands is regulated by β 2-adrenoceptors and appears to be mediated by cyclic AMP, but there is evidence that calcium may also play a role. Adrenaline could increase the cyclic AMP content of the cultured cells and this response was mediated by 2-adrenoceptors. Adrenaline was also able to evoke a small increase in intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) but the pharmacology of this response remains obscure. Adrenaline thus activates at least two potentially important second-messenger signalling pathways which have the capacity to interact, because adrenaline-evoked cyclic AMP formation was inhibited if [Ca2+]i was raised with ionomycin. The chloride permeability of mammalian epithelial cells characteristically rises during secretion, and adrenaline could increase chloride permeability in the cultured epithelia but the cells did not contain cyclic-AMP-dependent chloride channels and so this response was mediated by [Ca2+]i.

The first plasma with target values of the plasma current and the pulse duration was finally achieved on June 13, 2008 in the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR). The diagnostic systems played an important role in achieving successful first plasma operation for the KSTAR tokamak. The employed plasma diagnostic systems for the KSTAR first plasma including the magnetic diagnostics, millimeter-wave interferometer, inspection illuminator, H(alpha), visible spectrometer, filterscope, and electron cyclotron emission (ECE) radiometer have provided the main plasma parameters, which are essential for the plasma generation, control, and physics understanding. Improvements to the first diagnostic systems and additional diagnostics including an x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer, reflectometer, ECE radiometer, resistive bolometer, and soft x-ray array are scheduled to be added for the next KSTAR experimental campaign in 2009.