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The current status and the progress of research and development (R&D) activities for a Fusion DEMO reactor in the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST) Rokka...

The hole-doped organic superconductor κ-(ET)4Hg3-δBr8, (κ-HgBr), where δ=11% and ET=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene, has been the key to bridge the knowledge gap between half-filled organics and doped cuprate systems. Nonetheless, the isotropic triangular lattice of ET dimers of κ-HgBr is responsible for the magnetic susceptibility and its superconductivity. We have measured zero-field (ZF) muon spin relaxation-rotation (µ+SR) in κ-HgBr showing the ZF-µ+SR relaxation rate from temperature around 10 K down to 0.3 K is temperature-independent. This is consistent with a superconducting state that preserved time-reversal symmetry. There was almost no change in the maximally 100 Oe of transverse-field-µ+SR time spectra, at 0.3 K and above superconducting temperature, T c~4.6(3) K. This suggests that the in-plane London penetration depth, λbc, is longer than a μm order, while we estimate the lower limit of the lower critical field, H c1, to be 30 Oe, although, however, the measurement using another geometric setup is necessary to determine the absolute value of λbc. These could be an indication of a strong-coupling superconductor. A possible mechanism of preserved time-reversal Cooper pairing formation from strong-coupling non-FL metal with geometrical frustration is discussed.

The deuterium (D) permeation behavior for 1 displacement per atom Fe2+ damaged tungsten (W) was studied by the gas-driven permeation method and compared with undamaged W. The results of thermal des...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has been promoting the IEA Environment, Safety and Economic Aspects of Fusion Power program for many years. Among the tasks of this program, one task in partic...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): JSPS KAKENHI, Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists. Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a fatal disorder characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure. Survival of the patients with PAH is determined from right ventricular (RV) function. CMR has become an attractive modality for following up and providing prognosis in such patients, and CMR feature tracking has been used as a newer useful parameter to assess RV function. However, it has not yet been determined whether CMR feature tracking can assess RV functional reserve in patients with PAH. Purpose We investigated whether CMR feature tracking can estimate RV functional reserve using a rat model with PAH. Methods Rats were received injections with monocrotaline (MCT-rats, n = 19) or solvent (Ctr-rats, n = 5). Four weeks after the injections, we performed CMR on 7-T MRI scanner and imaged retrospective ECG-gated cine MR (16 phases/beat). RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and RV strain were analyzed before and after addition of 0.5∼3 nmol endothelin-1 (ET-1). After the measurements, we dissected trabeculae (length = 1.45 ± 0.07 mm, width = 334 ± 27 µm, thickness = 114 ± 6 µm) from the RVs of rat hearts. Trabeculae were electrically stimulated with 2-s intervals at extracellular Ca2+ of 0.7 and 2.0 mmol/L (24°C). Force and maximum dF/dt (dF/dtmax) were then measured using a silicon strain gauge in the absence and presence of 0.1 µM ET-1. Results MCT-rats showed higher systolic RV pressure (RVP), lower RVEF, and lower RV global longitudinal strain (RVGLS) in CMR imaging and showed lower developed force and lower dF/dtmax in their trabeculae. Correlation between RVGLS and dF/dtmax was higher (r = 0.53, p 50%), RVGLS had already been reduced, suggesting that RVGLS is reduced earlier than RVEF. ET-1 increased developed force and dF/dtmax in trabeculae from MCT-rats (12.2 ± 5.7 to 17.4 ± 3.1 mN/mm2 and 0.08 ± 0.03 to 0.14 ± 0.06 mN/mm2/sec, respectively, n = 6), and ET-1 also increased RVP in MCT-rats and Ctr-rats (49.0 ± 19.3 to 59.7 ± 16.8 mmHg in MCT-rats, n = 6, 17.3 ± 7.5 to 20.4 ± 7.8 mmHg in Ctr-rats, n = 2). According to RV global circumferential strain (RVGCS) and RVEF, we could divide MCT-rats into three groups as follows: MCT-rats with reduced-RVGCS (> -20%)/preserved-RVEF (> 50%), MCT-rats with increased-RVGCS (< -30%)/preserved-RVEF and MCT-rats with reduced-RVGCS/reduced-RVEF. ET-1 reduced RVGCS in MCT-rats with reduced-RVGCS/preserved-RVEF, while ET-1 did not change RVGCS in MCT-rats with increased-RVGCS/preserved-RVEF. MCT-rats with reduced-RVGCS/reduced-RVEF died after injection of ET-1. In Ctr-rats, ET-1 did not change RVGCS and RVEF. These results suggest that RVGCS can be useful to assess RV functional reserve. Conclusion CMR feature tracking can estimate RV functional reserve earlier and more accurately than RVEF in rats with PAH. RV strain may become an important parameter to assess RV functional reserve in patients with PAH.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hypertension may be related to alterations of the glymphatic system, a waste metabolite drainage system in the brain. We aimed to investigate analysis along the perivascular space index changes in elderly subjects with hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diffusion-weighted images were acquired from 126 subjects, including 63 subjects with hypertension (25 men and 38 women; mean age, 72.45 years) and 63 age- and sex-matched controls (25 men and 38 women; mean age, 72.16 years). We calculated the analysis along the perivascular space index as a ratio of the mean of x-axis diffusivities in the projection and association areas to the mean of y-axis diffusivity in the projection area and z-axis diffusivity in the association area. The left, right, and mean analysis along the perivascular space indices of both hemispheres were compared between the hypertension and control groups using a Mann-Whitney U test. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between the left, right, and mean ALPS indices and blood pressure and pulse pressure. RESULTS: The left (P = .011) and mean (P = .024) analysis along the perivascular space indices of the hypertension group were significantly lower than that of the control group. The left, right, and mean analysis along the perivascular space indices of all subjects were significantly negatively correlated with blood pressure values (r = −0.200 to −0.278, P = .002–0.046) and pulse pressure values (r = −0.221 to −0.245, P = .006–0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Our results are consistent with a model in which hypertension causes glymphatic dysfunction.

Background Right ventricular (RV) function is an important prognostic factor in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Recently, CMR has become an attractive modality for follow up and providing prognosis in the patients, and strain has been used as a newer parameter to assess contractile properties of ventricle. It has not yet been established, however, whether RV strain with CMR can estimate RV functional reserve in the patients with PAH. Purpose We focused on CMR imaging of RV, investigating whether RV longitudinal strain can estimate RV functional reserve using a rat model with PAH. Method Rats were given a subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT-rats) or solvent (Ctr-rats). Four weeks after the injection, 25% of MCT-rats died due to RV failure. In the survivors of MCT- (n=19) and Ctr-rats (n=5), retrospective ECG-gated cine MR (16 phases/beat) was imaged with a 7T scanner. Subsequently, we measured RV pressure (RVP) via right internal jugular vein and dissected trabeculae (length = 1.45±0.07 mm, width = 334±27 μm, thickness = 114±6 μm) from RVs. We calculated weight ratio of RV free wall to left ventricle (LV) by RV/(LV+septum). Trabeculae were electrically stimulated with 2-s stimulus intervals, and force was measured using a silicon strain gauge (0.7 mM extracellular Ca2+, 24°C). To determine contractile properties of RV muscle, dF/dt was calculated. Using CMR imaging, we measured RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and RV longitudinal strain (RVLS). To modulate RVP, we intravenously injected 5 nmol endothelin-1 (ET-1) and again measured RVEF and RVLS. Results MCT-rats showed higher systolic RVP (62.5±16.6 vs. 25.9±1.86 mmHg, p50%), suggesting that RVLS decreases earlier than RVEF in MCT-rats. Ten minutes after the injection of ET-1, RVP was increased from 49.4±7.9 to 57.9±6.4 mmHg in MCT-rats (n=6). In MCT-rats with preserved RVEF and decreased RVLS, the increase in RVP chiefly decreased RVEF while it did not change RVLS and RVEF in Ctr-rats, meaning that RV functional reserve had been decreased in MCT-rats. In trabeculae, developed force and dF/dt were increased after the addition of 0.1 μM ET-1 in MCT- (n=11, p Conclusion These results suggest that in rats with PAH, RVLS obtained from CMR can estimate RV functional reserve earlier and more accurately than RVEF. Therefore, RV strain with CMR may become an important parameter to assess RV functional reserve in patients with PAH. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists

Introduction Connexin43 (Cx43) forms gap junction channels in ventricular muscle and also exits in the inner mitochondrial membrane (mCx43). We have previously reported that carbenoxolone, a blocker of Cx43, increased the occurrence of arrhythmias with modulation of mitochondrial KATP channels (mKATP). Purpose To examine how mCx43 and mKATP affect arrhythmogenesis, using cardiac-specific Cx43-deficient (Cx43−/−) mice. Methods To generate cardiac-specific Cx43−/− mice, Cx43flox/flox mice were crossed with α-myosin heavy chain (Myh6)-cre+/− mice. The resulting offspring, Cx43flox/flox/ Myh6-cre+/− mice (Cx43−/− mice) and their littermates (Cx43+/+ mice), were used. Trabeculae were dissected from right ventricles of mouse hearts (length ∼0.9 mm, width ∼200 μm, thickness ∼80 μm). Force was measured with a strain gauge, and intracellular Ca2+ (Cai) with fura-2 and a CCD camera (22°C). To assess arrhythmogenesis, the minimal extracellular Ca2+ concentration (Caomin), at which arrhythmias were induced by electrical stimulation (0.3-s stimulus intervals, 100 nM isoproterenol), was determined in mouse trabeculae. Using isolated single ventricular myocytes, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was estimated with tetramethylrhodamine methylester (TMRM) fluorescence, ROS production was estimated with 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence, and Ca2+ spark frequency was measured with fluo-4 and confocal microscopy. To investigate the roles of mKATP, 0.1 mM diazoxide, a mKATP channel opener, and 0.2 mM 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5-HD), a mKATP channel inhibitor, were used. Results Most of Cx43−/− mice suddenly died within 8 weeks (p Conclusions These results suggest that with modulation of mKATP, mCx43 plays important roles in ΔΨm determination, ROS production, and Ca2+ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, thereby affecting arrhythmogenesis. Therefore, it is likely that mCx43 and mKATP could become a therapeutic target for controlling arrythmias. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Introduction Delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) causes triggered arrhythmias, and intracellular Ca2+ (Cai) waves play important roles in the formation of DADs. It remains unclear, however, whether Ca2+ loading within mitochondria affects arrhythmogenesis in right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy. Purpose We focused on the properties of Cai wave propagation, investigating whether changes in Ca2+ loading within mitochondria affects arrhythmogenesis in a rat model of RV hypertrophy. Methods Rats were given a subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT-rats) or solvent (Ctr-rats). Four weeks after the injection, trabeculae were dissected from RVs. Force was measured using a silicon strain gauge, membrane potential using a microelectrode, Cai using microinjected fura-2 and a CCD camera, and ROS production using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence. Cai waves and arrhythmias were induced by electrical stimulation (24°C). To change Ca2+ loading within mitochondria, Ru360 (10 μM), a mitochondrial calcium uptake inhibitor, was added. Results MCT-rats showed lower survival rate (p=0.075), higher RV systolic pressure (48.8±4.6 vs 21.3±6.5 mmHg), and heavier weight ratio of RV free wall to left ventricle (LV) (0.44±0.03 vs 0.25±0.04). MCT-rats showed a wider action potential (APD90, 320±20 vs 205±11 ms), a higher diastolic Cai (177±20 vs 110±8 nM), and faster and larger Cai waves (p Conclusions In RV hypertrophy, acceleration of Cai waves occurs due to an increase in diastolic Cai and an increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of the SR Ca2+ release channels, thereby causing arrhythmias. In more severe RV hypertrophy, Ca2+ within mitochondria may also be involved in arrhythmogenesis probably through an increase in ROS production. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to investigate the possible shielding materials of aluminum, polyethylene, hydrides, complex hydrides and composite materials for radiation protection in spacecraft by considering two physical parameters, stopping power and fragmentation cross section. The dose reduction with shielding materials was investigated for Fe ions with energies of 500 MeV/n, 1 GeV/n and 2 GeV/n which are around the peak of the GCR energy spectrum. Fe ions easily stop in materials such as polyethylene and hydrides as opposed to materials such as aluminum and complex hydrides including high Z metals with contain little or no hydrogen. Attenuation of the primary particles in the shielding and fragmentation into more lightly charged and therefore more penetrating secondary particles are competing factors: attenuation acts to reduce the dose behind shielding while fragmentation increases it. Among hydrogenous materials, 6Li10BH4 was one of the more effective shielding materials as a function of mass providing a 20% greater dose reduction compared to polyethylene. Composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic and SiC composite plastic offer 1.9 times the dose reduction compared to aluminum as well as high mechanical strength. Composite materials have been found to be promising for spacecraft shielding, where both mass and volume are constrained.

Water-cooled pebble-bed (WCPB) blanket, in which beryllium/beryllide in a pebble form is used as neutron multiplier, is one of blanket concepts based on conventional or near-future technology for fusion DEMO. Combination of water, as coolant, and beryllium/beryllide, however, may pose a critical safety problem, i.e. the chemical reactivity of the beryllium/beryllide pebble and hydrogen generation. We present a new phenomenological model of the reaction behavior of the beryllium/beryllide pebble with the steam. The model consists of the equations of the transients of (i) the radius of the unreacted part and (ii) the temperature of the pebble. We have developed a code PSYCHE to numerically solve the model equations. It has been found that the amount of the reaction-produced hydrogen obtained by the numerical simulation agree well with the experimental observations. We also show an application of the code to safety analysis of the transient behaviors of the Be and beryllide Be12Ti pebbles in an in-box LOCA, i.e. loss-of-coolant accident in a blanket box. The model simulation presents the better thermal stability of the Be12Ti pebble, compared to the Be pebble, in the in-box LOCA condition expected in a WCPB DEMO blanket.

Concepts of the power exhaust and divertor design have been developed, with a high priority in the pre-conceptual design phase of the Japan–Europe broader approach DEMO design activity (BA DDA). Common critical issues are the large power exhaust and its fraction in the main plasma and divertor by the radiative cooling (P rad tot/P heat ⩾ 0.8). Different exhaust concepts in the main plasma and divertor have been developed for Japanese (JA) and European (EU) DEMOs. JA proposed a conventional closed divertor geometry to challenge large P sep/R p handling of 30–35 MW m−1 in order to maintain the radiation fraction in the main plasma at the ITER-level (f rad main = P rad main/P heat ∼ 0.4) and higher plasma performance. EU challenged both increasing f rad main to ∼0.65 and handling the ITER-level P sep/R p in the open divertor geometry. Power exhaust simulations have been performed by SONIC (JA) and SOLPS5.1 (EU) with corresponding P sep = 250–300 MW and 150–200 MW, respectively. Both results showed that large divertor radiation fraction (P rad div/P sep ⩾ 0.8) was required to reduce both peak q target (⩽10 MW m−2) and T e,i div. In addition, the JA divertor performance with EU-reference P sep of 150 MW showed benefit of the closed geometry to reduce the peak q target and T e,i div near the separatrix, and to produce the partial detachment. Integrated designs of the water cooled divertor target, cassette and coolant pipe routing have been developed in both EU and JA, based on the tungsten (W) monoblock concept with Cu-alloy pipe. For year-long operation, DEMO-specific risks such as radiation embrittlement of Cu-interlayers and Cu-alloy cooling pipe were recognized, and both foresee higher water temperature (130 °C–200 °C) compared to that for ITER. At the same time, several improved technologies of high heat flux components have been developed in EU, and different heat sink design, i.e. Cu-alloy cooling pipes for targets and RAFM steel ones for the baffle, dome and cassette, was proposed in JA. The two approaches provide important case-studies of the DEMO divertor, and will significantly contribute to both DEMO designs.

Requirements for pellet injection system for a Japanese DEMO concept are comprehensively assessed in order to elucidate direction and target of R&D. A fusion output control simulation study using 1.5D transport code is carried out to estimate requirement of fuel particle source. Next, multivariable parameter dependence survey of the fuel deposition source on pellet speed, poloidal injection angle, pellet mass and pedestal height is performed. The conditions to achieve the target fueling depth derived from the output control study are shown. The AUG calibrated relation is referred to consider spatial restriction of tokamak geometry which relates maximum pellet velocity to curvature of pellet guide tube. Then the restriction is collated to the results of multivariable survey to find the most advantageous pellet speed, injection angle, and pellet mass which is consistent with both output control and tokamak geometry. Consequently, a conceptual design of fuel pellet injection system as the R&D target toward to DEMO is proposed.

To study the hydrogen isotopes plasma driven permeation (PDP) behavior in plasma facing materials, a linear Radio Frequency (RF) plasma device has been constructed in the radiation controlled area at Shizuoka University. The deuterium (D) plasma is generated by injecting RF power with the frequency of 13.56 MHz through a copper antenna and confined by DC magnetic field. The sample is sealed by gold (Au) coated O-ring and one side (upstream side) of sample is exposed to the D plasma. The other side of sample, named as downstream side, is pumped out by a turbo molecular pump and a rotary pump. The permeated D through the sample is monitored by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) which is connected to the downstream chamber. Infrared heater is adopted to control the sample temperature. The PDP experiments under different plasma parameters show that the permeation process agrees with RD regime. The D recombination coefficient on upstream surface of W is obtained.

Hydrogen addition to a sweep gas of a solid breeder blanket module has been proposed to enhance tritium recovery from the surface of the breeders. However, the influence of hydrogen addition on the bred tritium behavior is not understood completely. Tritium behavior in the simplified blanket module of Li 2 TiO 3 pebbles was numerically calculated considering diffusion in the grain bulk, surface reactions on the grain surface and permeation through the cooling pipe. Although a partial pressure of T 2 increases with increasing a partial pressure of H 2 in the sweep gas, it was estimated that tritium permeation rate to the cooling water decreases. Additionally, the release duration of water vapor generated by the reaction of the pebbles and hydrogen is shortened with increasing a partial pressure of H 2 . Tritium inventory in the grain bulk and the grain surface occupies 99.6 % of total tritium inventory in the blanket module.

Thermohydraulic analysis of postulated accidents will identify system responses to accident scenarios and aid in developing design of safety systems and strategies to prevent or mitigate accident propagation. This paper reports analyses of four accident scenarios of a fusion DEMO reactor based on water-cooled ceramic-pebble breeder blanket. The accidents analyzed, which were selected based on the previous logical accident analysis, are ex-vessel loss of coolant of the primary cooling system, in-vessel loss of coolant of the first wall (FW) cooling pipes, loss of coolant in blanket modules, and loss of vacuum. The analyses have identified thermohydraulic responses of the DEMO systems to these accidents, pressure loads to confinement barriers for radioactive materials. Effectiveness of the safety systems and the integrity of the primary and final (secondary) confinement barriers against the accidents are discussed. As for the final confinement barrier, we show for the first time that implementation of a pressure suppression system (PSS) to the cooling system vault and a vacuum breaker to the tokamak pit is effective in significantly keeping the integrity of the final confinement barrier against the ex-vessel loss-of-coolant and loss-of-vacuum accidents, respectively. As for the primary confinement barrier, we show for the first time that limitation of the number of blankets from which a helium purge gas line collects the bred tritium will be a key technical issue to prevent propagation of loss of coolant in a blanket box through the purge gas line and then suppress the pressurization of the vacuum vessel (VV). For the in-vessel loss of coolant of the FW cooling pipes, further optimization of the PSS or design solutions regarding in-vessel components and plasma control will be necessary to decrease the pressure load to the VV and ensure the integrity of the primary confinement barrier.

A Water-Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) Test Blanket Module (TBM) System is being developed as one of the most important steps toward DEMO blanket in Japan. As for the ITER-TBM program, the conceptual design of WCCB-TBM system has been approved by the ITER organization (IO). And two years have already passed after the start of the preliminary design activity. WCCB TBM Team had a concern about TBM box structure withstanding over 15 MPa of the coolant pressure, and decided to change the design as the result of study on structural integrity. Recently, the design change of the TBM structure has been approved domestically. So, WCCB TBM Team has applied the design change to the IO, and agreed with the IO to receive the conceptual design review which is limited the scope to the TBM structure. This paper provides an overview of the recent achievements of the development of the WCCB Test Blanket Module System in Japan.

Deuterium (D) plasma driven permeation (PDP) experiments for tungsten (W) samples were conducted by a linear radio frequency (RF) plasma device. In the PDP experiment, the W sample surface is perpendicular to the grain elongation direction. The D ion flux is in the order of 1021 m−2 s−1 determined by a double Langmuir probe. The results show that bias had a limited effect on the D plasma driven permeation behavior. The D recombination coefficient on W surface is obtained at the temperature ranging from 740 K to 1031 K. The experimentally measured recombination coefficient for a pristine W surface is lower than that for a clean W surface. The effect of recombination coefficient on the D permeation and retention behaviors in W are studied by Hydrogen Isotope Diffusion and Trapping (HIDT) simulation code. The low recombination coefficient leads to a high D concentration in W and a high permeation rate at the back surface. The D permeation rate through a 8 mm thick W with a pristine surface is estimated to be 8.1 × 1018 D m s−1 under the incident ion flux of 1 × 1024 m−2 s−1 and temperature of 1173 K.

We examine the effect of neutron irradiation on the release of deuterium from tungsten at 573 K to understand the efficiency of tritium removal by baking out at moderate temperatures. Tungsten samples, undamaged and neutron-irradiated to a damage level of approximately 0.016 displacements per atom, are exposed to low-energy (108 eV), high-flux (3.0 × 1021 to 9.4 × 1021 m−2 s−1) deuterium plasma at temperatures ranging from 573 to 773 K to an ion fluence of 1.1 × 1025 m−2. At each exposure temperature, two undamaged and two neutron-irradiated tungsten samples are exposed to plasma. The deuterium content in the tungsten samples is measured by thermal desorption spectrometry soon after the plasma exposure and after post-plasma annealing at 573 K for 30 h. It is found that: (i) the deuterium retention in the neutron-irradiated tungsten samples is significantly higher than that in the undamaged tungsten samples; (ii) annealing at 573 K of undamaged tungsten samples pre-exposed to deuterium plasma at 573–773 K leads to an almost complete (60%–99%) release of deuterium from the samples; (iii) annealing at 573 K of neutron-irradiated tungsten samples pre-exposed to deuterium plasma at 573–773 K leads to a significant (8%–20%) release of deuterium from the samples.

The conceptual design of Japan’s fusion demonstration plant (JA DEMO) is now being developed. In this paper, an overall plant system concept related to tritium handling in the water-cooling system is developed to give a concrete shape to the present JA DEMO concept as an electric power plant. The basic condition of tritium permeation from the in-vessel components to the primary cooling system is evaluated to be 5.7 g-T/day. The tritium concentration of the primary coolant is assumed to be 1 TBq/kg similar to the heavy water reactor condition. The capacity of the water detritiation system (WDS) is assessed, and the bypass feed water from the primary cooling loop is evaluated to be 94 kg/h under the tritium extraction efficiency of 0.96. Based on those specific parameters, the existing WDS in the heavy water reactor is found to be applicable to that of JA DEMO. Configuration of the primary heat transfer system (PHTS) is also discussed. Based on the heavy water reactor experience, tritium permeation through a steam generator (SG) to the secondary cooling system in PHTS is evaluated at 11.77TBq/year/loop (318 Ci/year/loop), which is found to be less than the restricted amount of tritium disposal for a pressurized water reactor in Japan. The key effect of the heavy water reactor experience is reduction of tritium permeation by oxide layer formed on SG pipes. Finally, a confinement concept of tritium release from PHTS is discussed under the condition of ex-vessel loss of coolant accident (LOCA). A pressure suppression system is installed to prevent the upper tokamak hall from pressurizing at the ex-vessel LOCA, and the tritium leakage from the upper tokamak hall is consequently restrained. The resultant early public dose at the plant site boundary can be reduced to 1.8 mSv, which is negligibly smaller than 100 mSv of the no-evacuation limit recommended by IAEA.

Some results of the collaborative studies organized by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in the area of technological problems of the fusion radioactive materials management following the withdrawing of replaceable components from the fusion facilities and de-commissioning of these facilities are addressed in this paper. Key issues include clearance conditions, hands-on and remote recycling procedures, radioactive fusion material hazard assessment, and detritiation of activated materials. To broaden the options for fusion de-velopment, researchers examined five potentially alternative high-Z materials: zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, and tantalum from four standpoints: neutron-induced activation, sputter erosion/redeposition, plasma transient response and recycling possibility.

Vertical instability of an elongated plasma and its stabilized concepts by in-vessel components and vacuum vessel (VV) design have been studied intensely in JA and EU Broader Approach, DEMO Design Activity. The vertical stabilization of the plasma represents one of the key issues for EU and JA DEMO, due to the large distance of the active control coils for the presence of thick breeding blanket system. A feasible DEMO reactor that maintains plasma vertical stability was proposed from an engineering viewpoint. The vertical stability performances are acceptable, without considering a passive stabilizer, if a maximum elongation of κ95 = 1.6 is chosen. For the higher-elongated plasmas (κ95 > 1.70), additional inboard passive stabilizer is effective.

After the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident, a need for assuring safety of fusion energy has grown in the Japanese (JA) fusion research community. DEMO safety research has been launched as a part of Broader Approach DEMO Design Activities (BA-DDA). This paper reports progress in the fusion DEMO safety research conducted under BA-DDA. Safety requirements and evaluation guidelines have been, first of all, established based on those established in the Japanese ITER site invitation activities. The radioactive source terms and energies that can mobilize such source terms have been assessed for a reference DEMO concept. This concept employs in-vessel components that are cooled by pressurized water and built of a low activation ferritic steel (F82H), contains solid pebble beds made of lithium-titanate (Li 2 TiO 3 ) and beryllium–titanium (Be 12 Ti) for tritium breeding and neutron multiplication, respectively. It is shown that unlike the energies expected in ITER, the enthalpy in the first wall/blanket cooling loops is large compared to the other energies expected in the reference DEMO concept. Reference accident event sequences in the reference DEMO in this study have been analyzed based on the Master Logic Diagram and Functional Failure Mode and Effect Analysis techniques. Accident events of particular concern in the DEMO have been selected based on the event sequence analysis and the hazard assessment.

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels have been developed as the structural material for the fusion demonstration reactor, DEMO. These steels contain elements that produce radioactive isotopes and decay to low levels in timeframe required by the waste management scenario. Developments within the past quarter-century suggest a practical limit to the removal of undesired impurities such as Co, Cu, Ni, Mo and Nb. The concentrations of elements essential for the mechanical properties of RAFM steels, such as Al and N, required a compromise between the waste disposal scenario and performance demand. The limits and potential of RAFM steel pertaining to reducing the activation levels after service are discussed based on the actual achievements of F82H, Japanese RAFM steel, and numerical analyses of the activity. It was found that in order to achieve the shallow land burial limits 100 years after a reactor shutdown, Ni is the most significant impurity that must be removed (Mo in the case of the first wall). Limiting N below concentrations of 100 ppm will not be possible for a large scale melt, but concentrations of Al up to the maximum amount that has been achieved present no problems.

Relations between a net electrical output power and dimensions of components in radial build are investigated based on the ITER plasma performance to develop a conceptual design of DEMO with the net electrical output power of several hundred MW. Reducing the dimensions of in-vessel components and increasing the thickness of the toroidal field coil contribute to strengthen the toroidal magnetic field at plasma, which brings about increase in a net electrical output power. The relation between the minimum plasma major radius and the maximum net electrical output power is clarified. Furthermore effects of improvements in the ITER plasma performance on the net electricity are also analyzed; indicating the increase of normalized beta could have advantage from the viewpoint of the divertor heat load because the increase of synchrotron radiation loss power contributes to reduce the divertor heat load, though the higher energy confinement is required.

This research investigates daily life support and dependency prevention services for elderly people not covered by the Long-term Care Insurance (LTCI). As these services are essential for sustaining community living, many agencies try to develop them in the market.

For the water-cooled solid blanket of DEMO, the nuclear analysis was performed based on present cooling piping system. Especially, distributions of neutron load and temperature were calculated with Pn is 5 MW/m 2 . Furthermore, the local TBR was optimized by changing the material proportion for each Pn level (1–5 MW/m2). It was confirmed that the size of cooling loop for sub-critical water could be used as about 2000 × 450 mm and the cooling pipe diameter of D is 12 mm, d is 9 mm at v is 5.36 m/s. The pipe pitches would vary with Pn level which is related to the blanket structure design. Nuclear heat distribution is the base to decide the distribution of cooling pipe positions. It was found that the local TBR of blanket would be dropped down along with the Pn level rising which was mainly depended on the thickness of beryllium variation. Finally, the layout of cooling pipes for each level was obtained.

This paper describes a maintenance scheme considered for a conceptual DEMO design of JAEA (SlimCS). For horizontal removal and installation of sectors, key issues such as the functions of sector transport mechanism, cask and hot cell were outlined and their possible concepts were proposed. A new concept of supporting the turnover force of toroidal field coils were also proposed. Based on work breakdown of the maintenance scheme, the maintenance time was estimated to be 67.5 days for all the sectors, being favorable for high plant availability.

At necropsy, an 11-year-old Japanese Black cow with anemia, leukocytopenia, and progressive hind limb ataxia had marked diffuse splenomegaly and multiple masses in the thoracic vertebrae. Histologically, neoplastic erythrophagocytic histiocytes were in the splenic red pulp, vertebral masses, and blood vessels of the liver and lungs. The spinal cord was compressed by the vertebral masses. Clinicopathological, macroscopic, and histologic findings were consistent with hemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma. Vertebral involvement with spinal cord compression and resultant hind limb ataxia is an unusual presentation for this tumor, which has been described mainly in dogs and cats.

We investigated the effects of high-monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) versus high-carbohydrate enteral formula on post-prandial plasma glucose concentration and insulin response in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and healthy Japanese volunteers. Ten healthy volunteers aged 20.8 ± 1.2 years and 12 diabetic patients with good glycaemic control (glycosylated haemoglobulin < 7%) aged 58.6 ± 7.7 years were randomly assigned to take high-MUFA or high-carbohydrate formula after a 12-h overnight fast. The patients switched to the other formula after 7 days. Post-prandial plasma glucose and insulin response were significantly lower in all subjects after taking high-MUFA formula compared with high-carbohydrate formula. No differences were observed in free fatty acids, triglycerides and plasma glucagon between the two diet groups. In conclusion, a high-MUFA enteral formula suppresses post-prandial hyperglycaemia without exaggerated insulin secretion compared with a high-carbohydrate enteral diet in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy subjects.

a b s t r a c t Nuclear analysis results were compared for water-cooled blanket based on PWR (pressurized water reactor) and SCWR (sub-critical water reactor) water conditions. The local TBR (tritium breeding ratio) in outboard zone was discussed in the range of Pn (neutron wall load) from 1 MW/m 2 to 5 MW/m 2 . It was found that water fraction has little impact on TBR, which is an important factor related to blanket tritium efficiency. It indicated that TBR value of each Pn would be similar under the two kinds of water conditions, but PWR case is a little higher than that of SCWR’s. In addition, it was found that beryllium is the dominant factor leading a higher TBR inside blanket. As a result, TBR is an insensitive value with the water condition variation. The results would be important to water condition choice for solid blanket in the future.

Power exhaust to the divertor and the conceptual design have been investigated for a steady-state DEMO in Japan with 1.5 GW-level fusion power and the major radius of 8.5 m, where the plasma parameters were revised appropriate for the impurity seeding scenario. A system code survey for the Ar impurity seeding suggested the volume-averaged density, impurity concentration and exhaust power from the main plasma of = 205–285 MW. The divertor plasma simulation (SONIC) was performed in the divertor leg length of 1.6 m with the fixed exhaust power to the edge of = 250 MW and the total radiation fraction at the edge, SOL and divertor ( = 0.8), as a first step to investigate appropriate design of the divertor size and geometry. At the outer target, partial detachment was produced near the strike-point, and the peak heat load () at the attached region was reduced to ~5 MW m−2 with appropriate fuel and impurity puff rates. At the inner divertor target, full detachment of ion flux was produced and the peak was less than 10 MW m−2 mostly due to the surface-recombination. These results showed a power exhaust scenario and the divertor design concept. An integrated design of the water-cooling heat sink for the long leg divertor was proposed. Cu-ally (CuCrZr) cooling pipe was applicable as the heat sink to handle the high heat flux near the strike-point, where displacements per atom rate was estimated to be 0.5–1.5 per year by neutronics calculation. An arrangement of the coolant rooting for Cu-alloy and Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic (RAFM) steel (F82H) pipes in a divertor cassette was investigated, and the heat transport analysis of the W-monoblock and Cu-alloy pipe under the peak of 10 MWm−2 and nuclear heating was performed. The maximum temperatures on the W-surface and Cu-alloy pipe were 1021 and 331 °C. Heat flux of 16 MW m−2 was distributed in the major part of the coolant pipe. These results were acceptable for the plasma facing and structural materials.

This paper focuses on a few recent advances and research developments concerning fusion radioactive waste management studies. In particular: the role of fusion power in the frame of the future production of nuclear radioactive waste, in terms of potential waste avoidance using a precautionary fusion waste management policy, activation of W and its alloys (examining and comparing the activation of W-based components in ITER, PPCS, and ARIES designs), development of a management strategy for activated materials from complex components (such as blanket and divertor), waste decay heat and maintenance questions, materials detritiation, and public acceptance of clearable and recyclable materials. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Endurance training and ingestion of green tea extract (GTE), composed mainly of tea catechins (TC), are well known to enhance fat metabolism. However, their synergistic effects remain to be fully elucidated. We tested the hypothesis that endurance training supplemented with GTE would further accelerate whole-body fat utilization during exercise, compared with training alone, in humans. Twelve healthy male subjects [peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), 50.7 ± 1.3 (SEM) mL/kg/min] were divided into two groups: GTE and placebo (PLA) groups. Subjects in both groups performed a cycle ergometer exercise at 60% of VO2peak for 60 min/day, 3 days/week, and daily ingested 572.8 or 0 mg TC in GTE and PLA groups for 10 weeks, respectively. Before and after training, respiratory gas exchange was measured during 90-min exercise at pre-training ∼55% of VO2peak. After training, the average respiratory exchange ratio during exercise remained unchanged in the PLA group (post-training: 0.834 ± 0.008 vs pre-training: 0.841 ± 0.004), whereas it was lower in the GTE group (post-training: 0.816 ± 0.006 vs pre-training: 0.844 ± 0.005, P0.05). These results suggest that habitual GTE ingestion, in combination with moderate-intense exercise, was beneficial to increase the proportion of whole-body fat utilization during exercise.

In this study, streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced mildly diabetic mice and streptozotocin-induced severely diabetic mice were created to compare their characteristics and to investigate the effects of antidiabetic drugs on glucose tolerance. In severely diabetic mice, the pancreatic insulin content decreased to approximately 10% of levels found in normal mice. These mice also showed a decrease in body weight, a marked increase in nonfasting blood glucose levels and urinary glucose excretion, and a marked decline in glucose tolerance due to insulin secretory deficiency. In contrast, the pancreatic insulin content was approximately 50% of normal levels in mildly diabetic mice. These mice did not show any change in body weight, but displayed a mild increase in nonfasting blood glucose levels and urinary glucose excretion, and a mild decline in glucose tolerance due to loss of early-phase insulin secretion. Administration of antidiabetic drugs, namely voglibose, metformin, glibenclamide, sitagliptin and insulin, significantly improved glucose tolerance in mildly diabetic mice. In severely diabetic mice, voglibose, metformin and insulin significantly improved glucose tolerance, but no significant effect was observed for glibenclamide and sitagliptin due to a decreased insulinotropic effect. These results demonstrate that streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced mildly diabetic mice have many pathological features resembling type 2 diabetes, and can serve as models for the pharmacological evaluation of many antidiabetic drugs.

Summary form only given. Robots used in hot-line distribution work must be insulated to prevent short circuiting, ground faults, and electric shocks. The authors study and determine the optimal shapes and materials for the robot arms and work vehicle boom to which the robot is mounted in order to ensure the 22 kV all-weather insulation performance. This paper outlines the study and achievements.

Semi-automatic mobile-robots for maintaining works in electric distribution systems have been developed by Kyushu Electric Power Company in Japan. This robot can greatly reduce the demands on the human operator, although some human intervention is still required to perform such tasks as insulator recognition, positional adjustments of the robot, and guidance toward electric lines and insulators. We develop a 3D object recognition and localization system for robot's positional adjustment. For localization to be useful and practical, the method is designed to be insensitive to outliers. Our algorithm is general enough to be applied not only to our dual-armed mobile robots but also to other teleoperation robots. This algorithm should greatly reduce the burden of human operators when it is applied to the robot. This paper first describes our algorithm, and then presents a performance evaluation.