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Objective: To study the behavioral relevance of postural and ocular-motor deficits on daily activity and risk of falling in patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH). Methods: Thirty patients with BVH and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls participated in a continuous 2-week assessment of daily activities and mobility using a body-worn inertial sensor and a 6-month prospective fall risk assessment. At inclusion, patients and controls further underwent a multi-modal clinical, score- and instrument-based assessment of general health and balance status. We analyzed the relationship between clinical, lab-, and sensor-based measures and their validity to identify those patients at a risk of general, frequent, and severe falling. Results: Patients exhibited impairments in daily activity in particular in terms of reduced ambulatory activity (p = 0.009). 43% of patients experienced falls (13% in controls, p = 0.008) and 70% of these patients reported recurrent falling (0% in controls, p = 0.001) during prospective assessment. Severe fall-related injuries that would require medical attention neither occurred in patients nor in controls. Classificatory models based on multi-modal clinical, lab-, and sensor-based measures of balance and mobility identified patients who fell with an accuracy of 93% and patients who recurrently fell with an accuracy of 89%. Conclusion: BVH is linked to particular impairments of patients' daily activities which in turn are related to patients' fall risk. Hence, off-laboratory measures of daily mobility may supplement standard clinical assessment in BVH to more adequately capture the burden of disease and to reliably identify those patients at a specific risk of falling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All patients completed the Vertigo Handicap Questionnaire (VHQ [[11]]) to measure physical and psychosocial handicap due to vertigo and dizziness using 25 items. The present data strongly support the view that a functioning peripheral vestibular system is the prerequisite for the development of anxiety related to vertigo and explains why anxiety scores were low in BVP patients. The major point we want to make here is the separation between psychiatric comorbidity in dizzy patients and anxiety triggered by particular vestibular disorders in patients who do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of an associated psychiatric disorder. 5 Lahmann C, Henningsen P, Brandt T. Psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial impairment among patients with vertigo and dizziness. [Extracted from the article]

Extensive experimental data support reliable power deposition and current drive by lower-hybrid (LH) waves in conditions where a large spectral gap exists between the nominal parallel index of refraction prescribed by the antenna characteristics and phasing, and that required for significant Landau damping to take place. We argue that only a significant modification of the initial spectrum at the plasma edge could explain experimental observations. Based on this assumption, a new prescription for reliable simulations of LH current drive using ray-tracing and Fokker-Planck modelling is proposed. A remarkable agreement between experimental observations in the Tore Supra tokamak and simulations is obtained for relevant parametric scans, including electron density and LH waveguide phasing. In an effort to investigate the possible role of fluctuations, it is shown that the spectral gap can be bridged dynamically in the presence of a fluctuating LH spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discover the detailed atomic structure of-MgZnY, a stable decagonal quasicrystal alloy of the layered Frank–Kasper type, and related phases, using the ‘tiling and decoration’ approach. The atoms have invariable sites in the rectangle and triangle tiles of a 10-fold-symmetric planar tiling. To discover the lowest-energy structures, we combine the methods of density functional theory (DFT) total energy calculations, empirical oscillating pair potentials (fitted to DFT), fitting effective Hamiltonians for tilings, and discovering optimum tiling structures using a nonlocal tile-reshuffling algorithm. We find a family of almost stable binary compounds with varying composition, including the decagonal quasicrystal and the known MgZn; in addition, we show the ternary versions can be stable:-MgZnY at high temperature, and-MgZnSc even at. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat quality traits are economically important because they affect consumers' acceptance, which, in turn, influences the demand for beef. However, selection to improve meat quality is limited by the small numbers of animals on which meat tenderness can be evaluated due to the cost of performing shear force analysis and the resultant damage to the carcass. Genome wide-association studies for Warner-Bratzler shear force measured at different times of meat aging, backfat thickness, ribeye muscle area, scanning parameters [lightness, redness (a*), and yellowness] to ascertain color characteristics of meat and fat, water-holding capacity, cooking loss (CL), and muscle pH were conducted using genotype data from the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip array to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) in all phenotyped Nelore cattle. Phenotype count for these animals ranged from 430 to 536 across traits. Meat quality traits in Nelore are controlled by numerous QTL of small effect, except for a small number of large-effect QTL identified for a*fat, CL, and pH. Genomic regions harboring these QTL and the pathways in which the genes from these regions act appear to differ from those identified in taurine cattle for meat quality traits. These results will guide future QTL mapping studies and the development of models for the prediction of genetic merit to implement genomic selection for meat quality in Nelore cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully non-inductive operation with lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) in the Tore Supra tokamak is achieved using either a fully active multijunction (FAM) launcher or a more recent ITER-relevant passive active multijunction (PAM) launcher, or both launchers simultaneously. While both antennas show comparable experimental efficiencies, the analysis of stability properties in long discharges suggest different current profiles. We present comparative modelling of LHCD with the two different launchers to characterize the effect of the respective antenna spectra on the driven current profile. The interpretative modelling of LHCD is carried out using a chain of codes calculating, respectively, the global discharge evolution (tokamak simulator METIS), the spectrum at the antenna mouth (LH coupling code ALOHA), the LH wave propagation (ray-tracing code C3PO), and the distribution function (3D Fokker-Planck code LUKE). Essential aspects of the fast electron dynamics in time, space and energy are obtained from hard x-ray measurements of fast electron bremsstrahlung emission using a dedicated tomographic system. LHCD simulations are validated by systematic comparisons between these experimental measurements and the reconstructed signal calculated by the code R5X2 from the LUKE electron distribution. An excellent agreement is obtained in the presence of strong Landau damping (found under low density and high-power conditions in Tore Supra) for which the ray-tracing model is valid for modelling the LH wave propagation. Two aspects of the antenna spectra are found to have a significant effect on LHCD. First, the driven current is found to be proportional to the directivity, which depends upon the respective weight of the main positive and main negative lobes and is particularly sensitive to the density in front of the antenna. Second, the position of the main negative lobe in the spectrum is different for the two launchers. As this lobe drives a counter-current, the resulting driven current profile is also different for the FAM and PAM launchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ray-tracing code named C3PO has been developed to study the propagation of arbitrary electromagnetic radio-frequency (rf) waves in magnetized toroidal plasmas. Its structure is designed for maximum flexibility regarding the choice of coordinate system and dielectric model. The versatility of this code makes it particularly suitable for integrated modeling systems. Using a coordinate system that reflects the nested structure of magnetic flux surfaces in tokamaks, fast and accurate calculations inside the plasma separatrix can be performed using analytical derivatives of a spline-Fourier interpolation of the axisymmetric toroidal MHD equilibrium. Applications to reverse field pinch magnetic configuration are also included. The effects of 3D perturbations of the axisymmetric toroidal MHD equilibrium, due to the discreteness of the magnetic coil system or plasma fluctuations in an original quasi-optical approach, are also studied. Using a Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method for solving the set of ordinary differential equations, the ray-tracing code is extensively benchmarked against analytical models and other codes for lower hybrid and electron cyclotron waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental mechanisms responsible for the interplay and synergy between the absorption dynamics of extraordinary-mode electron cyclotron waves at two different harmonic resonances (the 2nd and 3rd) are investigated in the TCV tokamak. An enhanced 3rd harmonic absorption in the presence of suprathermal electrons generated by 2nd harmonic heating is predicted by Fokker-Planck simulations, subject to complex alignment requirements in both physical space and momentum space. The experimental signature for the 2nd/3rd harmonic synergy is sought through the suprathermal bremsstrahlung emission in the hard x-ray range of photon energy. Using a synthetic diagnostic, the emission variation due to synergy is calculated as a function of the injected power and of the radial transport of suprathermal electrons. It is concluded that in the present experimental setup a synergy signature has not been unambiguously detected. The detectability of the synergy is then discussed with respect to variations and uncertainties in the plasma density and effective charge in view of future optimized experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A guiding-center Fokker-Planck operator is derived in a coordinate system that is well suited for the implementation in a numerical code. This differential operator is transformed such that it can commute with the orbit-averaging operation. Thus, in the low-collisionality approximation, a three-dimensional Fokker-Planck evolution equation for the orbit-averaged distribution function in a space of invariants is obtained. This transformation is applied to a collision operator with nonuniform isotropic field particles. Explicit neoclassical collisional transport diffusion and convection coefficients are derived, and analytical expressions are obtained in the thin orbit approximation. To illustrate this formalism and validate our results, the bootstrap current is analytically calculated in the Lorentz limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general orbit-averaged guiding-center Fokker–Planck operator suitable for the numerical analysis of transport processes in axisymmetric magnetized plasmas is presented. The orbit-averaged guiding-center operator describes transport processes in a three-dimensional guiding-center invariant space: the orbit-averaged magnetic-flux invariant [formula], the minimum-B pitch-angle coordinate ξ0, and the momentum magnitude p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonthermal bremsstrahlung is calculated in a plasma with arbitrary axisymmetric magnetic configuration, taking into account the relativistic angular anisotropy of the radiation cross section at high photon energies, the helical winding of the field lines on the magnetic flux surfaces, and the poloidal variation of the electron distribution function including particle trapping effects. The fast electron dynamics during current drive in tokamaks and reverse field pinches can be investigated in detail by coupling this calculation to a bounce-averaged relativistic Fokker–Planck solver, which calculates the electron distribution function. The asymmetry between high- and low-field side hard x-ray emission intensity that has been measured on the Tore-Supra tokamak [Equipe TORE SUPRA, in Proceedings of the 15th Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research, Seville (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1995) Vol. 1, IAEA-CN-60/A1-5 (Institute of Physics, Bristol, U.K., 1995), p. 105] is explained for the first time by the role of trapped electrons. A much stronger poloidal asymmetry is predicted for the line-integrated fast electron bremsstrahlung in the poloidal plane of the Madison Symmetric Torus [R. N. Dexter et al., Fusion Tech. 19, 131 (1991)], since the helical winding of the magnetic field lines is much larger for a reverse field pinch configuration. In this case, the hard x-ray emission is no longer a flux surface quantity, which prevents local reconstructions using a standard Abel inversion, whatever the geometrical arrangement of the lines of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the recent history of themed public art projects which has invaded streets of the U.S. as of March 2002. Information on the Cow Parade; Importance given to the connection of the community with object that takes iconic status; Popularity of Big Pig Gig in Cincinnati, Ohio; Reasons for using frogs in the project of Toledo, Ohio; Problems faced by traditional, permanent public sculpture installations.

Chlorhexidine was tested for its ability to inhibit a wide range of glycosidic and proteolytic enzyme activities produced by Treponema denticola, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides intermedius, Actinobacillus actinomycemcomitans, Capnocytophaga sputigena, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, Capnocytophaga orchracea, Capnocytophaga sp., Actinomyces viscosus, Streptococcus mitior, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococus sobrinus, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus sanguis. The enzymes produced by Capnocytophaga spp. were the most resistant to inhibition by chlorhexidine while the hydrolysis of proteolytic substrates by all the other species was markedly susceptible to inhibition with < 0.125 mM chlorhexidine inhibiting enzyme activities by ≥ 50%. Glycosidase activities, of all species, were generally more resistant to inhibition, especially neuraminidase activity. Chiorhexidine at < 0.032 mM inhibited the degradation of bovine serum albumin by suspensions of dental plaque bacteria. These observations support an hypothesis that chlorhexidine exerts a bacteristatic effect in vivo, in part, by reducing the ability of dental plaque bacteria to degrade host-derived proteins and glycoproteins which normally provide essential nutrients for growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchrotron radiation observed in a quiescent Tokamak ŕ Configuration Variable (TCV) runaway discharge is studied using filtered camera images targeting three distinct wavelength intervals. Through the tomographic simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART) procedure the high momentum, high pitch angle part of the spatial and momentum distribution of these relativistic particles is reconstructed. Experimental estimates of the distribution are important for verification and refinement of formation-, decay- and transport-models underlying runaway avoidance and mitigation strategy design. Using a test distribution it is demonstrated that the inversion procedure provides estimates accurate to within a few tens of percent in the region of phase-space contributing most to the synchrotron image. We find that combining images filtered around different parts of the emission spectrum widens the probed part of momentum-space and reduces reconstruction errors. Next, the SART algorithm is used to obtain information on the spatiotemporal runaway momentum distribution in a selected TCV discharge. The momentum distribution is found to relax towards an avalanche-like exponentially decaying profile. Anomalously high pitch angles and a radial profile increasing towards the edge are found for the most strongly emitting particles in the distribution.Pitch angle scattering by toroidal magnetic field ripple is consistent with this picture. An alternative explanation is the presence of high frequency instabilities in combination with the formation of a runaway shell at the edge of the plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To identify thresholds for pathognomonic gait parameters in functional gait disorders. Background Characteristics of functional gait disorders are e.g. transient fluctuations in stance and gait, excessive slowness or hesitation that is not compatible with neurological disease, uneconomic postures with wastage of muscular energy, the ‘walking on ice’ gait pattern with typical small cautious steps with fixed ankle joints and sudden buckling of the knees that generally do not lead to falls ( Lempert et al., 1991 ). Early diagnosis is important: Over half of the patients with psychogenic disorder of stance and gait remain unchanged after five and a half years. If the disorder is present no longer than four months complete remission can often be achieved ( Brandt et al., 1994 ). Methods We used a pressure-sensitive GAITRite© carpet to assess gait analysis during eight gait conditions (three different walking speeds, two sensory and three cognitive tasks). Each of the 23 gait parameters was edited with custom software. A binary logistic regression, ROC (receiver operating characteristic) analysis and an inversed regression were performed to identify thresholds for pathological deviations from normal range. Results In the preferred speed condition, patients with functional gait disorder differed from healthy subjects in all gait parameters, particularly in velocity, spatial, and variability measures. In the cognitive dual task condition (i.e. dual task words), however, the gait parameters almost normalized, especially the variability parameters assimilate healthy subjects. Conclusion Characteristics of gait parameters of patients with functional gait disorder were similar to postural performance in patients with phobic postural vertigo (PPV; Wuehr et al., 2017 ): The dual-task effect in patients with functional gait disorder revealed that cognitive distraction led to a normalization in walking. This is typical for functional disorders and can also be observed in patients with PPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suprathermal electron dynamics in real and momentum spaces plays an important role in the physics of electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), in particular for predicting the wave driven current. In the TCV tokamak, a hard x-ray spectroscopy system equipped with digital pulse detection enables detailed studies of the creation and relaxation of suprathermal electrons. The time evolution of hard x-ray spatial profiles and energy spectra is observed utilizing a minimally perturbative ECCD modulation technique. Time-dependent Fokker-Planck modeling combined with a hard x-ray synthetic diagnostic is used to interpret experimental results and test various suprathermal electron transport models. The comparison suggests a dependency of the radial transport on the EC wave power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The vestibular system is essential for orientation, eye coordination and balance. Disorders of the vestibular system are more common in older people and present with symptoms such as imbalance which is usually compensated with an increase in sensory loading to the visual and proprioceptive systems. This compensation is often insufficient in cases of increasing demands during turning, different gait speeds and cognitive loading. In this study, we investigated the relationship of the position and forces acting on the semicircular canal (Reid’s plane) during such gait tasks and its effects on gait trajectory and stability. Furthermore, we attempted to quantify the effects of these forces and positions on the gait cycle. Methods 10 young healthy subjects (20–40 years), 10 older healthy subjects (40–60 years), and 10 bilateral vestibulopathy patients (BVP) were recruited for the study. Motion capturing was achieved using Qualisys® with 8 Oqus 100 cameras sampling at 128 Hz. 11 retro-reflective markers were attached to the head and trunk (4 for the Reid’s plane) of each subject ( Fig. 1 a). 2 Synchronized Opal® sensors (tri-axial accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers: Mobility lab® – APDM Devices) were attached to the head and trunk of the subjects sampling at 128 Hz. Subjects were asked to walk on along an elongated circle twice (circumference: 12.6 m) at three different speeds: preferred; slow and fast, tandem gait, and cognitive dual task (serial subtraction). Additionally a Timed-up-and-Go test was performed along the long axis. Data analysis was performed using MATLAB® R2012a. Results Mean deviations from the optimal path in BVP patients (slow speed: 5.23 ± 0.96; preferred speed: 4.48 ± 0.78 ;maximal speed: 3.19 ± 7.36, meters) was larger than that of younger healthy subjects (slow speed: 3.78 ± 0.76; preferred speed: 3.12 ± 0.37; maximal speed: 2.72 ± 0.38, meters, P = 0.037; 0.002;0.267; respectively) and older healthy subjects (slow speed: 2.95 ± 0.37 ; preferred speed: 2.95 ± 0.08; maximal speed: 2.83 ± 0.36, meters, P = 0.006; 0.002; 0.600 respectively) for all gait speeds except maximal speed gait. Phase difference between head and trunk angles revealed significant differences between groups during slow speed gait ( F = 5.306, P = 0.013) and maximal speed gait ( F = 3.455, P = 0.048) but not preferred speed gait ( F = 2.871, P = 0.077). While post-hoc analysis was not significant within groups, BVP had higher deviations during slow speed and preferred speed (7.81°) compared to maximal speed gait (2.83°). In comparison older healthy subjects had greater deviations during maximal speed gait (8.00°) compared to slow (0.5°) and preferred speed gait (3.37°). Conclusions This study not only confirms the speed dependent nature of sensory processing during gait but also demonstrates its relationship to gait trajectory. Trajectory deviations are higher during slow and preferred speed gait in BVP compared to maximal speed gait due to the decreased sensory inputs during this mode. Aging leads to a loss of dynamic range in trajectory correction. Significant differences between head and trunk phase angles is seen during non-preferred gait signifying requirement of additional visual sensory information to maintain stability during these modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter cystein-rich protein A (HcpA) was recently shown by us to be capable of inducing high levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) from naive murine splenocytes. IFN-γ is the signature cytokine of the Th1 subset of helper T cells which are commonly held responsible for inflammatory response in Helicobacter pylori infected patients. We could demonstrate that IFN-γ secretion induced by H. pylori or HcpA is dependent on IL-12 secretion by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Inhibition of IL-12 by application of anti-IL-12 antibodies leads to a decrease in total levels of IFN-γ produced by murine splenocytes. This suggests a common pathway for inducing a Th1 directed immune response for H. priori and HcpA by activating APCs as the main source of IL-12. These results could be confirmed by depletion experiments where in absence of APCs dramatically reduced IFN-γ levels were obtained. The same was also true for splenocytes depleted of NK cells indicating that they are the main producer of IFN-γ in response to H. pylori or HcpA. In silico molecular analysis of HcpA showed a pattern of cysteins and predicted helices strongly resembling HcpB, which is known to have a modular structure of four motifs of two adjacent helices linked together by disulphide bonds. We studied the importance of these motifs in HcpA and found that the carboxyterrninal part is associated with IFN-γ-secretion. A predicted coiled-coil segment at the carboxyterminus could be further shown to be relevant for the ability of HcpA to induce high levels of IFN-γ. Our recent work confirmed the immunostimulatory effects of HcpA and extents our knowledge of its molecular mechanism of action by the identification of distinct regions of HcpA to be responsible for its IFN-γ-inducing capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the guiding-centre transformation of the radiation–reaction force of a classical point charge travelling in a non-uniform magnetic field. The transformation is valid as long as the gyroradius of the charged particles is much smaller than the magnetic field non-uniformity length scale, so that the guiding-centre Lie-transform method is applicable. Elimination of the gyromotion time scale from the radiation–reaction force is obtained with the Poisson-bracket formalism originally introduced by Brizard (Phys. Plasmas, vol. 11, 2004, 4429–4438), where it was used to eliminate the fast gyromotion from the Fokker–Planck collision operator. The formalism presented here is applicable to the motion of charged particles in planetary magnetic fields as well as in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas, where the corresponding so-called synchrotron radiation can be detected. Applications of the guiding-centre radiation–reaction force include tracing of charged particle orbits in complex magnetic fields as well as the kinetic description of plasma when the loss of energy and momentum due to radiation plays an important role, e.g. for runaway-electron dynamics in tokamaks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a tokamak, trapped electrons subject to a strong electric field cannot run away immediately, because their parallel velocity does not increase over a bounce period. However, they do pinch toward the tokamak center. As they pinch toward the center, the trapping cone becomes more narrow, so eventually they can be detrapped and run away. When they run away, trapped electrons will have a very different signature from circulating electrons subject to the Dreicer mechanism. The characteristics of what are called trapped-electron runaways are identified and quantified, including their distinguishable perpendicular velocity spectrum and radial extent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To examine the mechanism underlying previously reported ameliorating effects of noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) on balance performance in patients with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) and determine those patients (incomplete versus complete vestibular loss) that might benefit from this intervention.Methods: Vestibulospinal reflex thresholds were determined in 12 patients with BVP [2 with complete loss (cBVP) and 10 with residual function (rBVP)]. Patients were stimulated with 1 Hz sinusoidal GVS of increasing amplitudes (0-1.9 mA). Coherence between GVS input and stimulation-induced body motion was determined and psychometric function fits were subsequently used to determine individual vestibulospinal reflex thresholds. The procedure was repeated with an additional application of imperceptible white noise GVS (nGVS).Results: All patients with rBVP but none with cBVP exhibited stimulation-induced vestibulospinal reflex responses with a mean threshold level of 1.26 ± 0.08 mA. Additional nGVS resulted in improved processing of weak subthreshold vestibular stimuli (p = 0.015) and thereby effectively decreased the vestibulospinal threshold in 90% of patients with rBVP (mean reduction 17.3 ± 3.9%; p < 0.001).Conclusion: The present findings allow to identify the mechanism by which nGVS appears to stabilize stance and gait performance in patients with BVP. Accordingly, nGVS effectively lowers the vestibular threshold to elicit balance-related reflexes that are required to adequately regulate postural equilibrium. This intervention is only effective in the presence of a residual vestibular functionality, which, however, applies for the majority of patients with BVP. Low-intensity noise stimulation thereby provides a non-invasive treatment option to optimize residual vestibular resources in BVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter we investigate factors that influence the effective critical electric field for runaway-electron generation in plasmas. We present numerical solutions of the kinetic equation and discuss the implications for the threshold electric field. We show that the effective electric field necessary for significant runawayelectron formation often is higher than previously calculated due to both (1) extremely strong dependence of primary generation on temperature and (2) synchrotron radiation losses. We also address the effective critical field in the context of a transition from runaway growth to decay. We find agreement with recent experiments, but show that the observation of an elevated effective critical field can mainly be attributed to changes in the momentum-space distribution of runaways, and only to a lesser extent to a de facto change in the critical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and cost-effective CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) manufacturing processes are pivotal for the widespread accessibility of cell and gene therapies. To advance this goal, a closed and automated CD34+ HSPC manufacturing process has been developed using the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy system. By leveraging this platform, a closed and automated workflow has been optimized encompassing CD34+ cell isolation, electroporation, formulation, and bag filling. The automated manufacturing process on the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy system begins with automated washing, labeling, and isolation of CD34+ cells. The integration of a customized isolation protocol within the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy system empowers robust and adaptable CD34+ cell isolation. This customized approach enables precise control and standardization of cellular processing, ensuring consistent yield and quality across a range of starting material variability inherent in mobilized apheresis collections. Optimization of electroporation parameters within the closed system allows efficient gene transfer while maintaining high cell viability and function. The Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy system allows for complete customization of electroporation parameters including number of pulses, pulse duration, voltage, and polarity. This critical step in genetic modification was optimized and seamlessly integrated into the workflow, ensuring a robust and controlled process. Formulation and bag filling stages have been tailored to accommodate a variety of bag sizes and filling volumes while upholding sterility and quality standards. This allows for the flexibility required to fill bags at a desired cell concentration, ensuring product quality across the large range of total cell numbers typically seen in autologous CD34+ HSPC therapies. The closed-system approach minimizes contamination risks and ensures the integrity of the final therapeutic product. A closed and automated CD34+ HSPC manufacturing process using the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy has the potential to improve access to autologous cell therapies. By enabling manufacturing flexibility and substantially reducing operational costs, these developments pave the way for scalable and cost-effective next-generation cell therapies, further enhancing their clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments with line-averaged density varying between 1.5 x 1019 and 6 x 1019 m-3 are performed on the Tore Supra tokamak under quasi-steady-state conditions with respect to the fast electron dynamics. The LHCD efficiency is analysed from the fast electron bremsstrahlung (FEB) and electron cyclotron emission (ECE). The effect of plasma equilibrium and particle fuelling is documented. It is concluded that the fast decay of FEB with plasma density could be consistent with simple scaling of the current drive efficiency and FEB. Plasma edge measurements are presented looking for the effect on fast electron emission. In a specific case of particle fuelling, an anomalous decay of the hard x-ray and ECE signals suggests deleterious interaction of the wave with edge plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron cyclotron resonance heating and electron cyclotron current drive, disruptive events, and sawtooth activity are all known to produce suprathermal electrons in fusion devices, motivating increasingly detailed studies of the generation and dynamics of this suprathermal population. Measurements have been performed in the past years in the tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) tokamak using a single pinhole hard-x-ray (HXR) camera and electron-cyclotron-emission radiometers, leading, in particular, to the identification of the crucial role of spatial transport in the physics of ECCD. The observation of a poloidal asymmetry in the emitted suprathermal bremsstrahlung radiation motivates the design of a proposed new tomographic HXR spectrometer reported in this paper. The design, which is based on a compact modified Soller collimator concept, is being aided by simulations of tomographic reconstruction. Quantitative criteria have been developed to optimize the design for the greatly variable shapes and positions of TCV plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thirty-two oils reservoired in Miocene sands of the Kutei Basin of Indonesia have been examined isotopically and molecularly for the purposes of determining source-defined families and estimating the depositional and compositional characteristics of their source rocks. The oil set is geographically distributed within, north, east, and south of the Mahakam River delta, and comprises oils from wells drilled onshore, on the continental shelf and on the continental slope. Isotopic data discriminate a single megafamily of oils dominated by angiosperm debris from two outliers showing evidence for algal lacustrine input to their source rock(s). The megafamily is separable into two sub-families according to the relative concentrations of oleananes, bicadinanes, taraxastane and, especially, certain norlupanes and bisnorlupanes. This is the first observation of widespread norlupane and bisnorlupane occurrence in a low-latitude oil set. The lupanoid ratio [(24,28-bisnorlupanes+24-norlupane)/hopane] distinguishes the two Kutei Basin sub-families best, distinctly separating onshore and continental shelf oils (low lupanoid ratio) from continental slope oils (high lupanoid ratio). Although this chemical distinction between Onshore/Shelf and Slope oils is likely to be source-defined, migration-induced compositional changes also appear to play a role. Molecular maturity ratios are inversely proportional to the relative concentrations of various oleanenes and bicadinenes in this oil set, and suggest that migration-contamination has compromised maturity assessment of these oils. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A quasilinear operator for wave–particle interactions in the electron cyclotron range is derived using the cold plasma dispersion relation. The finite width of the beam implies a broadening of the resonance layer in the velocity space which allows the use of a numerically efficient treatment of the operator. The specific case of a pure heating injected at the outer mid-plane is then treated. It allows to treat the beam propagation and absorption easily, simplifying the implementation of the source term in the gyrokinetic code. This specific case is implemented in the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code ORB5 using a Langevin approach. The derivation and verification of the source operator are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel sheet pile joints are investigated to determine their permeability behavior. A suitable definition is obtained for the permeability. A testing rig is described and tests on 10 different joint filler materials are reported. The results show significant time-dependent and joint-dependent features. These are explored and conclusions on both water swelling and bituminous materials are noted. A case study gives a design example as well as suggestions on how a safety factor can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]