Multi-slit triode ion optical system with ballistic beam focusing.

Multi-slit triode ion-optical systems with spherical electrodes are of interest for formation of intense focused neutral beams for plasma heating. At present, two versions of focusing multi-slit triode ion optical system are developed. The first ion optical system forms the proton beam with 15 keV energy, 140 A current, and 30 ms duration. The second ion optical system is intended for heating neutral beam injector of Tokamak Configuration Variable (TCV). The injector produces focused deuterium neutral beam with 35 keV energy, 1 MW power, and 2 s duration. In the later case, the angular beam divergence of the neutral beam is 20-22 mrad in the direction across the slits of the ion optical system and 12 mrad in the direction along the slits.

Use of the focusing multi-slit ion optical system at RUssian Diagnostic Injector (RUDI).

The upgrade of the diagnostic neutral beam injector RUDI in 2010 was performed to increase the beam density at the focal plane in accordance with the requirements of charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy diagnostics. A new focusing ion-optical system (IOS) with slit beamlets and an enlarged aperture was optimized for 50% higher nominal beam current and reduced angular divergence with respect to the previous multi-aperture IOS version. The upgraded injector provides the beam current up to 3 A, the measured beam divergence in the direction along the slits is 0.35°. Additionally, the plasma generator was modified to extend the beam pulse to 8 s.

Operation and upgrade of diagnostic neutral beam injector RUDI at TEXTOR tokamak.

The status and the executing modernization of RUssian Diagnostic Injector (RUDI) are described. The ion source consists of arc plasma emitter and multiaperture four-electrode ion optical system. The present ion optical system with round beamlets is to be replaced by new slit apertures system for the reducing beam angular divergence in one direction. Due to enlarged dimensions and transparency of new ion optical system the extracted ion beam current will be by 50% increased. For the extension of beam pulse duration from 4 s to 8-10 s an optimized metal-ceramic arc-discharge channel is introduced. In the paper, the optical measurements results of beam parameters, including the profile of species distribution, scanned by custom-built multichannel spectroscope, are also presented.

Beam formation by ion optical system with slit finite length apertures.

Ion beam formation by four-electrode ion optical system with slit finite length apertures is considered. Results of numerical simulations by two and three dimensional codes shown that accurate ion beam formation in slit aperture with semicircular ends can be provided. In experimental studies of beam formation in single slit ion optical system angular beam divergences of 0.53 degrees across the slit and 0.35 degrees along it were measured. Studied slit ion optical system will be used for ion beam formation in diagnostic neutral injector for large W-7X stellarator.

[Atypical mycobacteriosis of the skin caused by Mycobacterium abscessus in an immunocompetent woman]. / Atypische Mykobakteriose der Haut durch Mycobacterium abscessus bei einer immunkompetenten Frau.

Mycobacterium abscessus is the most pathogenic of the fast-growing mycobacteria, and it is resistant to most of the antimicrobial and tuberculostatic drugs available. This non-tuberculous mycobacterium is significant in medicine because it can contaminate post-traumatic wounds and be a causative agent in chronic skin and soft tissue infection after surgical procedures.A 60-year-old immunocompetent woman was suffering from chronic ulcers and abscesses on the heels and malleoli of both feet. Histological examination revealed a granulomatous inflammation with detection of acid-fast rods, albeit without fibrinoid necrosis. The repeated detection of atypical mycobacteria, which were ultimately identified as Mycobacterium abscessus, allowed the diagnosis of an atypical mycobacteriosis of the skin. This was successfully treated first with clarithromycin and rifabutin and later with a combination of ethambutol, minocycline, clofazimine and azithromycin.

Mycobacteriosis in mangrove killifish (Rivulus magdalenae) caused by living fish food (Tubifex tubifex) infected with Mycobacterium marinum.

Mycobacterium marinum was demonstrated in the mud tube worm Tubifex tubifex. These worms served as live fish food for aquarium fishes. The ingestion of Tubifex tubifex by the mangrove killifish Rivulus magdalenae, a neotropical species in the order Cyprinodontiformes, was the source of an atypical mycobacteriosis of these fishes.

Comparative studies on detergents - chlorhexidinum gluconicum, ditalan wo hc, sodium-laurylsulphate, laurosept, nekal bx - used for homogenization of diagnostic specimens in the microbiological diagnostic of tuberculosis.

Between 1974 and 1978 there were carried out comparative studies concerning the value of several detergents used to homogenization of diagnostic specimens in six countries (Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Poland, The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia). In the first study it was confirmed that the homogenization of diagnostic materials by detergents gives good results and is more economical than conventional Petroff's method. In the majority of centers the highest detection of tubercle bacilli was found after homogenization by Sodium-Laurylsulphated-technique. Remarkable differences in the time of growth of tubercle bacilli after homogenization of the same samples by Laurylsulphate, Laurosept and Petroff's lye method were not observed. While, after homogenization by Nekal BX the time of growth was a little bit retarded. In the lowest percentage of contamination was observed after homogenization by Nekal BX. In the second study the value of Polish detergents (Chlorhexidinum gluconicum and Laurosept) was compared with Ditalan OW hc made in GDR and with other routinely in the participating laboratories used techniques. The best results were obtained after homogenization of specimens by Chlorhexidinum gluconicum. But the comparison to Laurosept and Ditalan WO hc showed no significant differences. Homogenization of sputa was better and number of contaminations lower after using laurosept or Ditalan WO hc than by means of Chlorhexidinum gluconicum.

[Comparative study between the surface-active substances präwozell NBX (Nekal BX) and Ditalan WO hc for homogenization and decontamination of specimens for the cultivation of mycobacteria (author's transl)]. / Vergleich der ionenaktiven Netzmittel Präwozell NBX (Nekal BX) und Ditalan WO hc als Vorbehandlungsmittel zum kulturellen Nachweis von Mykobakterien.

In cooperation of eight laboratories the new surface-active substance Ditalan WO hc was compared with Präwozell NBX (Nekal BX) used for homogenization and decontamination of the specimens for culture investigations of mycobacteria in routine. Under routine conditions Ditalan showed a slight, but statistically not significant advantage. Out of 1672 specimens pretreated with both detergents 482 cultures were positive in all, 429 (89,0%) after homogenization with Ditalan and 413 (85,7%) after pretreatment with Präwozell. The rate of contamination of the cultures was low in both cases (about 0,5%). Ditalan had a better mucolytic effect than Präwozell. In quantitative investigations the number of positive cultures was equal with both methods, but the number of colonies was somewhat higher and the time of growth was a little shorter after using Ditalan. In the third part the influence of both detergent-reagent-solutions on mycobacteria of different species was compared to that of physiological sodium chloride solution. The rate of growth was decreased by both the detergents in nearly the same degree. But the damaging effect is caused less by the detergent itself than by the sodium hydroxide contained in the solution used for pretreatment of the specimens.