Impact of Magnetic Field Configuration on Heat Transport in Stellarators and Heliotrons.

We assess the magnetic field configuration in modern fusion devices by comparing experiments with the same heating power, between a stellarator and a heliotron. The key role of turbulence is evident in the optimized stellarator, while neoclassical processes largely determine the transport in the heliotron device. Gyrokinetic simulations elucidate the underlying mechanisms promoting stronger ion scale turbulence in the stellarator. Similar plasma performances in these experiments suggests that neoclassical and turbulent transport should both be optimized in next step reactor designs.

Prediction of Nursing Home Admission Using the FRAIL-NH Scale Among Older Adults in Post-Acute Care Settings.

OBJECTIVES: The FRAIL-NH scale was developed to identify frailty status in nursing home residents. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the FRAIL-NH scale for predicting nursing home admission among patients in post-acute care settings. Design/ Setting/ Participants: This single-center, prospective, observational cohort study included participants aged 65 years or older who were admitted to a community-based integrated care ward (CICW) between July 2015 and November 2020. MEASUREMENTS: Using the CICW database, we retrospectively classified participants as robust, prefrail, or frail based on the FRAIL-NH scale the score by identifying variables from our database that were most representative of each component. The following data were collected: examination findings, CICW admission and discharge information, length of CICW stay, and nursing home admission. The participants were divided into two groups based on whether or not they were admitted to a nursing home after CICW discharge. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for nursing home admission were calculated according to the FRAIL-NH categories using the Cox proportional hazards models with reference to the robust group. In the multivariate adjusted model, we adjusted for age, sex, nutritional status, cognitive function, living status, and economic status. RESULTS: Data of 550 older adults were analyzed, of which 118 were admitted and 432 were not admitted to a nursing home. The frail group had a higher risk of nursing home admission (HR, 2.22; 95% CI 1.32-3.76) than the robust group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the FRAIL-NH scale was beneficial for predicting nursing home admission among older adults in the post-acute care setting. Thus, assessment using the FRAIL-NH scale may help to consider preparation and support for life after discharge.

Impact of Frailty on Dietary Habits among Community-Dwelling Older Persons during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in reduced physical activity and social interaction. These restrictions may have affected the food intake habits of frail older people more than non-frail older people. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between frailty and change in dietary habit during the pandemic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mail survey. SETTING: Community-based. PARTICIPANTS: The study questionnaire was mailed to 4,436 older residents of Higashiura, Aich Japan, who were aged ≥75 years and who did not need care as of April 1, 2020. Of these, 2,738 participants provided complete answers to the questionnaires (75-96 years old, 49.3% males). MEASUREMENTS: The participants' frailty status and changes in food consumption during social isolation were assessed. Frailty status was assessed using the five-item frailty screening index (i.e., weight loss, low physical function, low physical activity, cognition, and exhaustion). Any participant who reported an increase or a decrease in ≥1 of the 12 food categories was defined as having change in dietary habit. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of frailty for changes in diet were estimated by adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and living alone. In each of the 12 food categories, the proportion of participants with increased and decreased food intake was compared between the groups. RESULTS: Among the participants, 470 (17.2%) were frail, and 1,097 (40.1%) experienced a change in dietary habit under social restriction. The adjusted OR (95% CI) of the frail group for a change in dietary habit was 2.01 (1.63-2.47, p<0.001). Participants with decreased consumption of meat, fish, seaweed and mushroom, and fruits and those with increased consumption of eggs, bread, and noodles tended to be frail. CONCLUSION: The nutritional intervention for frail older people should be strengthened during the pandemic.

Physical Frailty and Hemoglobin-to-Red Cell Distribution Width Ratio in Japanese Older Outpatients.

The Frailty screening should be widely performed; however, simple and inexpensive biomarkers are missing. Biomarkers that can be routinely assessed in many patients are desirable. Recently, the hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio (Hb/RDW, HRR) has been suggested as a new prognostic marker and has been reported to be associated with inflammation, one of the factors contributing to frailty. Therefore, we aimed to address the role of HRR in frailty among 557 older outpatients (aged 65-96 years). Frailty was assessed using the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria, and HRR was calculated from clinical records. Participants were classified into five groups based on a sex-stratified quintile of HRR (Q1-Q5). Of the participants, 20.3% were frail. Using multiple logistic regression models with the Q5 group as a reference, after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, polypharmacy, pre-orthopedic surgery, and the use of iron medications, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the Q4 to Q1 groups were 0.92 (0.58-1.47), 1.04 (0.67-1.61), 1.29 (0.84-1.96), and 1.85 (1.22-2.82), respectively, indicating that a lower HRR was significantly associated with frailty. The robustness of these results was also shown in the multiple imputation analysis. The results suggest that HRR measurement may be one of the indicators to identify frail older adults in routine practice.

Hydrogen isotope effect on self-organized electron internal transport barrier criticality and role of radial electric field in toroidal plasmas.

Self-organized structure formation in magnetically confined plasmas is one of the most attractive subjects in modern experimental physics. Nonequilibrium media are known to often exhibit phenomena that cannot be predicted by superposition of linear theories. One representative example of such phenomena is the hydrogen isotope effect in fusion plasmas, where the larger the mass of the hydrogen isotope fuel is the better the plasma confinement becomes, contrary to what simple scaling models anticipate. In this article, threshold condition of a plasma structure formation is shown to have a strong hydrogen isotope effect. To investigate the underlying mechanism of this isotope effect, the electrostatic potential is directly measured by a heavy ion beam probe. It is elucidated that the core electrostatic potential transition occurs with less input power normalized by plasma density in plasmas with larger isotope mass across the structure formation. This observation is suggestive of the isotope effect in the radial electric field structure formation.

Neoclassical toroidal viscosity calculations in tokamaks using a δf Monte Carlo simulation and their verifications.

Neoclassical toroidal viscosities (NTVs) in tokamaks are investigated using a δf Monte Carlo simulation, and are successfully verified with a combined analytic theory over a wide range of collisionality. A Monte Carlo simulation has been required in the study of NTV since the complexities in guiding-center orbits of particles and their collisions cannot be fully investigated by any means of analytic theories alone. Results yielded the details of the complex NTV dependency on particle precessions and collisions, which were predicted roughly in a combined analytic theory. Both numerical and analytic methods can be utilized and extended based on these successful verifications.

De-escalation of antimicrobials in the treatment of bacteraemia due to antibiotic-sensitive pathogens in immunocompetent patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of de-escalating antimicrobial therapy in immunocompetent patients presenting with bacteraemia due to antibiotic-sensitive pathogens. METHODS: We screened 1,350 positive blood cultures identified in a single, 1,065-bed university hospital over 5 years, and retained 310 cases of bacteraemia due to antibiotic-sensitive pathogens, including (1) methicillin-sensitive staphylococci, (2) penicillin-sensitive streptococci, (3) ß-lactam-sensitive (a) Escherichia coli, and (b) Klebsiella species. The efficacy of appropriate initial empirical antimicrobial therapy, the performance of de-escalated pathogen-directed therapy, and the safety and efficacy of de-escalated therapy were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 270 appropriately treated patients, 16 (6%) died, versus 6 (15%) among 40 who were inappropriately treated (p = 0.04). While 201 of 270 patients (74%) who received appropriate initial empirical therapy were candidates for de-escalation, the treatment was de-escalated in only 79 (39%). De-escalation was associated with (1) a trend toward a lower (a) death rate (1 vs. 5%) and (b) treatment failure (4 vs. 10%), and (2) (a) a 4-day longer median duration and (b) a $50 higher median cost of antimicrobial therapy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When the pathogen was sensitive to antimicrobial therapy and the initial empirical treatment was effective, de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy in immunocompetent patients with bacteraemia was safe and associated with acceptable outcomes. The rate of de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy was low.

Association between Sarcopenia and Fall Risk According to the Muscle Mass Adjustment Method in Japanese Older Outpatients.

We investigated whether the association between sarcopenia and fall risk (FR) differs according to the muscle mass adjustment method in 357 outpatients who were not disabled in the activities of daily living or indicated for orthopedic surgery. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria, using adjusting methods of muscle mass by height squared (ht2), body mass index (BMI), or any of these (i.e., ht2-adjusted Sarc", "BMI-adjusted Sarc", or "ht2 and/or BMI-adjusted Sarc, respectively). FR was defined by FR index ≥10. There were 111, 105, and 157 participants with ht2-adjusted, BMI-adjusted, and ht2 and/or BMI-adjusted Sarc, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, ht2 and/or BMI-adjusted Sarc was the most closely associated with FR [odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 2.94, 1.75-4.93]. Our data suggest that the sarcopenia definition using low ASM/ht2 and/or ASM/BMI muscle mass might better predict adverse outcomes in older patients.

Quantifying Muscle Mass by Adjusting for Body Mass Index Is the Best for Discriminating Low Strength and Function in Japanese Older Outpatients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of three muscle mass adjustment methods with low muscle strength (MS) and low physical function (PF) defined by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Clinical setting. PARTICIPANTS: We included 361 outpatients (77.9 ± 5.9 years) without scheduled orthopedic surgery or activities of daily living disability. MEASUREMENTS: Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, then divided by height-square (ht2), body weight, and body mass index (BMI) to calculate the ASM indexes. We assessed grip strength, gait speed, short physical performance battery, and five-time chair stand test. Low MS and low PF were defined by the AWGS2019 criteria. To compare the association of three muscle mass adjustments with low MS and low PF, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusted for age in each sex. RESULTS: Participants with low MS was 31.5%, low PF was 50.1%. After adjustment, only ASM/BMI was significantly associated with all independent variables, such as low MS, low PF, and either of these, with the odds ratios of 2.09, 2.08, and 2.50 for males; and 1.87, 2.43, and 2.71 for females, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that ASM/BMI is best associated with low MS and low PF in older Japanese outpatients. Longitudinal outcome studies are needed to confirm our findings.

More Active Participation in Voluntary Exercise of Older Users of Information and Communicative Technology even during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Independent of Frailty Status.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine whether older users of information and communicative technology (ICT) participate in active behaviors, such as voluntary exercise, to maintain health, even under community containment to suppress the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Community setting. PARTICIPANTS: Independent community-dwelling older residents aged ≥75 years. MEASUREMENTS: The municipality sent the Kihon Checklist (KCL) and Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) with several questions on lifestyle and health conditions under social restriction. RESULTS: Among 3199 responders (72.1%), we analyzed the data of 2304 residents who provided complete answers to the KCL and SNAQ and on ICT use, voluntary exercise, polypharmacy, and families. The mean age was 79.7 years (51.3% male). The percentages of frailty assessed by the KCL, voluntary exercise, and low SNAQ scores (≤14) were 16.0%, 61.4%, and 43.8% in 808 ICT users and 30.3%, 47.2%, and 54.1% in 1496 ICT non-users, respectively (p<0.001). ICT use was significantly associated with voluntary exercise even during social restriction, independent of age, sex, polypharmacy, low SNAQ scores, and frailty status (odds ratio, 1.503; 95% confidential interval, 1.246-1.813). CONCLUSION: Older ICT users are more active to maintain health even during social restriction, independent of frailty status.

Dietary Patterns and Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Physical Performance in the Elderly: A 3-Year Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Nutritional support effectively prevents and treats sarcopenia; however, the influence of overall dietary patterns on sarcopenia parameters is less investigated. This study aimed to determine the association between adherence to Mediterranean-style diet (MD), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFG-ST), and modified JFG-ST (mJFG-ST) and muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in community-dwelling Japanese elderly. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This prospective cohort study recruited individuals aged over 60 years from a community college in Nagoya, Japan. PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: A total of 666 participants were followed up annually from 2014 to 2017. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, and sarcopenia parameters including walking speed (WS), hand grip strength in the dominant hand (HGS), and skeletal mass index (SMI) were recorded. Self-recall dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire comprising 29 food groups. Adherence to MD, DASH, JFG-ST, and mJFG-ST was determined by tertiles. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age of all participants (56.5% women) was 69.4±4.4 years. WS, HGS, and SMI were 1.4±0.2 (m/s), 28.9±8.1 (kg), and 6.7±1.0 (kg/m2), respectively. In longitudinal analysis, participants with higher JFG-ST adherence scores were more likely to have higher SMI (Q3 vs. Q1: mean difference, 0.048; p=0.04) after adjustment, and its benefits were more evident in men (Q2 vs. Q1: mean difference, 0.098; p=0.047; Q3 vs. Q1: mean difference, 0.091; p=0.017) than in women. WS and HGS were not associated with any type of dietary pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to JFG-ST was positively associated with SMI in Japanese community-dwelling elderly adults aged over 60 years, specifically in men. The country-specific dietary recommendations are required to be developed for sarcopenia prevention.

Cryptococcal pleuritis developing in a patient on regular hemodialysis.

A 64-year-old male on regular hemodialysis who was a human T lymphotrophic virus Type I (HTLV-I) carrier developed cryptococcal pleuritis. The initial manifestations of the present case were a persistent cough and the accumulation of unilateral pleural effusion. A culture of the pleural fluid of the patient grew cryptococcus neoformans and a test for antigens against cryptococcus neoformans in the pleural fluid was also positive, therefore, cryptococcal pleuritis was diagnosed. Pleural cryptococcosis per se is rare and it is extremely rare for a dialysis patient to develop pleural cryptococcosis. To our knowledge, only a few cases of cryptococcal pleuritis have so far been reported in patients on dialysis. Furthermore, an isolated occurrence of cryptococcal pleuritis with no cryptococcal pulmonary parenchymal lesions, as was seen in the present case, is rare because cryptococcal pleuritis is usually associated with underlying cryptococcal pulmonary parenchymal lesions. Patients on chronic dialysis are susceptible to developing pleural effusion from many etiologies such as congestive heart failure, infection (tuberculosis, bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal), collagen vascular disease, drug reaction, metastasis, or uremia itself. Cryptococcal pleuritis developing in a dialysis patient is extremely rare, but physicians should consider cryptococcal infection as a possible cause when pleural effusion develops in a dialysis patient and no other cause is identified, as occurred in the present case.

Predictive Ability of Seven Domains of the Kihon Checklist for Incident Dependency and Mortality.

The Kihon Checklist (KCL) is a structured questionnaire consisting of 7 domains to assess seniors' function in daily living. The aim of this study was to examine which domains of the KCL can predict incident dependency and mortality. The municipality sent a KCL questionnaire to independent seniors in Higashi-ura Town and collected the answers of the 5542 seniors who provided complete answers. Their incident dependency and mortality were followed-up for 2.5 years. A Cox proportional hazard model indicated that meeting any of the criteria in instrumental activities of daily living, physical, nutrition, and mood domains significantly predicted the risk of dependency, whereas meeting any of the criteria in physical, nutrition and socialization domains significantly predicted the risk of mortality. Category assessment by the KCL could be useful to predict incident dependency and all-cause mortality.

Measurements of radial profile of hydrogen and deuterium density in isotope mixture plasmas using bulk charge exchange spectroscopy.

A bulk charge exchange spectroscopy system has been applied to measure the radial profiles of the hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) density ratio in the isotope mixture plasma in a large helical device. Charge exchange lines of Hα and Dα are fitted by 4 Gaussian of H and D cold components and H and D hot components with 5 parameters by combining the measurement of plasma toroidal rotation velocity with carbon charge exchange spectroscopy. The radial profiles of the relative density of hydrogen and deuterium ions are derived from H and D hot components measured and the beam density calculated from beam attenuation calculation. A proof-of-principle experiment is performed by the H pellet and the D pellet injections into the H-D mixture plasma.

Synaptic activation of AMPA receptors inhibits GABA release from cerebellar interneurons.

A single neurotransmitter elicits diverse physiological responses through activation of multiple receptor subtypes and/or heterosynaptic interactions involving distinct synaptic targets. We found that a typical excitatory transmitter released from the climbing fiber (CF) in the cerebellar cortex not only excited Purkinje cells directly but also presynaptically inhibited GABAergic transmission from interneurons converging on the same Purkinje cells. Both homosynaptic and heterosynaptic actions of the CF transmitter (possibly glutamate) were mediated by activation of AMPA receptors. Dual AMPA receptor-mediated functions of excitation and disinhibition may ensure transmission of cerebellar CF signals controlling sensorimotor coordination.

Parenteral iron polymaltose changes i:c-terminal FGF23 ratios in iron deficiency, but not in dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Iron and phosphate are both vital to many biological cellular processes with central roles in energy metabolism, cellular proliferation and nucleic acid synthesis. Regulatory pathways in some of these metabolic pathways may intersect at fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a major phosphate regulatory hormone. Iron is reported to induce hypophosphataemia in rare cases, and recent reports suggest that iron deficiency may upregulate FGF23 synthesis by mechanisms involving hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α). Our objective was to evaluate the effect of administration of intravenous iron polymaltose on intact and c-terminal FGF23 (i:cFGF23) ratios in two independent cohorts of patients, iron-deficient but non-inflamed patients and haemodialysis (HD)-dependent patients, and to examine the balance of synthesis and degradation. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We studied biochemical effects of intravenous iron polymaltose on both iFGF23 and cFGF23 fragments and their ratios in two patient groups: iron-deficient patients with normal renal function (ID-norm) and HD patients receiving iron supplementation (HD-ESKD) at a single institution. Patients were tested at baseline, day 4 and day 12 post iron administration. RESULTS: Parenteral iron polymaltose resulted in increased i:cFGF23 ratios in ID-norm patients where circulating cFGF23 levels decreased with no appreciable effect on iFGF23, whereas no significant changes in i:cFGF23 ratios were observed in HD-ESKD patients following intravenous administration of 100mg iron polymaltose. CONCLUSIONS: Dysregulation of intracellular FGF23-processing mechanisms may be related to iron deficiency per se rather than iron repletion with iron polymaltose. In ID-norm, i:cFGF23 ratios altered with iron administration without significant clinical alterations in mineral parameters, implying that other regulatory mechanisms may be important. Finally, iron supplementation in HD-ESKD patients does not appear to significantly affect i:cFGF23 ratios already disturbed by a chronic inflammatory or functionally iron-deficient state.

Application of telomerase assay for the screening of cervical lesions.

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that synthesizes telomeric DNA onto chromosomal ends. The expression of telomerase is thought to be required for cellular immortality and oncogenesis. Telomerase activity has been detected not only in most cancers but also in some types of premalignant lesions, such as squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs). In the present study, we used the telomerase assay to detect uterine cervical lesions in cervical scraping samples. A total of 82 cervical scraping samples were obtained from women with or without cervical lesions and examined by nonradioisotope telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. Fifteen of 17 (88%) cervical cancer specimens exhibited telomerase activity, whereas 5 of 8 (63%) and 14 of 24 (58%) specimens from low-grade and high-grade SILs, respectively, also exhibited telomerase activity. In contrast, 3 of 33 (9%) specimens from normal cervices exhibited telomerase activity. Dilution telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay was performed to estimate telomerase activity; it revealed that high levels of activity were often expressed in cervical cancer. Cytological examination was also performed by Pap smear test, and 4 of 8 (50%) low-grade SILs, 21 of 24 (88%) high-grade SILs, and 16 of 17 (94%) cervical cancers were found to have cytological abnormalities. There were discordances in some cases between findings of smear abnormality and telomerase positivity. In particular, we found five cases of SILs without smear abnormality but with telomerase activity, suggesting that some lesions with false negative cytology can be detected by telomerase assay. These findings suggest that telomerase assay using cervical scrapings might be a useful screening method for cervical lesions especially when combined with a Pap smear test.

Radiofrequency thermal balloon coronary angioplasty: a new device for successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of thermal balloon percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty using radiofrequency energy in the treatment of patients with failed coronary angioplasty and complex lesions. In addition, we evaluated restenosis after radiofrequency thermal balloon applications. BACKGROUND: The efficacy of coronary angioplasty is limited by the relatively low success rate in complex lesions and the high frequency of restenosis. Few reports have studied the combined effects of pressure and laser thermal energy. This study describes a new device for coronary angioplasty using radiofrequency thermal energy. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with failed conventional coronary angioplasty or complex lesions were treated with radiofrequency thermal balloon coronary angioplasty. Radiofrequency energy was delivered up to 11 times in exposures ranging from 30 to 60 s in duration. This combined effect allowed the vascular wall to be heated to temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees C. Follow-up coronary angiography was performed, on average, 6 months after the procedure. RESULTS: Successful radiofrequency coronary angioplasty was achieved in 28 (82%) of 34 lesions. There was one abrupt coronary artery occlusion (3%) and no death, perforation or dissection. Angiographic restenosis occurred in 14 (56%) of 25 lesions. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with failed coronary angioplasty and difficult complex lesions, radiofrequency coronary angioplasty could potentially improve angioplasty success rates and may have important implications for bailout cases with abrupt occlusion. However, restenosis remains a significant problem.

Electrophysiologic effects of ischemic preconditioning on QT dispersion during coronary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ischemic preconditioning on the manner of ventricular repolarization by assessing the change in QT dispersion during coronary angioplasty. BACKGROUND: QT interval dispersion reflects regional variations in ventricular repolarization and cardiac electrical instability. Previous studies have suggested that increased QT dispersion is associated with an increased incidence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias, whereas brief episodes of myocardial ischemia can render the heart more resistant to subsequent ischemic episodes, a phenomenon called ischemic preconditioning. METHODS: To assess the effects of ischemic preconditioning on myocardial repolarization by examining the change in QT dispersion during coronary angioplasty, we studied 47 consecutive patients (39 men and 8 women; mean age 57 +/- 16 years). QT dispersion was measured after each balloon inflation during coronary angioplasty. Statistical analysis was performed by using repeated measurement of analysis of variance. RESULTS: There were significant differences in QT dispersion as the number of balloon inflations increased (mean +/- SD 52 +/- 14, 42 +/- 11, 36 +/- 9, 31 +/- 10 and 29 +/- 11 ms, respectively [p < 0.01], for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth balloon inflations). The magnitude of decrease in QT dispersion was significant in the first and second balloon inflations, then became insignificant with later inflations. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the gradual decrease in QT dispersion provoked by coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion during coronary angioplasty may be associated with electrophysiologic effects of ischemic preconditioning on myocardium in the human heart.