First operation in SPIDER and the path to complete MITICA.

The requirements of ITER neutral beam injectors (1 MeV, 40 A negative deuterium ion current for 1 h) have never been simultaneously attained; therefore, a dedicated Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF) was set up at Consorzio RFX (Padova, Italy). The NBTF includes two experiments: SPIDER (Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from Rf plasma), the full-scale prototype of the source of ITER injectors, with a 100 keV accelerator, to investigate and optimize the properties of the ion source; and MITICA, the full-scale prototype of the entire injector, devoted to the issues related to the accelerator, including voltage holding at low gas pressure. The present paper gives an account of the status of the procurements, of the timeline, and of the voltage holding tests and experiments for MITICA. As for SPIDER, the first year of operation is described, regarding the solution of some issues connected with the radiofrequency power, the source operation, and the characterization of the first negative ion beam.

First experiments with the negative ion source NIO1.

Neutral Beam Injectors (NBIs), which need to be strongly optimized in the perspective of DEMO reactor, request a thorough understanding of the negative ion source used and of the multi-beamlet optics. A relatively compact radio frequency (rf) ion source, named NIO1 (Negative Ion Optimization 1), with 9 beam apertures for a total H(-) current of 130 mA, 60 kV acceleration voltage, was installed at Consorzio RFX, including a high voltage deck and an X-ray shield, to provide a test bench for source optimizations for activities in support to the ITER NBI test facility. NIO1 status and plasma experiments both with air and with hydrogen as filling gas are described. Transition from a weak plasma to an inductively coupled plasma is clearly evident for the former gas and may be triggered by rising the rf power (over 0.5 kW) at low pressure (equal or below 2 Pa). Transition in hydrogen plasma requires more rf power (over 1.5 kW).

Installation of a versatile multiaperture negative ion source.

Neutral Beam Injectors (NBI), which need to be strongly optimized in the perspective of DEMO reactor, request a thorough understanding of the negative ion source used and of the multi-beamlet optics. A relatively compact RF ion source, named NIO1 (Negative Ion Optimization 1), with 9 beam apertures for a total H(-) current of 130 mA, 60 kV acceleration voltage, is being installed at Padua, in Consorzio RFX, to provide a test bench for source optimizations in the framework of the accompanying activities in support to the ITER NBI test facility. NIO1 construction and status of the overall installation, including a high voltage deck and an optical cavity ring down spectrometer are here summarized and reported. Plasma and low voltage beam operations are discussed. Development of a sampling beam calorimeter (with small sampling holes, and a segmented cooling circuit) is also discussed.

Association mapping of quantitative trait loci for carcass and meat quality traits at the central part of chromosome 2 in Italian Large White pigs.

Association mapping of the central part of porcine chromosome 2 harboring QTLs for carcass and meat quality traits was performed with 17 gene-tagged SNPs located between 44.0 and 77.5 Mb on a physical map (Sscrofa10.2) in Italian Large White pigs. For the analyzed animals records of estimated breeding values for average daily gain, back fat thickness, lean cuts, ham weight, feed conversion ratio, pH1, pHu, CIE L*, CIE a*, CIE b* and drip loss were available. A significant QTL for fat deposition (adjusted P=0.0081) and pH1 (adjusted P=0.0972) to MYOD1 at position 44.4 Mb and a QTL for growth and meatiness (adjusted P=0.0238-0.0601) to UBL5 at position 68.9 Mb were mapped. These results from association mapping are much more accurate than those from linkage mapping and facilitate further search for position candidate genes and causative mutations needed for application of markers through marker assisted selection.

Development of a versatile multiaperture negative ion source.

A 60 kV ion source (9 beamlets of 15 mA each of H(-)) and plasma generators are being developed at Consorzio RFX and INFN-LNL, for their versatility in experimental campaigns and for training. Unlike most experimental sources, the design aimed at continuous operation. Magnetic configuration can achieve a minimum ∣B∣ trap, smoothly merged with the extraction filter. Modular design allows for quick substitution and upgrading of parts such as the extraction and postacceleration grids or the electrodes in contact with plasma. Experiments with a radio frequency plasma generator and Faraday cage inside the plasma are also described.

Design of a versatile multiaperture negative ion source.

Negative ion sources are a key component of the neutral beam injector to be installed in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. At present research and development activities address several important issues related to beam extraction, optics, and optimization. Together with the design of real size devices and the accumulation of atomic cross section databases, a relatively small negative ion source [130 mA of H(-) at 60 kV, named Negative Ion Optimization phase 1 (NIO1)] is under construction at Consorzio RFX to contribute to benchmark numerical simulation tools and to test components, such as emittance scanners, beam dumps, and cesium ovens. NIO1 design, magnet configuration, and rf coupling simulations are described.

Predictive role of duplex Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute renal obstruction in patients with unilateral renal colic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the role of Doppler ultrasonography (DU) by resistive index (RI) and the difference of the RI (DeltaRI) in patients with acute unilateral renal obstruction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 36 consecutive patients (12 female, 24 male; mean age 45.6 +/- 8.4 years) with suspected renal colic by intravenous pyelography (IVP) and DU with determination of the RI and the Delta RI. A RI of >= 0.70 and a DeltaRI of >= 0.06 were considered suggestive of obstruction. IVP was considered as the "gold standard". RESULTS: In the studied population, RI was 0.664 +/- 0.060 in the affected kidney site of symptoms and 0.614 +/- 0.025 in the contralateral one, with an overall Delta RI of 0.049 +/- 0.062. At IVP, 14 patients resulted within normal range (Group A; 39%), 6 patients showed lithiasis without obstruction (Group B; 17%), 8 patients showed delayed excretion of the contrast medium (Group C; 22%), and 8 patients showed a functional exclusion of the kidney (Group D; 22%). One-way analysis of variance showed the IVP group significantly related to Delta RI with the highest values in Groups C (DeltaRI of 0.093 +/- 0.051; p<0.001) and D (DeltaRI of 0.116 +/-0.030; p<0.001) in comparison with Group A (DeltaRI of 0.001 +/-0.038) and Group B (DeltaRI of 0.015 +/-0.024). No differences were detected between Groups C and D (p=0.223) and between Groups A and B (p-0.472). DeltaRI measurement with DU permitted to predict the renal obstruction with a sensitivity of 93.8%, a specificity of 95.0% and an accuracy of 94.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Intrarenal Doppler ultrasonography represents a sensitive and highly specific test that can significantly contribute to the diagnosis of obstruction in patients with acute renal colic. It should be used as the first line imaging method in suspected acute renal colic, as well as for patients with renal insufficiency, pregnant women or for patients with adverse reactions to contrast media

Active control of type-I edge-localized modes with n=1 perturbation fields in the JET tokamak.

Type-I edge-localized modes (ELMs) have been mitigated at the JET tokamak using a static external n=1 perturbation field generated by four error field correction coils located far from the plasma. During the application of the n=1 field the ELM frequency increased by a factor of 4 and the amplitude of the D(alpha) signal decreased. The energy loss per ELM normalized to the total stored energy, DeltaW/W, dropped to values below 2%. Transport analyses shows no or only a moderate (up to 20%) degradation of energy confinement time during the ELM mitigation phase.

Catch-up of delayed tooth eruption associated with uranium intoxication.

The population at large is at risk of oral exposure to uranium. Previous studies performed at our laboratory showed delayed tooth eruption 7 d post-administration of a single oral dose of uranyl nitrate in newborn rats. Rat kidney exhibiting severe damage 2 d post-acute uranyl nitrate exposure showed signs of recovery after 7 d; however, tooth eruption and development were significantly lower as compared with their age-matched controls. The aim of the present work was to establish whether tooth eruption and development, delayed by uranium exposure, can catch up to normal values at longer experimental times. In addition, since it is well documented that uranium intoxication by other routes of entry causes alterations in bone growth, we also aimed to evaluate the effect of oral exposure to uranium on mandibular growth. An experimental group of 16 1-d-old Wistar rats received a single 90 mg kg-1 body weight oral dose of uranyl nitrate. Another group of 16 age-matched rats received an equal volume of saline solution and served as the control. Eight animals in each group were killed 7 d post-treatment, and the remaining animals were killed 27 d after the onset of the experiment. Morphometric measurements of mandibular growth were performed on radiographs. Tooth eruption and development were evaluated histomorphometrically on histologic sections obtained at the level of the mesial root of the first molar. Our results showed that the tooth eruption, dental development, and mandibular growth retardation observed 7 d post-acute uranyl nitrate exposure caught up completely after 27 d.

Exposure to oral uranyl nitrate delays tooth eruption and development.

The risk of oral exposure to uranium potentially involves the population at large. Tooth eruption and development are ongoing processes that begin during fetal development and continue until the age of 18 y. Since one of the mechanisms involved in tooth eruption is bone formation and it is well documented that uranium inhibits bone formation, the aim of the present work was to study the effect of oral administration of uranyl nitrate (UN) on tooth eruption and development. Wistar rats aged 1 and 7 d were orally administered a single dose of 90 mg kg(-1) body weight of uranyl nitrate. Two age matched groups received an equal volume of saline and served as controls. The animals were killed at 7 and 14 d of age, respectively. Mandibles were resected and processed to obtain bucco-lingual sections oriented at the level of the mesial root of the first mandibular molar, and histomorphometric studies were performed. Results showed that an acute high dose of uranyl nitrate delays both tooth eruption and development, probably due to its effect on target cells.

How to determine ionic dialysance for the online assessment of delivered dialysis dose.

BACKGROUND: Ionic dialysance may be equivalent to blood-water urea clearance corrected for recirculation (effective urea clearance); however, this is controversial. The aims of our study were (1) to verify in vivo whether the value of ionic dialysance is affected by the method of determination, given the effect of cardiopulmonary recirculation on inlet plasma water conductivity when the inlet dialysate conductivity is changed; and (2) to define the operative modalities for determining ionic dialysance to obtain an adequate estimate of effective urea clearance. METHODS: Thirty-three hemodialysis patients were studied during 186 dialysis sessions with low-flux polysulfone dialyzers using a modified Fresenius Medical Care 4008 B machine equipped with meters to measure inlet and outlet dialysate conductivities. This machine varied inlet dialysate conductivity (Cdi) according to the following pattern: starting from baseline (step 0), Cdi was increased by 8% (step 1). After Cdi had reached the target value, which took 8 to 10 minutes, it was lowered to 8% below the baseline value (step 2). After 8 to 10 minutes, when Cdi had reached the new target, it was returned to its starting value (step 3). Four values of conventional ionic dialysance (using the standard formula) and actual ionic dialysance (taking into account cardiopulmonary recirculation) were obtained for each cycle and were compared among them and with effective urea clearance (Kde). RESULTS: Mean conventional dialysance values at steps 0 to 2 and 2 to 3 (190 and 189 mL/min) were similar and higher than those at steps 0 to 1 and 1 to 2 (171 and 181 mL/min). Mean conventional ionic dialysance values underestimated Kde, particularly at steps 0 to 1 (-22.2 mL/min, P < 0.001) and 1 to 2 (-12.6 mL/min, P < 0.001). The actual dialysance values underestimated Kde by no more than 4.3 mL/min (P < 0.001). In steps 0 to 1 and 1 to 2, the underestimate of Kde by conventional dialysance increased at higher values of Kde, but this relationship did not exist when considering actual dialysance. CONCLUSIONS: The value of ionic dialysance is affected by the method of determination, given the effect of cardiopulmonary recirculation on inlet plasma water conductivity when inlet dialysate conductivity is changed. As a consequence, to provide a correct and direct estimate of effective urea clearance, ionic dialysance must be determined by changing inlet dialysate conductivity in such a way as to keep inlet plasma water conductivity constant by means of two symmetrical high and low dialysate conductivity steps.

A 3D model of the human A1 adenosine receptor. An evaluation of the binding free-energy with ligands.

A model of A1 adenosine receptor was built on the basis of the prediction of transmembrane helices made by PHDtopology and forcing the rough initial model over the scaffold of the rhodopsin. Only helices were accurately modeled. Several complexes between the model of the A1 receptor and some ligands were built. The binding site was hypothesized on the basis of biochemical experiments (site directed mutagenesis). Ligands were selected so that their Kis range between millimolar to nanomolar. The validation of the model was carried out performing calculations of the binding free energy between ligands and the receptor model. The free energy calculations were accomplished by using the linear free energy approximation method (LIE). We could observe that the trend of the calculated delta delta Gs (differences in binding free energies between the antagonist 2, showing the lowest Ki, and the other antagonists analyzed) agreed with the one obtained from biological data.

Supplemented low-protein diet and once-weekly hemodialysis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and the nutritional and depurative adequacy of the integrated diet dialysis program. The integrated diet dialysis program consists of a low-protein diet (0.4 g/kg ideal body weight/d), supplemented with essential amino acids or a mixture of essential amino acids and chetoanalogues, and once-weekly hemodialysis, tailored to maintain predialytic blood urea nitrogen levels lower than 90 mg/dL. Sixty-nine of 84 recruited patients with a mean age of 62.9 +/- (SD) 11.1 years and a baseline glomerular filtration rate of 2.54 +/- 0.94 mL/min entered the experimental phase; 15 dropped out, eight because of poor diet compliance. At 12-month follow-up, patient and technique survival were, respectively, 89% and 56%. The laboratory, anthropometric, and instrumental parameters of 28 patients with a follow-up of more than 12 months were also evaluated using repeated measures ANOVA. Mean predialytic blood urea nitrogen values were not significantly different (82 +/- 21 mg/dL v 93 +/- 26 mg/dL at baseline and after 12-month follow-up, respectively); total weekly KT/V from residual renal function plus dialysis (1.64 +/- 0.32 v 1.70 +/- 0.29; P = NS) and dialytic index according to Babb and Scribner (1.35 +/- 0.31 v 1.21 +/- 0.33) were stable. No problems were found as far as acid-base, calcium phosphate, water-electrolyte metabolism and blood pressure control are concerned. Body weight, fat free mass, fat, plasma proteins, albumin, and C3 and C4 complement factors were stable. Creatinine production (sum of metabolized plus excreted creatinine) decreased (14.3 +/- 3.2 mg/kg/d v 13.4 +/- 2.6 mg/kg/d; P < 0.05). Transferrin decreased but not significantly (221 +/- 46 mg/dL v 204 +/- 42 mg/dL; P < 0.09). Distal motor conduction velocity from the posterior tibial nerve did not improve during the study (37.8 +/- 4.9 m/s v 36.4 +/- 4.9 m/s), while distal motor conduction velocity from the median nerve worsened (50.8 +/- 4.3 m/s v 46.3 +/- 6.3 m/s; P < 0.05). In conclusion, even though the integrated diet dialysis program may be very important in the psychologically delicate phase between the conservative and the classical three-times-a-week hemodialysis programs, and may also solve some economic and dialytically related organizational problems, it arouses some concern as far as compliance and long-term nutritional and depurative adequacy are concerned. It should therefore be limited to highly motivated patients in centers with well-trained staff or where dialysis facilities are lacking.

[Diet therapy in preventing the progression of chronic renal insufficiency]. / Terapia dietetica e prevenzione della progressione dell'insufficienza renale cronica.

The effect of a low protein diet (LPD) on the progression of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) was investigated by reviewing the published studies. Only the trials of Rosman, Ihle and Locatelli fulfilled the main methodological criteria of being randomized, prospective and controlled. They involved 811 patients (671 evaluated: 338 on an LPD, 333 as controls) and had a mean follow-up of 29 months (range 18-48) for an estimated total of about 17,335 patient-months. The only trial whose results showed that LPD had a positive effect on the progression of chronic renal failure (CRF) was Ihle's study with the lowest weight (6.7%) and which involved the most severe CRF; effects limited to the patients with more advanced CRF were found in Roman's study, with an intermediate weight (41.8%); and little effect, if any, in Locatelli's trial accounting for 51.5% of patient-months, with less severe CRI. In conclusion, analysis of published randomized, prospective and controlled trials offers little or no evidence for the hypothesis that an LPD has a greater clinically significant effect on early CRI progression than a controlled protein diet, although a very low protein diet seems to postpone the need for dialysis.

Controlled trials on low-protein diet: effects on chronic renal insufficiency progression.

The effect of a low-protein diet (LPD) on chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) progression was investigated by reviewing the published studies. Only three of these fulfilled the main methodological criteria of being randomized, prospective, and controlled: those of Rosman, Ihle and Locatelli. These trials involved 811 patients (671 evaluated: 338 on a LPD, 333 as controls) and had a mean follow-up of 29 months (range 18-48), for an estimated total of about 17,335 patient-months. The only trial whose results showed that LPD had a positive effect on chronic renal failure (CRF) progression was Ihle's study, with the lowest weight (6.7%) and involving the most severe CRF; effects limited to the patients with more advanced CRF were found in the Rosman study, with an intermediate weight (41.8%); and little effect, if any, was found in the Locatelli trial, accounting for 51.5% of patient-months, with less severe CRI. In conclusion, analysis of published randomized, prospective, and controlled trials offers little or no support for the hypothesis that a LPD has a clinically significant effect on the early CRI progression, although a very low protein diet seems to postpone the need for dialysis.