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A magnetic field configuration of an island divertor for a quasi-axisymmetric stellarator (CFQS) is proposed. The configuration incorporates large islands surrounding the core confinement region. The interface between the core region and the peripheral region of the island divertor is a clear magnetic separatrix similar to a tokamak divertor. The structure of divertor magnetic field lines is very regular without stochasticity and the connection length is sufficiently long for good divertor performance. Such a divertor configuration is produced in the magnetic field configuration for the CFQS device, which is now under construction in China.
Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) is a neuropathological finding known to manifest motor disturbance, cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms. Pathophysiology of psychiatric symptoms, however, remains controversial. Previous biochemical study suggests that dopaminergic impairment is involved in IBGC. We therefore performed positron emission tomography (PET) to elucidate the pre- and postsynaptic dopaminergic function and glucose metabolism in two IBGC patients.
Methods:
Case 1 is a 44 years old woman presented with disorganized thought, echolalia, verbigeration and parkinsonism. She was administered bitemporal electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). Case 2 is a 35 years old woman with persecutory delusion. Computed tomography showed bilateral symmetric calcification of striatum, globus pallidus and dentate nucei. Other causes of intracranial calcification were excluded. PET scans were obtained using [11C]-labeled 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-flurophenyl)-tropane, [11C]-labeled raclopride and [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose.
Results:
The decreased binding potential was severe in bilateral head of caudate nuclei and anterior putamen. In case 1, the decline was also found in posterior putamen. There were widespread decreases of glucose uptake in frontal, temporal and parietal cortices bilaterally in case 1. Significant hypometabolism was observed in the right frontal, temporal and parietal cortices. After the ECT session, the previous areas of significant hypometabolism in the right hemisphere had improved. In case 2, there was no significant change of glucose metabolism in cerebral cortex.
Conclusions:
The difference in affected region within basal ganglia might be associated with the diverse clinical pictures in IBGC. Particularly, in the psychiatric manifestation, dopaminergic dysfunction in caudate nucleus and anterior putamen could be participated.
Clozapine-induced electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities are common. It has been reported that clozapine-induced EEG abnormalities occur in a dose-dependent manner and correlate with the serum concentration of clozapine (C-CLZ). However, the oppositional results were also reported.
Objectives
The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum level of clozapine and EEG abnormalities.
Methods
Twenty-eight patients were recruited in this study, but five patients were excluded because clozapine was discontinued before post-treatment EEG measurement or measurement of C-CLZ. Ultimately, 23 patients (6 males, 17 females) with an average age of 35 years were enrolled. The subjects were divided into EEG normal and abnormal group. C-CLZ and the serum concentration of metabolite of clozapine (N-CLZ) were measured. The correlation between C-CLZ and daily dose of CLZ (D-CLZ), N-CLZ and D-CLZ were evaluated in each group. C-CLZ per D-CLZ (C/D), N-CLZ per D-CLZ (N/D) and the ratio of C-CLZ to N-CLZ (C/N) were compared between the two groups.
Results
74 serum levels were measured. All patients had normal baseline EEGs, and 10 patients later showed EEG abnormalities. There were a significant correlation between C-CLZ and D-CLZ (EEG normal: rs 0.58, p<0.01, EEG abnormal: rs 0.56, p<0.01) and between N-CLZ and D-CLZ (EEG normal: rs 0.53, p<0.01, EEG abnormal: rs 0.57, p<0.01). There were no significant differences between the EEG normal and EEG abnormal groups in C/D, N/D, C/N.
Conclusion
There was no relationship between the serum concentration of clozapine and EEG abnormalities.
Clozapine is one of the most effective drugs for the treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS). It was reported that modified electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) may be an effective clozapine augmentation strategy in TRS.
Objective
The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of clozapine to mECT in the TRS.
Methods
Forty-seven patients were recruited in this study, but eight patients were excluded because clozapine was discontinued by reason of side effects. Ultimately, 39 patients were enrolled.
Results
Seventeen patients received mECT before clozapine therapy. Two patients continued mECT after starting clozapine therapy. There was a significant difference between before–after clozapine therapy (χ2 test, P< 0.01). Intermittent mECT was performed for 3 patients before clozapine and for one patient after starting clozapine.
Discussion
This result suggests that clozapine therapy reduces mECT. In Japan, the first-line treatment for TRS is CLO. mECT is recommended for clozapine resistant schizophrenia patients. Prescription of CLO is limited in the part of medical facility because all physicians who prescribe clozapine must be registered with the clozaril patient monitoring service in Japan. It is considered that mECT is more readily selected than clozapine therapy. Therefore, the number of mECT is not reduced generally.
Conclusion
Clozapine therapy reduces the necessity of mECT.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Dementia with lewy bodies (DLB) is commonly considered the second most common form of dementia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the treatment effects of aripiprazole in patients with DLB.
Methods
Eleven patients who had meet the criteria for DLB participated in this study. The presence of psychotic symptoms was confirmed by scores of either the delusions or hallucinations items of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score. Patients who had 25 or more on the Mini-mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) at the entry or having brain damage were excluded. Aripiprazole was initiated at a low dose (3 or 6 mg/day) and titrated to higher doses at 2-weeks intervals or more rapidly based on investigator's judgment. Previous medications prior to aripiprazole administration were not changed through this trial. Patient's clinical status was assessed at baseline, then 2 weeks during the study by using NPI, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to measure psychotic behavioral symptoms, and Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS) to measure parkinsonism symptoms. Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and MMSE were carried out at screening and end point to evaluate cognitive function.
Results
The mean scores of the SAS and CDR were significantly decreased at the study endpoint compared to baseline. The mean scores of the NPI and BPRS improved up until 4 weeks after having started aripiprazole. After 4 weeks, improvements slowed. The mean score of the CGI-S was decreased up until 8 weeks.
Conclusion
This study shows that aripiprazole may be effective for the treatment of psychotic symptoms in patients with DLB.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
We present ALMA detection of the [O iii] 88 μm line and 850 μm dust continuum emission in a Y-dropout Lyman break galaxy, MACS0416_Y1. The [O iii] detection confirms the object with a spectroscopic redshift to be z = 8.3118±0.0003. The 850 μm continuum intensity (0.14 mJy) implies a large dust mass on the order of 4×106M⊙. The ultraviolet-to-far infrared spectral energy distribution modeling, where the [O iii] emissivity model is incorporated, suggests the presence of a young (τage ≍ 4 Myr), star-forming (SFR ≍ 60M⊙yr−1), and moderately metal-polluted (Z ≍ 0.2Z⊙) stellar component with a stellar mass of 3 × 108M⊙. An analytic dust mass evolution model with a single episode of star formation does not reproduce the metallicity and dust mass in ≍ 4 Myr, suggesting an underlying evolved stellar component as the origin of the dust mass.
The Fukushima Daiichi and Daini Nuclear Power Plant workers experienced multiple stressors as both victims and onsite workers after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear accidents. Previous studies found that disaster-related exposures, including discrimination/slurs, were associated with their mental health. Their long-term impact has yet to be investigated.
Method
A total of 968 plant workers (Daiichi, n = 571; Daini, n = 397) completed self-written questionnaires 2–3 months (time 1) and 14–15 months (time 2) after the disaster (response rate 55.0%). Sociodemographics, disaster-related experiences, and peritraumatic distress were assessed at time 1. At time 1 and time 2, general psychological distress (GPD) and post-traumatic stress response (PTSR) were measured, respectively, using the K6 scale and Impact of Event Scale Revised. We examined multivariate covariates of time 2 GPD and PTSR, adjusting for autocorrelations in the hierarchical multiple regression analyses.
Results
Higher GPD at time 2 was predicted by higher GPD at time 1 (β = 0.491, p < 0.001) and discrimination/slurs experiences at time 1 (β = 0.065, p = 0.025, adjusted R2 = 0.24). Higher PTSR at time 2 was predicted with higher PTSR at time 1 (β = 0.548, p < 0.001), higher age (β = 0.085, p = 0.005), and discrimination/slurs experiences at time 1 (β = 0.079, p = 0.003, adjusted R2 = 0.36).
Conclusions
Higher GPD at time 2 was predicted by higher GPD and discrimination/slurs experience at time 1. Higher PTSR at time 2 was predicted by higher PTSR, higher age, and discrimination/slurs experience at time 1.
To determine the characteristics of acute phase nystagmus in patients with cerebellar lesions, and to identify a useful indicator for differentiating central lesions from peripheral lesions.
Methods:
Acute phase nystagmus and the appearance of neurological symptoms were retrospectively investigated in 11 patients with cerebellar stroke.
Results:
At the initial visit, there were no patients with vertical nystagmus, direction-changing gaze evoked nystagmus or pure rotatory nystagmus. There were four cases with no nystagmus and seven cases with horizontal nystagmus at the initial visit. There were no neurological symptoms, except for vertigo and hearing loss, in any cases at the initial visit. The direction and type of nystagmus changed with time, and neurological symptoms other than vertigo appeared subsequently to admission.
Conclusion:
It is important to observe the changes in nystagmus and other neurological findings for the differential diagnosis of central lesions.
We previously reported an association between human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) and epidemic myalgia with myositis in adults during summers in which an HPeV3 outbreak occurred in children. However, this disease association has not yet been reported elsewhere. We have since continued our surveillance to accumulate data on this disease association and to confirm whether myalgia occurs in children as well as adults. Between June and August 2014, we collected 380 specimens from children with infectious diseases. We also collected clinical specimens from two adult and three paediatric patients suspected of myalgia. We then performed virus isolation and reverse-transcription–PCR using the collected specimens. We detected HPeV3 in 26 children with infectious diseases, which we regarded as indicating an outbreak. We also confirmed HPeV3 infection in all patients suspected of myalgia. In particular the symptoms in two boys, complaining of myalgia and fever, closely matched the criteria for adult myalgia. Based on our findings from 2008, 2011 and 2014, we again urge that clinical consideration be given to the relationship between myalgia and HPeV3 infections during HPeV3 outbreaks in children. Furthermore, our observations from 2014 suggest that epidemic myalgia and myositis occur not only in adults but also in children.
To evaluate the effectiveness of tympanostomy tube placement in controlling symptoms of intractable Ménière's disease.
Methods:
Fifteen patients with intractable Ménière's disease underwent tympanostomy tube placement in the affected ear. Post-operative changes in vertigo attacks and hearing level were recorded, and were evaluated according to American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery criteria.
Results:
At 12 months after treatment, 3 patients (20 per cent) showed complete control of vertigo, 7 (47 per cent) showed substantial control and 2 (13 per cent) showed limited control; 3 patients (20 per cent) required other treatment. At 24 months after treatment, 7 patients (47 per cent) showed complete control of vertigo, 3 (20 per cent) showed substantial control and 1 (7 per cent) showed limited control; 1 patient required other treatment 15 months after tympanostomy tube placement.
Conclusion:
There is no definite pathophysiological explanation for the effect of tympanostomy tube placement in reducing vertigo attacks. This treatment is not effective for all patients with intractable Ménière's disease. However, tympanostomy tube placement might be an additional surgical therapeutic option to consider prior to contemplating other, more invasive treatments.
This research implements a recently proposed framework for meander migration, in order to explore the coevolution of planform and channel width in a freely meandering river. In the model described here, width evolution is coupled to channel migration through two submodels, one describing bank erosion and the other describing bank deposition. Bank erosion is modelled as erosion of purely non-cohesive bank material damped by natural armouring due to basal slump blocks, and bank deposition is modelled in terms of a flow-dependent rate of vegetal encroachment. While these two submodels are specified independently, the two banks interact through the medium of the intervening channel; the morphodynamics of which is described by a fully nonlinear depth-averaged morphodynamics model. Since both banks are allowed to migrate independently, channel width is free to vary locally as a result of differential bank migration. Through a series of numerical runs, we demonstrate coevolution of local curvature, width and streamwise slope as the channel migrates over time. The correlation between the local curvature, width and bed elevation is characterized, and the nature of this relationship is explored by varying the governing parameters. The results show that, by varying a parameter representing the ratio between a reference bank erosion rate and a reference bank deposition rate, the model is able to reproduce the broad range of river width–curvature correlations observed in nature. This research represents a step towards providing general metrics for predicting width variation patterns in river systems.
Evidence suggests that breastfeeding during infancy lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its attendant risk factors in adult life. To investigate the influence of feeding type on the risk factors of MS, we assessed insulin sensitivity and lipid and apolipoprotein metabolism in preterm infants. Blood samples were collected from preterm infants at the time of discharge. Infants were separated into two groups: a breast milk (BM) group receiving ⩾90% of their intake from BM, and a mixed-fed (MF) group receiving ⩾50% of their intake from formula. The following indices were then compared between the two groups. Blood glucose and serum insulin levels were used to calculate the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI). We also measured serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), apolipoprotein-A1 (apoA1) and apolipoprotein-B (apoB) levels, and the ratios of TC/HDLc, LDLc/HDLc and apoB/apoA1. The mean gestational age was 32.9 weeks at birth, and blood samples were collected at a mean corrected age of 37.4 weeks. There were 22 infants in the BM group and 19 in the MF group. QUICKI was significantly higher in the BM group. TC, HDLc and apoA1 were not significantly different between the groups, but LDLc and apoB levels were significantly higher in the BM group. The TC/HDLc, LDLc/HDLc and apoB/apoA1 ratios were significantly higher in the BM group. In preterm infants, the type of feeding exposure in the early postnatal period may influence glucose, lipid and apolipoprotein metabolism, and affect markers of MS.
To examine the clinical features, age and gender distribution of patients, treatment methods, and outcomes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Methods:
This paper reports a review of 357 patients treated for this condition at a single institution over a duration of 5 years. Patients with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were divided into two groups: one group underwent the Epley manoeuvre and the other received medication. The lateral canal canalolithiasis patients were also divided into two groups: one underwent the Lempert manoeuvre and the other received medication. Lastly, the lateral canal cupulolithiasis patients were treated with medication and non-specific physical techniques.
Results and conclusion:
For patients with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, resolution time was significantly shorter in the Epley manoeuvre group than in the medication group. For the lateral canal canalolithiasis patients, resolution time was significantly shorter in the Lempert manoeuvre group than in the medication group. Resolution time was significantly longer in the lateral canal cupulolithiasis patients than in the other patients. The average age of patients increased with the number of recurrences, as did predominance in females. Average age and rate of sensorineural hearing loss were significantly higher in patients with intractable benign paroxysmal positional vertigo compared with those in the curable benign paroxysmal positional vertigo group.
To investigate what kinds of stimuli are effective in detaching otoconia from the cupula in three experimental models of cupulolithiasis.
Methods:
Three experimental models of cupulolithiasis were prepared using bullfrog labyrinths. Three kinds of stimuli were applied to the experimental models. In experiment one (gravity), the labyrinth preparation was placed so that the cupula-to-crista axis was in the horizontal plane with the canal side in the downward position. In experiment two (sinusoidal oscillation), the labyrinth preparation was placed 3 cm from the rotational centre of a turntable, which was sinusoidally rotated with a rotational cycle of 1 Hz and a rotational angle of 30°. In experiment three (vibration), mechanical vibration was applied to the surface of the bony capsule around the labyrinth using a surgical drill.
Results:
In experiments one, two and three, the otoconial mass was respectively detached in 2 out of 10 labyrinth preparations, none of the labyrinth preparations, and all of the labyrinth preparations.
Conclusion:
Vibration was the most effective stimulus for detaching the otoconia from the cupula in these experimental models of cupulolithiasis.
Using a N2 gas plasma apparatus (BLP-TES, NGK Insulators, Ltd), we showed that N2 gas plasma treatment of influenza A virus caused degradation of viral nucleoproteins. These findings suggest that N2 gas plasma treatment may contribute to infection prevention control for influenza.
High reliability, low power consumption and high speed laser diodes are required for optical interconnect. We developed 1060nm VCSELs with InGaAs/GaAs strained quantum wells, oxide-confined and double intra-cavity structures for that purpose. As for the power consumption, low power dissipation of 0.14 mW/Gbps at 10 Gbps operation has been achieved. Clear eye openings up to 20 Gbps were confirmed at a low bias current of 5 mA. In the reliability test, accelerated aging tests were performed up to 5,000 hours at 6 mA in three different temperatures, 70 oC, 90 oC and 120 oC. The total number of the VCSELs was 4,898 pcs (approximately 5,000). No failure was observed. Under the normal operating condition of 40 oC and 6 mA, the total device-hours was 7.75×107 hours assuming Ea = 0.35 eV according to Telcordia GR-468-CORE. The random failure rate of 30 FIT with the confidence level (C.L.) of 90 % and 12 FIT with the C.L. of 60 % were estimated. To estimate the wear-out lifetime and the number of FITs, high stressed aging tests with 170 oC and 6 mA were performed. With the acceleration factor of Ea = 0.7 eV in the wear-out failure, the median lifetime was 3,000 hours which was equivalent to 300 years in 40 oC ambient. The FIT numbers due to the wear-out were estimated as 0.3 FIT for 10 years. Compared with the random failure rate of 30 FIT, the wear-out failure rates are considered to be negligible. In the extremely long term aging test with 90 oC and 6 mA, no wear-out trend has been observed in both threshold current and optical power up to 20,000 hours operation. These results indicate that 1060 nm VCSEL is promising light source used in optical interconnect for high performance computers and data centers.