Understanding edge impurity transport is one of the important issues for fusion devices to control edge radiation distribution for detachment operation and impurity influx to the confinement region. In LHD, the edge magnetic field structure becomes complex stochastic magnetic field. In order to study relation between impurity transport and the magnetic field geometry, 3D edge impurity emission distributions are obtained by a multichannel spectrometer system and tomography scheme. However, it is difficult to understand the three-dimensional (3-D) structure. Therefore, we propose a visualization system that employs a volume rendering method. With the proposed system, which can be used on a PC or mobile device, the user can observe a 3D structure in an arbitrary plane. To realize this function, we propose a volume visualization system comprising preprocessing and real-time rendering stages. Therefore, the visualization framerate can exceed 30 frames per second on PCs and approximately six frames per second on mobile devices, although the user frequently changes the position and direction of the camera.
Abstract Background Japan has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates, while the annual suicide rate in 2020 has risen for the first time since 2007. This study aimed to identify high-risk populations and assess the impact of medical visits on suicide trends post-COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Method This quasi-experimental study analyzed a population-based database from Hyogo Prefecture (2012–2022). Interrupted time-series analyses identified level and trend changes in monthly suicide rates per 1 million population during the exposure period (2020–2022) versus the control period (2012–2019). Regular visits to primary care and psychiatry stratified analysis. Results 2181 cases were analyzed, with two-thirds male and a median age of 54. Primary care physicians and psychiatric history were present in 69% and 40% of patients. The study found significant level changes in suicide rates overall (4.14, 95% CI: 1.70, 6.58) among individuals without regular primary care physician visits (2.83, 95% CI: 1.35, 4.32) and without psychiatric visits (2.85, 95% CI: 0.56, 5.14). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in individuals with regular primary care (0.99, 95% CI: -0.78, 2.76) or regular psychiatric visits (0.59, 95% CI: -0.98, 2.16). The trend changes were not significant in any of the groups. Conclusion This study suggests that a history of attending a medical institution may have prevented the rapid increase in suicides during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract Background Astrocytes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and in the mechanism of the pharmacological effects of antidepressant drugs by the production of neurotrophic/growth factors. Previous studies have identified astrocyte‐expressed Gα i/o ‐coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 ( LPAR 1), as being involved in antidepressant‐induced production of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor ( GDNF ) and matrix metalloproteinase‐9 ( MMP ‐9) activation, an important step in the production of GNDF . However, the precise mechanism of MMP ‐9 activation by antidepressants has yet to be identified, in particular the intracellular signaling pathway between LPAR 1/Gα i/o and MMP ‐9. Methods and Results Treatment of rat C6 astroglial cells (C6 cells) with amitriptyline increased Src family tyrosine kinase phosphorylation in a time and concentration‐dependent manner. Amitriptyline‐induced GDNF mRNA expression was blocked by Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In addition, inhibiting Src family tyrosine kinase blocked amitriptyline‐induced zymographic MMP ‐9 activation in C6 cells. The amitriptyline‐induced zymographic MMP ‐9 activity was completely blocked by selective inhibition of Gα i/o protein and LPAR 1. Furthermore, the amitriptyline‐induced Src family tyrosine kinase phosphorylation was blocked by LPAR 1, but not MMP ‐9 inhibition, indicating that Src family tyrosine kinase involvement is downstream of LPAR 1. Conclusions The current findings suggest that the pharmacological effect of antidepressant such as amitriptyline is mediated through an intracellular signaling pathway via the LPAR 1/Gα i/o /Src family tyrosine kinase, which leads to MMP ‐9 activation and GDNF production.
The efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been established in psychiatric disorders but the high rate of relapse is a critical problem. The current study sought preventative factors associated with relapse after a response to ECT in a continuum of four major psychiatric disorders.The records of 255 patients with four psychiatric disorders (83 unipolar depression, 60 bipolar depression, 91 schizophrenia, 21 schizoaffective disorder) were retrospectively reviewed.The relapse-free rate of all patients at 1 year was 56.3% in the four psychiatric disorders without a difference. As a result of univariate analysis, three items could be considered as preventative factors associated with relapse: a small number of psychiatric symptom episodes before an acute course of ECT, the use of mood stabilizers, and the use of maintenance ECT. Multivariate analysis was performed, keeping age, sex, and diagnosis constant in addition to the three items, and small number of psychiatric symptom episodes before an acute course of ECT (P = 0.003), the use of lithium (P = 0.025), the use of valproate (P = 0.027), and the use of maintenance ECT (P = 0.001) were found to be significant preventative measures against relapse.The use of mood stabilizers, such as lithium and valproate, and maintenance ECT could be shared preventive factors associated with relapse after a response to ECT in four major psychiatric disorders.
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is involved in numerous biological processes, including neurodevelopment, chronic inflammation, and immunologic response in the central nervous system. Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted enzyme that produces LPA from lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Previous studies have demonstrated decreased protein levels of ATX in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Based on those studies, the current study investigated the levels of lysophospholipids species including LPA and related metabolic enzymes, in CSF of patients with MDD and schizophrenia (SCZ).The levels of lysophospholipids species and related metabolic enzymes were measured with either liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Japanese patients were diagnosed with DSM-IV-TR. CSF was obtained from age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 27) and patients with MDD (n = 26) and SCZ (n = 27).Of all lysophospholipids species, the levels of LPA 22:6 (LPA - docosahexaenoic acid) were significantly lower in patients with MDD and SCZ than in healthy controls. These levels were negatively correlated with several clinical symptomatic scores of MDD, but not those of SCZ. In addition, the levels of LPA 22:6 were significantly correlated with the levels of LPC 22:6 among all 3 groups. On the other hand, the levels of LPA 22:6 were not correlated with ATX activity in patients with MDD and SCZ.The lower levels of LPA 22:6 in patients with MDD and SCZ suggest an abnormality of LPA 22:6 metabolism. In addition, several depressive symptoms in patients with MDD were significantly associated with the lower levels of LPA 22:6, suggesting an involvement of LPA 22:6 in the pathophysiology of MDD.
Delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a complication of CO intoxication. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is one of the only established treatments for CO poisoning, but as there is no specific treatment for DNS, the prognosis of DNS patients is generally poor. A 40-year-old male patient, following attempted suicide by CO poisoning, was referred to our department after having received HBO therapy at another hospital, but treatment had been subsequently discontinued due to patient agitation. The patient was diagnosed with DNS after acute CO poisoning, and we reinitiated HBO therapy. However, due to manifestation of symptoms of severe dementia, treatment was discontinued. After initiating thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) therapy, psychiatric symptoms, such as difficulty in following instructions, improved, enabling the resumption of HBO therapy. Daily activities returned to premorbid levels following treatment. Thus, TRH therapy could be effective for patients with DNS due to acute CO poisoning who experience difficulty with HBO therapy.
CeO_2 abrasive grain is known as a good polishing agent for glass materials and has been used so much. However, the price of CeO_2 has increased to 10 or more times in recent several years. So it is desired that alternative material of CeO_2 abrasive grain. To develop the alternative material, the glass polishing mechanism by CeO^2 abrasive grain needs to be figured out. In this report, the structural analysis of the surface of abrasive grains before/after polishing is studied to figure out the mechanism of glass polishing by CeO_2 abrasive grain. The results of STEM-EDS and XPS measurements revealed the adherence of silicon oxides on the surface of CeO_2 abrasive grain after polishing. Even though silicon oxides may also adhere on other abrasive grains, the amount of the adherence was far less than that on CeO_2 abrasive grain. Considering the high adherence amount, it is supposed that Si oxide probably adheres on CeO_2 with chemical bonds.
