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Notes: A high precision atomic polarimeter system for the use in beam-foil spectroscopy experiments with a few keV/amu heavy-ion beams has been developed. The polarimeter measures the circular polarization of fluorescences from the beam ion in-flight after the beam–foil interaction. The present system has two identical such polarimeters in both sides of the beam axis to reduce the systematic errors such due to the fluctuations of beam current, background and so on. A successful use of an ultrathin carbon foil (1.5 μg/cm2), which was durable for several hours against a few hundred nA beam irradiation, enabled the beam–foil experiments with such low energy heavy-ion beams. A performance test of the polarimeter system was carried out in the tilted foil experiments with a 1.7 keV/amu 14N+ beam. The atomic polarization was observed for the transition 1s22s22p3p 1D→1s22s22p3p 1P, whose fluorescence wavelength is 399.5 nm, in the N+ ion (N II). The polarization was approximately −2% for the tilt angle of −40° and showed monotone increasing with increasing tilt angle up to +2% for +40°. The polarization at 0° was (0.002±0.25)%, which is highly consistent with the expected polarization of 0%. This result indicates the high reliability of the present polarimeter system. This is the first tilted-foil experiment at such low beam energy. The present experimental technique will be very useful for studies of the polarization mechanism of the beam–foil interaction. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Ion distributions in a loss cone are measured in the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror [Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 939 (1985)]. When Alfvén ion cyclotron (AIC) modes are excited in the central cell, enhanced end-loss of ions is observed for a characteristic energy region which agrees well with the resonant ion cyclotron condition with the AIC wave. From measurements of pitch angle distributions of end-loss ions, it is found that the loss cone is filled for this characteristic energy region, indicating an ion diffusion in a velocity space induced by the AIC wave. Magnitude of the observed additional end-loss increases with increase in the amplitude of the AIC modes. In the present experimental parameters in GAMMA 10, the AIC wave effect on the axial ion confinement is not serious. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Background  Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing eczematous skin disorder characterized by eosinophilia. Nerve growth factor (NGF) modulates the allergic response through interactions with immune-inflammatory cells. Eosinophils have been reported to store NGF as a preformed mediator.Objective  To gain further insight into the significance of eosinophils in association with NGF in the pathogenesis of AD, the localization of NGF within eosinophils and the difference of the eosinophil-derived NGF content in the peripheral blood of normal volunteers vs. AD patients were investigated.Methods  We examined the localization of NGF within human eosinophils using the post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy and compared NGF content in freshly isolated eosinophil sonicates from the peripheral blood of 31 normal volunteers vs. 42 AD patients by immunoenzymatic assay. A possible correlation between the levels of NGF and major basic protein was also examined.Results  Immunoelectron microscopic studies revealed that NGF was localized in the central core of normal eosinophil granules, where major basic protein is also present as a preformed mediator, in homogeneous granules and in intergranular ductal or vesicular structures adjacent to specific granules of eosinophils. NGF content in eosinophils was significantly increased in AD patients. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between levels of NGF and major basic protein in eosinophils of AD patients.Conclusions  Increased levels of NGF contained in eosinophils of the peripheral blood from AD patients, when released with other mediators such as basic proteins, could promote inflammation and local tissue damage.

Notes: Background  Although some patients with psoriasis vulgaris also complain of severe pruritus, the data available regarding pruritus in psoriasis are sparse.Objectives  To clarify the mechanism and mediators involved in the pruritus of psoriasis vulgaris, we compared itch-associated factors in lesional skin from psoriatic patients vs. skin without pruritus quantitatively using a panel of histological and immunohistological parameters.Patients and methods  Biopsied specimens were obtained from 38 patients with psoriasis vulgaris who were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of pruritus.Results  When compared with psoriatic patients devoid of pruritus, lesional skin from patients with pruritus showed the following characteristic features: (i) a rich innervation both in the epidermis and in the papillary dermis; (ii) an increase in neuropeptide substance P-containing nerve fibres in perivascular areas; (iii) decreased expression of neutral endopeptidase in the epidermal basal layer as well as in the endothelia of blood vessels; (iv) many mast cells showing degranulating processes in the papillary dermis; (v) a strong immunoreactivity for nerve growth factor (NGF) throughout the entire epidermis and an increased NGF content in lesional skin homogenates; (vi) an increase in the expression of high-affinity receptors for NGF (Trk A) in basal keratinocytes and in dermal nerves; (vii) an increased population of interleukin-2-immunoreactive lymphocytes; and (viii) a strong expression of E-selectin on vascular endothelial cells. A significant correlation was observed between the severity of pruritus and protein gene product 9.5-immunoreactive intraepidermal nerve fibres, NGF-immunoreactive keratinocytes, expression of Trk A in the epidermis and the density of immunoreactive vessels for E-selectin. These findings indicate that possible pruritogenic mediators in psoriatic lesional skin are neurogenic factors including innervation, neuropeptide substance P, neuropeptide-degrading enzymes and NGF, activated mast cells, one or more cytokines and endothelial–leucocyte adhesion molecules.Conclusions  These data document for the first time itch-related local markers in psoriasis, and suggest complex and multifactorial mechanisms of pruritus in the disease. These results provide the groundwork for further studies to evaluate the efficacy of antipruritic treatment for psoriatic patients.

Notes: Summary Background Neurogenic components, such as neurotrophic factors and neuropeptides, are probably involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) via the neuroimmunocutaneous system. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that nerve growth factor (NGF), the best-characterized member of the neurotrophin family, modulates the synthesis of the neuropeptide substance P (SP), both of which may be associated with the pathogenesis of human allergic diseases. Objectives To evaluate the levels of NGF and SP in the plasma of patients with AD and to examine their possible correlation with disease activity. Methods We measured plasma levels of NGF by an immunoenzymatic assay and of SP by aradioimmunoassay in 52 patients with AD, and compared them with 35 normal non-atopic controls. The severity of the disease in AD patients was evaluated using validated clinical scoring systems. Results Patients with AD had significant increases in plasma levels of NGF and SP compared with controls (P 〈 0·0005 and P 〈 0·0001, respectively). A positive correlation between the plasma levels of NGF and SP was found in AD patients (correlation coefficient, Cc = 0·920, P 〈 0·0001). There was a significant correlation of plasma NGF and SP levels with disease activity evaluated using three different scoring systems: the grading system of Rajka and Langeland (P 〈 0·001 and P 〈 0·01, respectively), the objective Severity Scoring of AD (Cc = 0·656, P 〈 0·005 and Cc = 0·752, P 〈 0·0005, respectively) and the Eczema Area and Severity Index (Cc = 0·740, P 〈 0·001 and Cc = 0·765, P 〈 0·005, respectively). Conclusions These data represent the first reported evidence of increased plasma levels of NGF and SP in an allergic human skin disease. They suggest that these neurogenic factors systemically modulate the allergic response in AD, probably through interactions with cells of the immune-inflammatory component. In addition, NGF and SP may be useful markers of disease activity in patients with AD.

Notes: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a hybrid composite material used as a prosthetic veneering agent after servicing for more than 4 years. A photo-curable composite material (Cesead®) was selected as the veneering agent. Composite resin veneered restorations made with the composite and a noble metal alloy were inserted into 110 teeth of 40 patients. Modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria were used for direct evaluation of colour matching ability, veneer–metal interfacial staining, veneer surface texture, staining of the metal casting, and wear of the veneer–metal interface. After an average observation period of 5 years and 3 months, the rate of restorations considered to be clinically ideal (Alfa) was 75·5% for colour match, 93·6% for veneer–metal interfacial staining, 82·7% for veneer surface texture, 97·3% for staining of the metal casting, and 95·5% for wear. The restorations judged as clinically unacceptable (Charlie) consisted of only one case for colour match and three cases for veneer surface texture. Although the Alfa rate decreased with increasing length of service, the Cesead® composite is considered to be a clinically reliable material as a prosthetic veneering agent.

Notes: A pressure driven m=1/n=1 mode is excited by lower hybrid current drive in the WT-3 tokamak [T. Maehara et al., Nucl. Fusion 38, 39 (1998)]. The excitation of the mode is accompanied with the decrease of the magnetic shear and with the peaking of the soft x-ray emissivity profile inside the q=1 surface. The crescent-shaped mode structure appeared on the contour map of the soft x-ray emissivity is consistent with that of the quasi-interchange mode. The m=1 mode can be suppressed by electron cyclotron heating near the q=1 surface. The range of the location of the electron cyclotron resonance layer effective for the complete suppression is much wider and the time scale for the suppression is much faster than those in the case of the suppression of the tearing mode in the ohmic heating plasma. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: In the GAMMA10 tandem mirror, a strong ion cyclotron range of frequency heating is performed. As a result of the heating, the Alfvén ion cyclotron (AIC) modes are spontaneously excited due to the strong temperature anisotropy. The AIC modes in the GAMMA10 are excited as the axial eigenmodes and detected at the whole of the device. In the recent experiments, the clear standing wave structure is observed with the magnetic probe measurements. Characteristics of the AIC modes and the measurement of the axial profile are presented. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: A probe wave system was constructed for studying the excitation of the Alfvén ion cyclotron (AIC) modes in the anchor cell of the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. In the central cell, the AIC modes are spontaneously excited as axial eigenmodes due to the strong temperature anisotropy. In the anchor cell, the AIC modes were not observed though the anisotropy is the same as in the central cell. The axial profiles of the magnetic field strength and plasma parameters in the anchor cell are different from those in the central cell. Eigenmodes are excited externally in the AIC frequency range by injecting probe waves. This suggests the AIC modes are unstable in the anchor cell and grow to the detectable level when boundary conditions are realized. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The clinical significance of Helicobacter heilmannii infection remains uncertain, owing to the lack of a specific detection method. Recently, we reported a marked increase in myofibroblasts in the early stage of Helicobacter pylori infection in Monglian gerbils.〈section xml:id="abs1-2"〉〈title type="main"〉Aim:The present study was designed to clarify changes in myofibroblasts, and in the immunoeactivities of basic fibroblast growth factor, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase after H. pylori infection in Monglian gerbils and H. heilmannii infection in mice.〈section xml:id="abs1-3"〉〈title type="main"〉Methods:After oral inoculation, changes in the location of bacteria and the immunoreactivity of myofibroblasts, basic fibroblast growth factor, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase were stained with the indirect immunofluorescent method and observed by confocal laser microscopy.〈section xml:id="abs1-4"〉〈title type="main"〉Results:In H. heilmannii-infected mice, the increases in myofibroblasts and in immunoreactivities of these three markers were sustained 12 months after infection. In H. pylori-infected Monglian gerbils, however, these increases were significant at 3 months but had returned to control levels at 12 months.〈section xml:id="abs1-5"〉〈title type="main"〉Conclusions:Two types of Helicobacter infection showed different patterns of myofibroblast proliferation, coinciding with the extent of inflammation. These findings suggest that this difference may be related to the consequences of the infection.