Understanding generation and mitigation of runaway electrons in disruptions is important for the safe operation of future tokamaks. In this paper we investigate the runaway dynamics in reactor-scale spherical tokamaks, focusing on a compact nominal design with a plasma current of 21 megaamperes (MA), 1.8 T magnetic field on axis and major radius of approximately 3 m. We study both the severity of runaway generation during unmitigated disruptions, and the effect that typical mitigation schemes based on massive material injection have on runaway production. The study is conducted using the numerical framework dream (Disruption Runaway Electron Analysis Model). We find that, in many cases, mitigation strategies are necessary to prevent the runaway current from reaching multi-MA levels. Our results indicate that, with a suitably chosen deuterium–neon mixture for mitigation, it is possible to achieve a tolerable runaway current and ohmic current evolution. However, this does not account for the runaway source due to wall activation, which has been found to severely limit successful mitigation at conventional aspect ratios, but whose definition requires a more complete wall specification. Furthermore, the majority of the thermal energy loss is found to happen through radial transport rather than radiation, which poses a risk of unacceptable localised heat loads.

Somatic symptoms and anxiety symptoms are often disregarded in the detection of depression in primary care. The present investigation examined to what extent somatic and anxiety symptoms recorded with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview—Primary Health Care Version (CIDI—PHC) can improve the detection of depression as compared to the General Health Questionnaire—12-item version alone. Data from the World Health Organization study on Psychological Problems in General Health Care were used. The study sample consisted of primary care attenders from 15 centres from all over the world who underwent a psychiatric examination with the CIDI—PHC. Medically unexplained somatic symptoms (back pain, feelings of heaviness/lightness in parts of the body, periods of bodily weakness, seizures/convulsions, permanent tiredness, exhaustion after a minimum of effort) and—to a smaller extent—diverse anxiety symptoms (e.g. feelings of anxiousness/nervousness, feelings of tension, difficulties relaxing) significantly contributed to the detection of depression in a logistic regression analysis. The results confirm the observation that in primary care somatic symptoms play an important role in the manifestation of depressive disorders. The items investigated herein could prove beneficial for future depression screening instruments to improve the detection of depressive disorders in primary care.

A method is proposed to determine the effective detector area for energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometers (EDS). Nowadays, detectors are available for a wide range of nominal areas ranging from 10 up to 150 mm2. However, it remains in most cases unknown whether this nominal area coincides with the “net active sensor area” that should be given according to the related standard ISO 15632, or with any other area of the detector device. Moreover, the specific geometry of EDS installation may further reduce a given detector area. The proposed method can be applied to most scanning electron microscope/EDS configurations. The basic idea consists in a comparison of the measured count rate with the count rate resulting from known X-ray yields of copper, titanium, or silicon. The method was successfully tested on three detectors with known effective area and applied further to seven spectrometers from different manufacturers. In most cases the method gave an effective area smaller than the area given in the detector description.

The Committee on Chronotherapeutics was recently formed by the International Society for Affective Disorders (ISAD), which has asked us to provide a consensus review of chronotherapeutics (light and wake therapy) in affective disorders. We consider these non-pharmaceutical, biologically based therapies to be potentially powerful adjuvants ready for clinical application. We also stress the need for additional studies, both in-patient and out-patient, to broaden the evidence base for indications and efficacy.

A menudo, se hace caso omiso de los smtomas somáticos y los síntomas de ansiedad en la detección de la depresión en atencion primaria. La presente investigacion examinó en qué medida los síntomas somáticos y de ansiedad registrados en la Entrevista Diagnostica Internacional Compuesta-Version de Atención Primaria (CIDI-PHC) pueden mejorar la detección de la depresión comparado con el Cuestionario de Salud General, versión de 12 elementos, solo. Se utilizaron datos del estudio de la Organización Mundial de la Salud sobre Problemas Psicológicos en Atención Sanitaria General. La muestra de estudio constaba de las personas que acudieron a los servicios de atención primaria de 15 centros de todo el mundo y se sometieron a un examen psiquiátrico con la CIDI-PHC. Los smtomas somáticos sin explicación médica (dolor de espalda, sensaciones de pesadez/ligereza en partes del cuerpo, períodos de debilidad corporal, crisis/convulsiones, cansancio permanente, agotamiento después de un esfuerzo mínimo) y -en menor medidasíntomas de ansiedad diversos (p. ej., sentimientos de ansiedad/nerviosismo, sentimientos de tensión, dificultades para relajarse) contribuyeron significativamente a la detección de la depresión en un análisis de regresión logística. Los resultados confirman la observación de que, en la atención primaria, los síntomas somáticos desempefian un papel importante en la manifestacion de los trastornos depresivos. Los elementos investigados aquí podrían resultar beneficiosos para que futuros instrumentos de deteccion selectiva de la depresivos en la atención primaria.

The present study evaluates a multifaceted cognitive-behavioral group treatment in a routine clinical setting. The program consists of directly sleep related strategies such as sleep education, sleep restriction, stimulus control, relaxation, and cognitive restructuring. Also included are techniques that target illness maintaining factors such as stress-management, problem solving skills, and increase of activities. Twenty-eight physician-referred outpatients with chronic primary insomnia according to DSM-III-R criteria attended 11 weekly therapy-sessions. Results were obtained on a subjective and objective level using a sleep diary, questionnaires, and polysomnography, respectively. Pre- and post-treatment comparisons indicated significant changes on all main sleep diary variables, i.e. total sleep time, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset, as well as for the global subjective sleep quality. Maximum improvement was reached after the more directly sleep-related part of the program. In addition, the intervention helped patients to reduce the amount and frequency of sleeping aids over time and improved their daytime-functioning. Subjective therapeutic gains were maintained at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. No significant treatment effects could be obtained on polysomnographic measures, taking into account that the baseline values were already in the normative range. After the intervention the patients were able to give a more realistic evaluation of their sleep. These results suggest that a multicomponent psychological treatment is beneficial for the improvement of sleep quality on a subjective level.

In 231 psychiatric in-patients, the 1 mg or 1.5 mg DST with blood samples at 0900 h, 1600 h and 2300 h and a post-dexamethasone plasma cortisol threshold of ⩾ 5 μg/dl were tested for their differential diagnostic utility in clinical psychiatry. Neither test significantly separated endogenous depressed. patients from patients with other depressive or non-depressive psychiatric disorders. Studies of the 1 mg or 1.5 mg DST in 75 healthy subjects revealed about 12% of cortisol non-suppressors, when a post–dexamethasone cortisol threshold of ⩾ 5 μg/dl was used. This seemed to be an unacceptably low specificity of the test in normal subjects. A threshold criterion of ⩾ 8 μg/dl, however, yielded only 2.7% of non-suppressed normal subjects. Analyses of the DST data of the psychiatric patients, using a cortisol threshold of ⩾ 8 μg/dl, also failed to reveal a significantly higher specificity of the DST for endogenous depression. However, it was demonstrated that intervening variables such as stress due to hospital admission, drug withdrawal, suicidal turmoil, weight loss, as well as a low dexamethasone plasma level, enhance the rate of abnormal DST results in psychiatric in-patients, regardless of their diagnostic classification.