Present status of the conceptual design of the EU test blanket systems

The EU Breeding Blanket Programme aims the testing of two blankets concept in ITER in form of Test Blanket Modules. In the equatorial port #16 the two EU TBMs – a solid and a liquid blanket concept – will be exposed to the plasma and the complex system of their auxiliary systems dedicated to heat and Tritium removal will be integrated in the surrounding ITER buildings. The development of the conceptual design of the EU TBM System is the main objective of the Grant F4E-2008-GRT-09 contract launched by F4E and assigned to a European Consortium. This paper presents an overview of the results after about 20 months of activities: namely, the design of the main sub-systems of the EU TBSs and a concept of integration in ITER.     

Lead-lithium eutectic material database for nuclear fusion technology

Fully validated material databases are needed for coherent technological developments in any R&D field. For nuclear fusion technology (NFT), within a near-term perspective of qualification and licensing of nuclear components and systems, this goal is both compulsory and urgent. This mandatory requirement applies for the particular case of the Pb-Li eutectic database as fusion reactor material. Pb16Li is today a reference breeder material in diverse fusion R&D programs worldwide. Technical consensus on most part of the material database inputs seems a major technological objective. In this work Pb16Li material database inputs for NFT have been systematically reviewed. Database inputs (bulk, thermal, physical-chemistry properties, and H-isotopes transport) are discussed and extended to base magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) properties, values for non-dimensional parameters and pipe/channel correlations in 2-phases dispersion models. Ongoing efforts to develop the Pb16Li material database as a computing expert system are reported.     

新型自振荡电源转换器VK05CFL

1.技术概述 VK05CFL是一种用于驱动微型荧光灯的自振荡转换器,采用意法半导体的VIPower M3-3专利技术制造而成,允许在同一芯片上集成控制部分和电源级。电源级是一个“发射器开关”,其构成是在级联配置内放置一个双极高压复合晶体管和一个低压MOSFET,因此,在高击穿电     

FRP Confinement of Square Masonry Columns

The problem of masonry columns subjected to structural deficiency under axial load was studied and reported in this paper. The results of an extensive experimental campaign are presented in order to show the behavior of columns built with clay or with calcareous blocks, commonly found in southern Italy, especially in historical buildings. Rectangular masonry columns were tested for a total of 33 specimens; uniaxial compression tests were conducted on columns taking into account the influence of several variables: different strengthening schemes (internal and/or external confinement), curvature radius of the corners, amount of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement, cross-section aspect ratio, and material of masonry blocks. Materials characterization was preliminarily carried out including a mechanical test on plain masonry. For all cases the experimental results evidenced a significant increase in load carrying capacity and ductility after FRP strengthening, which identified the columns as ductile elements despite the brittle nature of the unconfined masonry. Differences in mechanical behavior, due to the geometry of the columns, to the nature of different materials, to different strengthening schemes, and to the amount of reinforcement, are presented and discussed in the paper. The calibration of design equations recently developed by Italian National Research Council, CNR was conducted to compare analytical prediction and experimental results. The same procedure was applied to calibrate an analytical model recently published, in which the existing coefficients are related only to clay. Here the model is applied to limestone for the first time. Thus, new important information is furnished to researchers and practitioners involved in structural assessment and strengthening of compressed elements in historical buildings.     

Superior Cerebellar Atrophy: An Imaging Clue to Diagnose ITPR1-Related Disorders

The inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor type 1 (ITPR1) gene encodes an InsP₃-gated calcium channel that modulates intracellular Ca²⁺ release and is particularly expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Pathogenic variants in the ITPR1 gene are associated with different types of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia: SCA15 (adult onset), SCA29 (early-onset), and Gillespie syndrome. Cerebellar atrophy/hypoplasia is invariably detected, but a recognizable neuroradiological pattern has not been identified yet. With the aim of describing ITPR1-related neuroimaging findings, the brain MRI of 14 patients with ITPR1 variants (11 SCA29, 1 SCA15, and 2 Gillespie) were reviewed by expert neuroradiologists. To further evaluate the role of superior vermian and hemispheric cerebellar atrophy as a clue for the diagnosis of ITPR1-related conditions, the ITPR1 gene was sequenced in 5 patients with similar MRI pattern, detecting pathogenic variants in 4 of them. Considering the whole cohort, a distinctive neuroradiological pattern consisting in superior vermian and hemispheric cerebellar atrophy was identified in 83% patients with causative ITPR1 variants, suggesting this MRI finding could represent a hallmark for ITPR1-related disorders.     

Chiral Discrimination Mechanisms by Silylated-Acetylated Cyclodextrins: Superficial Interactions vs. Inclusion

Cyclodextrin derivatives constitute a powerful class of auxiliary agents for the discrimination of apolar chiral substrates. Both host–guest inclusion phenomena and interactions with the derivatizing groups located on the surface of the macrocycle could drive the enantiodiscrimination; thus, it is important to understand the role that these processes play in the rational design of new chiral selectors. The purpose of this study is to compare via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy the efficiency of silylated-acetylated α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins in the chiral discrimination of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoro-2-(fluoromethoxy)-3-methoxypropane (compound B) and methyl 2-chloropropionate (MCP). NMR DOSY (Diffusion Ordered SpectroscopY) experiments were conducted for the determination of the bound molar fractions and the association constants, whereas ROESY (Rotating-frame Overhauser Enhancement SpectroscopY) measurements provided information on the hosts’ conformation and on the interaction phenomena with the guests. Compound B, endowed with fluorinated moieties, is not deeply included due to attractive Si-F interactions occurring at the external surface of the cyclodextrins. Therefore, a low selectivity toward the size of cyclodextrin cavity is found. By contrast, enantiodiscrimination of MCP relies on the optimal fitting between the size of the guest and that of the cyclodextrin cavity.     

How Can We Improve Vaccination Response in Old People? Part I: Targeting Immunosenescence of Innate Immunity Cells

Vaccination, being able to prevent millions of cases of infectious diseases around the world every year, is the most effective medical intervention ever introduced. However, immunosenescence makes vaccines less effective in providing protection to older people. Although most studies explain that this is mainly due to the immunosenescence of T and B cells, the immunosenescence of innate immunity can also be a significant contributing factor. Alterations in function, number, subset, and distribution of blood neutrophils, monocytes, and natural killer and dendritic cells are detected in aging, thus potentially reducing the efficacy of vaccines in older individuals. In this paper, we focus on the immunosenescence of the innate blood immune cells. We discuss possible strategies to counteract the immunosenescence of innate immunity in order to improve the response to vaccination. In particular, we focus on advances in understanding the role and the development of new adjuvants, such as TLR agonists, considered a promising strategy to increase vaccination efficiency in older individuals.     

Planning and monitoring the execution of web service requests

Interaction with web services enabled marketplaces would be greatly facilitated if users were given a high level service request language to express their goals in complex business domains. This can be achieved by using a planning framework which monitors the execution of planned goals against predefined standard business processes and interacts with the user to achieve goal satisfaction. We present a planning architecture that accepts high level requests, expressed in a service request language known as XSRL. The planning framework is based on the principle of interleaving planning and execution. This is accomplished on the basis of refinement and revision as new service-related information is gathered from service repositories such as UDDI and web services instances, and as execution circumstances necessitate change. The planning system interacts with the user whenever confirmation or verification is needed.     

Preventing diabetic nephropathy: the role of primary care

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the United States and is associated with significant human and economic cost. It is recognized that care of the person with diabetes should be focused on the prevention of the many devastating long-term complications of the disease. The primary care provider is in a key position to implement good preventive care. Monitoring for microalbuminuria is the accepted method for identifying early nephropathy. Individual providers need to be aware of current guidelines for performing screening exams. Once early nephropathy is detected, prudent care with tight glycemic control, angiotension-converting enzyme therapy, control of hypertension, and lifestyle risk-factor modification are warranted. Currently, there is strong indication that the progression of renal disease can be slowed with appropriate early interventions. Positive outcomes are dependent on timely detection of microalbuminuria.