Comments on the threshold porosity for fission gas release in high burn-up fuels

This letter challenges two recent papers in this journal, suggesting that the high burn-up structure of LWR-fuels would evolve towards an open pore system, facilitating gas release. In contrast, recent experimental results and supporting calculations reviewed here as well as new evidence from a 3D pore-reconstruction strongly suggest that the materials in question would show closed porosity conditions and hence reduced probability of gas release, at least up to porosity fractions of about 25%. This value is most likely conservative.     

Image quality in time-resolved transillumination of highly scattering media

Using a photon-counting setup and a streak-camera arrangement with time resolutions of 35 and 6 ps, respectively, we have investigated the spatial resolution of a time-gated transillumin tion technique applied to turbid media. In the case of large relative amounts of unscattered light, it is found that small detection angles improve the spatial resolution. For large concentrations of scatterers and large sample thicknesses, i.e., when the amount of unscattered light is negligible, the best time-gate position is found to be at times that are later than the minimum transit time. In this case (minimum transit time), temporal resolutions from small values up to approximately 50 ps yield almost the same image resolution. The only advantage of measuring systems with a higher than 50-ps temporal resolution is their ability to distinguish the diffused from the unscattered light, when a significant amount of the latter is present.     

Live imaging of fluorescent proteins in chordate embryos: from ascidians to mice

Although we have advanced in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms intrinsic to the morphogenesis of chordate embryos, the question of how individual developmental events are integrated to generate the final morphological form is still unresolved. Microscopic observation is a pivotal tool in developmental biology, both for determining the normal course of events and for contrasting this with the results of experimental and pathological perturbations. Since embryonic development takes place in three dimensions over time, to fully understand the events required to build an embryo we must investigate embryo morphogenesis in multiple dimensions in situ. Recent advances in the isolation of naturally fluorescent proteins, and the refinement of techniques for in vivo microscopy offer unprecedented opportunities to study the cellular and molecular events within living, intact embryos using optical imaging. These technologies allow direct visual access to complex events as they happen in their native environment, and thus provide greater insights into cell behaviors operating during embryonic development. Since most fluorescent protein probes and modes of data acquisition are common across species, we have chosen the mouse and the ascidian, two model organisms at opposite ends of the chordate clade, to review the use of some of the current genetically-encoded fluorescent proteins and their visualization in vivo in living embryos for the generation of high-resolution imaging data.     

Salvage procedures for trochanteric femoral fractures after internal fixation failure: biomechanical comparison of a plate fixator and the dynamic condylar screw

The aim of this study was the biomechanical evaluation of the reversed less invasive stabilization system (LISS) internal fixation as a joint-preserving salvage procedure for trochanteric fractures. Five LISS plates and five dynamic condylar screws (DCS) were tested using synthetic femora (Sawbones) with an osteotomy model similar to a type-A2.3 pertrochanteric fracture. The constructs were subjected to axial loading up to 1000 N for five cycles. Then, the force was continuously increased until fixation failure. For the evaluation of the biomechanical behaviour, the stiffness levels were recorded and the osteotomy gap displacement was mapped three-dimensionally. The average stiffness for the constructs with LISS plates was 412 N/mm (with a standard deviation (SD) of 103N/mm) and 572N/mm (SD of 116 N/mm) for the DCS constructs (p=0.051). Local displacement at the osteotomy gap did not yield any significant differences. The LISS constructs failed at a mean axial compression of 2103N (SD of 519N) and the DCS constructs at a mean of 2572N (SD of 372N) (p=0.14). It is concluded that the LISS plate offers a reliable fixation alternative for salvage procedures.     

Near-minimal test sets for the detection of single gate faults

A new algorithm is presented for the detection of single gate faults in combinational networks. A gate fault is any unknown transformation of the Boolean function realized by a particular gate or single-output subnetwork. Detection of such faults is accomplished by verifying the truth table of the correct gate function.The concept of real transform of a Boolean function is utilized to obtain in each iteration an optimal test, namely, a test that performs as much of the fault detection task as possible. The resulting test set is near-minimal and complete.The algorithm can handle multi-output networks, integrated network components and mixed (gate, stuck-at) fault models.     

Curve interpolation based on the canonical arc length parametrization

We use the canonical equations (CE) of differential geometry, a local Taylor series representation of any smooth curve with parameter the arc length, as a unifying framework for the development of new CNC algorithms, capable of interpolating 2D and 3D curves, represented parametrically, implicitly or as surface intersections, with accurate feedrate control. We use a truncated form of the CE to compute a preliminary point, at an arc distance from the last interpolation point selected to achieve a desired feedrate profile. The next interpolation point is derived by projecting the preliminary point on the curve. The coefficients in the CE involve the curve’s curvature, torsion and their arc length derivatives. We provide computing procedures for them for common Cartesian representations, demonstrating the generality of the proposed method. In addition, our algorithms admit corrections, which render them more accurate in terms of the programmed feedrate, compared to existing parametric algorithms of the same order.