Feasibility study of minor actinide transmutation in light water reactors with various Am/Cm separation efficiencies

A study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of minor actinide (MA) transmutation in light water reactors (LWR). The purpose of this work was to provide a guide for future investigations into MA transmutation in LWR. This work considered the effects of various Am/Cm separation efficiencies as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous MA bearing fuel assemblies. The MA content was introduced into the reactor as mixed oxide plus minor actinide (MOX + MA) fuel. Three Am/Cm separation efficiencies were independently considered: 99.9%, 99.0%, and 90.0%. In order to evaluate the feasibility of MA transmutation, the fuel performance of the various assemblies and core designs, as well as their respective safety related parameters, were calculated. The reduction of the burden of high level waste (HLW) motivated the investigation of MA transmutation. It was found that the MA bearing fuel assemblies and their subsequent core designs were able to perform within the safety limits required as well as achieving similar burnups to a UO₂ core. The Am transmutation rates were ∼40% for the homogeneous assemblies and up to 68% for the MA targets in the heterogeneous assemblies after the described burnup, however, there was a significant amount of Cm produced during burnup. This Cm production was due to the more favorable neutron capture reaction over fission for Am in the thermal spectrum. Future work should examine the benefits of Am transmutation at the expense of large Cm production rates.     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL MODELING OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN A CERAMIC OXYGEN GENERATOR (COG)

A three-dimensional numerical model has been developed to simulate the conjugate heat transfer and the separation of oxygen from air in a single-cell ceramic oxygen generator (COG). Attention is focussed on the temperature distribution in the brittle ceramic electrolyte as a result of heat generated from electrochemical reactions and the resistance to current flow. Investigations conducted to determine the influence on the thermal behaviour of the electrolyte with the presence of metallic current collectors and gas distributors in the model will also be summarised.     

Investigation of the Gas‐Liquid Flow in a Stopper‐Rod Controlled SEN

The behaviour of two‐phase gas‐liquid flows in a stopper‐rod controlled submerged entry nozzle (SEN) is investigated in water model experiments. The observed two‐phase flow patterns can be classified into either bubble coring or bubbly slug. The scaling of the two‐phase flows by means of similarity parameters is discussed. In the experiments, it is found that the liquid flow rates depend strongly on the two‐phase flow patterns. Additionally, the influence of swirl on the flow patterns is investigated in detail. It is shown that swirl has a marked impact on the transition from bubble coring to bubbly slug. Finally, an estimation of the two‐phase argon‐steel flow patterns in industrialscale SEN flows is given.     

Active Wegener's granulomatosis is associated with HLA-DR+ CD4+ T cells exhibiting an unbalanced Th1-type T cell cytokine pattern: reversal with IL-10

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a granulomatous vasculitis that affects the upper respiratory tract, lung, and kidney. Since T cells make up a significant proportion of cells infiltrating granulomatous lesions in WG, we investigated the proliferative response and cytokine profile of T cells from these patients. PBMCs were isolated from 12 patients with active WG, 7 patients with inactive disease, and 12 healthy normal donors. PBMCs from clinically active WG patients exhibited increased proliferation following stimulation with either PMA/ionomycin or anti-CD2 and anti-CD28, when compared with normal donors. In addition, these PBMCs exhibited increased secretion of IFN-gamma, but not of IL-4, IL-5, or IL-10. Furthermore, TNF-alpha production from PBMCs and CD4+ T cells isolated from patients with WG was elevated, when compared with healthy donors. In further studies, we investigated the ability of WG patients' monocytes to produce IL-12 and showed that both inactive and active patients produced increased amounts of IL-12. Finally, the in vitro IFN-gamma production by WG PBMC is inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by exogenous IL-10. These data suggest that T cells from WG patients overproduce IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, probably due to dysregulated IL-12 secretion, and that IL-10 may therefore have therapeutic implications for this disease.     

Intraoperative monitoring with stimulus-evoked electromyography during placement of iliosacral screws. An initial clinical study

Cells of the innate immune system secrete cytokines early in immune responses that guide maturing T helper (Th) cells along appropriate lineages. This study investigates the role of cytokine networks, bridging the innate and acquired immune systems, in the pathogenesis of an organ specific autoimmune disease. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, is widely used as an animal model for multiple sclerosis. We demonstrate that interleukin (IL)-12 is essential for the generation of the autoreactive Th1 cells that induce EAE, both in the presence and absence of interferon gamma. The disease-promoting effects of IL-12 are antagonized by IL-10 produced by an antigen nonspecific CD4+ T cell which, in turn, is regulated by the endogenous production of IL-12. This unique immunoregulatory circuit appears to play a critical role in controlling Th cell differentiation and provides a mechanism by which microbial triggers of the innate immune system can modulate autoimmune disease.     

Zoonoses and potential zoonoses transmitted by bats

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an analytical method for the quantitative determination of the extent of neutralization of the carboxylic acid function in Carbopol 974P NF using Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFT) with Kubelka-Munk function analysis. METHODS: Carbopol 974P NF is a high molecular weight, chemically crosslinked polymer of acrylic acid, that has the C=O stretching band of the unionized carboxylic acid function at 1695 cm(-1). The quantitative determination of the extent of neutralization of the carboxylic acid function in Carbopol 974P NF is based upon the asymmetrical C=O stretching of the carboxylate anion at 1570 cm(-1) measured by DRIFT spectroscopy. RESULTS: To overcome spectral differences arising from sample preparation (powders, granules and tablets) and in an effort to increase the precision of the analytical method, the following approaches were used: (1) an internal standard, (2) first derivative of the spectrum to eliminate the effect of baseline drift and (3) the ratio of the first derivative of the C=O stretch of the carboxylate anion peak (1570 cm(-1)) in the neutralized Carbopol 974P NF to that of the peak of the internal standard (866 cm(-1)). The above data treatment techniques proved to be superior to the usual methods of peak height or peak area. The calibration curve of the ratio of the first derivative (1570 cm(-1)/866 cm(-1)) was a linear function of the mass of sodium carboxylate over the range from 0.0% to 100.0% neutralization of the carboxylic acid function in Carbopol 974P NF (Fig. 1a). No particle size or sample preparation effects were noted within the experimental error. CONCLUSIONS: DRIFT spectroscopy using the Kubelka-Munk function is a powerful tool for the routine determination of the extent of neutralization of the carboxylic acid function in Carbopol 974P NF in complex pharmaceutical formulations.