United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Research Program on molten core debris interactions in the reactor cavity

The NRC's Research Program on Core-Debris/Cavity Interactions comprises two principal elements: (1) an analytical effort focused primarily on development of computer codes needed to predict the potential consequences of risk-significant severe-accident scenarios; and (2) an experimental component to provide insights into the relevant phenomenological processes and to develop the experimental data base necessary for validation of the codes. The analytical activities at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) focus primarily on refinement and validation of the CORCON and VANESA codes. Two major experimental activities are also based at SNL: (1) the large-scale SURC tests address the thermal-hydraulic phenomena in the cavity as well as aerosol release associated with prototypical core-melt materials in various types of concrete crucibles, while (2) the WITCH and GHOST experiments are concerned with aerosol generation and radionuclide release phenomena. A program of small-scale special-effects tests at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is coupled to a concomitant model-development and code-validation activity. In addition, measurements are being made at Battelle Columbus Laboratory (BCL) to augment the thermochemical data base needed in the VANESA code to permit refined radiological source-term predictions. The current scope and status of this research is reviewed.     

Percutaneous transjejunal biliary intervention: 10-year experience with access via Roux-en-Y loops

Ancylostoma duodenale is still the dominant hookworm species in the Mediterranean area, India, China and Japan. In the present study, biopsied materials were taken from the small intestine of 30 patients infected only with A. duodenale and 12 cross matched controls. The results showed some pathological changes in severely infected cases. However, normal or insignificant changes were seen in the enzymatic activity of the intestinal mucosa.     

Development of technologies aiding large-tissue engineering

Apoptosis associated oligonucleosomal fragmentation of DNA can result from the activation of endonucleases that exhibit different pH optima and are either sensitive or insensitive to divalent cations. DNA fragmentation due to activation of cation sensitive endonucleases occurs in the absence of a change in intracellular pH whereas intracellular acidification is a feature of apoptosis characterized by activation of cation insensitive acidic endonuclease. We have reported earlier that somatostatin (SST) induced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis is signaled in a receptor subtype selective manner uniquely via human somatostatin receptor subtype 3 (hSSTR3). In the present study we investigated the pH dependence and cation sensitivity of endonuclease induced in hSSTR3 expressing CHO-K1 cells by the SST agonist octreotide (OCT) and its effect on intracellular pH. We show that OCT induced apoptosis is associated with selective stimulation of a divalent cation insensitive acidic endonuclease. The intracellular pH of of cells undergoing OCT induced apoptosis was 0.9 pH units lower than that of control cells. The effect of OCT on endonuclease and pH was inhibited by orthovanadate as well as by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, suggesting that hSSTR3 initiated cytotoxic signaling is protein tyrosine phosphatase mediated and is G protein dependent. These findings suggest that intracellular acidification and activation of acidic endonuclease mediate wild type p53 associated apoptosis signaled by hormones acting via G protein coupled receptors.     

Assessing Optimal Digital Elevation Model Selection for Active River Area Delineation Across Broad Regions

Water Resources Management - The Active River Area (ARA) is a spatial approach for identifying the extent of functional riparian area. Given known limitations in terms of input elevation data...     

An exploratory study of the behaviour of crude oil spills under ice

An experimental spill of 0.38 m³ of warm (55°C) crude oil under the ice cover of a fresh water pond with an underwater viewing port is described. Temperatures, dissolved hydrocarbon concentrations and oil slick behaviour and areas were determined. Some oil recovery and disposal methods were tested. An attempt has been made to quantify the rates of heat and mass transfer from the oil using reported values for transfer coefficients. The results indicate that the oil slick adopted a thickness of about 2 cm under the ice, that heat transfer from the oil was relatively fast and complete, that dissolution mass transfer is slow resulting in oil concentrations in the water of only 18 to 287 μg/l in the vicinity of the spill. Some recommendations are made for further studies to elucidate the nature and rates of the relevant physical processes and thus assist in assessing the environmental impact of under-ice oil spills.     

端点安全面临重重危机 如何轻松应对

正事实上,绝大多数攻击者是经由用户及其设备进入企业的。现实情况往往是黑客跟踪一个用户,然后此用户成为帮助黑客到达数据库或用户凭据的一个管道。因此,企业不仅需要端点安全和网络安全,而且还要将不同的安全方案集成起来。安全厂商也应当听从时代的召唤,建设针对新威胁的安全方案,迎接深度安全的新时代。