FISA-2009 Conference on Euratom Research and Training Activities: Nuclear Fission - Past, Present and Future (Generation-II, -III and -IV + Partitioning and Transmutation)

This paper is an introduction to the research and training activities carried out under the Euratom 7th Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2011) in the field of nuclear fission science and technology, covering in particular nuclear systems and safety, and including innovative reactor systems and partitioning and transmutation. It is based on the more than 40 invited lectures that were delivered by Euratom project coordinators and keynote speakers at the FISA-2009 Conference (FISA, 2009), organised by the European Commission DG Research, 22-24 June 2009, Prague, Czech Republic.The Euratom programme must be considered in the context of current and future nuclear technology and the respective research effort:

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Generation-II (i.e. yesterday, NPP construction 1970-2000): safety and reliability of nuclear facilities and energy independence in order to ensure security of supply worldwide;

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Generation-III (i.e. today, construction 2000-2040+): continuous improvement of safety and reliability, and increased industrial competitiveness in a growing energy market;

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Generation-IV (i.e. tomorrow, construction from 2040) for increased sustainability though optimal utilisation of natural resources and waste minimisation, and increased proliferation resistance.

Consequently, the focus of the lectures devoted to Generation-II and -III is on the major scientific challenges and technological developments needed to guarantee safety and reliability, in particular issues associated with plant lifetime extension and operation.The focus of the lectures devoted to Generation-IV is on the design objectives and associated research issues that have been agreed upon internationally, in particular the ambitious criteria and technology goals established at the international level by the Generation-IV International Forum (GIF). In the future, electricity must continue to be produced competitively, and in addition high temperature process heat may also be required, while exploiting a maximum of fissile and fertile material and recycling all actinides, both safely and reliably. Scientific viability studies and technological performance tests for each Generation-IV system are now being carried out in many European Union (EU) Member States, in collaboration with other laboratories worldwide as part of the inter-governmental GIF agreement. The ultimate phase of commercial deployment will be from 2040, but no one can predict accurately when industry and investors will make firm, often difficult decisions regarding the construction of these very innovative Generation-IV systems. However, to be deployed commercially, it must first be demonstrated that Generation-IV technology can be a beneficial, responsible and sustainable response to the long-term challenges faced by society to establish a low-carbon economy.     

Preoperative sonographic diagnosis of acute appendicitis caused by Ascaris lumbricoides

Acute appendicitis caused by Ascaris lumbricoides is an uncommon variant of a common disease. We describe a case in which sonography was used for preoperative diagnosis of ascaris appendicitis.     

Bilateral elastofibroma: a case report and review of the literature

Elastofibroma, or elastofibroma dorsi as it was first described, is an uncommon tumor-like process that characteristically appears as an ill-defined mass in the infrascapular region of elderly patients. This lesion can occur bilaterally and may appear asynchronously. The occurrence of elastofibroma in other anatomic sites has been reported, although with much less frequency. Elastofibromas display typical diagnostic histologic, cytologic, and electron microscopic features. The use of magnetic resonance imaging can lead to a presumptive diagnosis in elderly individuals with suprascapular lesions. It is important to differentiate this lesion from other soft-tissue lesions, such as sarcomas and desmoid tumors. This study presents a case of bilateral elastofibromas in a 72-year-old man and a review of the literature.     

International classification of diseases (tenth revision)

Today, when the number of high-risk patients is increasing, special attention should be paid to polyresistant gram-positive microorganisms staphylococci and enterococci, whose role in infective complications and septic states is increasing. The author analyzes published reports on the rate of isolation of methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) and enterococci in different countries and relationship of this parameter with antibiotic policy. Special attention is paid to unjustified wide use of third-generation cephalosporines and their role in selection of polyresistant bacteria. The rate of MRS isolation vs. all other staphylococci at intensive care wards for newborns is as high as 63.9%. The incidence of coagulase-negative staphylococci (most often S. epidermidis) in clinical material (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine) from high-risk patients increased 2-3 times during two recent years. Glycopeptides vancomycin and teicoplanine are drugs of choice for the treatment of infections caused by such microorganisms (sepsis, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, etc.). These drugs should be listed among obligatory antibiotics for resuscitation and intensive care wards as life-saving drugs.     

Perforation of terminal ileum and appendix in typhoid enteritis: report of two cases

Two cases of simultaneous typhoid perforation of terminal ileum and appendix are reported from Harare Central Hospital. These findings have not been reported before. Perforations were associated with schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS. Definitive diagnosis was made only after laparotomy, serology and histopathology. With early diagnosis, effective resuscitation and timely intervention, this life-threatening condition is not necessarily fatal. Septic shock is however, an ominous sign of poor prognosis. In the tropics, bradycardia, leukopaenia and perforation in a febrile patient with right iliac fossa tenderness should arouse suspicion. Perforations may occur in patients with underlying diseases.     

Mechanistic and kinetic studies on the polymerization of styrene initiated by dimethyl sulfonium 2-pyridyl carbonyl methylide

Dimethyl sulfonium 2-pyridyl carbonyl methylide (Y_py-s) initiated radical polymerization of styrene in dimethyl sulfoxide at 85±0.1°C for 6 h under a nitrogen blanket using dilatometric techniques has been studied. The initiator and monomer exponent values were calculated to be 0.5 and 1.2, respectively. The system follows ideal radical kinetics with bimolecular termination. The higher monomer exponent value is ascribed to significant solvent effects on the initiation rate. The overall activation energy and average value of k²_p/k_t are 52.0 kJ mol^?1 and 1.0 × 10^?3 litre mol^?1 s^?1, respectively. The polymerization was retarded in the presence of hydroquinone or benzene; dimethylformamide, however, enhanced the rate of polymerization. Kinetic data and ESR studies indicate that the overall polymerization takes place via triplet carbene formation which acts as a source of free radicals.     

Salt effects on ligand-DNA binding. Minor groove binding antibiotics

Salt dependent electrostatic effects play a central role in intermolecular interactions involving nucleic acids. In this paper, the finite-difference solution to the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann (NLPB) equation is used to evaluate the salt dependent contribution to the electrostatic binding free energy of the minor groove binding antibiotics DAPI, Hoechst 33258 and netropsin to DNA using detailed molecular structures of the complexes. For each of these systems, a treatment based on the NLPB equation accurately describes the variation of the experimentally observed binding constant with bulk salt concentration. A solvation formalism is developed in which salt effects are described in terms of three free energy contributions: the electrostatic ion-molecule interaction free energy, delta delta G degrees im; the electrostatic ion-ion interaction free energy, delta delta G degrees ii; and the entropic ion organization free energy, delta delta G degrees org. The electrostatic terms, delta delta G degrees im and delta delta G degrees ii, have both enthalpic and entropic components, while the term delta delta G degrees org is purely a cratic entropy. Each of these terms depends significantly on salt dependent changes in the counterion and coion concentrations around the DNA. In each of the systems studied, univalent ions substantially destabilize charged ligand-DNA complexes at physiological salt concentrations. This effect involves a salt dependent redistribution of counterions near the DNA. The free energy associated with the redistribution of counterions upon binding is dominated by the unfavorable change in the electrostatic ion-molecule interactions, delta delta G degrees im, rather than the change in the cratic entropy of ion organization, delta delta G degrees org. In addition, the observed slope of the salt dependence of the free energy is determined by electrostatic ion-molecule and ion-ion interactions as well as the cratic entropy of ion release. These findings are in contrast to models in which the cratic entropy of counterion release drives binding.