Current status of researches on the plutonium rock-like oxide fuel and its burning in light water reactors

Intention of the ROX-LWR system research is to provide an option for utilization or disposition of surplus plutonium. Researches on inert matrix materials and irradiation performance shows that the most favorable candidate for the ROX fuel is a particle dispersed fuel where small particles consisted of yttria stabilized zirconia, PuO₂ and some additives are homogeneously dispersed in spinel matrix. Reactor safety analyses show that the ROX fueled PWR core has nearly the same performability as the existing UO₂ fueled PWR under both reactivity initiated accidents and loss of coolant accidents.     

A refined algorithm for finite-difference synthesis of cam profiles

The present paper deals with the synthesis of a cam profile when the prescribed acceleration pattern is given in numerical form. It is primarily an extension of previous work by the author with a view to upgrading the numerical accuracy of the synthesized cam profile, hence broadening the scope of application to a general class of high-speed cams. The technique is to differentiate the Stirling interpolation formula or the Gregory-Newton interpolation formula, thereby refining the prescribed initial acceleration data so that it will be correct to differences of high order. The effectiveness and the accuracy of this technique is demonstrated by a numerical example.     

Specific S100 Proteins Bind Tumor Necrosis Factor and Inhibit Its Activity

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (anti-TNFs) represent a cornerstone of the treatment of various immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and are among the most commercially successful therapeutic agents. Knowledge of TNF binding partners is critical for identification of the factors able to affect clinical efficacy of the anti-TNFs. Here, we report that among eighteen representatives of the multifunctional S100 protein family, only S100A11, S100A12 and S100A13 interact with the soluble form of TNF (sTNF) in vitro. The lowest equilibrium dissociation constants (K_d) for the complexes with monomeric sTNF determined using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy range from 2 nM to 28 nM. The apparent K_d values for the complexes of multimeric sTNF with S100A11/A12 estimated from fluorimetric titrations are 0.1–0.3 µM. S100A12/A13 suppress the cytotoxic activity of sTNF against Huh-7 cells, as evidenced by the MTT assay. Structural modeling indicates that the sTNF-S100 interactions may interfere with the sTNF recognition by the therapeutic anti-TNFs. Bioinformatics analysis reveals dysregulation of TNF and S100A11/A12/A13 in numerous disorders. Overall, we have shown a novel potential regulatory role of the extracellular forms of specific S100 proteins that may affect the efficacy of anti-TNF treatment in various diseases.     

Interfacial interactions and properties of filled polymers. II: Dispersion of filler particles

The specific interaction characteristics and the inherent agglomeration of variously surface coated rutile pigments have been assessed, respectively, by inverse gas chromatographic and powder rheological methods. Standardized methods were used to disperse the pigments in polyethylene and chlorinated polyethylene. Measurements were made of energy requirements for dispersion and of the quality of dispersion attained. It was found that in the non-polar polyethylene matrix, dispersion processes depended on the strength of pigment agglomerates, but not on the specific interaction potential of the solids. Conversely, in the acidic chlorinated polyethylene, acid/base interactions influenced dispersion but the process was independent of inherent pigment agglomeration.     

Time-dependent response of aramid-epoxy-aluminum sheet,ARALL, laminates

Selected results of an ongoing investigation aimed at characterizing the timedependent response of an aramid-epoxy-aluminum sheet laminate and its constitutents at 121°C are outlined in this paper. This laminate is a recently developed hybrid composite developed by the Aluminum Company of America, marketed under the ARALL-4 tradename. The paper addresses the time-dependent response of the above hybrid composite under creep loading. It is illustrated that ARALL-4 laminates may exhibit substantial creep effects at stress levels below the proportional limit. The creep response is a nonlinear function of time and the applied stress level and is primarily due to the creep characteristics of the aluminum layers. An analytical model based on the assumptions of the classical lamination theory developed to model the time-dependent response of these laminates under creep and thermal loading is shown to yield good correlation with the experimental data. It is also illustrated that the residual state of stress can influence the extent of creep. This offers the possibility of minimizing the creep effects by altering the state of residual stress with mechanical prestraining.