Organic diagenesis in commercial nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toste, A.P.; Lechner-Fish, T.J.

1988-01-01

The nuclear industry currently faces numerous challenges. Large volumes of already existing wastes must be permanently disposed using environmentally acceptable technologies. Numerous criteria must be addressed before wastes can be permanently disposed. Waste characterization is certainly one of the key criteria for proper waste management. some wastes are complex melting pots of inorganics, radiochemicals, and, occasionally, organics. It is clear, for example, that organics have been used extensively in nuclear operations, such as waste reprocessing, and continue to be used widely as solvents, decontamination agents, etc. The authors have analyzed the organic content of many kinds of nuclear wastes, ranging from commercial to defense wastes. In this paper, the finale analyses are described of three commercial wastes: one waste from a pressurized water reactor (PWR) and two wastes from a boiling water reactor (BWR). The PWR waste is a boric acid concentrate waste. The two BWR wastes, BWR wastes Nos. 1 and 2, are evaporator concentrates of liquid wastes produced during the regeneration of ion-exchange resins used to purify reactor process water. In preliminary analyses, which were reported previously, a few know organics and myriad unknowns were detected. Recent reexamination of mass-spectral data, coupled with reanalysis of the wastes, has resulted in the firm identification of the unknowns. Most of the compounds, over thirty distinct organics, are derived from the degradation, or diagenesis, of source-term organics, revealing, for the first time, that organic diagenesis in commercial wastes is both vigorous and varied

Qualified Coatings in Nuclear Power Plants. Commercial products; Qualified Coatings in Nuclear Power Plants. Commercial products. Pinturas homologadas en centrales nucleares. Productos comerciales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barcena, J.; Nunez, B.; Romero, M.; Baladiam, M.

2014-07-01

Recently, the supplier of paints that were qualified for use in nuclear applications as protective coatings have ceased to supply in Spain the paints that was used in areas or components with special requirements for nuclear power plants (NPPs). This lack of the common commercial products called for the search for and homologation of other products. A study was performed on the current status of the homologation of commercial products for NPPs and on the codes and standards governing them. The criteria to be met have been defined and the results of the tests performed on the selected paints have been compared against the established criteria so as to allow the homologation of the paints. (Author)

Commercial nuclear power in Western Europe: experience and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, D.

1986-01-01

The commercialization of nuclear power in Western Europe is likely to bring nuclear's share of electricity production from its current level of 30% to as high as 50% by the year 2000. Although France will build most of this new capacity and Denmark and Austria are abstaining, there is a clear trend in the region. Western Europe will likely decline in its share of world nuclear power as capacity increases in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union even though its growth has been faster than that of the US. The author compares capacity changes, plant performance, and nuclear trade developments in the individual European countries with those of the US, Soviet Union, and Japan. The author also describes the nuclear fuel cycle, the commercialization of fast breeder reactors, and public opposition to the European Community's policy of expanding nuclear power. The use of nuclear heat for district heating in addition to electric power could change the prospects over the long term. 3 tables

Commercialization of the global nuclear energy partnership (GNEP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loewen Eric P.; Boaz, Jeffery; Saito, Earl; Boardman, Chuck

2007-01-01

In February 2006 President Bush announced the Advanced Energy Initiative, which included the Department of Energy's (DOE) Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). GNEP has seven broad goals, one of the major elements being to develop and deploy advanced nuclear fuel recycling technology. DOE is contemplating accelerating the deployment of these technologies to achieve the construction of a commercial scale application of these technologies. DOE now defines this approach as 'two simultaneous tracks: (1) deployment of commercial scale facilities for which advanced technologies are available now or in the near future, and (2) further research and development of transmutation fuels technologies'. GE believes an integrated technical solution, using existing reactor and fuel reprocessing technologies, is achievable in the near term to accelerate the commercial demonstration of GNEP infrastructure. The concept involves a single, integrated, commercial scale, recycling facility consisting of the Consolidated Fuel Treatment Center (CFTC), capable of processing LWR and fast reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and fabricating Advanced Recycling Reactor (ARR) actinide fuel. The integrated facility would include a fast reactor that uses actinide-bearing fuel to produce electricity. For optimal performance, GE believes this integrated facility should be co-located to eliminate transportation between the CFTC and ARR, and enhance proliferation resistance. This Advanced Recycling Center takes advantage of previous investments by government and industry in fast reactor technology research and development. To allow for commercial acceptance, a prototypical demonstration reactor and associated fuel cycle facility will be constructed, tested, and licensed. Taking advantage of GE's NRC-reviewed modular sodium-cooled PRISM reactor, only a single reactor will be needed and the cost and risk minimized in the initial phase of the program. This paper outlines a process and a schedule to

Nuclear energy technology: theory and practice of commercial nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knief, R.A.

1982-01-01

Reviews Nuclear Energy Technology: Theory and Practice of Commercial Nuclear Power by Ronald Allen Knief, whose contents include an overview of the basic concepts of reactors and the nuclear fuel cycle; the basics of nuclear physics; reactor theory; heat removal; economics; current concerns at the front and back ends of the fuel cycle; design descriptions of domestic and foreign reactor systems; reactor safety and safeguards; Three Mile Island; and a brief overview of the basic concepts of nuclear fusion. Both magnetic and inertial confinement techniques are clearly outlined. Also reviews Nuclear Fuel Management by Harry W. Graves, Jr., consisting of introductory subjects (e.g. front end of fuel cycle); core physics methodology required for fuel depletion calculations; power capability evaluation (analyzes physical parameters that limit potential core power density); and fuel management topics (economics, loading arrangements and core operation strategies)

Economic Experience in Creation and Operation of Commercial Propulsion Nuclear Plants. Annex VII

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-12-15

This annex considers the reduction of capital costs in commercial nuclear power by employing commercial scale production and common technologies of equipment design and fabrication, based on the vast production and operation experience of Russian Federation nuclear propulsion plants. The performed consideration proves the expediency of adopting the most effective engineering solutions and approaches used for production of propulsion nuclear plants in the production of commercial nuclear power plants.

Technology development for gene discovery and full-length sequencing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcelo Bento Soares

2004-07-19

In previous years, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, we developed methods for construction of normalized and subtracted cDNA libraries, and constructed hundreds of high-quality libraries for production of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs). Our clones were made widely available to the scientific community through the IMAGE Consortium, and millions of ESTs were produced from our libraries either by collaborators or by our own sequencing laboratory at the University of Iowa. During this grant period, we focused on (1) the development of a method for preferential cloning of tissue-specific and/or rare transcripts, (2) its utilization to expedite EST-based gene discovery for the NIH Mouse Brain Molecular Anatomy Project, (3) further development and optimization of a method for construction of full-length-enriched cDNA libraries, and (4) modification of a plasmid vector to maximize efficiency of full-length cDNA sequencing by the transposon-mediated approach. It is noteworthy that the technology developed for preferential cloning of rare mRNAs enabled identification of over 2,000 mouse transcripts differentially expressed in the hippocampus. In addition, the method that we optimized for construction of full-length-enriched cDNA libraries was successfully utilized for the production of approximately fifty libraries from the developing mouse nervous system, from which over 2,500 full-ORF-containing cDNAs have been identified and accurately sequenced in their entirety either by our group or by the NIH-Mammalian Gene Collection Program Sequencing Team.

Commercial grade item (CGI) dedication of generators for nuclear safety related applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, R.K.; Hajos, L.G.

1993-01-01

The number of nuclear safety related equipment suppliers and the availability of spare and replacement parts designed specifically for nuclear safety related application are shrinking rapidly. These have made it necessary for utilities to apply commercial grade spare and replacement parts in nuclear safety related applications after implementing proper acceptance and dedication process to verify that such items conform with the requirements of their use in nuclear safety related application. The general guidelines for the commercial grade item (CGI) acceptance and dedication are provided in US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Generic Letters and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report NP-5652, Guideline for the Utilization of Commercial Grade Items in Nuclear Safety Related Applications. This paper presents an application of these generic guidelines for procurement, acceptance, and dedication of a commercial grade generator for use as a standby generator at Salem Generating Station Units 1 and 2. The paper identifies the critical characteristics of the generator which once verified, will provide reasonable assurance that the generator will perform its intended safety function. The paper also delineates the method of verification of the critical characteristics through tests and provide acceptance criteria for the test results. The methodology presented in this paper may be used as specific guidelines for reliable and cost effective procurement and dedication of commercial grade generators for use as standby generators at nuclear power plants

Diversity, distribution and dynamics of full-length Copia and Gypsy LTR retroelements in Solanum lycopersicum.

Science.gov (United States)

Paz, Rosalía Cristina; Kozaczek, Melisa Eliana; Rosli, Hernán Guillermo; Andino, Natalia Pilar; Sanchez-Puerta, Maria Virginia

2017-10-01

Transposable elements are the most abundant components of plant genomes and can dramatically induce genetic changes and impact genome evolution. In the recently sequenced genome of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the estimated fraction of elements corresponding to retrotransposons is nearly 62%. Given that tomato is one of the most important vegetable crop cultivated and consumed worldwide, understanding retrotransposon dynamics can provide insight into its evolution and domestication processes. In this study, we performed a genome-wide in silico search of full-length LTR retroelements in the tomato nuclear genome and annotated 736 full-length Gypsy and Copia retroelements. The dispersion level across the 12 chromosomes, the diversity and tissue-specific expression of those elements were estimated. Phylogenetic analysis based on the retrotranscriptase region revealed the presence of 12 major lineages of LTR retroelements in the tomato genome. We identified 97 families, of which 77 and 20 belong to the superfamilies Copia and Gypsy, respectively. Each retroelement family was characterized according to their element size, relative frequencies and insertion time. These analyses represent a valuable resource for comparative genomics within the Solanaceae, transposon-tagging and for the design of cultivar-specific molecular markers in tomato.

Commercialization of nuclear fuel cycle business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yakabe, Hideo

1998-01-01

Japan depends on foreign countries almost for establishing nuclear fuel cycle. Accordingly, uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing and the safe treatment and disposal of radioactive waste in Japan is important for securing energy. By these means, the stable supply of enriched uranium, the rise of utilization efficiency of uranium and making nuclear power into home-produced energy can be realized. Also this contributes to the protection of earth resources and the preservation of environment. Japan Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. operates four business commercially in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, aiming at the completion of nuclear fuel cycle by the technologies developed by Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation and the introduction of technologies from foreign countries. The conditions of location of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and the course of the location in Rokkasho are described. In the site of about 740 hectares area, uranium enrichment, burying of low level radioactive waste, fuel reprocessing and high level waste control have been carried out, and three businesses except reprocessing already began the operation. The state of operation of these businesses is reported. Hereafter, efforts will be exerted to the securing of safety through trouble-free operation and cost reduction. (K.I.)

Implementation of Simulator Functions with Stimulated Commercial MMI for Full Scope Simulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Yeong Cheol; Kang, Sung Kon; Park, Jun Mo; Kim, Jang Hwan

2014-01-01

In order to train and qualify the operators and validate control room ensembles including MMIs and operating procedures, the utility must acquire a full scope simulator that is highly faithful to meet the requirements in ANSI/ANS 3.5. For Shin-Kori 3,4 nuclear power plant, so called stimulation approach has been adopted for developing control room MMIs and control logic of the full scope simulator. In stimulation approach, the actual plant (i. e. SKN 3,4) software and configuration data are used for implementing the simulator. The modeling of the MMI using the emulation method is very difficult and often infeasible for highly complex MMI software not only because the development cost is prohibitively high but also achieving the faithful modeling of the look and feel of the reference MMI software, particularly the timing requirements associated with the interactions between operators and system is extremely difficult. However, there are challenges in this stimulation approach. It is difficult or sometimes impossible to add functions for simulation purposes such as simulator control (i. e., Freeze/Run) and malfunctions by modifying the actual plant MMI software containing Commercial Black-box Software (CBSW). These days, DCS MMI software is highly likely to contain commercial software that is a black-box for simulator developer because the supplier of the plant MMI software does not open the source codes and its associated technology to protect their business interests

Caspase 3 inactivates biologically active full length interleukin-33 as a classical cytokine but does not prohibit nuclear translocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Shafaqat; Nguyen, Dang Quan; Falk, Werner; Martin, Michael Uwe

2010-01-01

IL-33 is a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines with dual function which either activates cells via the IL-33 receptor in a paracrine fashion or translocates to the nucleus to regulate gene transcription in an intracrine manner. We show that full length murine IL-33 is active as a cytokine and that it is not processed by caspase 1 to mature IL-33 but instead cleaved by caspase 3 at aa175 to yield two products which are both unable to bind to the IL-33 receptor. Full length IL-33 and its N-terminal caspase 3 breakdown product, however, translocate to the nucleus. Finally, bioactive IL-33 is not released by cells constitutively or after activation. This suggests that IL-33 is not a classical cytokine but exerts its function in the nucleus of intact cells and only activates others cells via its receptor as an alarm mediator after destruction of the producing cell.

A comparative phylogenetic analysis of full-length mariner elements

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Mariner like elements (MLEs) are widely distributed type II transposons with an open reading frame (ORF) for transposase. We studied comparative phylogenetic evolution and inverted terminal repeat (ITR) conservation of MLEs from Indian saturniid silkmoth, Antheraea mylitta with other full length MLEs submitted in the ...

Irradiation performance of full-length metallic IFR fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, H.; Neimark, L.A.

1992-07-01

An assembly irradiation of 169 full-length U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel pins was successfully completed in FFTF to a goal burnup of 10 at.%. All test fuel pins maintained their cladding integrity during the irradiation. Postirradiation examination showed minimal fuel/cladding mechanical interaction and excellent stability of the fuel column. Fission-gas release was normal and consistent with the existing data base from irradiation testing of shorter metallic fuel pins in EBR-II

The function analysis of full-length cDNA sequence from IRM-2 mouse cDNA library

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qin; Liu Xiaoqiu; Xu Chang; Du Liqing; Sun Zhijuan; Wang Yan; Liu Qiang; Song Li; Li Jin; Fan Feiyue

2013-01-01

Objective: To identify the function of full-length cDNA sequence from IRM-2 mouse cDNA library. Methods: Full-length cDNA products were amplified by PCR from IRM-2 mouse cDNA library according to twenty-one pieces of expressed sequence tag. The expression of full-length cDNAs were detected after mouse embryonic fibroblasts were exposed to 6.5 Gy γ-ray radiation. And the effect on the growth of radiosensitivity cells AT5B1VA transfected with full-length cDNAs was investigated. Results: The expression of No.4, 5 and 2 full-length cDNAs from IRM-2 mouse were higher than that of parental ICR and 615 mouse after mouse embryonic fibroblasts irradiated with γ-ray radiation. And the survival rate of AT5B1VA cells transfected with No.4, 5 and 2 full-length cDNAs was high. Conclusion: No.4, 5 and 2 full-length cDNAs of IRM-2 mouse are of high radioresistance. (authors)

Interaction of electromagnetic pulse with commercial nuclear-power-plant systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ericson, D.M. Jr.; Strawe, D.F.; Sandberg, S.J.; Jones, V.K.; Rensner, G.D.; Shoup, R.W.; Hanson, R.J.; Williams, C.B.

1983-02-01

This study examines the interaction of the electromagnetic pulse from a high altitude nuclear burst with commercial nuclear power plant systems. The potential vulnerability of systems required for safe shutdown of a specific nuclear power plant are explored. EMP signal coupling, induced plant response and component damage thresholds are established using techniques developed over several decades under Defense Nuclear Agency sponsorship. A limited test program was conducted to verify the coupling analysis technique as applied to a nuclear power plant. The results are extended, insofar as possible, to other nuclear plants.

Interaction of electromagnetic pulse with commercial nuclear-power-plant systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericson, D.M. Jr.; Strawe, D.F.; Sandberg, S.J.; Jones, V.K.; Rensner, G.D.; Shoup, R.W.; Hanson, R.J.; Williams, C.B.

1983-02-01

This study examines the interaction of the electromagnetic pulse from a high altitude nuclear burst with commercial nuclear power plant systems. The potential vulnerability of systems required for safe shutdown of a specific nuclear power plant are explored. EMP signal coupling, induced plant response and component damage thresholds are established using techniques developed over several decades under Defense Nuclear Agency sponsorship. A limited test program was conducted to verify the coupling analysis technique as applied to a nuclear power plant. The results are extended, insofar as possible, to other nuclear plants

Commercial Satellite Imagery Analysis for Countering Nuclear Proliferation

Science.gov (United States)

Albright, David; Burkhard, Sarah; Lach, Allison

2018-05-01

High-resolution commercial satellite imagery from a growing number of private satellite companies allows nongovernmental analysts to better understand secret or opaque nuclear programs of countries in unstable or tense regions, called proliferant states. They include North Korea, Iran, India, Pakistan, and Israel. By using imagery to make these countries’ aims and capabilities more transparent, nongovernmental groups like the Institute for Science and International Security have affected the policies of governments and the course of public debate. Satellite imagery work has also strengthened the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency, thereby helping this key international agency build its case to mount inspections of suspect sites and activities. This work has improved assessments of the nuclear capabilities of proliferant states. Several case studies provide insight into the use of commercial satellite imagery as a key tool to educate policy makers and affect policy.

Seismic inference of 57 stars using full-length Kepler data sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Creevey Orlagh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We present stellar properties of 57 stars from a seismic inference using full-length data sets from Kepler (mass, age, radius, distances. These stars comprise active stars, planet-hosts, solar-analogs, and binary systems. We validate the distances derived from the astrometric Gaia-Tycho solution. Ensemble analysis of the stellar properties reveals a trend of mixing-length parameter with the surface gravity and effective temperature. We derive a linear relationship with the seismic quantity ‹r02› to estimate the stellar age. Finally, we define the stellar regimes where the Kjeldsen et al (2008 empirical surface correction for 1D model frequencies is valid.

Cost effective nuclear commercial grade dedication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maletz, J.J.; Marston, M.J.

1991-01-01

This paper describes a new computerized database method to create/edit/view specification technical data sheets (mini-specifications) for procurement of spare parts for nuclear facility maintenance and to develop information that could support possible future facility life extension efforts. This method may reduce cost when compared with current manual methods. The use of standardized technical data sheets (mini-specifications) for items of the same category improves efficiency. This method can be used for a variety of tasks, including: Nuclear safety-related procurement; Non-safety related procurement; Commercial grade item procurement/dedication; Evaluation of replacement items. This program will assist the nuclear facility in upgrading its procurement activities consistent with the recent NUMARC Procurement Initiative. Proper utilization of the program will assist the user in assuring that the procured items are correct for the applications, provide data to assist in detecting fraudulent materials, minimize human error in withdrawing database information, improve data retrievability, improve traceability, and reduce long-term procurement costs

Prospective needs for decommissioning commercial nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, G.H.; Yasui, M.; Laraia, M.

1992-01-01

The answers to the questions: How many reactors will face the end of their operating lifetime over the next few decades? To what extent are the issues of decommissioning urgent? The answers will lead us to those issues that should be tackled now in order to complete smoothly the decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants. The prospective needs for decommissioning of nuclear power plants are illustrated from the viewpoint of reactor age, and some of the issues to be tackled, in particular by governments, in this century are discussed, to prepare for the future decommissioning activities. (author) 18 refs.; 2 figs.; 2 tabs

Full length prototype SSC dipole test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strait, J.; Brown, B.C.; Carson, J.

1987-01-01

Results are presented from tests of the first full length prototype SSC dipole magnet. The cryogenic behavior of the magnet during a slow cooldown to 4.5K and a slow warmup to room temperature has been measured. Magnetic field quality was measured at currents up to 2000 A. Averaged over the body field all harmonics with the exception of b 2 and b 8 are at or within the tolerances specified by the SSC Central Design Group. (The values of b 2 and b 8 result from known design and construction defects which will be be corrected in later magnets.) Using an NMR probe the average body field strength is measured to be 10.283 G/A with point to point variations on the order of one part in 1000. Data are presented on quench behavior of the magnet up to 3500 A (approximately 55% of full field) including longitudinal and transverse velocities for the first 250 msec of the quench

Suggested non-proliferation criteria for commercial nuclear fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laney, R.V.; Heubotter, P.R.

1978-01-01

Based on the Administration's policy to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation through diversion of fuel from commercial reactor fuel cycles, a ''benchmark'' set of nonproliferation criteria was prepared for the commercial nuclear fuel cycle. These criteria should eliminate incremental risks of proliferation beyond those inherent in the present generation of low-enriched-uranium-fueled reactors operating in a once-through mode, with internationally safeguarded storage of spent fuel. They focus on the balanced application of technical constraints consistent with the state of the technology, with minimal requirements for institutional constraints, to provide a basis for assessing the proliferation resistance of proposed fission power systems. The paper contains: (1) our perception of the nuclear energy policy and of the baseline proliferation risk accepted under this policy; (2) objectives for a reactor and fuel cycle strategy which address the technical, political, and institutional aspects of diversion and proliferation and, at the same time, satisfy the Nation's needs for efficient, timely, and economical utilization of nuclear fuel resources; (3) criteria which are responsive to these objectives and can therefore be used to screen proposed reactor and fuel cycle strategies; and (4) a rationale for these criteria

Technical meeting on commercial applications of nuclear analytical techniques. Meeting report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This report summarizes the findings of the Technical Meeting on the Commercial Applications of Nuclear Analytical Techniques held in Vienna on 23-26 November 2004, where an assessment was initiated of the world capacity and market potentials for neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy, including an estimation of economic revenues. Industry and governmental agencies were identified as stakeholders for these laboratories. Examples are given of potential benefits of these techniques to the stakeholders. The potentials for commercial applications of neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy (measurement of alpha, beta and gamma ray emitting radionuclides) are addressed. First estimates are given of the worldwide capacity of these laboratories, suggestions and examples are given for potential markets and the typical organizational and technical constraints are discussed. Two case studies of commercial neutron activation analysis laboratories at a small and a medium-size reactor are given in the 'individual contributions' section of this document. An assessment of other nuclear analytical techniques such as X ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Particle Induced X ray Emission Spectrometry or Ion Beam Analysis Spectrometry has been completed after a comprehensive collection of background information

Technical meeting on commercial applications of nuclear analytical techniques. Meeting report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

This report summarizes the findings of the Technical Meeting on the Commercial Applications of Nuclear Analytical Techniques held in Vienna on 23-26 November 2004, where an assessment was initiated of the world capacity and market potentials for neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy, including an estimation of economic revenues. Industry and governmental agencies were identified as stakeholders for these laboratories. Examples are given of potential benefits of these techniques to the stakeholders. The potentials for commercial applications of neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy (measurement of alpha, beta and gamma ray emitting radionuclides) are addressed. First estimates are given of the worldwide capacity of these laboratories, suggestions and examples are given for potential markets and the typical organizational and technical constraints are discussed. Two case studies of commercial neutron activation analysis laboratories at a small and a medium-size reactor are given in the 'individual contributions' section of this document. An assessment of other nuclear analytical techniques such as X ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Particle Induced X ray Emission Spectrometry or Ion Beam Analysis Spectrometry has been completed after a comprehensive collection of background information.

Surveillance strategy for an extended operating cycle in commercial nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McHenry, R.S.; Moore, T.J.; Maurer, J.H.; Todreas, N.E.

1997-01-01

The impetus for improved economic performance of commercial nuclear power plants can be partially satisfied by increasing plant capacity factors through operating cycle extension. One aspect of an operating cycle extension effort is the modification of plant surveillance programs to complete required regulatory and investment protection surveillance activities within the extended planned outage schedule. The goal of this paper is to introduce a general strategy for existing power plants to transition their surveillance programs to an extended operating cycle up to 48 months in length, and to test the feasibility of this strategy through the complete analysis of the surveillance programs at operating BWR and PWR case study plants. The reconciliation of surveillances at these plants demonstrates that surveillance performance will not preclude 48 month operating cycles. Those surveillance activities that could not be resolved to an extended cycle are identified for further study. Finally, a number of general issues are presented that should be considered before implementing a cycle extension effort

Surveillance strategy for an extended operating cycle in commercial nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McHenry, R.S.; Moore, T.J.; Maurer, J.H.; Todreas, N.E.

1997-01-01

The impetus for improved economic performance of commercial nuclear power plants can be partially satisfied by increasing plant capacity factors through operating cycle extension. One aspect of an operating cycle extension effort is the modification of plant surveillance programs to complete required regulatory and investment protection surveillance activities within the extended planned outage schedule. The goal is to introduce a general strategy for existing power plants to transition their surveillance programs to an extended operating cycle up to 48 months in length, and to test the feasibility of this strategy through the complete analysis of the surveillance programs at operating BWR and PWR case study plants. The reconciliation of surveillances at these plants demonstrates that surveillance performance will not preclude 48 month operating cycles. Those surveillance activities that could not be resolved to an extended cycle are identified for further study. Finally, a number of general issues are presented that should be considered before implementing a cycle extension effort

Occupational radiation exposure at commercial nuclear power reactors, 1981. Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, B.G.

1982-11-01

This report presents an updated compilation of occupational radiation exposures at commercial nuclear power reactors for the years 1969 through 1981. This year's report contains data received from the 70 light water cooled reactors (LWRs) and one high temperature gas cooled reactor that had been declared to be in commercial operation for at least one full year as of December 31, 1981. This represents an increase of two reactors over the number contained in last year's report. The total number of personnel monitored at LWRs in 1981 was 124,504, a slight decrease from that found in 1980. The number of workers that received measurable doses during 1981 was 82,183 which is about 2000 more than that found in 1980. The total collective dose at LWRs for 1981 is estimated to be 54,142 man-rems, which is only about 350 man-rems more than that reported in 1980. The report also presents a summary and some analyses of the exposure data contained in the termination reports that have been submitted by nuclear power licensees to the Commission pursuant to 10 CFR Section 20.408. As of December 31, 1981, personal identification and exposure information had been collected and computerized for some 210,000 of these terminating reactor personnel

Improved technical specifications and related improvements to safety in commercial Nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, D.R.; Demitrack, T.; Schiele, R.; Jones, J.C.

2004-01-01

Many of the commercial nuclear power plants in the United States (US) have been converting a portion of the plant operating license known as the Technical Specifications (TS) in accordance with a document published by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The TS prescribe commercial nuclear power plant operating requirements. There are several types of nuclear power plants in the US, based on the technology of different vendors, and there is an NRC document that supports each of the five different vendor designs. The NRC documents are known as the Improved Standard Technical Specifications (ISTS) and are contained in a separate document (NUREG series) for each one of the designs. EXCEL Services Corporation (hereinafter EXCEL) has played a major role in the development of the ISTS and in the development, licensing, and implementation of the plant specific Improved Technical Specifications (ITS) (which is based on the ISTS) for the commercial nuclear power plants in the US that have elected to make this conversion. There are currently 103 operating commercial nuclear power plants in the US and 68 of them have successfully completed the conversion to the ITS and are now operating in accordance with their plant specific ITS. The ISTS is focused mainly on safety by ensuring the commercial nuclear reactors can safely shut down and mitigate the consequences of any postulated transient and accident. It accomplishes this function by including requirements directly associated with safety in a document structured systematically and taking into account some key human factors and technical initiatives. This paper discusses the ISTS including its format, content, and detail, the history of the ISTS, the ITS development, licensing, and implementation process, the safety improvements resulting from a plant conversion to ITS, and the importance of the ITS Project to the industry. (Author)

Improved technical specifications and related improvements to safety in commercial Nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, D.R.; Demitrack, T.; Schiele, R.; Jones, J.C. [EXCEL Services Corporation, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)]. e-mail: donaldh@excelservices.com

2004-07-01

Many of the commercial nuclear power plants in the United States (US) have been converting a portion of the plant operating license known as the Technical Specifications (TS) in accordance with a document published by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The TS prescribe commercial nuclear power plant operating requirements. There are several types of nuclear power plants in the US, based on the technology of different vendors, and there is an NRC document that supports each of the five different vendor designs. The NRC documents are known as the Improved Standard Technical Specifications (ISTS) and are contained in a separate document (NUREG series) for each one of the designs. EXCEL Services Corporation (hereinafter EXCEL) has played a major role in the development of the ISTS and in the development, licensing, and implementation of the plant specific Improved Technical Specifications (ITS) (which is based on the ISTS) for the commercial nuclear power plants in the US that have elected to make this conversion. There are currently 103 operating commercial nuclear power plants in the US and 68 of them have successfully completed the conversion to the ITS and are now operating in accordance with their plant specific ITS. The ISTS is focused mainly on safety by ensuring the commercial nuclear reactors can safely shut down and mitigate the consequences of any postulated transient and accident. It accomplishes this function by including requirements directly associated with safety in a document structured systematically and taking into account some key human factors and technical initiatives. This paper discusses the ISTS including its format, content, and detail, the history of the ISTS, the ITS development, licensing, and implementation process, the safety improvements resulting from a plant conversion to ITS, and the importance of the ITS Project to the industry. (Author)

Decommissioning commercial nuclear facilities: a review and analysis of current regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, A.H.; Lippek, H.E.; Tegeler, P.D.; Easterling, J.D.

1979-08-01

This report describes and analyzes the regulatory requirements and guidelines applicable to the decommissioning of commercial light water reactors, other commercial nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and byproduct utilization facilities, as contained principally in the United States Code, the United States Code of Federal Regulations, and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Guides. State requirements are discussed where appropriate. The report provides general background informaion to license applicants and to other interested parties. Included is an outline of procedural steps required of an applicant to comply with decommissioning regulatory requiremets

Decommissioning project of commercial nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karigome, S.

2008-01-01

Decommissioning project of commercial nuclear power plant in Japan was outlined. It is expected that the land, after the decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants, will serve as sites for new plants. Steps will be taken to reduce the amount of wastes generated and to recycle/reuse them. Wastes with a radioactivity concentration below the 'clearance level' need not be dealt with as radioactive material, and may be handled in the same way as conventional wastes. The Tokai-1 power station, a 166 MWe carbon dioxide cooled reactor which closed down in 1998, is being decommissioned and the first ten years as 'safe storage' to allow radioactivity to decay. Non-reactor grade components such as turbines were already removed, heat exchanger dismantling started and the reactor will be dismantled, the buildings demolished and the site left ready for reuse. All radioactive wastes will be classified as low-level wastes in three categories and will be buried under the ground. The total cost will be 88.5 billion yen -34.7 billion for dismantling and 53.8 billion for waste treatment including the graphite moderator. (T. Tanaka)

Guideline on evaluation and acceptance of commercial grade digital equipment for nuclear safety applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-10-01

Nuclear power plants are increasingly upgrading their instrumentation and control (I ampersand C) systems with commercial digital equipment, which allows them to continue meeting safety and reliability requirements while controlling operating costs. However, the use of commercial software-based devices for safety related applications has raised new issues that impact design, procurement, and licensing activities. This guideline describes a consistent, comprehensive approach for the evaluation and acceptance of commercial digital equipment for nuclear safety systems

Full-scale leaching study of commercial reactor waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalb, P.D.; Colombo, P.

1984-01-01

This paper describes a full-scale leaching experiment which has been conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to study the release of radionuclides from actual commercial reactor waste forms. While many studies characterizing the leaching behavior of simulated laboratory-scale waste forms have been performed, this program represents one of the first attempts in the United States to quantify activity releases for real, full-scale waste forms. 5 references, 5 figures, 1 table

An experimental study on the effect of TV commercials on the attitudes towards nuclear power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tada, Yasuyuki

1999-01-01

The present study is about the effect TV commercials have on the subjects' attitudes towards nuclear power generation. A number of 191 female students participated in the experiment. It was hypothesized that TV commercials would have a positive effect on the viewer's attitude towards nuclear power generation. The main results of the study supported this hypothesis, demonstrating that TV commercials constitute an effective means for changing people's perception of nuclear power generation. (author)

Design and safety features of commercial nuclear power plants in Japan, 1976 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izumi, Fumio; Harayama, Yasuo

1976-10-01

The December 1975 edition (JAERI-M 5959) contained design particulars and safety features of 20 commercial nuclear power plants in Japan as of December 1974. Subsequently new plants have been put into operation and some plants under construction have undergone design modifications. The present edition presents similar data of the commercial nuclear power plants in Japan up to June 1976, compiled by computer processing. (auth.)

Functional characterization of a full length pregnane X receptor, expression in vivo, and identification of PXR alleles, in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bainy, Afonso C.D. [Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States); Departamento de Bioquímica, CCB, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900 (Brazil); Kubota, Akira; Goldstone, Jared V. [Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States); Lille-Langøy, Roger [Department of Biology, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen (Norway); Karchner, Sibel I. [Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States); Celander, Malin C. [Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Göteborg (Sweden); Hahn, Mark E. [Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States); Goksøyr, Anders [Department of Biology, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen (Norway); Stegeman, John J., E-mail: jstegeman@whoi.edu [Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States)

2013-10-15

Highlights: •Full-length pxr has been cloned from zebrafish. •Alleles of pxr were identified in zebrafish. •Full length Pxr was activated less strongly than ligand binding domain in cell-based reporter assays. •High levels of pxr expression were found in eye and brain as well as in liver. •TCPOBOP and PB did not significantly alter expression of pxr in liver. -- Abstract: The pregnane X receptor (PXR) (nuclear receptor NR1I2) is a ligand activated transcription factor, mediating responses to diverse xenobiotic and endogenous chemicals. The properties of PXR in fish are not fully understood. Here we report on cloning and characterization of full-length PXR of zebrafish, Danio rerio, and pxr expression in vivo. Initial efforts gave a cDNA encoding a 430 amino acid protein identified as zebrafish pxr by phylogenetic and synteny analysis. The sequence of the cloned Pxr DNA binding domain (DBD) was highly conserved, with 74% identity to human PXR-DBD, while the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the cloned sequence was only 44% identical to human PXR-LBD. Sequence variation among clones in the initial effort prompted sequencing of multiple clones from a single fish. There were two prominent variants, one sequence with S183, Y218 and H383 and the other with I183, C218 and N383, which we designate as alleles pxr*1 (nr1i2*1) and pxr*2 (nr1i2*2), respectively. In COS-7 cells co-transfected with a PXR-responsive reporter gene, the full-length Pxr*1 (the more common variant) was activated by known PXR agonists clotrimazole and pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile but to a lesser extent than the full-length human PXR. Activation of full-length Pxr*1 was only 10% of that with the Pxr*1 LBD. Quantitative real time PCR analysis showed prominent expression of pxr in liver and eye, as well as brain and intestine of adult zebrafish. The pxr was expressed in heart and kidney at levels similar to that in intestine. The expression of pxr in liver was weakly induced by ligands for

Purification and Fibrillation of Full-Length Recombinant PrP

OpenAIRE

Makarava, Natallia; Baskakov, Ilia V.

2012-01-01

Misfolding and aggregation of prion protein (PrP) is related to several neurodegenerative diseases in humans such as Creutzfeldt–Jacob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and Gerstmann–Straussler–Sheinker disease. Certain applications in prion area require recombinant PrP of high purity and quality. Here, we report an experimental procedure for expression and purification of full-length mammalian PrP. This protocol has been proved to yield PrP of extremely high purity that lac...

Increased circulating full-length betatrophin levels in drug-naïve metabolic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dan; Li, Sheyu; He, He; Yu, Chuan; Li, Xiaodan; Liang, Libo; Chen, Yi; Li, Jianwei; Li, Jianshu; Sun, Xin; Tian, Haoming; An, Zhenmei

2017-03-14

Betatrophin is a newly identified circulating adipokine playing a role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. But its role in metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to compare the circulating betatrophin concentrations between patients with MetS and healthy controls. We recruited 47 patients with MetS and 47 age and sex matched healthy controls. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were performed, and serum betatrophin levels were detected by ELISA. Full-length betatrophin levels in patients with MetS were significantly higher than those in controls (694.84 ± 365.51 pg/ml versus 356.64 ± 287.92 pg/ml; P <0.001). While no significant difference of total betatrophin levels was found between the two groups (1.20 ± 0.79 ng/ml versus 1.31 ± 1.08 ng/ml; P = 0.524). Full-length betatrophin level was positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (r = 0.357, P = 0.014) and 2-hour plasma glucose (2hPG) (r = 0.38, P <0.01). Binary logistic regression models indicated that subjects in the tertile of the highest full-length betatrophin level experienced higher odds of having MetS (OR, 8.6; 95% CI 2.8-26.8; P <0.001). Our study showed that full-length betatrophin concentrations were increased in drug-naïve MetS patients.

An experimental study on the effect of TV commercials on the attitudes towards nuclear power generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tada, Yasuyuki [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Seika, Kyoto (Japan)

1999-09-01

The present study is about the effect TV commercials have on the subjects' attitudes towards nuclear power generation. A number of 191 female students participated in the experiment. It was hypothesized that TV commercials would have a positive effect on the viewer's attitude towards nuclear power generation. The main results of the study supported this hypothesis, demonstrating that TV commercials constitute an effective means for changing people's perception of nuclear power generation. (author)

Full-length VP2 gene analysis of canine parvovirus reveals emergence of newer variants in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nookala, Mangadevi; Mukhopadhyay, Hirak Kumar; Sivaprakasam, Amsaveni; Balasubramanian, Brindhalakshmi; Antony, Prabhakar Xavier; Thanislass, Jacob; Srinivas, Mouttou Vivek; Pillai, Raghavan Madhusoodanan

2016-12-01

The canine parvovirus (CPV) infection is a highly contagious and serious enteric disease of dogs with high fatality rate. The present study was taken up to characterize the full-length viral polypeptide 2 (VP2) gene of CPV of Indian origin along with the commercially available vaccines. The faecal samples from parvovirus suspected dogs were collected from various states of India for screening by PCR assay and 66.29% of samples were found positive. Six CPV-2a, three CPV-2b, and one CPV-2c types were identified by sequence analysis. Several unique and existing mutations have been noticed in CPV types analyzed indicating emergence of newer variants of CPV in India. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the field CPV types were grouped in different subclades within two main clades, but away from the commercial vaccine strains. CPV-2b and CPV-2c types with unique mutations were found to be establishing in India apart from the prevailing CPV-2a type. Mutations and the positive selection of the mutants were found to be the major mechanism of emergence and evolution of parvovirus. Therefore, the incorporation of local strain in the vaccine formulation may be considered for effective control of CPV infections in India.

Organizational learning in commercial nuclear power plant safety: An empirical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcus, A.A.; Bromiley, P.; Nichols, M.L.

1989-01-01

The need for knowledge in organizations that manage and run high risk technologies is very high. The acquisition of useful knowledge is referred to as organizational learning. The theoretical roots of this concept are well established in the academic literature and in practice, especially in manufacturing industries. This paper focuses on organizational problem solving and learning as it relates to the safe and efficient management of commercial nuclear power plants. The authors are co-investigators on a larger team working under contract with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop a logical framework that enables systematic examination of potential linkages between management and organizational factors and safety in nuclear power plant performance. Management and organizational factors that facilitate or impede organizational learning are only a part of the larger study, but are the major focus of this paper. In this paper, the theoretical roots of the concept of organizational learning are discussed, relationships to measures of safety and efficiency of commercial nuclear power plants are hypothesized, and empirical findings which provide partial tests of the hypotheses are discussed. This line of research appears promising; implications for further research, regulatory application, and nuclear power plant management are described

Costs and results of federal incentives for commercial nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezdek, R.H.; Wendling, R.M.

1991-01-01

This paper (1) estimates the total costs of federal expenditures in support of incentives for the development of commercial nuclear energy through 1988, and (2) analyzes the results and benefits to the nation of this federal investment. The federal incentives analyzed include research and development, regulation of commercial nuclear energy, tax incentives, waste management and disposal, enrichment plants, liability insurance, the uranium mining industry, and all other federal support activities. The authors estimate that net federal incentives totaled about $45-50 billion (1988 dollars). They estimate the results of the federal incentives, focusing on six categories, namely, electric energy produced, the total (direct plus indirect) economic benefits of the industry created, R and D program benefits, value of energy imports displaced, environmental effects, and health, safety, and risk effects. The results total $1.9 trillion, with approximately $250-300 billion identified as net benefits. The authors conclude that the high return on the investment justified federal incentives for nuclear energy development over the past four decades and that the federal government and the nation have received a significant return on the incentives investment

Commercial nuclear waste repository in basalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, M.P.; Patricio, J.G.; Heley, W.H.

1980-06-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) is an ongoing research and engineering effort being conducted by Rockwell Hanford Operations (Rockwell), which is under contract to the US Department of Energy. The objectives of this program are to assess the feasibility of and to provide the technology needed to design and construct a licensed commercial nuclear waste repository in the deep basalt formations underlying the Hanford Site. An extensive preconceptual design effort was undertaken during 1979 to develop a feasible concept that could serve as a reference design for both surface and underground facilities. The preconceptual design utilized existing technology to the greatest extent possible to offer a system design that could be utilized in establishing schedule and cost baseline data, recommend alternatives that require additional study, and develop basic design requirements that would allow evolution of the design process prior to the existence of legislated criteria. This paper provides a description of the concept developed for the subsurface aspects of this nuclear waste repository

Commercialization of technology in MINT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daud Mohamad; Razali Hamzah

2005-01-01

Full text:The Malaysian Institute for Nuclear Technology Research (MINT), was officially established in 1972 (PUSPATI as it was known then) and has progressed leaps and bounds to become one of the country's leading research organization particularly in the field of nuclear science and technology. Primarily set up as a full fledge research and development entity with one of the initial aims was looking into the possibility of embarking in the generation of power via the use of nuclear technology as an alternative source of energy for the nation. MINTs role has somewhat changed in tandem with her stage of development and national priorities. In line with the Government's policy on sustainability and self-reliance and a drive to commercialize R and D findings, the R and D institutions are expected to be self sufficiency at 30% of institutional operating budget. MINT has embarked on the commercialization program since in 1987 even before the the policy was instituted. Unlike other corporate R and D institutions and universities which do have some liberty and flexibility in the management of the organizations, MINT as a full fledge government R and D institute faces a number of challenges in the commercialization exercise. The paper describes the technologies developed at MINT, our product and services, and challenges and limitations in commercializing our R and D endeavors. (Author)

Seminar on the organization and management of a commercial nuclear power project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peddicord, K.L.; Alvis, J.M.; Chitkara, K.K.

1986-01-01

A main function of student branches of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) is to identify activities that contribute to the professional development and growth of its student members. Over the past several years, the ANS student branch at Texas A and M University has toured the construction site of the South Texas Nuclear Project (STNP), which is jointly owned by the Houston Lighting and Power Company (HL and P), the City of San Antonio, the Central Power and Light Company, and the City of Austin. This year, student branch organizers recognized that another aspect of a commercial nuclear power plant was not being covered either in the academic course work or the plant tours. This facet includes the organization and management required to undertake a major nuclear power project. To fill this gap, HL and P sponsored a one-day seminar that covered the various managerial functions for STNP. The seminar on the Organization and Management at a Commercial Nuclear Power Project was very interesting and beneficial. Other ANS branches and utilities may find this to be a useful model for future activities

Simulations of The Dalles Dam Proposed Full Length Spillwall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rakowski, Cynthia L.; Perkins, William A.; Richmond, Marshall C.; Serkowski, John A.

2008-02-25

This report presents results of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling study to evaluatethe impacts of a full-length spillwall at The Dalles Dam. The full-length spillwall is being designed and evaluated as a structural means to improve tailrace egress and thus survival of juvenile fish passing through the spillway. During the course of this study, a full-length spillwall at Bays 6/7 and 8/9 were considered. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has proposed extending the spillwall constructed in the stilling basin between spillway Bays 6 and 7 about 590 ft farther downstream. It is believed that the extension of the spillwall will improve egress conditions for downstream juvenile salmonids by moving them more rapidly into the thalweg of the river hence reducing their exposure to predators. A numerical model was created, validated, and applied the The Dalles Dam tailrace. The models were designed to assess impacts to flow, tailrace egress, navigation, and adult salmon passage of a proposed spill wall extension. The more extensive model validation undertaken in this study greatly improved our confidence in the numerical model to represent the flow conditions in The Dalles tailrace. This study used these validated CFD models to simulate the potential impacts of a spillwall extension for The Dalles Dam tailrace for two locations. We determined the following: (1)The construction of an extended wall (between Bays 6/7) will not adversely impact entering or exiting the navigation lock. Impact should be less if a wall were constructed between Bays 8/9. (2)The construction of a wall between Bays 6/7 will increase the water surface elevation between the wall and the Washington shore. Although the increased water surface elevation would be beneficial to adult upstream migrants in that it decreases velocities on the approach to the adult ladder, the increased flow depth would enhance dissolved gas production, impacting potential operations of the project because of

The length-weight and length-length relationships of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766 from Samsun, middle Black Sea region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melek Özpiçak

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, length-weight relationship (LWR and length-length relationship (LLR of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix were determined. A total of 125 specimens were sampled from Samsun, the middle Black Sea in 2014 fishing season. Bluefish specimens were monthly collected from commercial fishing boats from October to December 2014. All captured individuals (N=125 were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm for total, fork and standard lengths. The weight of each fish (W was recorded to the nearest 0.01 g. According to results of analyses, there were no statistically significant differences between sexes in term of length and weight (P˃0.05. The minimum and maximum total, fork and standard lengths of bluefish ranged between 13.5-23.6 cm, 12.50-21.80 cm and 10.60-20.10 cm, respectively. The equation of length-weight relationship were calculated as W=0.008TL3.12 (r2>0.962. Positive allometric growth was observed for bluefish (b>3. Length-length relationship was also highly significant (P<0.001 with coefficient of determination (r2 ranging from 0.916 to 0.988.

SOURCE OF BURNUP VALUES FOR COMMERCIAL SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL ASSEMBLIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BSC

2004-01-01

Waste packages are loaded with commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) that satisfies the minimum burnup requirements of a criticality loading curve. The burnup value assigned by the originating nuclear utility to each SNF assembly (assigned burnup) is used to load waste packages in compliance with a criticality loading curve. The burnup provided by a nuclear utility has uncertainties, so conservative calculation methods are used to characterize those uncertainties for incorporation into the criticality loading curves. Procedural safety controls ensure that the correct assembly is loaded into each waste package to prevent a misload that could create a condition affecting the safety margins. Probabilistic analyses show that procedural safety controls can minimize the chance of a misload but can not completely eliminate the possibility. Physical measurements of burnup with instrumentation in the surface facility are not necessary due to the conservative calculation methods used to produce the criticality loading curves. The reactor records assigned burnup of a commercial SNF assembly contains about two percent uncertainty, which is increased to five-percent to ensure conservatism. This five-percent uncertainty is accommodated by adjusting the criticality loading curve. Also, the record keeping methods of nuclear utilities are not uniform and the level of detail required by the NRC has varied over the last several decades. Thus, some SNF assemblies may have assigned burnups that are averages for a batch of assemblies with similar characteristics. Utilities typically have access to more detailed core-follow records that allow the batch average burnup to be changed to an assembly specific burnup. Alternatively, an additional safety margin is incorporated into the criticality loading curve to accommodate SNF assemblies with batch average burnups or greater uncertainties due to the methodology used by the nuclear utility. The utility records provide the assembly identifier

Decommissioning situation and research and development for the decommissioning of the commercial nuclear power station in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Tatsumi.

1996-01-01

There are 48 commercial nuclear power stations in operation in Japan as of January 1, 1995, which supplies about 28% (2.2 x 10 8 MWh) of total annual electricity generation in FY 1992. Accordingly, as the nuclear power contributes so much in electricity generation, there is a growing concern in the public toward the safety on decommissioning nuclear power station. It is gravely important to secure the safety throughout the decommissioning. This paper discusses: the decommissioning situation in Japan; the Japanese national policy for decommissioning of commercial nuclear power stations; R and D for decommissioning of commercial nuclear power stations in Japan; and the present conditions of low-level radioactive wastes disposal in Japan

Commercial nuclear power: prospects for the United States and the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This analysis report presents the current status and outlook for commercial nuclear power reactors for all countries in the world outside centrally planned economic areas (WOCA). Information regarding operable reactors in countries with centrally planned economies is presented in an appendix. The report provides documentation of the US nuclear capacity and generation projections through 1995. Projections for US nuclear capacity and generation through 2020 are presented for various nuclear power supply scenarios. These long-term projections are provided in support of the Department of Energy's activities pertaining to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and are used to produce the projections of fuel cycle requirements and spent fuel discharges

Analysis of expressed sequence tags generated from full-length enriched cDNA libraries of melon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bendahmane Abdelhafid

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Melon (Cucumis melo, an economically important vegetable crop, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family which includes several other important crops such as watermelon, cucumber, and pumpkin. It has served as a model system for sex determination and vascular biology studies. However, genomic resources currently available for melon are limited. Result We constructed eleven full-length enriched and four standard cDNA libraries from fruits, flowers, leaves, roots, cotyledons, and calluses of four different melon genotypes, and generated 71,577 and 22,179 ESTs from full-length enriched and standard cDNA libraries, respectively. These ESTs, together with ~35,000 ESTs available in public domains, were assembled into 24,444 unigenes, which were extensively annotated by comparing their sequences to different protein and functional domain databases, assigning them Gene Ontology (GO terms, and mapping them onto metabolic pathways. Comparative analysis of melon unigenes and other plant genomes revealed that 75% to 85% of melon unigenes had homologs in other dicot plants, while approximately 70% had homologs in monocot plants. The analysis also identified 6,972 gene families that were conserved across dicot and monocot plants, and 181, 1,192, and 220 gene families specific to fleshy fruit-bearing plants, the Cucurbitaceae family, and melon, respectively. Digital expression analysis identified a total of 175 tissue-specific genes, which provides a valuable gene sequence resource for future genomics and functional studies. Furthermore, we identified 4,068 simple sequence repeats (SSRs and 3,073 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in the melon EST collection. Finally, we obtained a total of 1,382 melon full-length transcripts through the analysis of full-length enriched cDNA clones that were sequenced from both ends. Analysis of these full-length transcripts indicated that sizes of melon 5' and 3' UTRs were similar to those of tomato, but

Expression of full-length and splice forms of FoxP3 in rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryder, L R; Woetmann, A; Madsen, H O

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to compare the presence of full-length and alternative splice forms of FoxP3 mRNA in CD4 cells from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls. METHODS: A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) method was used to measure...... the amount of FoxP3 mRNA full-length and splice forms. CD4-positive T cells were isolated from peripheral blood from 50 RA patients by immunomagnetic separation, and the FoxP3 mRNA expression was compared with the results from 10 healthy controls. RESULTS: We observed an increased expression of full......-length FoxP3 mRNA in RA patients when compared to healthy controls, as well as an increase in CD25 mRNA expression, but no corresponding increase in CTLA-4 mRNA expression. The presence of an alternative splice form of FoxP3 lacking exon 2 was confirmed in both RA patients and healthy controls...

Genetic deletion of muscle RANK or selective inhibition of RANKL is not as effective as full-length OPG-fc in mitigating muscular dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dufresne, Sébastien S; Boulanger-Piette, Antoine; Bossé, Sabrina; Argaw, Anteneh; Hamoudi, Dounia; Marcadet, Laetitia; Gamu, Daniel; Fajardo, Val A; Yagita, Hideo; Penninger, Josef M; Russell Tupling, A; Frenette, Jérôme

2018-04-24

Although there is a strong association between osteoporosis and skeletal muscle atrophy/dysfunction, the functional relevance of a particular biological pathway that regulates synchronously bone and skeletal muscle physiopathology is still elusive. Receptor-activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK), its ligand RANKL and the soluble decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG) are the key regulators of osteoclast differentiation and bone remodelling. We thus hypothesized that RANK/RANKL/OPG, which is a key pathway for bone regulation, is involved in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) physiopathology. Our results show that muscle-specific RANK deletion (mdx-RANK mko ) in dystrophin deficient mdx mice improves significantly specific force [54% gain in force] of EDL muscles with no protective effect against eccentric contraction-induced muscle dysfunction. In contrast, full-length OPG-Fc injections restore the force of dystrophic EDL muscles [162% gain in force], protect against eccentric contraction-induced muscle dysfunction ex vivo and significantly improve functional performance on downhill treadmill and post-exercise physical activity. Since OPG serves a soluble receptor for RANKL and as a decoy receptor for TRAIL, mdx mice were injected with anti-RANKL and anti-TRAIL antibodies to decipher the dual function of OPG. Injections of anti-RANKL and/or anti-TRAIL increase significantly the force of dystrophic EDL muscle [45% and 17% gains in force, respectively]. In agreement, truncated OPG-Fc that contains only RANKL domains produces similar gains, in terms of force production, than anti-RANKL treatments. To corroborate that full-length OPG-Fc also acts independently of RANK/RANKL pathway, dystrophin/RANK double-deficient mice were treated with full-length OPG-Fc for 10 days. Dystrophic EDL muscles exhibited a significant gain in force relative to untreated dystrophin/RANK double-deficient mice, indicating that the effect of full-length OPG-Fc is in part independent of the RANKL

Generation of a reliable full-length cDNA of infectiousTembusu virus using a PCR-based protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Te; Liu, Xiaoxiao; Cui, Shulin; Qu, Shenghua; Wang, Dan; Liu, Ning; Wang, Fumin; Ning, Kang; Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Dabing

2016-02-02

Full-length cDNA of Tembusu virus (TMUV) cloned in a plasmid has been found instable in bacterial hosts. Using a PCR-based protocol, we generated a stable full-length cDNA of TMUV. Different cDNA fragments of TMUV were amplified by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, and cloned into plasmids. Fragmented cDNAs were amplified and assembled by fusion PCR to produce a full-length cDNA using the recombinant plasmids as templates. Subsequently, a full-length RNA was transcribed from the full-length cDNA in vitro and transfected into BHK-21 cells; infectious viral particles were rescued successfully. Following several passages in BKH-21 cells, the rescued virus was compared with the parental virus by genetic marker checks, growth curve determinations and animal experiments. These assays clearly demonstrated the genetic and biological stabilities of the rescued virus. The present work will be useful for future investigations on the molecular mechanisms involved in replication and pathogenesis of TMUV. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Construction experience with Fermilab-built full length 50mm SSC dipoles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blessing, M.J.; Hoffman, D.E.; Packer, M.D.; Gordon, M.; Higinbotham, W.; Sims, R.

1992-03-01

Fourteen full length SSC dipole magnets are being built and tested at Fermilab. Their purpose is to verify the magnet design as well as transfer the construction technology to industry. Magnet design is summarized. Construction problems and their solutions are discussed. Topics include coil winding, curing and measuring, collaring, instrumentation, end clamp installation, yoking and electrical and mechanical interconnection

3G vector-primer plasmid for constructing full-length-enriched cDNA libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Dong; Zhou, Yanna; Zhang, Zidong; Li, Zaiyu; Liu, Xuedong

2008-09-01

We designed a 3G vector-primer plasmid for the generation of full-length-enriched complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries. By employing the terminal transferase activity of reverse transcriptase and the modified strand replacement method, this plasmid (assembled with a polydT end and a deoxyguanosine [dG] end) combines priming full-length cDNA strand synthesis and directional cDNA cloning. As a result, the number of steps involved in cDNA library preparation is decreased while simplifying downstream gene manipulation, sequencing, and subcloning. The 3G vector-primer plasmid method yields fully represented plasmid primed libraries that are equivalent to those made by the SMART (switching mechanism at 5' end of RNA transcript) approach.

Full-length high-temperature severe fuel damage test No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesson, G.M.; Lombardo, N.J.; Pilger, J.P.; Rausch, W.N.; King, L.L.; Hurley, D.E.; Parchen, L.J.; Panisko, F.E.

1993-09-01

Hazardous conditions associated with performing the Full-Length High- Temperature (FLHT). Severe Fuel Damage Test No. 2 experiment have been analyzed. Major hazards that could cause harm or damage are (1) radioactive fission products, (2) radiation fields, (3) reactivity changes, (4) hydrogen generation, (5) materials at high temperature, (6) steam explosion, and (7) steam pressure pulse. As a result of this analysis, it is concluded that with proper precautions the FLHT- 2 test can be safely conducted

A new strategy for full-length Ebola virus glycoprotein expression in E.coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Zai, Junjie; Yi, Yinhua; Xia, Han; Zhang, Bo; Yuan, Zhiming

2016-12-01

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates with high rates of fatality. Glycoprotein (GP) is the only envelope protein of EBOV, which may play a critical role in virus attachment and entry as well as stimulating host protective immune responses. However, the lack of expression of full-length GP in Escherichia coli hinders the further study of its function in viral pathogenesis. In this study, the vp40 gene was fused to the full-length gp gene and cloned into a prokaryotic expression vector. We showed that the VP40-GP and GP-VP40 fusion proteins could be expressed in E.coli at 16 °C. In addition, it was shown that the position of vp40 in the fusion proteins affected the yields of the fusion proteins, with a higher level of production of the fusion protein when vp40 was upstream of gp compared to when it was downstream. The results provide a strategy for the expression of a large quantity of EBOV full-length GP, which is of importance for further analyzing the relationship between the structure and function of GP and developing an antibody for the treatment of EBOV infection.

A modular real time Operator Advisor expert system for installation on a full function nuclear power plant simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajek, B.K.; Miller, D.W.; Bhatnagar, R.; Maresh, J.L.

1989-01-01

A knowledge-based expert system that uses the Generic Task approach is being developed to serve as an operator Advisor in the control room of a commercial nuclear power plant. Having identified the broad scope tasks performed by an operator in responding to abnormal plant conditions, our research team has modularized the Operator Advisor according to the tasks of (1) monitoring plant parameters, (2) classifying or diagnosing the abnormality, and (3) planning for execution of the procedures for recovery. The operator Advisor uses the Perry Nuclear Power Plant full-scope simulator as the reference system, and is currently being prepared for direct connection to the simulator

Canisters and nonfuel components at commercial nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibbard, K.; Disbrow, J.

1994-01-01

This paper discusses detailed data on canisters and nonfuel components (NFC) at US commercial nuclear power reactors. A wide variety of NFC have been reported on the Form RW-859, open-quotes Nuclear Fuel Dataclose quotes survey. They may have been integral with an assembly, noncanistered in baskets, destined for disposal as low-level radioactive waste, or stored in canisters. Similarly, data on the family of canistered spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in storage pools was compiled. Approximately 85 percent of the 40,194 pieces of nonfuel assembly (NFA) hardware reported were integral with an assembly. This represents data submitted by 95 of the 107 reactors in 10 generic assembly classes. In addition, a total of 286 canisters have been reported as being in storage pools as of December 31, 1992. However, an additional 264 open baskets were also reported to contain miscellaneous SNF and nonfuel materials, garbage and debris. All of these 286 canisters meet the dimensional envelope requirements specified for disposal for open-quotes standard fuelclose quotes under the Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste (10 CFR 961); most of the baskets do not

Commercial nuclear power: prospects for the United States and the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayes, F.; Gielecki, M.; Diedrich, R.; Hewlett, J.; Murphy, T.

1985-01-01

This analysis report presents the current status and outlook for commercial nuclear power reactors for all countries in the world outside centrally planned economic areas (WOCA). Information regarding operable reactors in countries with centrally planned economies is also presented. The report provides documentation of the US middle-case nuclear capacity and generation projections through 1995 that are presented in the Annual Energy Outlook 1984. Additionally, US nuclear capacity and generation projections through 2020 are presented for various nuclear power supply scenarios. These long-term projections are provided in support of the Department of Energy's activities pertaining to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. The projections for foreign nuclear capacity through 1990 supplant the preliminary foreign WOCA projections presented in the Annual Energy Outlook 1984 and are supplemented by WOCA country-specific projections through the year 2000

Commercial nuclear fuel from U.S. and Russian surplus defense inventories: Materials, policies, and market effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

Nuclear materials declared by the US and Russian governments as surplus to defense programs are being converted into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. This report presents the results of an analysis estimating the market effects that would likely result from current plans to commercialize surplus defense inventories. The analysis focuses on two key issues: (1) the extent by which traditional sources of supply, such as production from uranium mines and enrichment plants, would be displaced by the commercialization of surplus defense inventories or, conversely, would be required in the event of disruptions to planned commercialization, and (2) the future price of uranium considering the potential availability of surplus defense inventories. Finally, the report provides an estimate of the savings in uranium procurement costs that could be realized by US nuclear power generating companies with access to competitively priced uranium supplied from surplus defense inventories.

Commercial nuclear fuel from U.S. and Russian surplus defense inventories: Materials, policies, and market effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-05-01

Nuclear materials declared by the US and Russian governments as surplus to defense programs are being converted into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. This report presents the results of an analysis estimating the market effects that would likely result from current plans to commercialize surplus defense inventories. The analysis focuses on two key issues: (1) the extent by which traditional sources of supply, such as production from uranium mines and enrichment plants, would be displaced by the commercialization of surplus defense inventories or, conversely, would be required in the event of disruptions to planned commercialization, and (2) the future price of uranium considering the potential availability of surplus defense inventories. Finally, the report provides an estimate of the savings in uranium procurement costs that could be realized by US nuclear power generating companies with access to competitively priced uranium supplied from surplus defense inventories

A Study on the Use of Commercial Satellite Imagery for Monitoring of Yongbyon Nuclear Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

It is particularly useful for the areas that are hard to access, such as the DPRK. On April 2009, North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors and USA disabling team at Yongbyon. Since then, there is not much left except for satellite imagery analysis. In this paper, we focused on the growing role and importance of commercial satellite imagery analysis for detecting and identifying nuclear activities at Yongbyon. For this, we examined monitoring capability of commercial satellite imagery status of commercial satellite imagery analysis to monitor the Yongbyon nuclear site. And we suggested several recommendations for enhancing the monitoring and analyzing capability. Current commercial satellite imagery has proven effective in monitoring for Yongbyon nuclear activities, especially change detection including the new construction activities. But identification and technical analysis of the operation status is still limited. In case of North Korea, operation status of 5 MWe reactor should be clearly identified to assess its plutonium production capability and to set up the negotiation strategy. To enhance the monitoring capability, we need much more thermal infrared imagery and radar imagery.

Commercial nuclear power 1988: Prospects for the United States and the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report presents historical data on commercial nuclear power in the United States, with projections of domestic nuclear capacity and generation through the year 2020. The report also gives country-specific projections of nuclear capacity and generation through the year 2010 for other countries in the world outside centrally planned economic areas (WOCA). Information is also presented regarding operable reactors and those under construction in countries with centrally planned economies. This report presents three different nuclear supply scenarios. The Optimistic-case scenario, included in previous issues of this report, has been deleted. 7 figs; 36 tabs

Evaluation Of Electricity Production Cost Of Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Models

OpenAIRE

DÖNER, Nimeti

2017-01-01

The level of the development of countries is being measured by thecountry’s quantity of production and consumption energy. Concerning Turkey,according to an energy report of The World Energy Council Turkish NationalCommittee in order to meet the electricity needs of the country in 2010, there should befounded a 2000 MW(e) capacity nuclear power plant. For the nuclear electric powerplant considered to be founded in Turkey, three types of commercial reactor models,that are Pressiued Water React...

Incorporation of safety interlocks in commercial robotics for handling of nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, F.W.

1986-01-01

Current robotic systems have been developed primarily for the automotive and electronic industry. The adaptation of these commercial robotic systems to applications in the manufacturing of nuclear fuel requires the addition of safety interlocks as to the handling and accountability of nuclear materials. Also, additional safety interlocks are required when the robots are operated in containment enclosures that are environmentally sealed. Interlocks have been incorporated into a commercial robot. The robotic system has been installed in the containment enclosure as part of the pellet storage subsystem into the Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) facility currently being built by Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) for the US Department of Energy (DOE). The system has been installed in the Fuel Cycle Plant and is scheduled for initial operational testing in 1986

Incorporation of safety interlocks in commercial robotics for handling of nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, F.W.

1986-01-01

The adaptation of commercial robotic systems to applications in the manufacturing of nuclear fuel has required the addition of safety interlocks as to the handling and accountability of nuclear materials. Also, additional safety interlocks are required when the robots are operated in containment enclosures that are environmentally sealed. Interlocks have been incorporated in a commercial robot which was modified and with additional interlocks into the existing robotic control system. The robotic system has been installed in the containment enclosure as part of the pellet storage subsystem in the Secure Automated Fabrication facility currently being built by Westinghouse Hanford Company for the US Department of Energy. The system has been installed in the Fuel Cycle Plant and is scheduled for initial operational testing in 1986

Full-length cDNA sequences from Rhesus monkey placenta tissue: analysis and utility for comparative mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Sang-Rae

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta are widely-used as experimental animals in biomedical research and are closely related to other laboratory macaques, such as cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis, and to humans, sharing a last common ancestor from about 25 million years ago. Although rhesus monkeys have been studied extensively under field and laboratory conditions, research has been limited by the lack of genetic resources. The present study generated placenta full-length cDNA libraries, characterized the resulting expressed sequence tags, and described their utility for comparative mapping with human RefSeq mRNA transcripts. Results From rhesus monkey placenta full-length cDNA libraries, 2000 full-length cDNA sequences were determined and 1835 rhesus placenta cDNA sequences longer than 100 bp were collected. These sequences were annotated based on homology to human genes. Homology search against human RefSeq mRNAs revealed that our collection included the sequences of 1462 putative rhesus monkey genes. Moreover, we identified 207 genes containing exon alterations in the coding region and the untranslated region of rhesus monkey transcripts, despite the highly conserved structure of the coding regions. Approximately 10% (187 of all full-length cDNA sequences did not represent any public human RefSeq mRNAs. Intriguingly, two rhesus monkey specific exons derived from the transposable elements of AluYRa2 (SINE family and MER11B (LTR family were also identified. Conclusion The 1835 rhesus monkey placenta full-length cDNA sequences described here could expand genomic resources and information of rhesus monkeys. This increased genomic information will greatly contribute to the development of evolutionary biology and biomedical research.

Fire protection of safe shutdown capability at commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, K.

1993-01-01

The comprehensive industrial safety standards and codes that exist today have evolved from lessons learned through past experience, research results, and improvements in technological capabilities. The current requirements for fire safety features of commercial nuclear power stations operated in the US are a notable example of this practice. Although fire protection has always been an important design requirement, from the aftermath of a serious fire that occurred in 1975 at the Browns Ferry plant, it was learned that the life safety and property protection concerns of the major fire insurance underwriters may not sufficiently encompass nuclear safety issues, particularly with regard to the potential for fire damage to result in the common mode failure of redundant trains of systems, and components important to the safe shutdown of the reactor. Following its investigations into the Browns Ferry fire, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) promulgated guidance documents, which ultimately developed into mandatory regulations, necessary to assure the implementation of a fire protection program that would address nuclear safety concerns. The new criteria that evolved, contain prescriptive design features, as well as personnel and administrative requirements the Commission determined to be necessary to provide a defense-in-depth level of protection against the hazards of fire and its associated effects on safety related equipment. These criteria are primarily contained in Appendix R of Title 10 to the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50). Since 1983, various members of the Department of Nuclear Energy (DNE) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have provided technical assistance to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in support of its evaluations of fire protection features implemented at commercial nuclear power stations operated in the US. This paper presents a discussion of the insights gained by the author during his active participation in this area

Pulp regeneration in a full-length human tooth root using a hierarchical nanofibrous microsphere system.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiangwei; Ma, Chi; Xie, Xiaohua; Sun, Hongchen; Liu, Xiaohua

2016-04-15

While pulp regeneration using tissue engineering strategy has been explored for over a decade, successful regeneration of pulp tissues in a full-length human root with a one-end seal that truly simulates clinical endodontic treatment has not been achieved. To address this challenge, we designed and synthesized a unique hierarchical growth factor-loaded nanofibrous microsphere scaffolding system. In this system, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) binds with heparin and is encapsulated in heparin-conjugated gelatin nanospheres, which are further immobilized in the nanofibers of an injectable poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) microsphere. This hierarchical microsphere system not only protects the VEGF from denaturation and degradation, but also provides excellent control of its sustained release. In addition, the nanofibrous PLLA microsphere integrates the extracellular matrix-mimicking architecture with a highly porous injectable form, efficiently accommodating dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and supporting their proliferation and pulp tissue formation. Our in vivo study showed the successful regeneration of pulp-like tissues that fulfilled the entire apical and middle thirds and reached the coronal third of the full-length root canal. In addition, a large number of blood vessels were regenerated throughout the canal. For the first time, our work demonstrates the success of pulp tissue regeneration in a full-length root canal, making it a significant step toward regenerative endodontics. The regeneration of pulp tissues in a full-length tooth root canal has been one of the greatest challenges in the field of regenerative endodontics, and one of the biggest barriers for its clinical application. In this study, we developed a unique approach to tackle this challenge, and for the first time, we successfully regenerated living pulp tissues in a full-length root canal, making it a significant step toward regenerative endodontics. This study will make positive scientific

Full-length genomic characterization and molecular evolution of canine parvovirus in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ling; Tang, Qinghai; Shi, Lijun; Kong, Miaomiao; Liang, Lin; Mao, Qianqian; Bu, Bin; Yao, Lunguang; Zhao, Kai; Cui, Shangjin; Leal, Élcio

2016-06-01

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) can cause acute haemorrhagic enteritis in dogs and myocarditis in puppies. This disease has become one of the most serious infectious diseases of dogs. During 2014 in China, there were many cases of acute infectious diarrhoea in dogs. Some faecal samples were negative for the CPV-2 antigen based on a colloidal gold test strip but were positive based on PCR, and a viral strain was isolated from one such sample. The cytopathic effect on susceptible cells and the results of the immunoperoxidase monolayer assay, PCR, and sequencing indicated that the pathogen was CPV-2. The strain was named CPV-NY-14, and the full-length genome was sequenced and analysed. A maximum likelihood tree was constructed using the full-length genome and all available CPV-2 genomes. New strains have replaced the original strain in Taiwan and Italy, although the CPV-2a strain is still predominant there. However, CPV-2a still causes many cases of acute infectious diarrhoea in dogs in China.

Scalable production in human cells and biochemical characterization of full-length normal and mutant huntingtin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Huang

Full Text Available Huntingtin (Htt is a 350 kD intracellular protein, ubiquitously expressed and mainly localized in the cytoplasm. Huntington's disease (HD is caused by a CAG triplet amplification in exon 1 of the corresponding gene resulting in a polyglutamine (polyQ expansion at the N-terminus of Htt. Production of full-length Htt has been difficult in the past and so far a scalable system or process has not been established for recombinant production of Htt in human cells. The ability to produce Htt in milligram quantities would be a prerequisite for many biochemical and biophysical studies aiming in a better understanding of Htt function under physiological conditions and in case of mutation and disease. For scalable production of full-length normal (17Q and mutant (46Q and 128Q Htt we have established two different systems, the first based on doxycycline-inducible Htt expression in stable cell lines, the second on "gutless" adenovirus mediated gene transfer. Purified material has then been used for biochemical characterization of full-length Htt. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs were determined and several new phosphorylation sites were identified. Nearly all PTMs in full-length Htt localized to areas outside of predicted alpha-solenoid protein regions. In all detected N-terminal peptides methionine as the first amino acid was missing and the second, alanine, was found to be acetylated. Differences in secondary structure between normal and mutant Htt, a helix-rich protein, were not observed in our study. Purified Htt tends to form dimers and higher order oligomers, thus resembling the situation observed with N-terminal fragments, although the mechanism of oligomer formation may be different.

Performance evaluation of a commercially available heat flow calorimeter and applicability assessment for safeguarding special nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bracken, D.S.; Biddle, R.; Rudy, C.

1998-01-01

The performance characteristics of a commercially available heat-flow calorimeter will be presented. The heat-flow sensors within the calorimeter are based on thermopile technology with a vendor-quoted sensitivity of 150 microV/mW. The calorimeter is a full-twin design to compensate for ambient temperature fluctuations. The efficacy of temperature fluctuation compensations will also be detailed. Finally, an assessment of design applicability to special nuclear materials control and accountability and safeguarding will be presented

The changing structure of the international commercial nuclear power reactor industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.W.; Hill, L.J.; Reich, W.J.; Rowan, W.J.

1992-12-01

The objective of this report is to provide an understanding of the international commercial nuclear power industry today and how the industry is evolving. This industry includes reactor vendors, product lines, and utility customers. The evolving structure of the international nuclear power reactor industry implies different organizations making decisions within the nuclear power industry, different outside constraints on those decisions, and different priorities than with the previous structure. At the same time, cultural factors, technical constraints, and historical business relationships allow for an understanding of the organization of the industry, what is likely, and what is unlikely. With such a frame of reference, current trends and future directions can be more readily understood

Evaluation of full-length, cleaved and nitrosylated serum surfactant protein D as biomarkers for COPD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duvoix, Annelyse; Miranda, Elena; Perez, Juan

2011-01-01

. Serum levels of SP-D are raised in individuals with COPD but there is no correlation between the serum level of SP-D and the severity of airflow obstruction. Serum SP-D is present in different forms that may have more utility as a biomarker for COPD. We report here the development of new monoclonal...... antibodies to full length and cleaved SP-D. We have assessed these and existing antibodies in 98 individuals with COPD recruited to the Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate Endpoints (ECLIPSE) cohort. Our data show that neither monoclonal antibodies to full length nor cleaved SP...

Sustainable, Full-Scope Nuclear Fission Energy at Planetary Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Petroski

2012-11-01

Full Text Available A nuclear fission-based energy system is described that is capable of supplying the energy needs of all of human civilization for a full range of human energy use scenarios, including both very high rates of energy use and strikingly-large amounts of total energy-utilized. To achieve such “planetary scale sustainability”, this nuclear energy system integrates three nascent technologies: uranium extraction from seawater, manifestly safe breeder reactors, and deep borehole disposal of nuclear waste. In addition to these technological components, it also possesses the sociopolitical quality of manifest safety, which involves engineering to a very high degree of safety in a straightforward manner, while concurrently making the safety characteristics of the resulting nuclear systems continually manifest to society as a whole. Near-term aspects of this nuclear system are outlined, and representative parameters given for a system of global scale capable of supplying energy to a planetary population of 10 billion people at a per capita level enjoyed by contemporary Americans, i.e., of a type which might be seen a half-century hence. In addition to being sustainable from a resource standpoint, the described nuclear system is also sustainable with respect to environmental and human health impacts, including those resulting from severe accidents.

Insertion of Introns: A Strategy to Facilitate Assembly of Infectious Full Length Clones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Ida Elisabeth; Lund, Ole Søgaard

2008-01-01

Some DNA fragments are difficult to clone in Escherichia coli by standard methods. It has been speculated that unintended transcription and translation result in expression of proteins that are toxic to the bacteria. This problem is frequently observed during assembly of infectious full-length vi...

Impaired heat shock response in cells expressing full-length polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidhartha M Chafekar

Full Text Available The molecular mechanisms by which polyglutamine (polyQ-expanded huntingtin (Htt causes neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD remain unclear. The malfunction of cellular proteostasis has been suggested as central in HD pathogenesis and also as a target of therapeutic interventions for the treatment of HD. We present results that offer a previously unexplored perspective regarding impaired proteostasis in HD. We find that, under non-stress conditions, the proteostatic capacity of cells expressing full length polyQ-expanded Htt is adequate. Yet, under stress conditions, the presence of polyQ-expanded Htt impairs the heat shock response, a key component of cellular proteostasis. This impaired heat shock response results in a reduced capacity to withstand the damage caused by cellular stress. We demonstrate that in cells expressing polyQ-expanded Htt the levels of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1 are reduced, and, as a consequence, these cells have an impaired a heat shock response. Also, we found reduced HSF1 and HSP70 levels in the striata of HD knock-in mice when compared to wild-type mice. Our results suggests that full length, non-aggregated polyQ-expanded Htt blocks the effective induction of the heat shock response under stress conditions and may thus trigger the accumulation of cellular damage during the course of HD pathogenesis.

Korean system of export control to support the commercial nuclear transfer to UAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Young Ho

2011-01-01

In December 2009, the Republic of Korea won the contract to build 4 1,400 MW nuclear power reactors worth USD 20 billion in the UAE. The states-owned KEPCO will complete the turnkey project to the UAE including design, engineering, construction, nuclear fuel, operations, maintenance and technical support. Since sensitive nuclear technologies convertible to military purpose can be spread by the transfer of commercial nuclear power plant, it is essential prerequisite to implement nuclear export control tenaciously and effectively. About twenty years have passed since the Republic of Korea introduced export control system in domestic laws and regulations. Marking a major historical milestone in 2009 by ranking among global nuclear suppliers, the Korean government made a major step forward in export control framework to support its next nuclear export goal. (orig.)

Managing culture change in the commercial nuclear industry and the DOE weapons complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buhl, A.R.

1992-01-01

Culture is the basic pattern of shared beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions acquired over time by the people in the organization. Culture is learned and can be modified over time. Many failures in managing change in recent years in the commercial nuclear industry and in the DOE weapons complex can be attributed to not accepting the central axiom of safety, health, and environmental matters. This paper presents specific lessons learned from experiences in commercial nuclear power and US Department of Energy weapons facilities restarts: (1) the attributes of problem plants and symptoms that predict impending regulatory doom; (2) the root causes of plant shutdown by regulators; (3) management infrastructure problems; and (4) actions required by management to effect the culture shift necessary to resume operations

Performance of initial full-length RHIC [Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider] dipoles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahl, P.; Cottingham, J.; Garber, M.

1987-01-01

The first four full-length (9.7 m) R and D dipoles for the proposed Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have been successfully tested. The magnets reached a quench plateau of approximately 4.5 T with very reasonable training - a field level comfortably above the design field of 3.45 T required for operation with beams of 100 GeV/amu gold nuclei. Measured field multipoles are considered to be quite acceptable for this series of R and D magnets

Licensing operators for commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannon, J.N.

1988-01-01

The human element in the operation of commercial nuclear power plants is of utmost importance. Not only must the operators be technically competent in the execution of numerous complicated tasks, they must be capable of working together as a team to diagnose dynamic plant conditions to ensure that their plants are operated safely. The significance of human interaction skills and crew communications has been demonstrated most vividly in TMI and Chernobyl. It follows that the NRC must retain its high standards for licensing operators. This paper discusses activities and initiatives being employed by the NRC to enhance the reliability of its licensing examinations, and to build a highly qualified examiner work force

Licensing issues associated with the use of mixed-oxide fuel in U.S. commercial nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.L. Jr.

1997-04-01

On January 14, 1997, the Department of Energy, as part of its Record of Decision on the storage and disposition of surplus nuclear weapons materials, committed to pursue the use of excess weapons-usable plutonium in the fabrication of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel for consumption in existing commercial nuclear power plants. Domestic use of MOX fuel has been deferred since the late 1970s, principally due to nuclear proliferation concerns. This report documents a review of past and present literature (i.e., correspondence, reports, etc.) on the domestic use of MOX fuel and provides discussion on the technical and regulatory issues that must be addressed by DOE (and the utility/consortia selected by DOE to effect the MOX fuel consumption strategy) in obtaining approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to use MOX fuel in one or a group of existing commercial nuclear power plants

A study of commercially-available polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate as nuclear track detector materials

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa, G.; Golzarri, J. I.; Vazquez-Lopez, C.; Trejo, R.; Lopez, K.; Rickards, J.

2014-07-01

In the study of the sensitivity of materials to be used as nuclear track detectors, it was found that commercial polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from Ciel® water bottles, commercial roof cover polycarbonate, and recycled packaging strips (recycled PET), can be used as nuclear track detectors. These three commercial materials present nuclear tracks when bombarded by 2.27 MeV nitrogen ions produced in a Pelletron particle accelerator, and by fission fragments from a 252Cf source (79.4 and 103.8 MeV), after a chemical etching with a 6.25M KOH solution, or with a 6.25M KOH solution with 20% methanol, both solutions at 60±1°C. As an example, the nitrogen ions deposit approximately 1 keV/nm in the form of ionization and excitation at the surface of PET, as calculated using the SRIM code. The fission fragments deposit up to 9 keV/nm at the surface, in both cases generating sufficient free radicals to initiate the track formation process. However, 5 MeV alpha particles, typical of radon (222Rn) emissions, deposit only 0.12 keV/nm, do not present tracks after the chemical etching process. This valuable information could be very useful for further studies of new materials in nuclear track methodology.

Canisters and nonfuel components at commercial nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibbard, K.; Thorpe, J.; Moore, R.S.

1995-01-01

The Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) collects data annually from commercial nuclear power reactors via the Nuclear Fuel Data survey, Form RW-859. Over the past three years, the survey has collected data on the quantities and types of nonfuel components and on the quantities and contents of canisters in storage at reactor sites. This paper focuses on the annual changes in the data, specific implications of these changes, and lessons that should be applied to future revisions of the study. The total number of canisters reported by utilities for each year from 1986 to 1993 is listed. Changes in the quantities of nonfuel components report by General Reactors from 1992 to 1993 are also provided. Comparisons of canister and nonfuel components components data from year to year and from reactor to reactor point out that survey questions on these topics have been interpreted differently by reactor personnel

ESTIMATION OF BIOMASS COMMERCIAL SPROUTS OF Ilex paraguariensis A.ST.-HIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabete Vuaden

2009-10-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at developing some models that allow estimating the biomass of commercial green shoots of Ilex paraguariensis after pruning, at 10 years-old. In September 2007, 40 Ilex paraguariensis were pruned. One year after the first pruning, in 2008, they were evaluated dendrometrically and their biomass was determined from the commercial harvest of 16 individuals. To the others, the commercial biomass was estimated by the sum of the biomass of shoots.  The result obtained is that the biomass of commercial sprouts can be estimated as a function of the length of the rolls sprouting, with specific models for sprouts short, simple and compound average sprouts and long sprouts compounds. The models used to estimate the biomass of commercial sprouts using the length sum rolls and rolls of the length as independent variables underestimate the values of biomass with a margin of error of only 2.6%.

New state roles in the management and disposal of commercial nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udall, M.K.

1977-01-01

Arguments are presented for the need for congressional action to clarify the respective regulatory responsibilities of the state and Federal Governments as they relate to commercial nuclear power. Three case studies in radioactive waste management and disposal are reviewed which are proported to illustrate the inadequacy of the existing regulatory framework to effectively manage and dispose of nuclear wastes. Examples of instances in which state legislatures have taken the initiative in the waste disposal problem are cited. It is concluded that regulatory reform should be in the direction of a dual system that provides states with new authority and leverage to control nuclear energy development patterns within their borders

XenDB: Full length cDNA prediction and cross species mapping in Xenopus laevis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giegerich Robert

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research using the model system Xenopus laevis has provided critical insights into the mechanisms of early vertebrate development and cell biology. Large scale sequencing efforts have provided an increasingly important resource for researchers. To provide full advantage of the available sequence, we have analyzed 350,468 Xenopus laevis Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs both to identify full length protein encoding sequences and to develop a unique database system to support comparative approaches between X. laevis and other model systems. Description Using a suffix array based clustering approach, we have identified 25,971 clusters and 40,877 singleton sequences. Generation of a consensus sequence for each cluster resulted in 31,353 tentative contig and 4,801 singleton sequences. Using both BLASTX and FASTY comparison to five model organisms and the NR protein database, more than 15,000 sequences are predicted to encode full length proteins and these have been matched to publicly available IMAGE clones when available. Each sequence has been compared to the KOG database and ~67% of the sequences have been assigned a putative functional category. Based on sequence homology to mouse and human, putative GO annotations have been determined. Conclusion The results of the analysis have been stored in a publicly available database XenDB http://bibiserv.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/xendb/. A unique capability of the database is the ability to batch upload cross species queries to identify potential Xenopus homologues and their associated full length clones. Examples are provided including mapping of microarray results and application of 'in silico' analysis. The ability to quickly translate the results of various species into 'Xenopus-centric' information should greatly enhance comparative embryological approaches. Supplementary material can be found at http://bibiserv.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/xendb/.

Operation of Nuclear Fuel Based on Reprocessed Uranium for VVER-type Reactors in Competitive Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Troyanov, V.; Molchanov, V.; Tuzov, A. [TVEL Corporation, 49 Kashirskoe shosse, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation); Semchenkov, Yu.; Lizorkin, M. [RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' (Russian Federation); Vasilchenko, I.; Lushin, V. [OKB ' Gidropress' (Russian Federation)

2009-06-15

Current nuclear fuel cycle of Russian nuclear power involves reprocessed low-enriched uranium in nuclear fuel production for some NPP units with VVER-type LWR. This paper discusses design and performance characteristics of commercial nuclear fuel based on natural and reprocessed uranium. It presents the review of results of commercial operation of nuclear fuel based on reprocessed uranium on Russian NPPs-unit No.2 of Kola NPP and unit No.2 of Kalinin NPP. The results of calculation and experimental validation of safe fuel operation including necessary isotope composition conformed to regulation requirements and results of pilot fuel operation are also considered. Meeting the customer requirements the possibility of high burn-up achieving was demonstrated. In addition the paper compares the characteristics of nuclear fuel cycles with maximum length based on reprocessed and natural uranium considering relevant 5% enrichment limitation and necessity of {sup 236}U compensation. The expedience of uranium-235 enrichment increasing over 5% is discussed with the aim to implement longer fuel cycles. (authors)

Nuclear cycle length economics strategy using stochastic and deterministic Monte Carlo computation models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wook Ahn, T.

2014-01-01

Nuclear power plants (NPP) have historically been a low cost base-load electricity source because of their high fuel density and operational reliability. In the United States, NPPs typically run 18- to 24-month cycles to limit outage times and maximize capacity factor. recently, however, increased volatility in energy and fuel prices, lower natural gas prices, higher material costs, and new sources are challenging the nuclear industry. This warrants a study in developing a more robust cycle length and fuel burnup strategy to make NPPs more competitive. (Author)

Nuclear cycle length economics strategy using stochastic and deterministic Monte Carlo computation models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wook Ahn, T.

2014-07-01

Nuclear power plants (NPP) have historically been a low cost base-load electricity source because of their high fuel density and operational reliability. In the United States, NPPs typically run 18- to 24-month cycles to limit outage times and maximize capacity factor. recently, however, increased volatility in energy and fuel prices, lower natural gas prices, higher material costs, and new sources are challenging the nuclear industry. This warrants a study in developing a more robust cycle length and fuel burnup strategy to make NPPs more competitive. (Author)

Full scale model studies of nuclear power stations for earthquake resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirillov, A.P.; Ambriashvili, Ju. K.; Kozlov, A.V.

Behaviour of nuclear power plants and its equipments under seismic action is not well understood. In the absence of well established method for aseismic deisgn of nuclear power plants and its equipments, it is necessary to carry out experimental investigations on models, fragments and full scale structures. The present study includes experimental investigations of different scale models and on existing nuclear power stations under impulse and explosion effects simulating seismic loads. The experimental work was aimed to develop on model test procedure for nuclear power station and the evaluation of the possible range of dynamic stresses in structures and pipe lines. The results of full-scale investigations of the nuclear reactor show a good agreement of dynamic characteristics of the model and the prototype. The study confirms the feasibility of simulation of model for nuclear power plants. (auth.)

Commercial spent nuclear fuel shipments in the United States, 1964--1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

This report provides an overview of US commercial light-water reactor spent-fuel shipments that have occurred from January, 1964 through December, 1987. A summary analysis was performed on these historical shipments, showing the amount of fuel that has been shipped to research facilities, reprocessing plants, away-from-reactor (AFR) storage sites, and other reactors. Also presented in this report is a listing of potential spent-fuel shipments to and/or from commercial nuclear plants. Table 1 provides the detailed listing of historical spent-fuel shipments. Table 2 is a summary of these shipments grouped by destination. Section IV discusses utility plans for future spent-fuel shipments. 2 tabs

Accelerating Full Configuration Interaction Calculations for Nuclear Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chao; Sternberg, Philip; Maris, Pieter; Ng, Esmond; Sosonkina, Masha; Le, Hung Viet; Vary, James; Yang, Chao

2008-01-01

One of the emerging computational approaches in nuclear physics is the full configuration interaction (FCI) method for solving the many-body nuclear Hamiltonian in a sufficiently large single-particle basis space to obtain exact answers - either directly or by extrapolation. The lowest eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors for very large, sparse and unstructured nuclear Hamiltonian matrices are obtained and used to evaluate additional experimental quantities. These matrices pose a significant challenge to the design and implementation of efficient and scalable algorithms for obtaining solutions on massively parallel computer systems. In this paper, we describe the computational strategies employed in a state-of-the-art FCI code MFDn (Many Fermion Dynamics - nuclear) as well as techniques we recently developed to enhance the computational efficiency of MFDn. We will demonstrate the current capability of MFDn and report the latest performance improvement we have achieved. We will also outline our future research directions

Full-length Dysferlin Transfer by the Hyperactive Sleeping Beauty Transposase Restores Dysferlin-deficient Muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Escobar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy is a progressive disease characterized by muscle weakness and wasting for which there is no treatment. It is caused by mutations in DYSF, a large, multiexonic gene that forms a coding sequence of 6.2 kb. Sleeping Beauty (SB transposon is a nonviral gene transfer vector, already used in clinical trials. The hyperactive SB system consists of a transposon DNA sequence and a transposase protein, SB100X, that can integrate DNA over 10 kb into the target genome. We constructed an SB transposon-based vector to deliver full-length human DYSF cDNA into dysferlin-deficient H2K A/J myoblasts. We demonstrate proper dysferlin expression as well as highly efficient engraftment (>1,100 donor-derived fibers of the engineered myoblasts in the skeletal muscle of dysferlin- and immunodeficient B6. Cg-Dysfprmd Prkdcscid/J (Scid/BLA/J mice. Nonviral gene delivery of full-length human dysferlin into muscle cells, along with a successful and efficient transplantation into skeletal muscle are important advances towards successful gene therapy of dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy.

Occupational radiation exposure at commercial nuclear power reactors, 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, B.G.

1979-11-01

An updated compilation is presented of occupational radiation exposures at commercial nuclear power reactors for the years 1969 through 1978. Data received from the 64 light water cooled reactors (LWRs) that had completed at least one year of commercial operation as of December 31, 1978 are included. This represents an increase of seven reactors over the number contained in last year's report. The total number of personnel monitored at LWRs during 1978 increased by approximately 12% to 76,121. The number of workers that received measurable doses, however, increased only 8% to 45,978. The total collective dose for 1978 is estimated to be 31,806 man-rems, a small decrease from last year's value of 32,511, which results in the average dose per worker decreasing slightly to 0.69 rems. The average collective dose per reactor also decreased, by approximately 15%, to a value of 497 man-rems

Summary data for U.S. commercial nuclear power plants in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heddleson, F.A.

1978-01-01

A compilation of data is presented for all United States commercial nuclear power plants for which a construction permit application was made through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The data are compiled in four separate tables with cross-referencing indexes: Table 1--General Data; Table 2--Reactor Data; Table 3--Site Data, and Table 4--Circulating-Water System Data. The power plants are listed in numerical order by docket number in all four tables

Commercial grade item (CGI) dedication of MDR relays for nuclear safety related applications

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Ranjit K.; Julka, Anil; Modi, Govind

1994-08-01

MDR relays manufactured by Potter & Brumfield (P&B) have been used in various safety related applications in commercial nuclear power plants. These include emergency safety features (ESF) actuation systems, emergency core cooling systems (ECCS) actuation, and reactor protection systems. The MDR relays manufactured prior to May 1990 showed signs of generic failure due to corrosion and outgassing of coil varnish. P&B has made design changes to correct these problems in relays manufactured after May 1990. However, P&B does not manufacture the relays under any 10CFR50 Appendix B quality assurance (QA) program. They manufacture the relays under their commercial QA program and supply these as commercial grade items. This necessitates CGI Dedication of these relays for use in nuclear-safety-related applications. This paper presents a CGI dedication program that has been used to dedicate the MDR relays manufactured after been used to dedicate the MDR relays manufactured after May 1990. The program is in compliance with current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) guidelines and applicable industry standards; it specifies the critical characteristics of the relays, provides the tests and analysis required to verify the critical characteristics, the acceptance criteria for the test results, performs source verification to quality P&B for its control of the critical characteristics, and provides documentation. The program provides reasonable assurance that the new MDR relays will perform their intended safety functions.

Species-Specific Expression of Full-Length and Alternatively Spliced Variant Forms of CDK5RAP2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John S Y Park

Full Text Available CDK5RAP2 is one of the primary microcephaly genes that are associated with reduced brain size and mental retardation. We have previously shown that human CDK5RAP2 exists as a full-length form (hCDK5RAP2 or an alternatively spliced variant form (hCDK5RAP2-V1 that is lacking exon 32. The equivalent of hCDK5RAP2-V1 has been reported in rat and mouse but the presence of full-length equivalent hCDK5RAP2 in rat and mouse has not been examined. Here, we demonstrate that rat expresses both a full length and an alternatively spliced variant form of CDK5RAP2 that are equivalent to our previously reported hCDK5RAP2 and hCDK5RAP2-V1, repectively. However, mouse expresses only one form of CDK5RAP2 that is equivalent to the human and rat alternatively spliced variant forms. Knowledge of this expression of different forms of CDK5RAP2 in human, rat and mouse is essential in selecting the appropriate model for studies of CDK5RAP2 and primary microcephaly but our findings further indicate the evolutionary divergence of mouse from the human and rat species.

Discussion on the impact of large commercial airplane to nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Bo

2010-01-01

Briefly introducing the 10CFR50.150, draft guide and technical document of United States which is issued recently by NRC and NEI on impact of large commercial airplane to nuclear power plant, introducing comments from society and public and responses from NRC, and briefly discussing relevant issues. (author)

Highly efficient full-length hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (strain TN) infectious culture system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Yi-Ping; Ramirez, Santseharay; Jensen, Sanne B

2012-01-01

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of end stage liver disease worldwide. In the United States, most HCV-related disease is associated with genotype 1 infection, which remains difficult to treat. Drug and vaccine development was hampered by inability to culture...... full-length TN infection dose-dependently. Given the unique importance of genotype 1 for pathogenesis, this infectious 1a culture system represents an important advance in HCV research. The approach used and the mutations identified might permit culture development for other HCV isolates, thus......) culture systems in Huh7.5 cells. Here, we developed a highly efficient genotype 1a (strain TN) full-length culture system. We initially found that the LSG substitutions conferred viability to an intergenotypic recombinant composed of TN 5' untranslated region (5'UTR)-NS5A and JFH1 NS5B-3'UTR; recovered...

Full autonomous monitoring tools inside nuclear reactor building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraud, A.; Veau, J.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we define, design and test a radiation tolerant autonomous monitoring tool for nuclear embedded applications. The goal of the instrumentation system was to record the values of some parameters such as dose, temperature or vibrations appearing inside the containment building of nuclear power plants. The knowledge of these parameters will be a good help for predictive maintenance of the power plant components. For the design of the monitoring tool, we rely on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) low power electronic components to use battery-supplied power. A large amount of components starting from discrete transistors or logic units to memories and micro-controllers was associated to define and design a prototype. We then confirm the environment conditions tolerance estimated to up to 2 kGy of total dose and 80 C for temperature by on-line irradiation experiments for individual components and functions and prototypes. Two different sets of about 60 systems were realised as industrial products and then installed in EDF facilities. They were exploited during NPPs operating times of about eighteen months. This large scale experiment was concluded with the inspection of some withdrawn systems. No major degradations were observed showing the efficiency of the hardening method allowing regular use of COTS

Safety/security interface assessments at commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byers, K.R.; Brown, P.J.; Norderhaug, L.R.

1985-01-01

The findings of the Haynes Task Force Committee (NUREG-0992) are used as the basis for defining safety/security assessment team activities at commercial nuclear power plants in NRC Region V. A safety/security interface assessment outline and the approach used for making the assessments are presented along with the composition of team members. As a result of observing simulated plant emergency conditions during scheduled emergency preparedness exercises, examining security and operational response procedures, and interviewing plant personnel, the team has identified instances where safety/security conflicts can occur

Safety/security interface assessments at commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byers, K.R.; Brown, P.J.; Norderhaug, L.R.

1985-07-01

The findings of the Haynes Task Force Committee (NUREG-0992) are used as the basis for defining safety/security assessment team activities at commercial nuclear power plants in NRC Region V. A safety/security interface assessment outline and the approach used for making the assessments are presented along with the composition of team members. As a result of observing simulated plant emergency conditions during scheduled emergency preparedness exercises, examining security and operational response procedures, and interviewing plant personnel, the team has identified instances where safety/security conflicts can occur. 2 refs

Purification and Fibrillation of Full-Length Recombinant PrP.

Science.gov (United States)

Makarava, Natallia; Savtchenko, Regina; Baskakov, Ilia V

2017-01-01

Misfolding and aggregation of prion protein are related to several neurodegenerative diseases in humans such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease. A growing number of applications in the prion field including assays for detection of PrP Sc and methods for production of PrP Sc de novo require recombinant prion protein (PrP) of high purity and quality. Here, we report an experimental procedure for expression and purification of full-length mammalian prion protein. This protocol has been proved to yield PrP of extremely high purity that lacks PrP adducts, oxidative modifications, or truncation, which is typically generated as a result of spontaneous oxidation or degradation. We also describe methods for preparation of amyloid fibrils from recombinant PrP in vitro. Recombinant PrP fibrils can be used as a noninfectious synthetic surrogate of PrP Sc for development of prion diagnostics including generation of PrP Sc -specific antibody.

Full-length mRNA sequencing uncovers a widespread coupling between transcription initiation and mRNA processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Anvar, Seyed Yahya; Allard, Guy; Tseng, Elizabeth; Sheynkman, Gloria M; de Klerk, Eleonora; Vermaat, Martijn; Yin, Raymund H; Johansson, Hans E; Ariyurek, Yavuz; den Dunnen, Johan T; Turner, Stephen W; 't Hoen, Peter A C

2018-03-29

The multifaceted control of gene expression requires tight coordination of regulatory mechanisms at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Here, we studied the interdependence of transcription initiation, splicing and polyadenylation events on single mRNA molecules by full-length mRNA sequencing. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, we find 2700 genes with interdependent alternative transcription initiation, splicing and polyadenylation events, both in proximal and distant parts of mRNA molecules, including examples of coupling between transcription start sites and polyadenylation sites. The analysis of three human primary tissues (brain, heart and liver) reveals similar patterns of interdependency between transcription initiation and mRNA processing events. We predict thousands of novel open reading frames from full-length mRNA sequences and obtained evidence for their translation by shotgun proteomics. The mapping database rescues 358 previously unassigned peptides and improves the assignment of others. By recognizing sample-specific amino-acid changes and novel splicing patterns, full-length mRNA sequencing improves proteogenomics analysis of MCF-7 cells. Our findings demonstrate that our understanding of transcriptome complexity is far from complete and provides a basis to reveal largely unresolved mechanisms that coordinate transcription initiation and mRNA processing.

Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Waste Package Misload Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J.K. Knudson

2003-01-01

The purpose of this calculation is to estimate the probability of misloading a commercial spent nuclear fuel waste package with a fuel assembly(s) that has a reactivity (i.e., enrichment and/or burnup) outside the waste package design. The waste package designs are based on the expected commercial spent nuclear fuel assemblies and previous analyses (Macheret, P. 2001, Section 4.1 and Table 1). For this calculation, a misloaded waste package is defined as a waste package that has a fuel assembly(s) loaded into it with an enrichment and/or burnup outside the waste package design. An example of this type of misload is a fuel assembly designated for the 21-PWR Control Rod waste package being incorrectly loaded into a 21-PWR Absorber Plate waste package. This constitutes a misloaded 21-PWR Absorber Plate waste package, because the reactivity (i.e., enrichment and/or burnup) of a 21-PWR Control Rod waste package fuel assembly is outside the design of a 21-PWR Absorber Plate waste package. These types of misloads (i.e., fuel assembly with enrichment and/or burnup outside waste package design) are the only types that are evaluated in this calculation. This calculation utilizes information from ''Frequency of SNF Misload for Uncanistered Fuel Waste Package'' (CRWMS M and O 1998) as the starting point. The scope of this calculation is limited to the information available. The information is based on the whole population of fuel assemblies and the whole population of waste packages, because there is no information about the arrival of the waste stream at this time. The scope of this calculation deviates from that specified in ''Technical Work Plan for: Risk and Criticality Department'' (BSC 2002a, Section 2.1.30) in that only waste package misload is evaluated. The remaining issues identified (i.e., flooding and geometry reconfiguration) will be addressed elsewhere. The intended use of the calculation is to provide information and inputs to the Preclosure Safety Analysis

A full life cycle nuclear knowledge management framework based on digital system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Minglu; Zheng, Mingguang; Tian, Lin; Qiu, Zhongming; Li, Xiaoyan

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A full life cycle nuclear power plant knowledge management framework is introduced. • This framework benefits the safe design, construction, operation and maintenance. • This framework enhances safety, economy and reliability of nuclear power plant. - Abstract: The nuclear power plant is highly knowledge-intensive facility. With the rapid advent and development of modern information and communication technology, knowledge management in nuclear industry has been provided with new approaches and possibilities. This paper introduces a full cycle nuclear power plant knowledge management framework based on digital system and tries to find solutions to knowledge creation, sharing, transfer, application and further innovation in nuclear industry. This framework utilizes information and digital technology to build top-tier object driven work environment, automatic design and analysis integration platform, digital dynamic performance Verification & Validation (V&V) platform, collaborative manufacture procedure, digital construction platform, online monitoring and configuration management which benefit knowledge management in NPP full life cycle. The suggested framework will strengthen the design basis of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) and will ensure the safety of the NPP design throughout the whole lifetime of the plant.

Development of comprehensive waste acceptance criteria for commercial nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, F.A.; Miller, N.E.; Ausmus, B.S.; Yates, K.R.; Means, J.L.; Christensen, R.N.; Kulacki, F.A.

1979-01-01

A detailed methodology is presented for the identification of the characteristics of commercial nuclear waste which may require criteria. This methodology is analyzed as a six-step process which begins with identification of waste operations and proceeds until the waste characteristics affecting the potential release of radionuclides are determined. All waste types and operations were analyzed using the methodology presented. Several illustrative example are included. It is found that thirty-three characteristics can be identified as possibly requiring criteria

The state of radioactive waste management and personnel radiation exposure in commercial nuclear power plants in fiscal 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Radioactive waste management: The owners of commercial nuclear power plants are obligated to control the release of gaseous and liquid radioactive wastes below the objective release levels, and to store solid wastes in containers on the site. As for the former, the released (radioactive) quantity in fiscal 1981 (from April, 1981, to March, 1982,) together with the objective levels are given for respective nuclear power stations; and as for the latter, the stored quantity and also the cumulative quantity up to the year are given. Radiation exposure: The owners of commercial nuclear power plants are obligated to control the personnel exposure below the permissible level. The personnel exposure dose in fiscal 1981 is given for respective nuclear power station. (Mori, K.)

Reactor safety study. An assessment of accident risks in U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1975-10-01

The Reactor Safety Study was sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission to estimate the public risks that could be involved in potential accidents in commercial nuclear power plants of the type now in use. It was performed under the independent direction of Professor Norman C. Rasmussen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The risks had to be estimated, rather than measured, because although there are about 50 such plants now operating, there have been no nuclear accidents to date resulting in significant releases of radioactivity in U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. The objective of the study was to make a realistic estimate of these risks and, to provide perspective, to compare them with non-nuclear risks to which our society and its individuals are already exposed. This information may be of help in determining the future reliance by society on nuclear power as a source of electricity. The results from this study suggest that the risks to the public from potential accidents in nuclear power plants are comparatively small.

Reactor safety study. An assessment of accident risks in U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-10-01

The Reactor Safety Study was sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission to estimate the public risks that could be involved in potential accidents in commercial nuclear power plants of the type now in use. It was performed under the independent direction of Professor Norman C. Rasmussen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The risks had to be estimated, rather than measured, because although there are about 50 such plants now operating, there have been no nuclear accidents to date resulting in significant releases of radioactivity in U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. The objective of the study was to make a realistic estimate of these risks and, to provide perspective, to compare them with non-nuclear risks to which our society and its individuals are already exposed. This information may be of help in determining the future reliance by society on nuclear power as a source of electricity. The results from this study suggest that the risks to the public from potential accidents in nuclear power plants are comparatively small

Imperatives for using plutonium in commercial power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandquist, G.M.; Kunze, J.F.

1995-01-01

The use of reprocessed or newly produced plutonium as a fissile fuel in commercial nuclear reactors in the US has been actively suppressed by the current US Administration. Yet, many other advanced nations have already adopted mixed oxide fuels which are manufactured from a mixture of plutonium and natural uranium compounds. These nations have successfully proven the use of such nuclear fuel in their commercial power reactors for many years. The full consequence of the restrictive nuclear policy in the US will greatly limit the lifetime of the nuclear fuel resources in the US from a nominal potential of 100 centuries or more of potential energy supply to about 50 years or less at economical prices for uranium. This paper addresses both the imperatives and the potential and the perceived hazards of plutonium utilization and examines the consequences of government policy regarding utilization of nuclear power

Sustainable, Full-Scope Nuclear Fission Energy at Planetary Scale

OpenAIRE

Robert Petroski; Lowell Wood

2012-01-01

A nuclear fission-based energy system is described that is capable of supplying the energy needs of all of human civilization for a full range of human energy use scenarios, including both very high rates of energy use and strikingly-large amounts of total energy-utilized. To achieve such “planetary scale sustainability”, this nuclear energy system integrates three nascent technologies: uranium extraction from seawater, manifestly safe breeder reactors, and deep borehole d...

Qualifying commercial grade instruments for use in nuclear power generating stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamothe, R.J.; Scally, C.R.

1983-01-01

Nuclear environmental qualification of instrumentation has been successfully accomplished by many commercial grade equipment manufacturers. This paper was prepared as a guide to those manufacturers who want some insight into a qualification program. The areas addressed are the regulations and documents, the qualification program, and a case history of a chart recorder qualifications. The principal standards relating to a nuclear qualification program are IEEE Std. 323-1974 IEEE Standard for Qualifying Class 1E Equipment for Nuclear Power Generating Stations, IEEE Std. 344-1975 IEEE Recommended Practices for Seismic Qualification of Class 1E Equipment for Nuclear Power Generating Stations and 10CFR50.49. Previously NUREG 0588 Interim Staff Position on Environmental Qualification of Safety-Related Equipment. These define the intent and purpose of the qualification. The qualification program itself consists of several distinct parts which require explanation, including the determination of qualified life, choice of test samples, selection of appropriate acceptance criteria, aging program, radiation testing, seismic testing, abnormal environment tests and others. The case history illustrates the qualification program and the thought processes involved

Non-destructive testing of full-length bonded rock bolts based on HHT signal analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Z. M.; Liu, L.; Peng, M.; Liu, C. C.; Tao, F. J.; Liu, C. S.

2018-04-01

Full-length bonded rock bolts are commonly used in mining, tunneling and slope engineering because of their simple design and resistance to corrosion. However, the length of a rock bolt and grouting quality do not often meet the required design standards in practice because of the concealment and complexity of bolt construction. Non-destructive testing is preferred when testing a rock bolt's quality because of the convenience, low cost and wide detection range. In this paper, a signal analysis method for the non-destructive sound wave testing of full-length bonded rock bolts is presented, which is based on the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT). First, we introduce the HHT analysis method to calculate the bolt length and identify defect locations based on sound wave reflection test signals, which includes decomposing the test signal via empirical mode decomposition (EMD), selecting the intrinsic mode functions (IMF) using the Pearson Correlation Index (PCI) and calculating the instantaneous phase and frequency via the Hilbert transform (HT). Second, six model tests are conducted using different grouting defects and bolt protruding lengths to verify the effectiveness of the HHT analysis method. Lastly, the influence of the bolt protruding length on the test signal, identification of multiple reflections from defects, bolt end and protruding end, and mode mixing from EMD are discussed. The HHT analysis method can identify the bolt length and grouting defect locations from signals that contain noise at multiple reflected interfaces. The reflection from the long protruding end creates an irregular test signal with many frequency peaks on the spectrum. The reflections from defects barely change the original signal because they are low energy, which cannot be adequately resolved using existing methods. The HHT analysis method can identify reflections from the long protruding end of the bolt and multiple reflections from grouting defects based on mutations in the instantaneous

Learning effects and the commercialization of new energy technologies: the case of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, M.B.

1982-01-01

Recently, attention has been focused on government policy toward commercialization of new energy technologies. Arguments are offered that, in the early days of commercialization, significant learning externalities that justify subsidy are present. Using nuclear power as a case study, this article estimates the learning effects actually present. The effect of experience on construction cost and on the accuracy of cost estimation is examined. External learning is separated from internalized learning about both construction cost and cost estimation. Finally, an estimate of the value of both kinds of learning externality is provided. The results suggest learning externalities were present, but had little effect on the rate of commercialization. 19 references, 5 tables

Cost-effective sequencing of full-length cDNA clones powered by a de novo-reference hybrid assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroshu, Reginaldo M; Watanabe, Junichi; Sugano, Sumio; Morishita, Shinichi; Suzuki, Yutaka; Kasahara, Masahiro

2010-05-07

Sequencing full-length cDNA clones is important to determine gene structures including alternative splice forms, and provides valuable resources for experimental analyses to reveal the biological functions of coded proteins. However, previous approaches for sequencing cDNA clones were expensive or time-consuming, and therefore, a fast and efficient sequencing approach was demanded. We developed a program, MuSICA 2, that assembles millions of short (36-nucleotide) reads collected from a single flow cell lane of Illumina Genome Analyzer to shotgun-sequence approximately 800 human full-length cDNA clones. MuSICA 2 performs a hybrid assembly in which an external de novo assembler is run first and the result is then improved by reference alignment of shotgun reads. We compared the MuSICA 2 assembly with 200 pooled full-length cDNA clones finished independently by the conventional primer-walking using Sanger sequencers. The exon-intron structure of the coding sequence was correct for more than 95% of the clones with coding sequence annotation when we excluded cDNA clones insufficiently represented in the shotgun library due to PCR failure (42 out of 200 clones excluded), and the nucleotide-level accuracy of coding sequences of those correct clones was over 99.99%. We also applied MuSICA 2 to full-length cDNA clones from Toxoplasma gondii, to confirm that its ability was competent even for non-human species. The entire sequencing and shotgun assembly takes less than 1 week and the consumables cost only approximately US$3 per clone, demonstrating a significant advantage over previous approaches.

Sequencing, mapping, and analysis of 27,455 maize full-length cDNAs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol Soderlund

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Full-length cDNA (FLcDNA sequencing establishes the precise primary structure of individual gene transcripts. From two libraries representing 27 B73 tissues and abiotic stress treatments, 27,455 high-quality FLcDNAs were sequenced. The average transcript length was 1.44 kb including 218 bases and 321 bases of 5' and 3' UTR, respectively, with 8.6% of the FLcDNAs encoding predicted proteins of fewer than 100 amino acids. Approximately 94% of the FLcDNAs were stringently mapped to the maize genome. Although nearly two-thirds of this genome is composed of transposable elements (TEs, only 5.6% of the FLcDNAs contained TE sequences in coding or UTR regions. Approximately 7.2% of the FLcDNAs are putative transcription factors, suggesting that rare transcripts are well-enriched in our FLcDNA set. Protein similarity searching identified 1,737 maize transcripts not present in rice, sorghum, Arabidopsis, or poplar annotated genes. A strict FLcDNA assembly generated 24,467 non-redundant sequences, of which 88% have non-maize protein matches. The FLcDNAs were also assembled with 41,759 FLcDNAs in GenBank from other projects, where semi-strict parameters were used to identify 13,368 potentially unique non-redundant sequences from this project. The libraries, ESTs, and FLcDNA sequences produced from this project are publicly available. The annotated EST and FLcDNA assemblies are available through the maize FLcDNA web resource (www.maizecdna.org.

Cost structure analysis of commercial nuclear power plants in Japan based on corporate financial statements of electric utility companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunitake, Norifumi; Nagano, Koji; Suzuki, Tatsujiro

1998-01-01

In this paper, we analyze past and current cost structure of commercial nuclear power plants in Japan based on annual corporate financial statements published by the Japanese electric utility companies, instead of employing the conventional methodology of evaluating the generation cost for a newly constructed model plant. The result of our study on existing commercial nuclear plants reveals the increasing significance of O and M and fuel cycle costs in total generation cost. Thus, it is suggested that electric power companies should take more efforts to reduce these costs in order to maintain the competitiveness of nuclear power in Japan. (author)

Development of the Heated Length Correction Factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ho-Young; Kim, Kang-Hoon; Nahm, Kee-Yil; Jung, Yil-Sup; Park, Eung-Jun

2008-01-01

The Critical Heat Flux (CHF) on a nuclear fuel is defined by the function of flow channel geometry and flow condition. According to the selection of the explanatory variable, there are three hypotheses to explain CHF at uniformly heated vertical rod (inlet condition hypothesis, exit condition hypothesis, local condition hypothesis). For inlet condition hypothesis, CHF is characterized by function of system pressure, rod diameter, rod length, mass flow and inlet subcooling. For exit condition hypothesis, exit quality substitutes for inlet subcooling. Generally the heated length effect on CHF in exit condition hypothesis is smaller than that of other variables. Heated length is usually excluded in local condition hypothesis to describe the CHF with only local fluid conditions. Most of commercial plants currently use the empirical CHF correlation based on local condition hypothesis. Empirical CHF correlation is developed by the method of fitting the selected sensitive local variables to CHF test data using the multiple non-linear regression. Because this kind of method can not explain physical meaning, it is difficult to reflect the proper effect of complex geometry. So the recent CHF correlation development strategy of nuclear fuel vendor is making the basic CHF correlation which consists of basic flow variables (local fluid conditions) at first, and then the geometrical correction factors are compensated additionally. Because the functional forms of correction factors are determined from the independent test data which represent the corresponding geometry separately, it can be applied to other CHF correlation directly only with minor coefficient modification

SP-100 nuclear space power systems with application to space commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.M.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the Space Commercialization Community with the status and characteristics of the SP-100 space nuclear power system. The program is a joint undertaking by the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and NASA. The goal of the program is to develop, validate, and demonstrate the technology for space nuclear power systems in the range of 10 to 1000 kWe electric for use in the future civilian and military space missions. Also discussed are mission applications which are enhanced and/or enabled by SP-100 technology and how this technology compares to that of more familiar solar power systems. The mission applications include earth orbiting platforms and lunar/Mars surface power

Full Length Research Paper Plant regeneration of Michelia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Michelia champaca L. is a woody ornamental tree species which has high commercial value to be used as a basic material for perfume, cosmetic, and medicine. The development of an efficient plant regeneration system for M. champaca is essential for the production of Champaca planting material and precondition for ...

Summary of inspection findings of licensee inservice testing programs at United States commercial nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunlop, A.; Colaccino, J.

1996-12-01

Periodic inspections of pump and valve inservice testing (IST) programs in United States commercial nuclear power plants are performed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regional Inspectors to verify licensee regulatory compliance and licensee commitments. IST inspections are conducted using NRC Inspection Procedure 73756, {open_quotes}Inservice Testing of Pumps and Valves{close_quotes} (IP 73756), which was updated on July 27, 1995. A large number of IST inspections have also been conducted using Temporary Instruction 2515/114, {open_quotes}Inspection Requirements for Generic Letter 89-04, Acceptable Inservice Testing Programs{close_quotes} (TI-2515/114), which was issued January 15, 1992. A majority of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants have had an IST inspection to either IP 73756 or TI 2515/114. This paper is intended to summarize the significant and recurring findings from a number of these inspections since January of 1990.

Novel full-length major histocompatibility complex class I allele discovery and haplotype definition in pig-tailed macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Semler, Matthew R; Wiseman, Roger W; Karl, Julie A; Graham, Michael E; Gieger, Samantha M; O'Connor, David H

2017-11-13

Pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina, Mane) are important models for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) studies. Their infectability with minimally modified HIV makes them a uniquely valuable animal model to mimic human infection with HIV and progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, variation in the pig-tailed macaque major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the impact of individual transcripts on the pathogenesis of HIV and other infectious diseases is understudied compared to that of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. In this study, we used Pacific Biosciences single-molecule real-time circular consensus sequencing to describe full-length MHC class I (MHC-I) transcripts for 194 pig-tailed macaques from three breeding centers. We then used the full-length sequences to infer Mane-A and Mane-B haplotypes containing groups of MHC-I transcripts that co-segregate due to physical linkage. In total, we characterized full-length open reading frames (ORFs) for 313 Mane-A, Mane-B, and Mane-I sequences that defined 86 Mane-A and 106 Mane-B MHC-I haplotypes. Pacific Biosciences technology allows us to resolve these Mane-A and Mane-B haplotypes to the level of synonymous allelic variants. The newly defined haplotypes and transcript sequences containing full-length ORFs provide an important resource for infectious disease researchers as certain MHC haplotypes have been shown to provide exceptional control of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication and prevention of AIDS-like disease in nonhuman primates. The increased allelic resolution provided by Pacific Biosciences sequencing also benefits transplant research by allowing researchers to more specifically match haplotypes between donors and recipients to the level of nonsynonymous allelic variation, thus reducing the risk of graft-versus-host disease.

High yield purification of full-length functional hERG K+ channels produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Molbaek, Karen; Scharff-Poulsen, Peter; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus

2015-01-01

knowledge this is the first reported high-yield production and purification of full length, tetrameric and functional hERG. This significant breakthrough will be paramount in obtaining hERG crystal structures, and in establishment of new high-throughput hERG drug safety screening assays....

Nevada commercial spent nuclear fuel transportation experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

The purpose of this report is to present an historic overview of commercial reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) shipments that have occurred in the state of Nevada, and to review the accident and incident experience for this type of shipments. Results show that between 1964 and 1990, 309 truck shipments covering approximately 40,000 miles moved through Nevada; this level of activity places Nevada tenth among the states in the number of truck shipments of SNF. For the same period, 15 rail shipments moving through the State covered approximately 6,500 miles, making Nevada 20th among the states in terms of number of rail shipments. None of these shipments had an accident or an incident associated with them. Because the data for Nevada are so limited, national data on SNF transportation and the safety of truck and rail transportation in general were also assessed

Status of commercial nuclear high-level waste disposal. Special report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dau, G.J.; Williams, R.F.

1976-09-01

The results of this review, presented in the form of a functional description of high level waste management system, shows that technology is available to dispose of nuclear waste safely by several different processes. The most attractive alternative in terms of available technology and shortness of time to demonstrate it at commercial scale is a system that converts the waste to a solid by immobilizing the radioactive elements in a glass matrix. Brief comments are also given on international efforts in high level waste management and advanced disposal concepts

Diamination by n-coupling using a commercial laccase

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wellington, Kevin W

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Nuclear diamination of p-hydrobenzoquinones with aromatic and aliphatic primary amines was catalyzed by a immobilised commercial laccase, Denilite II Base, from Novozymes. The amine and the p-hydrobenzoquinone was reacted under mild conditions (at...

Evidence for a Complex Mosaic Genome Pattern in a Full-length Hepatitis C Virus Sequence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.S. Ross

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The genome of the hepatitis C virus (HCV exhibits a high genetic variability. This remarkable heterogeneity is mainly attributed to the gradual accumulation of mutational changes, whereas the contribution of recombination events to the evolution of HCV remains controversial so far. While performing phylogenetic analyses including a large number of sequences deposited in the GenBank, we encountered a full-length HCV sequence (AY651061 that showed evidence for inter-subtype recombination and was, therefore, subjected to a detailed analysis of its molecular structure. The obtained results indicated that AY651061 does not represent a “simple” HCV 1c isolate, but a complex 1a/1c mosaic genome, showing five putative breakpoints in the core to NS3 regions. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a mosaic HCV full- length sequence with multiple breakpoints. The molecular structure of AY651061 is reminiscent of complex homologous recombinant variants occurring among other members of the flaviviridae family, e.g. GB virus C, dengue virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus. Our finding of a mosaic HCV sequence may have important implications for many fields of current HCV research which merit careful consideration.

Opting out of the commercial use of nuclear power in Germany and challenges arising to nuclear supervision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renneberg, W.

2001-01-01

The governing majority in Germany has decided to opt out of the commercial use of nuclear power and to terminate this use in a safe and managed way. In the opinion of the federal government, the reasons for this decision include the potential for severe accidents, which is considered intolerable in the long run even though the probability of occurrence is low. In addition, there are the problems of final storage of radioactive waste, issues associated with the risk of proliferation, and the need to end a deep-seated societal conflict in Germany. In its function as the Top Regulator, the department responsible for nuclear matters of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has two important functions: It acts as the federal supervisor of the federal states which execute the Atomic Energy Act on behalf of the federal government, and it exercises the duty of preparing the nuclear policy outlined in the norms established by the federal government. After lengthy discussions with the operators of nuclear power plants an agreement was elaborated in preparation of a solution acceptable to all participants, which essentially defines an electricity quota for nuclear power plant operation and deals with spent fuel and nuclear waste management problems. This implies a number of challenges arising to the BMU as a consequence of the need to further ensure a high safety standard. It also means international efforts as well as the need to counteract the impending loss of competence in the nuclear field. (orig.) [de

Probabilistic safety assessment technology for commercial nuclear power plant security evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liming, J.K.; Johnson, D.H.; Dykes, A.A.

2004-01-01

Commercial nuclear power plant physical security has received much more intensive treatment and regulatory attention since September 11, 2001. In light of advancements made by the nuclear power industry in the field of probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) for its power plants over that last 30 years, and given the many examples of successful applications of risk-informed regulation at U. S. nuclear power plants during recent years, it may well be advisable to apply a 'risk-informed' approach to security management at nuclear power plants from now into the future. In fact, plant PSAs developed in response to NRC Generic Letter 88-20 and related requirements are used to help define target sets of critical plant safety equipment in our current security exercises for the industry. With reasonable refinements, plant PSAs can be used to identify, analyze, and evaluate reasonable and prudent approaches to address security issues and associated defensive strategies at nuclear power plants. PSA is the ultimate scenario-based approach to risk assessment, and thus provides a most powerful tool in identifying and evaluating potential risk management decisions. This paper provides a summary of observations of factors that are influencing or could influence cost-effective or 'cost-reasonable' security management decision-making in the current political environment, and provides recommendations for the application of PSA tools and techniques to the nuclear power plant operational safety response exercise process. The paper presents a proposed framework for nuclear power plant probabilistic terrorist risk assessment that applies these tools and techniques. (authors)

Coulomb corrections to nuclear scattering lengths and effective ranges for weakly bound systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mur, V.D.; Popov, V.S.; Sergeev, A.V.

1996-01-01

A procedure is considered for extracting the purely nuclear scattering length as and effective range rs (which correspond to a strong-interaction potential Vs with disregarded Coulomb interaction) from the experimentally determined nuclear quantities acs and rcs, which are modified by Coulomb interaction. The Coulomb renormalization of as and rs is especially strong if the system under study involves a level with energy close to zero (on the nuclear scale). This applies to formulas that determine the Coulomb renormalization of the low-energy parameters of s scattering (l=0). Detailed numerical calculations are performed for coefficients appearing in the equations that determine Coulomb corrections for various models of the potential Vs(r). This makes it possible to draw qualitative conclusions that the dependence of Coulomb corrections on the form of the strong-interaction potential and, in particular, on its small-distance behavior. A considerable enhancement of Coulomb corrections to the effective range rs is found for potentials with a barrier

Safeguards Guidance for Designers of Commercial Nuclear Facilities – International Safeguards Requirements for Uranium Enrichment Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Philip Casey Durst; Scott DeMuth; Brent McGinnis; Michael Whitaker; James Morgan

2010-04-01

For the past two years, the United States National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of International Regimes and Agreements (NA-243), has sponsored the Safeguards-by-Design Project, through which it is hoped new nuclear facilities will be designed and constructed worldwide more amenable to nuclear safeguards. In the course of this project it was recognized that commercial designer/builders of nuclear facilities are not always aware of, or understand, the relevant domestic and international safeguards requirements, especially the latter as implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To help commercial designer/builders better understand these requirements, a report was prepared by the Safeguards-by-Design Project Team that articulated and interpreted the international nuclear safeguards requirements for the initial case of uranium enrichment plants. The following paper summarizes the subject report, the specific requirements, where they originate, and the implications for design and construction. It also briefly summarizes the established best design and operating practices that designer/builder/operators have implemented for currently meeting these requirements. In preparing the subject report, it is recognized that the best practices are continually evolving as the designer/builder/operators and IAEA consider even more effective and efficient means for meeting the safeguards requirements and objectives.

dsRNA binding characterization of full length recombinant wild type and mutants Zaire ebolavirus VP35.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinzula, Luca; Esposito, Francesca; Pala, Daniela; Tramontano, Enzo

2012-03-01

The Ebola viruses (EBOVs) VP35 protein is a multifunctional major virulence factor involved in EBOVs replication and evasion of the host immune system. EBOV VP35 is an essential component of the viral RNA polymerase, it is a key participant of the nucleocapsid assembly and it inhibits the innate immune response by antagonizing RIG-I like receptors through its dsRNA binding function and, hence, by suppressing the host type I interferon (IFN) production. Insights into the VP35 dsRNA recognition have been recently revealed by structural and functional analysis performed on its C-terminus protein. We report the biochemical characterization of the Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) full-length recombinant VP35 (rVP35)-dsRNA binding function. We established a novel in vitro magnetic dsRNA binding pull down assay, determined the rVP35 optimal dsRNA binding parameters, measured the rVP35 equilibrium dissociation constant for heterologous in vitro transcribed dsRNA of different length and short synthetic dsRNA of 8bp, and validated the assay for compound screening by assessing the inhibitory ability of auryntricarboxylic acid (IC(50) value of 50μg/mL). Furthermore, we compared the dsRNA binding properties of full length wt rVP35 with those of R305A, K309A and R312A rVP35 mutants, which were previously reported to be defective in dsRNA binding-mediated IFN inhibition, showing that the latter have measurably increased K(d) values for dsRNA binding and modified migration patterns in mobility shift assays with respect to wt rVP35. Overall, these results provide the first characterization of the full-length wt and mutants VP35-dsRNA binding functions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quench start localization in full-length SSC R ampersand D dipoles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devred, A.; Chapman, M.; Cortella, J.; Desportes, A.; Kaugerts, J.; Kirk, T.; Mirk, K.; Schermer, R.; Tompkins, J.C.; Turner, J.; Bleadon, M.; Brown, B.C.; Hanft, R.; Kuchnir, M.; Lamm, M.; Mantsch, P.; Mazur, P.O.; Orris, D.; Peoples, J.; Strait, J.; Tool, G.; Caspi, S.; Gilbert, W.; Meuser, R.; Peters, C.; Rechen, J.; Royet, J.; Scanlan, R.; Taylor, C.; Zbasnik, J.

1989-04-01

Full-length SSC R ampersand D dipole magnets instrumented with four voltage taps on each turn of the inner quarter coils have been tested. These voltage taps enable accurate location of the point at which the quenches start and detailed studies of quench development in the coil. Attention here is focused on localizing the quench source. After recalling the basic mechanism of a quench (why it occurs and how it propagates), the method of quench origin analysis is described: the quench propagation velocity on the turn where the quench occurs is calculated, and the quench location is then verified by reiterating the analysis on the adjacent turns. Last, the velocity value, which appears to be higher than previously measured, is discussed

Can we Plan. The political economy of commercial nuclear energy policy in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, J.L. Jr.

1984-01-01

The dissertation is an analysis of the commercial nuclear energy sector's decline in the United States. The research attempts to reconcile the debate between Weberian-institutional and Marxist political theory about the state's inability to successfully plan industrial development in advanced capitalist countries. Synthesizing these views, the central hypothesis guiding the research is that the greater the state's relative autonomy from political and economic constraints in an institutional sense, i.e., the greater its insulation from the contradictions of capitalism and democracy, the greater its planning capacity and the more successful it will be in directing industrial performance. The research examines one industrial sector, commercial nuclear energy, and draws two major comparison. First, the French and US nuclear industries are compared, since the state's relative autonomy is much greater in the former than in the latter. This comparison is developed to identify policy areas where nuclear planning has succeeded in France but failed in America. Four areas are identified: reactor standardization, waste management, reactor safety, and financing. Second, looking particularly at the US, the policy areas are compared to analyze the development of policy and its effects on the sector's performance and to determine the degree to which planning was undermined by the structural constraints characteristic of a state with low relative autonomy

Characterization of full-length sequenced cDNA inserts (FLIcs from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lunner Sigbjørn

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sequencing of the Atlantic salmon genome is now being planned by an international research consortium. Full-length sequenced inserts from cDNAs (FLIcs are an important tool for correct annotation and clustering of the genomic sequence in any species. The large amount of highly similar duplicate sequences caused by the relatively recent genome duplication in the salmonid ancestor represents a particular challenge for the genome project. FLIcs will therefore be an extremely useful resource for the Atlantic salmon sequencing project. In addition to be helpful in order to distinguish between duplicate genome regions and in determining correct gene structures, FLIcs are an important resource for functional genomic studies and for investigation of regulatory elements controlling gene expression. In contrast to the large number of ESTs available, including the ESTs from 23 developmental and tissue specific cDNA libraries contributed by the Salmon Genome Project (SGP, the number of sequences where the full-length of the cDNA insert has been determined has been small. Results High quality full-length insert sequences from 560 pre-smolt white muscle tissue specific cDNAs were generated, accession numbers [GenBank: BT043497 - BT044056]. Five hundred and ten (91% of the transcripts were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO terms and 440 of the FLIcs are likely to contain a complete coding sequence (cCDS. The sequence information was used to identify putative paralogs, characterize salmon Kozak motifs, polyadenylation signal variation and to identify motifs likely to be involved in the regulation of particular genes. Finally, conserved 7-mers in the 3'UTRs were identified, of which some were identical to miRNA target sequences. Conclusion This paper describes the first Atlantic salmon FLIcs from a tissue and developmental stage specific cDNA library. We have demonstrated that many FLIcs contained a complete coding sequence (cCDS. This

American commercial nuclear power industry programs, work processes, and organizational changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynerson, D.M.

1995-01-01

The American electric utility industry is undergoing a continuing series of regulatory and commercial changes unprecedented in the recent history of the industry. The changes are resulting in an industrywide examination of all facets of the business including the arena of operations and maintenance costs in conjunction with the nuclear facilities. The very viability of most nuclear facilities to a large extent depends on the effective implementation of program, process, and organizational reviews. These reviews, in one form or another, are under way at a number of facilities sometimes as a open-quotes stand-alone activityclose quotes and as often as not as a portion of a corporate and firmwide initiative. The impetus is coming from the marketplace, and both major challenges and opportunities are encompassed by the changes

The full-length form of the Drosophila amyloid precursor protein is involved in memory formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourdet, Isabelle; Preat, Thomas; Goguel, Valérie

2015-01-21

The APP plays a central role in AD, a pathology that first manifests as a memory decline. Understanding the role of APP in normal cognition is fundamental in understanding the progression of AD, and mammalian studies have pointed to a role of secreted APPα in memory. In Drosophila, we recently showed that APPL, the fly APP ortholog, is required for associative memory. In the present study, we aimed to characterize which form of APPL is involved in this process. We show that expression of a secreted-APPL form in the mushroom bodies, the center for olfactory memory, is able to rescue the memory deficit caused by APPL partial loss of function. We next assessed the impact on memory of the Drosophila α-secretase kuzbanian (KUZ), the enzyme initiating the nonamyloidogenic pathway that produces secreted APPLα. Strikingly, KUZ overexpression not only failed to rescue the memory deficit caused by APPL loss of function, it exacerbated this deficit. We further show that in addition to an increase in secreted-APPL forms, KUZ overexpression caused a decrease of membrane-bound full-length species that could explain the memory deficit. Indeed, we observed that transient expression of a constitutive membrane-bound mutant APPL form is sufficient to rescue the memory deficit caused by APPL reduction, revealing for the first time a role of full-length APPL in memory formation. Our data demonstrate that, in addition to secreted APPL, the noncleaved form is involved in memory, raising the possibility that secreted and full-length APPL act together in memory processes. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/351043-09$15.00/0.

Near Full-Length Identification of a Novel HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B/C Recombinant in Northern Myanmar.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yan-Heng; Chen, Xin; Liang, Yue-Bo; Pang, Wei; Qin, Wei-Hong; Zhang, Chiyu; Zheng, Yong-Tang

2015-08-01

The Myanmar-China border appears to be the "hot spot" region for the occurrence of HIV-1 recombination. The majority of the previous analyses of HIV-1 recombination were based on partial genomic sequences, which obviously cannot reflect the reality of the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in this area well. Here, we present a near full-length characterization of a novel HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B/C recombinant isolated from a long-distance truck driver in Northern Myanmar. It is the first description of a near full-length genomic sequence in Myanmar since 2003, and might be one of the most complicated HIV-1 chimeras ever detected in Myanmar, containing four CRF01_AE, six B segments, and five C segments separated by 14 breakpoints throughout its genome. The discovery and characterization of this new CRF01_AE/B/C recombinant indicate that intersubtype recombination is ongoing in Myanmar, continuously generating new forms of HIV-1. More work based on near full-length sequence analyses is urgently needed to better understand the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in these regions.

Pharmacological efficacy of anti-IL-1β scFv, Fab and full-length antibodies in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Jianying; Ye, Xianlong; Ren, Guiping; Kan, Fangming; Zhang, Yu; Guo, Mo; Zhang, Zhiyi; Li, Deshan

2014-02-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that mainly causes the synovial joint inflammation and cartilage destruction. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is an important proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of RA. In this study, we constructed and expressed anti-IL-1β-full-length antibody in CHO-K1-SV, anti-IL-1β-Fab and anti-IL-1β-scFv in Rosetta. We compared the therapeutic efficacy of three anti-IL-1β antibodies for CIA mice. Mice with CIA were subcutaneously injected with humanized anti-IL-1β-scFv, anti-IL-1β-Fab or anti-IL-1β-full-length antibody. The effects of treatment were determined by arthritis severity score, autoreactive humoral, cellular immune responses, histological lesion and cytokines production. Compared with anti-IL-1β-scFv treatments, anti-IL-1β-Fab and anti-IL-1β-full-length antibody therapy resulted in more significant effect in alleviating the severity of arthritis by preventing bone damage and cartilage destruction, reducing humoral and cellular immune responses, and down-regulating the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α and MMP-3 in inflammatory tissue. The therapeutic effects of anti-IL-1β-Fab and anti-IL-1β-full-length antibodies on CIA mice had no significant difference. However, production of anti-IL-1β-full-length antibody in eukaryotic system is, in general, time-consuming and more expensive than that of anti-IL-1β-Fab in prokaryotic systems. In conclusion, as a small molecule antibody, anti-IL-1β-Fab is an ideal candidate for RA therapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental evidence of independence of nuclear de-channeling length on the particle charge sign

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagli, E.; Guidi, V.; Mazzolari, A.; Bandiera, L.; Germogli, G.; Sytov, A.I. [Universita di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra (Italy); INFN Sezione di Ferrara (Italy); De Salvador, D. [Universita di Padova, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Padua (Italy); INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Italy); Berra, A.; Prest, M. [Universita dell' Insubria, Como (Italy); INFN Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Vallazza, E. [INFN Sezione di Trieste (Italy)

2017-02-15

Under coherent interactions, particles undergo correlated collisions with the crystal lattice and their motion result in confinement in the fields of atomic planes, i.e. particle channeling. Other than coherently interacting with the lattice, particles also suffer incoherent interactions with individual nuclei and may leave their bounded motion, i.e., they de-channel. The latter is the main limiting factor for applications of coherent interactions in crystal-assisted particle steering. We experimentally investigated the nature of de-channeling of 120 GeV/c e{sup -} and e{sup +} in a bent silicon crystal at H4-SPS external line at CERN. We found that while channeling efficiency differs significantly for e{sup -} (2 ± 2%) and e{sup +} (54 ± 2%), their nuclear de-channeling length is comparable, (0.6 ± 0.1) mm for e{sup -} and (0.7 ± 0.3) mm for e{sup +}. The experimental proof of the equality of the nuclear de-channeling length for positrons and electrons is interpreted in terms of similar dynamics undergone by the channeled particles in the field of nuclei irrespective of their charge. (orig.)

Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants-pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booker, S.; Katz, D.; Daavettila, N.; Lehnert, D.

1994-03-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant pumps important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants-pumps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Booker, S.; Katz, D.; Daavettila, N.; Lehnert, D. [MDC-Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, Southfield, MI (United States)

1994-03-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant pumps important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein.

Cocrystallization studies of full-length recombinant butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with cocaine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asojo, Oluwatoyin Ajibola; Asojo, Oluyomi Adebola; Ngamelue, Michelle N.; Homma, Kohei; Lockridge, Oksana (Nebraska-Med)

2011-09-16

Human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE; EC 3.1.1.8) is a 340 kDa tetrameric glycoprotein that is present in human serum at about 5 mg l{sup -1} and has well documented therapeutic effects on cocaine toxicity. BChE holds promise as a therapeutic that reduces and finally eliminates the rewarding effects of cocaine, thus weaning an addict from the drug. There have been extensive computational studies of cocaine hydrolysis by BChE. Since there are no reported structures of BChE with cocaine or any of the hydrolysis products, full-length monomeric recombinant wild-type BChE was cocrystallized with cocaine. The refined 3 {angstrom} resolution structure appears to retain the hydrolysis product benzoic acid in sufficient proximity to form a hydrogen bond to the active-site Ser198.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of the solid state full length rod control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shopsky, W.E.

1977-01-01

The Full Length Rod Control System (FLRCS) controls the power to the rod drive mechanisms for rod movement in response to signals received from the Reactor Control System or from signals generated through Reactor Operator action. Rod movement is used to control reactivity of the reactor during plant operation. The Full Length Rod Control System is designed to perform its reactivity control function in conjunction with the Reactor Control and Protection System, to maintain the reactor core within design safety limits. By the use of a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, it is shown that the FLRCS will perform its reactivity control functions considering the loss of single active components. That is, sufficient fault limiting control circuits are provided which blocks control rod movement and/or indicates presence of a fault condition at the Control Board. Reactor operator action or automatic reactor trip will thus mitigate the consequences of potential failure of the FLRCS. The analysis also qualitatively demonstrates the reliability of the FLRCS to perform its intended function

A Novel Strategy to Engineer Pre-Vascularized Full-Length Dental Pulp-like Tissue Constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Athirasala, Avathamsa; Lins, Fernanda; Tahayeri, Anthony; Hinds, Monica; Smith, Anthony J; Sedgley, Christine; Ferracane, Jack; Bertassoni, Luiz E

2017-06-12

The requirement for immediate vascularization of engineered dental pulp poses a major hurdle towards successful implementation of pulp regeneration as an effective therapeutic strategy for root canal therapy, especially in adult teeth. Here, we demonstrate a novel strategy to engineer pre-vascularized, cell-laden hydrogel pulp-like tissue constructs in full-length root canals for dental pulp regeneration. We utilized gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels with tunable physical and mechanical properties to determine the microenvironmental conditions (microstructure, degradation, swelling and elastic modulus) that enhanced viability, spreading and proliferation of encapsulated odontoblast-like cells (OD21), and the formation of endothelial monolayers by endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs). GelMA hydrogels with higher polymer concentration (15% w/v) and stiffness enhanced OD21 cell viability, spreading and proliferation, as well as endothelial cell spreading and monolayer formation. We then fabricated pre-vascularized, full-length, dental pulp-like tissue constructs by dispensing OD21 cell-laden GelMA hydrogel prepolymer in root canals of extracted teeth and fabricating 500 µm channels throughout the root canals. ECFCs seeded into the microchannels successfully formed monolayers and underwent angiogenic sprouting within 7 days in culture. In summary, the proposed approach is a simple and effective strategy for engineering of pre-vascularized dental pulp constructs offering potentially beneficial translational outcomes.

Purification and characterization of recombinant full-length and protease domain of murine MMP-9 expressed in Drosophila S2 cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasch, Morten G; Lund, Ida K; Illemann, Martin

2010-01-01

MMP-9. Constructs encoding zymogens of full-length murine MMP-9 and a version lacking the O-glycosylated linker region and hemopexin domains were therefore generated and expressed in stably transfected Drosophila S2 insect cells. After 7 days of induction the expression levels of the full......-length and truncated versions were 5 mg/l and 2 mg/l, respectively. The products were >95% pure after gelatin Sepharose chromatography and possessed proteolytic activity when analyzed by gelatin zymography. Using the purified full-length murine MMP-9 we raised polyclonal antibodies by immunizations of rabbits......Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a 92-kDa soluble pro-enzyme implicated in pathological events including cancer invasion. It is therefore an attractive target for therapeutic intervention studies in mouse models. Development of inhibitors requires sufficient amounts of correctly folded murine...

Integrative annotation of 21,037 human genes validated by full-length cDNA clones.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadashi Imanishi

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The human genome sequence defines our inherent biological potential; the realization of the biology encoded therein requires knowledge of the function of each gene. Currently, our knowledge in this area is still limited. Several lines of investigation have been used to elucidate the structure and function of the genes in the human genome. Even so, gene prediction remains a difficult task, as the varieties of transcripts of a gene may vary to a great extent. We thus performed an exhaustive integrative characterization of 41,118 full-length cDNAs that capture the gene transcripts as complete functional cassettes, providing an unequivocal report of structural and functional diversity at the gene level. Our international collaboration has validated 21,037 human gene candidates by analysis of high-quality full-length cDNA clones through curation using unified criteria. This led to the identification of 5,155 new gene candidates. It also manifested the most reliable way to control the quality of the cDNA clones. We have developed a human gene database, called the H-Invitational Database (H-InvDB; http://www.h-invitational.jp/. It provides the following: integrative annotation of human genes, description of gene structures, details of novel alternative splicing isoforms, non-protein-coding RNAs, functional domains, subcellular localizations, metabolic pathways, predictions of protein three-dimensional structure, mapping of known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, identification of polymorphic microsatellite repeats within human genes, and comparative results with mouse full-length cDNAs. The H-InvDB analysis has shown that up to 4% of the human genome sequence (National Center for Biotechnology Information build 34 assembly may contain misassembled or missing regions. We found that 6.5% of the human gene candidates (1,377 loci did not have a good protein-coding open reading frame, of which 296 loci are strong candidates for non-protein-coding RNA

Assessment and optimization of theileria parva sporozoite full-length p67 antigen expression in mammalian cells

Science.gov (United States)

Delivery of various forms of recombinant Theileria parva sporozoite antigen (p67) has been shown to elicit antibody responses in cattle capable of providing protection against East Coast fever, the clinical disease caused by T. parva. Previous formulations of full-length and shorter recombinant vers...

Why the "widespread agreement" is wrong: contesting the non-harm arguments for the prohibition of full commercial surrogacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaffney, Peter

2009-10-01

Entering a commercial surrogacy agreement is an offence in almost all Australian jurisdictions. A 2009 Consultation Paper produced by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General suggested that there was "widespread agreement" that commercial surrogacy should remain prohibited. The arguments most commonly raised against legalising commercial surrogacy are not harm-based; that is, they do not purport to show that any party involved is tangibly, objectively and non-consensually worse off as a result of the transaction. This would be very difficult to show. Rather, the arguments against commercial surrogacy tend to focus on non-harm considerations, including principally concerns about the commodification of life and exploitation. This article argues that there are no sound non-harm reasons for banning one form of commercial surrogacy namely full commercial surrogacy.

A comparative phylogenetic analysis of full-length mariner elements ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

recent study showing non-occurance of inter-subfamily excisions because of .... length shown in our figure is greater because of the gaps introduced to maintain an ... to test the feasibility of transforming silkmoths with a foreign gene of ...

Virtually full-length subtype F and F/D recombinant HIV-1 from Africa and South America

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laukkanen, T.; Carr, J. K.; Janssens, W.; Liitsola, K.; Gotte, D.; McCutchan, F. E.; Op de Coul, E.; Cornelissen, M.; Heyndrickx, L.; van der Groen, G.; Salminen, M. O.

2000-01-01

For reliable classification of HIV-1 strains appropriate reference sequences are needed. The HIV-1 genetic subtype F has a wide geographic spread, causing significant epidemics in South America, Africa, and some regions of Europe. Previously only two full-length sequences of each of the HIV-1

Salmo salar and Esox lucius full-length cDNA sequences reveal changes in evolutionary pressures on a post-tetraploidization genome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holt Robert A

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Salmonids are one of the most intensely studied fish, in part due to their economic and environmental importance, and in part due to a recent whole genome duplication in the common ancestor of salmonids. This duplication greatly impacts species diversification, functional specialization, and adaptation. Extensive new genomic resources have recently become available for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, but documentation of allelic versus duplicate reference genes remains a major uncertainty in the complete characterization of its genome and its evolution. Results From existing expressed sequence tag (EST resources and three new full-length cDNA libraries, 9,057 reference quality full-length gene insert clones were identified for Atlantic salmon. A further 1,365 reference full-length clones were annotated from 29,221 northern pike (Esox lucius ESTs. Pairwise dN/dS comparisons within each of 408 sets of duplicated salmon genes using northern pike as a diploid out-group show asymmetric relaxation of selection on salmon duplicates. Conclusions 9,057 full-length reference genes were characterized in S. salar and can be used to identify alleles and gene family members. Comparisons of duplicated genes show that while purifying selection is the predominant force acting on both duplicates, consistent with retention of functionality in both copies, some relaxation of pressure on gene duplicates can be identified. In addition, there is evidence that evolution has acted asymmetrically on paralogs, allowing one of the pair to diverge at a faster rate.

Characterization of full-length sequenced cDNA inserts (FLIcs) from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Science.gov (United States)

Andreassen, Rune; Lunner, Sigbjørn; Høyheim, Bjørn

2009-01-01

Background Sequencing of the Atlantic salmon genome is now being planned by an international research consortium. Full-length sequenced inserts from cDNAs (FLIcs) are an important tool for correct annotation and clustering of the genomic sequence in any species. The large amount of highly similar duplicate sequences caused by the relatively recent genome duplication in the salmonid ancestor represents a particular challenge for the genome project. FLIcs will therefore be an extremely useful resource for the Atlantic salmon sequencing project. In addition to be helpful in order to distinguish between duplicate genome regions and in determining correct gene structures, FLIcs are an important resource for functional genomic studies and for investigation of regulatory elements controlling gene expression. In contrast to the large number of ESTs available, including the ESTs from 23 developmental and tissue specific cDNA libraries contributed by the Salmon Genome Project (SGP), the number of sequences where the full-length of the cDNA insert has been determined has been small. Results High quality full-length insert sequences from 560 pre-smolt white muscle tissue specific cDNAs were generated, accession numbers [GenBank: BT043497 - BT044056]. Five hundred and ten (91%) of the transcripts were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO) terms and 440 of the FLIcs are likely to contain a complete coding sequence (cCDS). The sequence information was used to identify putative paralogs, characterize salmon Kozak motifs, polyadenylation signal variation and to identify motifs likely to be involved in the regulation of particular genes. Finally, conserved 7-mers in the 3'UTRs were identified, of which some were identical to miRNA target sequences. Conclusion This paper describes the first Atlantic salmon FLIcs from a tissue and developmental stage specific cDNA library. We have demonstrated that many FLIcs contained a complete coding sequence (cCDS). This suggests that the remaining c

Calculation of media temperatures for nuclear sources in geologic depositories by a finite-length line source superposition model (FLLSSM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kays, W M; Hossaini-Hashemi, F [Stanford Univ., Palo Alto, CA (USA). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Busch, J S [Kaiser Engineers, Oakland, CA (USA)

1982-02-01

A linearized transient thermal conduction model was developed to economically determine media temperatures in geologic repositories for nuclear wastes. Individual canisters containing either high-level waste or spent fuel assemblies are represented as finite-length line sources in a continuous medium. The combined effects of multiple canisters in a representative storage pattern can be established in the medium at selected point of interest by superposition of the temperature rises calculated for each canister. A mathematical solution of the calculation for each separate source is given in this article, permitting a slow hand calculation. The full report, ONWI-94, contains the details of the computer code FLLSSM and its use, yielding the total solution in one computer output.

Keeping nuclear hazards at arm's length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

As national and international regulations are tightened, the permitted radiation dose limits for nuclear workers are being lowered. But sharing the same dose among more people is raising nuclear industry costs. At the same time tasks such as refurbishment and decommissioning are multiplying as the nuclear industry matures. As a result of these trends, work in the nuclear power sector is increasingly having to be done under remote control. European and American progress in the technology was reported recently at a two-day international conference held in London and is reported here. In France 'Frastar' carries out tours of inspection inside reactor buildings under remote control and 'Suzy' is a finger walker robot carrying an arm which is a 3-actuator manipulator. Anglo-American advances are reported; robots with manipulator, cameras, audio signalling and the ability to climb stairs and ramps. A European Community research programme called Teleman was started in 1989 to develop advanced teleoperators for the nuclear industry. The projects underway in this programme are listed. (UK)

Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants - heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booker, S.; Lehnert, D.; Daavettila, N.; Palop, E.

1994-06-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in commercial nuclear power plant heat exchangers important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants - heat exchangers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Booker, S.; Lehnert, D.; Daavettila, N.; Palop, E.

1994-06-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in commercial nuclear power plant heat exchangers important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein.

Fiscal 2000 report on result of the full-length cDNA structure analysis; 2000 nendo kanzen cho cDNA kozo kaiseki seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

This paper explains the results of research on full-length cDNA structure analysis for the period from April, 2000 to March, 2001. The outline of human genome sequence was published in June, 2000. In Japan, human gene analysis was such that, as the basic technology of the bio industry, a millennium project was decided in the budget of fiscal 2000. The full-length cDNA structure analysis is the core of the project. The libraries of cDNA were prepared using full-length and more than 4-5kbp-long cDNAs by oligo-capping method. It began from determining partial sequence data at end cDNA, and then, with new clones selected therefrom, full-length human cDNA sequence data were determined. The partial sequence data determined by fiscal 2000 were 1,035,000 clones while the full-length sequence data were 12,144 clones. The sequence data obtained were analyzed by homology search and translated into amino acid coding sequences, with predictions conducted on protein functions. A clustering method was examined that selects new clones from partial sequences. Database was constructed on gene expression profiles and disease-related gene sequence data. (NEDO)

Start up and commercial operation of Laguna Verde nuclear power plant. Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres Ramirez, J.F.

1991-01-01

Prior to start up of Laguna Verde nuclear power plant preoperational tests and start tests were performed and they are described in its more eminent aspects. In relation to commercial operation of nuclear station a series of indicator were set to which allow the measurement of performance in unit 1, in areas of plant efficiency and personal safety. Antecedents. Laguna Verde station is located in Alto Lucero municipality in Veracruz state, 70 kilometers north-northeast from port of Veracruz and a 290 kilometers east-northeast from Mexico city. The station consist of two units manufactured by General Electric, with a nuclear system of vapor supply also called boiling water (BWR/5), and with a system turbine-generator manufactured by Mitsubishi. Each unit has a nominal power of 1931 MWt and a level design power of 675 Mwe and a net power of 654 Electric Megawatts

Purification and characterization of recombinant full-length and protease domain of murine MMP-9 expressed in Drosophila S2 cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasch, Morten G; Lund, Ida K.; Illemann, Martin

2010-01-01

-length and truncated versions were 5 mg/l and 2 mg/l, respectively. The products were >95% pure after gelatin Sepharose chromatography and possessed proteolytic activity when analyzed by gelatin zymography. Using the purified full-length murine MMP-9 we raised polyclonal antibodies by immunizations of rabbits...

The α-helical C-terminal domain of full-length recombinant PrP converts to an in-register parallel β-sheet structure in PrP fibrils: evidence from solid state nuclear magnetic resonance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tycko, Robert; Savtchenko, Regina; Ostapchenko, Valeriy G; Makarava, Natallia; Baskakov, Ilia V

2010-11-09

We report the results of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on amyloid fibrils formed by the full-length prion protein PrP (residues 23−231, Syrian hamster sequence). Measurements of intermolecular 13C−13C dipole−dipole couplings in selectively carbonyl-labeled samples indicate that β-sheets in these fibrils have an in-register parallel structure, as previously observed in amyloid fibrils associated with Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes and in yeast prion fibrils. Two-dimensional 13C−13C and 15N−13C solid state NMR spectra of a uniformly 15N- and 13C-labeled sample indicate that a relatively small fraction of the full sequence, localized to the C-terminal end, forms the structurally ordered, immobilized core. Although unique site-specific assignments of the solid state NMR signals cannot be obtained from these spectra, analysis with a Monte Carlo/simulated annealing algorithm suggests that the core is comprised primarily of residues in the 173−224 range. These results are consistent with earlier electron paramagnetic resonance studies of fibrils formed by residues 90−231 of the human PrP sequence, formed under somewhat different conditions [Cobb, N. J., Sonnichsen, F. D., McHaourab, H., and Surewicz, W. K. (2007) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 18946−18951], suggesting that an in-register parallel β-sheet structure formed by the C-terminal end may be a general feature of PrP fibrils prepared in vitro.

The first commercial spent fuel shipment in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meinert, N.M.; Xiaoqing Li

2004-01-01

In two and a half years, government regulatory agencies and contractors from three countries worked together to design, license, fabricate, and transport the first commercial spent fuel shipment in China. Their cooperative efforts helped avoid the loss of full core reserve at a nuclear power plant serving two of China's largest cities. In March 2001, Everclean Environmental Engineering Corporation (EEEC) selected NAC International (NAC) to supply two United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) licensed Storable Transport Casks (NACSTC) and technology support, to ensure that qualified Chinese operators would be ready to load the first cask in late 2003. EEEC is a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which sets nuclear policy in China. EEEC is responsible for implementing nuclear transportation policy set forth from its parent corporation. Timely implementation of EEEC's ambitious plan would avoid loss of full core reserve at Guangdong Nuclear Power Station (Daya Bay) Unit-1, which supplies power to Hong Kong and Schenzen. The spent fuel would be transported to the Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex (LNFC), a reprocessing facility, approximately 4,000 kilometers Northwest of Daya Bay

Thousands of primer-free, high-quality, full-length SSU rRNA sequences from all domains of life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karst, Soeren M; Dueholm, Morten S; McIlroy, Simon J

2016-01-01

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are the consensus marker for determination of microbial diversity on the planet, invaluable in studies of evolution and, for the past decade, high-throughput sequencing of variable regions of ribosomal RNA genes has become the backbone of most microbial ecology studies...... (SSU) rRNA genes and synthetic long read sequencing by molecular tagging, to generate primer-free, full-length SSU rRNA gene sequences from all domains of life, with a median raw error rate of 0.17%. We generated thousands of full-length SSU rRNA sequences from five well-studied ecosystems (soil, human...... gut, fresh water, anaerobic digestion, and activated sludge) and obtained sequences covering all domains of life and the majority of all described phyla. Interestingly, 30% of all bacterial operational taxonomic units were novel, compared to the SILVA database (less than 97% similarity...

Nuclear exportin receptor CAS regulates the NPI-1-mediated nuclear import of HIV-1 Vpr.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eri Takeda

Full Text Available Vpr, an accessory protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1, is a multifunctional protein that plays an important role in viral replication. We have previously shown that the region between residues 17 and 74 of Vpr (Vpr(N17C74 contained a bona fide nuclear localization signal and it is targeted Vpr(N17C74 to the nuclear envelope and then imported into the nucleus by importin α (Impα alone. The interaction between Impα and Vpr is important not only for the nuclear import of Vpr but also for HIV-1 replication in macrophages; however, it was unclear whether full-length Vpr enters the nucleus in a manner similar to Vpr(N17C74. This study investigated the nuclear import of full-length Vpr using the three typical Impα isoforms, Rch1, Qip1 and NPI-1, and revealed that full-length Vpr is selectively imported by NPI-1, but not Rch1 and Qip1, after it makes contact with the perinuclear region in digitonin-permeabilized cells. A binding assay using the three Impα isoforms showed that Vpr bound preferentially to the ninth armadillo repeat (ARM region (which is also essential for the binding of CAS, the export receptor for Impα in all three isoforms. Comparison of biochemical binding affinities between Vpr and the Impα isoforms using surface plasmon resonance analysis demonstrated almost identical values for the binding of Vpr to the full-length isoforms and to their C-terminal domains. By contrast, the data showed that, in the presence of CAS, Vpr was released from the Vpr/NPI-1 complex but was not released from Rch1 or Qip1. Finally, the NPI-1-mediated nuclear import of Vpr was greatly reduced in semi-intact CAS knocked-down cells and was recovered by the addition of exogenous CAS. This report is the first to show the requirement for and the regulation of CAS in the functioning of the Vpr-Impα complex.

Construction of occluded recombinant baculoviruses containing the full-length cry1Ab and cry1Ac genes from Bacillus thuringiensis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.M. Ribeiro

1998-06-01

Full Text Available The administration of baculoviruses to insects for bioassay purposes is carried out, in most cases, by contamination of food surfaces with a known amount of occlusion bodies (OBs. Since per os infection is the natural route of infection, occluded recombinant viruses containing crystal protein genes (cry1Ab and cry1Ac from Bacillus thuringiensis were constructed for comparison with the baculovirus prototype Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcNPV. The transfer vector pAcUW2B was used for construction of occluded recombinant viruses. The transfer vector containing the crystal protein genes was cotransfected with linearized DNA from a non-occluded recombinant virus. The isolation of recombinant viruses was greatly facilitated by the reduction of background "wild type" virus and the increased proportion of recombinant viruses. Since the recombinant viruses containing full-length and truncated forms of the crystal protein genes did not seem to improve the pathogenicity of the recombinant viruses when compared with the wild type AcNPV, and in order to compare expression levels of the full-length crystal proteins produced by non-occluded and occluded recombinant viruses the full-length cry1Ab and cry1Ac genes were chosen for construction of occluded recombinant viruses. The recombinant viruses containing full-length and truncated forms of the crystal protein genes did not seem to improve its pathogenicity but the size of the larvae infected with the recombinant viruses was significantly smaller than that of larvae infected with the wild type virus.

Genetic characterization of human herpesvirus type 1: Full-length genome sequence of strain obtained from an encephalitis case from India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijay P Bondre

2016-01-01

Interpretation & conclusions: Our results showed that the full-length genome sequence generated from an Indian HSV-1 isolate shared close genetic relationship with the American KOS and Chinese CR38 strains which belonged to the Asian genetic lineage. Recombination analysis of Indian isolate demonstrated multiple recombination crossover points throughout the genome. This full-length genome sequence amplified from the Indian isolate would be helpful to study HSV evolution, genetic basis of differential pathogenesis, host-virus interactions and viral factors contributing towards differential clinical outcome in human infections.

Range of Applicability and Bias Determination for Postclosure Criticality of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radulescu, Georgeta; Mueller, Don; Goluoglu, Sedat; Hollenbach, Daniel F; Fox, Patricia B

2007-01-01

The purpose of this calculation report, Range of Applicability and Bias Determination for Postclosure Criticality of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel, is to validate the computational method used to perform postclosure criticality calculations. The validation process applies the criticality analysis methodology approach documented in Section 3.5 of the Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report. The application systems for this validation consist of waste packages containing transport, aging, and disposal canisters (TAD) loaded with commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) of varying assembly types, initial enrichments, and burnup values that are expected from the waste stream and of varying degree of internal component degradation that may occur over the 10,000-year regulatory time period. The criticality computational tool being evaluated is the general-purpose Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) transport code. The nuclear cross-section data distributed with MCNP 5.1.40 and used to model the various physical processes are based primarily on the Evaluated Nuclear Data File/B Version VI (ENDF/B-VI) library. Criticality calculation bias and bias uncertainty and lower bound tolerance limit (LBTL) functions for CSNF waste packages are determined based on the guidance in ANSI/ANS 8.1-1998 (Ref. 4) and ANSI/ANS 8.17-2004 (Ref. 5), as described in Section 3.5.3 of Ref. 1. The development of this report is consistent with Test Plan for: Range of Applicability and Bias Determination for Postclosure Criticality. This calculation report has been developed in support of licensing activities for the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and the results of the calculation may be used in the criticality evaluation for CSNF waste packages based on a conceptual TAD canister.

Nuclear proliferation and civilian nuclear power: report of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program. Volume IV. Commercial potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-12-01

Volume IV provides time and cost estimates for positioning new nuclear power systems for commercial deployment. The assessment also estimates the rates at which the new systems might penetrate the domestic market, assuming the continuing viability of the massive light-water reactor network that now exists worldwide. This assessment does not recommend specific, detailed program plans and budgets for individual systems; however, it is clear from this analysis that any of the systems investigated could be deployed if dictated by national interest

U.S. Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembly Characteristics - 1968-2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Jianwei [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Peterson, Joshua L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gauld, Ian C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bowman, Stephen M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-09-01

Activities related to management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) are increasing in the US and many other countries. Over 240,000 SNF assemblies have been discharged from US commercial reactors since the late 1960s. The enrichment and burnup of SNF have changed significantly over the past 40 years, and fuel assembly designs have also evolved. Understanding the general characteristics of SNF helps regulators and other stakeholders form overall strategies towards the final disposal of US SNF. This report documents a survey of all US commercial SNF assemblies in the GC-859 database and provides reference SNF source terms (e.g., nuclide inventories, decay heat, and neutron/photon emission) at various cooling times up to 200 years after fuel discharge. This study reviews the distribution and evolution of fuel parameters of all SNF assemblies discharged over the past 40 years. Assemblies were categorized into three groups based on discharge year, and the median burnups and enrichments of each group were used to establish representative cases. An extended burnup case was created for boiling water reactor (BWR) fuels, and another was created for the pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels. Two additional cases were developed to represent the eight mixed oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies in the database. Burnup calculations were performed for each representative case. Realistic parameters for fuel design and operations were used to model the SNF and to provide reference fuel characteristics representative of the current inventory. Burnup calculations were performed using the ORIGEN code, which is part of the SCALE nuclear modeling and simulation code system. Results include total activity, decay heat, photon emission, neutron flux, gamma heat, and plutonium content, as well as concentrations for 115 significant nuclides. These quantities are important in the design, regulation, and operations of SNF storage, transportation, and disposal systems.

Secretory production of tetrameric native full-length streptavidin with thermostability using Streptomyces lividans as a host.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Shuhei; Matsumoto, Takuya; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Kondo, Akihiko

2015-01-13

Streptavidin is a tetrameric protein derived from Streptomyces avidinii, and has tight and specific biotin binding affinity. Applications of the streptavidin-biotin system have been widely studied. Streptavidin is generally produced using protein expression in Escherichia coli. In the present study, the secretory production of streptavidin was carried out using Streptomyces lividans as a host. In this study, we used the gene encoding native full-length streptavidin, whereas the core region is generally used for streptavidin production in E. coli. Tetrameric streptavidin composed of native full-length streptavidin monomers was successfully secreted in the culture supernatant of S. lividans transformants, and had specific biotin binding affinity as strong as streptavidin produced by E. coli. The amount of Sav using S. lividans was about 9 times higher than using E. coli. Surprisingly, streptavidin produced by S. lividans exhibited affinity to biotin after boiling, despite the fact that tetrameric streptavidin is known to lose its biotin binding ability after brief boiling. We successfully produced a large amount of tetrameric streptavidin as a secretory-form protein with unique thermotolerance.

Analysis of gross error rates in operation of commercial nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joos, D.W.; Sabri, Z.A.; Husseiny, A.A.

1979-01-01

Experience in operation of US commercial nuclear power plants is reviewed over a 25-month period. The reports accumulated in that period on events of human error and component failure are examined to evaluate gross operator error rates. The impact of such errors on plant operation and safety is examined through the use of proper taxonomies of error, tasks and failures. Four categories of human errors are considered; namely, operator, maintenance, installation and administrative. The computed error rates are used to examine appropriate operator models for evaluation of operator reliability. Human error rates are found to be significant to a varying degree in both BWR and PWR. This emphasizes the import of considering human factors in safety and reliability analysis of nuclear systems. The results also indicate that human errors, and especially operator errors, do indeed follow the exponential reliability model. (Auth.)

Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants-stationary batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, R.; Shao, J.; Krencicki, G.; Giachetti, R.

1994-03-01

The Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant stationary batteries important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Electrical switchgear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toman, G.; Gazdzinski, R.; Schuler, K.

1993-07-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) provides recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant electrical switchgear important to license renewal. The latent of this AMG to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner which allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance, to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Fire protection of safe shutdown capability at commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, K.

1993-01-01

The comprehensive industrial safety standards and codes that exist today have evolved from lessons learned through past experience, research results, and improvements in technological capabilities. The current requirements for fire safety features of commercial nuclear power stations operated in the U.S. are a notable example of this practice. Although fire protection has always been an important design requirement, from the aftermath of a serious fire that occurred in 1975 at the Browns Ferry plant, it was learned that the life safety and property protection concerns of the major fire insurance underwriters may not sufficiently encompass nuclear safety issues, particularly with regard to the potential for fire damage to result in the common mode failure of redundant trains of systems, and composites important to the safe shutdown of the reactor. Following its investigations into the Browns Ferry fire, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) promulgated guidance documents, which ultimately developed into mandatory regulations, necessary to assure the implementation of a fire protection program that would address nuclear safety concerns. The new criteria that evolved, contain prescriptive design features, as well as personnel and administrative requirements the Commission determined to be necessary to provide a defense-in-depth level of protection against the hazards of fire and its associated effects on safety related equipment. These criteria are primarily contained in Appendix R of Title 10 to the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50)

10. National Nuclear Science and Technologies Congress Proceedings Full Texts Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

X. National Nuclear Science and Technologies Congress was held on 6-9 October 2009 in Mugla, Turkey in the course of collaborative organization undertaken by Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, Mugla University and Sitki Kocman Foundation. This first volume of Proceedings Book contains 75 submitted presentations and 36 of them are full texts on applications of nuclear techniques.

PCR-based isolation and identification of full-length low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit genes in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaofei; Liu, Dongcheng; Jiang, Wei; Guo, Xiaoli; Yang, Wenlong; Sun, Jiazhu; Ling, Hongqing; Zhang, Aimin

2011-12-01

Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) are encoded by a multi-gene family and are essential for determining the quality of wheat flour products, such as bread and noodles. However, the exact role or contribution of individual LMW-GS genes to wheat quality remains unclear. This is, at least in part, due to the difficulty in characterizing complete sequences of all LMW-GS gene family members in bread wheat. To identify full-length LMW-GS genes, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method was established, consisting of newly designed conserved primers and the previously developed LMW-GS gene molecular marker system. Using the PCR-based method, 17 LMW-GS genes were identified and characterized in Xiaoyan 54, of which 12 contained full-length sequences. Sequence alignments showed that 13 LMW-GS genes were identical to those found in Xiaoyan 54 using the genomic DNA library screening, and the other four full-length LMW-GS genes were first isolated from Xiaoyan 54. In Chinese Spring, 16 unique LMW-GS genes were isolated, and 13 of them contained full-length coding sequences. Additionally, 16 and 17 LMW-GS genes in Dongnong 101 and Lvhan 328 (chosen from the micro-core collections of Chinese germplasm), respectively, were also identified. Sequence alignments revealed that at least 15 LMW-GS genes were common in the four wheat varieties, and allelic variants of each gene shared high sequence identities (>95%) but exhibited length polymorphism in repetitive regions. This study provides a PCR-based method for efficiently identifying LMW-GS genes in bread wheat, which will improve the characterization of complex members of the LMW-GS gene family and facilitate the understanding of their contributions to wheat quality.

NRC/FEMA operational response procedures for response to a commercial nuclear reactor accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-11-01

Procedures have been developed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which provide the response teams of both agencies with the steps to be taken in responding to an emergency at a commercial nuclear power plant. The emphasis of these procedures is mainly on the interface between NRC and FEMA at their respective Headquarters and Regional Offices and at the various sites at which such an emergency could occur. Detailed procedures are presented that cover for both agencies, notification schemes and manner of activation, organizations at Headquaters and the site, interface procedures, coordination of onsite and offsite operations, the role of the Senior FEMA Official, and the cooperative efforts of each agency's public information staff

Hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus in Brazil and synthesis of its biologically active full-length cDNA clone.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Ruimin; Niu, Shengniao; Dai, Weifang; Kitajima, Elliot; Wong, Sek-Man

2016-10-01

A Brazilian isolate of Hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV-BR) was firstly found in a hibiscus plant in Limeira, SP, Brazil. RACE PCR was carried out to obtain the full-length sequences of HLFPV-BR which is 6453 nucleotides and has more than 99.15 % of complete genomic RNA nucleotide sequence identity with that of HLFPV Japanese isolate. The genomic structure of HLFPV-BR is similar to other tobamoviruses. It includes a 5' untranslated region (UTR), followed by open reading frames encoding for a 128-kDa protein and a 188-kDa readthrough protein, a 38-kDa movement protein, 18-kDa coat protein, and a 3' UTR. Interestingly, the unique feature of poly(A) tract is also found within its 3'-UTR. Furthermore, from the total RNA extracted from the local lesions of HLFPV-BR-infected Chenopodium quinoa leaves, a biologically active, full-length cDNA clone encompassing the genome of HLFPV-BR was amplified and placed adjacent to a T7 RNA polymerase promoter. The capped in vitro transcripts from the cloned cDNA were infectious when mechanically inoculated into C. quinoa and Nicotiana benthamiana plants. This is the first report of the presence of an isolate of HLFPV in Brazil and the successful synthesis of a biologically active HLFPV-BR full-length cDNA clone.

RT-PCR and sequence analysis of the full-length fusion protein of Canine Distemper Virus from domestic dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanutti, Carina; Gallo Calderón, Marina; Keller, Leticia; Mattion, Nora; La Torre, José

2016-02-01

During 2007-2014, 84 out of 236 (35.6%) samples from domestic dogs submitted to our laboratory for diagnostic purposes were positive for Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), as analyzed by RT-PCR amplification of a fragment of the nucleoprotein gene. Fifty-nine of them (70.2%) were from dogs that had been vaccinated against CDV. The full-length gene encoding the Fusion (F) protein of fifteen isolates was sequenced and compared with that of those of other CDVs, including wild-type and vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analysis using the F gene full-length sequences grouped all the Argentinean CDV strains in the SA2 clade. Sequence identity with the Onderstepoort vaccine strain was 89.0-90.6%, and the highest divergence was found in the 135 amino acids corresponding to the F protein signal-peptide, Fsp (64.4-66.7% identity). In contrast, this region was highly conserved among the local strains (94.1-100% identity). One extra putative N-glycosylation site was identified in the F gene of CDV Argentinean strains with respect to the vaccine strain. The present report is the first to analyze full-length F protein sequences of CDV strains circulating in Argentina, and contributes to the knowledge of molecular epidemiology of CDV, which may help in understanding future disease outbreaks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lessons learned from commercial experience with nuclear plant decontamination to safe storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, S.R.; Partain, W.L.; Sype, T.

1995-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has successfully performed decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) on many production reactors it. DOE now has the challenge of performing D ampersand D on a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe-storage status before conducting D ampersand D-for perhaps as much as 20 yr. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and transition to D ampersand D. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this paper are directly applicable to transitioning the DOE Weapons Complex

Human microcephaly protein RTTN interacts with STIL and is required to build full-length centrioles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsin-Yi; Wu, Chien-Ting; Tang, Chieh-Ju C; Lin, Yi-Nan; Wang, Won-Jing; Tang, Tang K

2017-08-15

Mutations in many centriolar protein-encoding genes cause primary microcephaly. Using super-resolution and electron microscopy, we find that the human microcephaly protein, RTTN, is recruited to the proximal end of the procentriole at early S phase, and is located at the inner luminal walls of centrioles. Further studies demonstrate that RTTN directly interacts with STIL and acts downstream of STIL-mediated centriole assembly. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated RTTN gene knockout in p53-deficient cells induce amplification of primitive procentriole bodies that lack the distal-half centriolar proteins, POC5 and POC1B. Additional analyses show that RTTN serves as an upstream effector of CEP295, which mediates the loading of POC1B and POC5 to the distal-half centrioles. Interestingly, the naturally occurring microcephaly-associated mutant, RTTN (A578P), shows a low affinity for STIL binding and blocks centriole assembly. These findings reveal that RTTN contributes to building full-length centrioles and illuminate the molecular mechanism through which the RTTN (A578P) mutation causes primary microcephaly.Mutations in many centriolar protein-encoding genes cause primary microcephaly. Here the authors show that human microcephaly protein RTTN directly interacts with STIL and acts downstream of STIL-mediated centriole assembly, contributing to building full-length centrioles.

Molecular cloning and expression of full-length DNA copies of the genomic RNAs of cowpea mosaic virus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, P.

1987-01-01

The experiments described in this thesis were designed to unravel various aspects of the mechanism of gene expression of cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV). For this purpose full-length DNA copies of both genomic RNAs of CPMV were constructed. Using powerful invitro

TypeLoader: A fast and efficient automated workflow for the annotation and submission of novel full-length HLA alleles.

Science.gov (United States)

Surendranath, V; Albrecht, V; Hayhurst, J D; Schöne, B; Robinson, J; Marsh, S G E; Schmidt, A H; Lange, V

2017-07-01

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the discovery of novel allelic variants of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. Commonly, only the exons encoding the peptide binding domains of novel HLA alleles are submitted. As a result, the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database lacks sequence information outside those regions for the majority of known alleles. This has implications for the application of the new sequencing technologies, which deliver sequence data often covering the complete gene. As these technologies simplify the characterization of the complete gene regions, it is desirable for novel alleles to be submitted as full-length sequences to the database. However, the manual annotation of full-length alleles and the generation of specific formats required by the sequence repositories is prone to error and time consuming. We have developed TypeLoader to address both these facets. With only the full-length sequence as a starting point, Typeloader performs automatic sequence annotation and subsequently handles all steps involved in preparing the specific formats for submission with very little manual intervention. TypeLoader is routinely used at the DKMS Life Science Lab and has aided in the successful submission of more than 900 novel HLA alleles as full-length sequences to the European Nucleotide Archive repository and the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database with a 95% reduction in the time spent on annotation and submission when compared with handling these processes manually. TypeLoader is implemented as a web application and can be easily installed and used on a standalone Linux desktop system or within a Linux client/server architecture. TypeLoader is downloadable from http://www.github.com/DKMS-LSL/typeloader. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pyrolytic carbon coatings for nuclear fuels from commercial butane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelrazek, I.D.; Abdelhalim, A.S.

1976-01-01

Uranium dioxide and graphite semi-spherical particles (average diameter = 300 um) were coated with pyrolytic carbon at relatively low temperatures (800 to 1200 0 C). The spouting gas was a mixture of commercial butane and nitrogen. The hydrocarbon served as a source for carbon whereas nitrogenated as a diluent and a support for the bed. The total gas flow rate was 3.5 lit/min and the hydrocarbon content varied from 3 to 10%. Coating efficiencies ranging from 4 to 25 percent were obtained. The densities of the coatings varied from 1.25 g/cm 3 (which corresponds to coatings of laminar microstructures) and 1.82 g/cm 3 (which suggests the formation of isotropic coatings. Metallographic examination (using polarized light) of the pyrolytic carbon formed at the experimental conditions indicated the possibility of using the coatings for nuclear fuel applications

State of the art review of radioactive waste volume reduction techniques for commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-04-01

A review is made of the state of the art of volume reduction techniques for low level liquid and solid radioactive wastes produced as a result of: (1) operation of commercial nuclear power plants, (2) storage of spent fuel in away-from-reactor facilities, and (3) decontamination/decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants. The types of wastes and their chemical, physical, and radiological characteristics are identified. Methods used by industry for processing radioactive wastes are reviewed and compared to the new techniques for processing and reducing the volume of radioactive wastes. A detailed system description and report on operating experiences follow for each of the new volume reduction techniques. In addition, descriptions of volume reduction methods presently under development are provided. The Appendix records data collected during site surveys of vendor facilities and operating power plants. A Bibliography is provided for each of the various volume reduction techniques discussed in the report

Commercial Database Design vs. Library Terminology Comprehension: Why Do Students Print Abstracts Instead of Full-Text Articles?

Science.gov (United States)

Imler, Bonnie; Eichelberger, Michelle

2014-01-01

When asked to print the full text of an article, many undergraduate college students print the abstract instead of the full text. This study seeks to determine the underlying cause(s) of this confusion. In this quantitative study, participants (n = 40) performed five usability tasks to assess ease of use and usefulness of five commercial library…

The first commercial spent fuel shipment in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meinert, N.M. [NAC International, Norcross, GA (United States); Xiaoqing Li [Everclean Environmental Engineering Corp., Beijing, BJ (China)

2004-07-01

In two and a half years, government regulatory agencies and contractors from three countries worked together to design, license, fabricate, and transport the first commercial spent fuel shipment in China. Their cooperative efforts helped avoid the loss of full core reserve at a nuclear power plant serving two of China's largest cities. In March 2001, Everclean Environmental Engineering Corporation (EEEC) selected NAC International (NAC) to supply two United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) licensed Storable Transport Casks (NACSTC) and technology support, to ensure that qualified Chinese operators would be ready to load the first cask in late 2003. EEEC is a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which sets nuclear policy in China. EEEC is responsible for implementing nuclear transportation policy set forth from its parent corporation. Timely implementation of EEEC's ambitious plan would avoid loss of full core reserve at Guangdong Nuclear Power Station (Daya Bay) Unit-1, which supplies power to Hong Kong and Schenzen. The spent fuel would be transported to the Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex (LNFC), a reprocessing facility, approximately 4,000 kilometers Northwest of Daya Bay.

Analysis of LWR Full MOX Core Physics Experiments with Major Nuclear Data Libraries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Toru [Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

2007-07-01

Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) studied high moderation full MOX cores as a part of advanced LWR core concept studies from 1994 to 2003 supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. In order to obtain the major physics characteristics of such advanced MOX cores, NUPEC carried out core physics experimental programs called MISTRAL and BASALA from 1996 to 2002 in the EOLE critical facility of the Cadarache Center in collaboration with CEA. NUPEC also obtained a part of experimental data of the EPICURE program that CEA had conducted for 30 % Pu recycling in French PWRs. Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization(JNES) established in 2003 as an incorporated administrative agency took over the NUPEC's projects for nuclear regulation and has been implementing FUBILA program that is for high burn up BWR full MOX cores. This paper presents an outline of the programs and a summary of the analysis results of the criticality of those experimental cores with major nuclear data libraries.

Use of open source information and commercial satellite imagery for nuclear nonproliferation regime compliance verification by a community of academics

Science.gov (United States)

Solodov, Alexander

The proliferation of nuclear weapons is a great threat to world peace and stability. The question of strengthening the nonproliferation regime has been open for a long period of time. In 1997 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors (BOG) adopted the Additional Safeguards Protocol. The purpose of the protocol is to enhance the IAEA's ability to detect undeclared production of fissile materials in member states. However, the IAEA does not always have sufficient human and financial resources to accomplish this task. Developed here is a concept for making use of human and technical resources available in academia that could be used to enhance the IAEA's mission. The objective of this research was to study the feasibility of an academic community using commercially or publicly available sources of information and products for the purpose of detecting covert facilities and activities intended for the unlawful acquisition of fissile materials or production of nuclear weapons. In this study, the availability and use of commercial satellite imagery systems, commercial computer codes for satellite imagery analysis, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) verification International Monitoring System (IMS), publicly available information sources such as watchdog groups and press reports, and Customs Services information were explored. A system for integrating these data sources to form conclusions was also developed. The results proved that publicly and commercially available sources of information and data analysis can be a powerful tool in tracking violations in the international nuclear nonproliferation regime and a framework for implementing these tools in academic community was developed. As a result of this study a formation of an International Nonproliferation Monitoring Academic Community (INMAC) is proposed. This would be an independent organization consisting of academics (faculty, staff and students) from both nuclear weapon states (NWS) and

Nuclear proliferation and civilian nuclear power. Report of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program. Volume IV. Commercial potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-06-01

This volume of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP) report provides time and cost estimates for positioning new nuclear power systems for commercial deployment. The assessment also estimates the rates at which the new systems might penetrate the domestic market, assuming the continuing viability of the massive light-water reactor network that now exists worldwide. This assessment does not recommend specific, detailed program plans and budgets for individual systems; however, it is clear from this analysis that any of the systems investigated could be deployed if dictated by national interest.

Nuclear proliferation and civilian nuclear power. Report of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program. Volume IV. Commercial potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-06-01

This volume of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP) report provides time and cost estimates for positioning new nuclear power systems for commercial deployment. The assessment also estimates the rates at which the new systems might penetrate the domestic market, assuming the continuing viability of the massive light-water reactor network that now exists worldwide. This assessment does not recommend specific, detailed program plans and budgets for individual systems; however, it is clear from this analysis that any of the systems investigated could be deployed if dictated by national interest

Construction of a full-length infectious bacterial artificial chromosome clone of duck enteritis virus vaccine strain

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Duck enteritis virus (DEV) is the causative agent of duck viral enteritis, which causes an acute, contagious and lethal disease of many species of waterfowl within the order Anseriformes. In recent years, two laboratories have reported on the successful construction of DEV infectious clones in viral vectors to express exogenous genes. The clones obtained were either created with deletion of viral genes and based on highly virulent strains or were constructed using a traditional overlapping fosmid DNA system. Here, we report the construction of a full-length infectious clone of DEV vaccine strain that was cloned into a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Methods A mini-F vector as a BAC that allows the maintenance of large circular DNA in E. coli was introduced into the intergenic region between UL15B and UL18 of a DEV vaccine strain by homologous recombination in chicken embryoblasts (CEFs). Then, the full-length DEV clone pDEV-vac was obtained by electroporating circular viral replication intermediates containing the mini-F sequence into E. coli DH10B and identified by enzyme digestion and sequencing. The infectivity of the pDEV-vac was validated by DEV reconstitution from CEFs transfected with pDEV-vac. The reconstructed virus without mini-F vector sequence was also rescued by co-transfecting the Cre recombinase expression plasmid pCAGGS-NLS/Cre and pDEV-vac into CEF cultures. Finally, the in vitro growth properties and immunoprotection capacity in ducks of the reconstructed viruses were also determined and compared with the parental virus. Results The full genome of the DEV vaccine strain was successfully cloned into the BAC, and this BAC clone was infectious. The in vitro growth properties of these reconstructions were very similar to parental DEV, and ducks immunized with these viruses acquired protection against virulent DEV challenge. Conclusions DEV vaccine virus was cloned as an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome maintaining full-length

R and M practices in commercial aviation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matteson, T.D.

1985-01-01

During 1982-83, Los Alamos Technical Associates (LATA) and American Management Systems (AMS) conducted an extensive review of design and operations practices in the commercial air transport industry focused on reliability and maintenance for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The genesis of this review was a discussion of the technical and environmental similarities of the commercial air transport and commercial nuclear power communities and the potential opportunities for experience transfer from air transport to nuclear power. This paper focuses on those similarities believed to be of particular interest to the nuclear power community

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavruska, J.S.; Borduin, L.C.

1982-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated by nuclear utilities presently are shipped to commercial burial grounds for disposal. Increasing transportation and disposal costs have caused industry to consider incineration as a cost-effective means of volume reduction of combustible LLW. Repeated inquiries from the nuclear industry regarding the applicability of the Los Alamos controlled air incineration (CAI) design led the DOE to initiate a commercial demonstration program in FY-1980. Development studies and results in support of this program involving ion exchange resin incineration and fission/activation product distributions within the Los Alamos CAI are described

Generation and Analysis of Full-length cDNA Sequences from Elephant Shark (Callorhinchus milii)

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas

2009-03-17

Cartilaginous fishes are the oldest living group of jawed vertebrates and therefore is an important group for understanding the evolution of vertebrate genomes including the human genome. Our laboratory has proposed elephant shark (C. milii) as a model cartilaginous fish genome because of its relatively small genome size (910 Mb). The whole genome of C. milii is being sequenced (first cartilaginous fish genome to be sequenced completely). To characterize the transcriptome of C. milii and to assist in annotating exon-intron boundaries, transcriptional start sites and alternatively spliced transcripts, we are generating full-length cDNA sequences from C. milii.

Spectral analysis of coolant activity from a commercial nuclear generating station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swann, J.D.; Lewis, B.J.; Ip, M.

2008-01-01

In support of the development of a real-time on-line fuel failure monitoring system for the CANDU reactor, actual gamma spectroscopy data files from the gaseous fission product (GFP) monitoring system were acquired from almost four years of operation at a commercial Nuclear Generating Station (NGS). Several spectral analysis techniques were used to process the data files. Radioisotopic activity from the plant information (PI) system was compared to an in-house C++ code that was used to determine the photopeak area and to a separate analysis with commercial software from Canberra-Aptec. These various techniques provided for a calculation of the coolant activity concentration of the noble gas and iodine species in the primary heat transport system. These data were then used to benchmark the Visual DETECT code, a user friendly software tool which can be used to characterize the defective fuel state based on a coolant activity analysis. Acceptable agreement was found with the spectral techniques when compared to the known defective bundle history at the commercial reactor. A more generalized method of assessing the fission product release data was also considered with the development of a pre-processor to evaluate the radioisotopic release rate from mass balance considerations. The release rate provided a more efficient means to characterize the occurrence of a defect and was consistent with the actual defect situation at the power plant as determined from in-bay examination of discharged fuel bundles. (author)

Nuclear reactor with scrammable part length rod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bevilacqua, F.

1979-01-01

A new part length rod is provided. It may be used to control xenon induced power oscillations but to contribute to shutdown reactivity when a rapid shutdown of the reactor is required. The part length rod consists of a control rod with three regions. The lower control region is a longer weaker active portion separated from an upper stronger shorter poison section by an intermediate section which is a relative non-absorber of neutrons. The combination of the longer weaker control section with the upper high worth poison section permits the part length rod of this to be scrammed into the core when a reactor shutdown is required but also permits the control rod to be used as a tool to control power distribution in both the axial and radial directions during normal operation

Resonance effects in neutron scattering lengths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lynn, J.E.

1989-06-01

The nature of neutron scattering lengths is described and the nuclear effects giving rise to their variation is discussed. Some examples of the shortcomings of the available nuclear data base, particularly for heavy nuclei, are given. Methods are presented for improving this data base, in particular for obtaining the energy variation of the complex coherent scattering length from long to sub-/angstrom/ wave lengths from the available sources of slow neutron cross section data. Examples of this information are given for several of the rare earth nuclides. Some examples of the effect of resonances in neutron reflection and diffraction are discussed. This report documents a seminar given at Argonne National Laboratory in March 1989. 18 refs., 18 figs.

Resonance effects in neutron scattering lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynn, J.E.

1989-01-01

The nature of neutron scattering lengths is described and the nuclear effects giving rise to their variation is discussed. Some examples of the shortcomings of the available nuclear data base, particularly for heavy nuclei, are given. Methods are presented for improving this data base, in particular for obtaining the energy variation of the complex coherent scattering length from long to sub-angstrom wave lengths from the available sources of slow neutron cross section data. Examples of this information are given for several of the rare earth nuclides. Some examples of the effect of resonances in neutron reflection and diffraction are discussed. This report documents a seminar given at Argonne National Laboratory in March 1989. 18 refs., 18 figs

Transformation of Cowpea Vigna unguiculata with a Full-Length DNA Copy of Cowpea Mosaic Virus M-RNA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hille, Jacques; Goldbach, Rob

1987-01-01

A full-length DNA copy of the M-RNA of cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), supplied with either the 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) or the nopaline synthase promoter from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, was introduced into the T-DNA region of a Ti-plasmid-derived gene vector and transferred to

An analysis of expressed sequence tags of developing castor endosperm using a full-length cDNA library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wallis James G

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Castor seeds are a major source for ricinoleate, an important industrial raw material. Genomics studies of castor plant will provide critical information for understanding seed metabolism, for effectively engineering ricinoleate production in transgenic oilseeds, or for genetically improving castor plants by eliminating toxic and allergic proteins in seeds. Results Full-length cDNAs are useful resources in annotating genes and in providing functional analysis of genes and their products. We constructed a full-length cDNA library from developing castor endosperm, and obtained 4,720 ESTs from 5'-ends of the cDNA clones representing 1,908 unique sequences. The most abundant transcripts are genes encoding storage proteins, ricin, agglutinin and oleosins. Several other sequences are also very numerous, including two acidic triacylglycerol lipases, and the oleate hydroxylase (FAH12 gene that is responsible for ricinoleate biosynthesis. The role(s of the lipases in developing castor seeds are not clear, and co-expressing of a lipase and the FAH12 did not result in significant changes in hydroxy fatty acid accumulation in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds. Only one oleate desaturase (FAD2 gene was identified in our cDNA sequences. Sequence and functional analyses of the castor FAD2 were carried out since it had not been characterized previously. Overexpression of castor FAD2 in a FAH12-expressing Arabidopsis line resulted in decreased accumulation of hydroxy fatty acids in transgenic seeds. Conclusion Our results suggest that transcriptional regulation of FAD2 and FAH12 genes maybe one of the mechanisms that contribute to a high level of ricinoleate accumulation in castor endosperm. The full-length cDNA library will be used to search for additional genes that affect ricinoleate accumulation in seed oils. Our EST sequences will also be useful to annotate the castor genome, which whole sequence is being generated by shotgun sequencing at

Education and training of operators and maintenance staff at commercial nuclear power stations in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, M.; Kataoka, H.

1998-01-01

Safe and stable operation of a nuclear power station requires personnel fostering. In Japan, with the objectives of systematically securing qualified people for a long period of time, and maintaining and improving their skills and knowledge, the utilities have created strict personnel training plans, for continuous education and training. Concrete examples of education and training for operators and maintenance personnel at commercial nuclear power stations in Japan, such as education systems training, facility and contents of curriculum, are detailed including some related matters. Recent activities to catch up with environment changes surrounding education and training of operators and maintenance staff are also mentioned. (author)

Commercial nuclear reactors and waste: the current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Platt, A.M.; Robinson, J.V.

1980-04-01

During the last five years, the declared size of the commercial light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power industry in the US has steadily decreased. As of January 1980, the total number of power plants had dropped to 191 from the 226 in December 31, 1974. At least another nine were cancelled in the last few months. This report was developed as the first of a series to track implications to waste management due to such changes in the declared size of the industry. For the presently declared size, key conclusions are: the declared reactors will peak at a capacity of 162 GWe and consume about 10 6 MTU as enrichment feed. As few as two repositories of about 100,000 MTHM capacity each would hold the waste. Predisposal storage (reactor basins and AFRs) would peak at less than 100,000 MTHM (in the year 2020) with one repository opening in the year 1997 and the other in the year 2020. Most of the 100,000 MTHM would have to be in AFR storage unless current practice regarding reactor basin size was radically changed

Commercializing the next generation: the AP600 advanced simplified nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruschi, H.J.

1994-01-01

Today, government and industry are working together on advanced nuclear power plant designs that take advantage of valuable lessons learned from the experience to date and promise to reconcile the demands of economic expansion with the laws of environmental protection. In the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) initiated a design certification program in 1989 to develop and commercialize advanced light water reactors (ALWRs) for the next round of power plant construction. Advanced, simplified technology is one approach under development to end the industry's search for a simpler, more forgiving, and less costly reactor. As part of this program, Westinghouse is developing the AP600, a new standard 600 MWe advanced, simplified plant. The design strikes a balance between the use of proven technology and new approaches. The result is a greatly streamlined plant that can meet safety regulations and reliability requirements, be economically competitive, and promote broader public confidence in nuclear energy. 1 fig

A model for the release, dispersion and environmental impact of a postulated reactor accident from a submerged commercial nuclear power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Bertch, Timothy Creston

1998-12-01

Nuclear power plants are inherently suitable for submerged applications and could provide power to the shore power grid or support future underwater applications. The technology exists today and the construction of a submerged commercial nuclear power plant may become desirable. A submerged reactor is safer to humans because the infinite supply of water for heat removal, particulate retention in the water column, sedimentation to the ocean floor and inherent shielding of the aquatic environment would significantly mitigate the effects of a reactor accident. A better understanding of reactor operation in this new environment is required to quantify the radioecological impact and to determine the suitability of this concept. The impact of release to the environment from a severe reactor accident is a new aspect of the field of marine radioecology. Current efforts have been centered on radioecological impacts of nuclear waste disposal, nuclear weapons testing fallout and shore nuclear plant discharges. This dissertation examines the environmental impact of a severe reactor accident in a submerged commercial nuclear power plant, modeling a postulated site on the Atlantic continental shelf adjacent to the United States. This effort models the effects of geography, decay, particle transport/dispersion, bioaccumulation and elimination with associated dose commitment. The use of a source term equivalent to the release from Chernobyl allows comparison between the impacts of that accident and the postulated submerged commercial reactor plant accident. All input parameters are evaluated using sensitivity analysis. The effect of the release on marine biota is determined. Study of the pathways to humans from gaseous radionuclides, consumption of contaminated marine biota and direct exposure as contaminated water reaches the shoreline is conducted. The model developed by this effort predicts a significant mitigation of the radioecological impact of the reactor accident release

Global identification of the full-length transcripts and alternative splicing related to phenolic acid biosynthetic genes in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhichao eXu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Salvianolic acids are among the main bioactive components in Salvia miltiorrhiza, and their biosynthesis has attracted widespread interest. However, previous studies on the biosynthesis of phenolic acids using next-generation sequencing platforms are limited with regard to the assembly of full-length transcripts. Based on hybrid-seq (next-generation and single molecular real-time sequencing of the S. miltiorrhiza root transcriptome, we experimentally identified 15 full-length transcripts and 4 alternative splicing events of enzyme-coding genes involved in the biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid. Moreover, we herein demonstrate that lithospermic acid B accumulates in the phloem and xylem of roots, in agreement with the expression patterns of the identified key genes related to rosmarinic acid biosynthesis. According to co-expression patterns, we predicted that 6 candidate cytochrome P450s and 5 candidate laccases participate in the salvianolic acid pathway. Our results provide a valuable resource for further investigation into the synthetic biology of phenolic acids in S. miltiorrhiza.

The effect of two different renal denervation strategies on blood pressure in resistant hypertension: Comparison of full-length versus proximal renal artery ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weijie; Ling, Zhiyu; Du, Huaan; Song, Wenxin; Xu, Yanping; Liu, Zengzhang; Su, Li; Xiao, Peilin; Yuan, Yuelong; Lu, Jiayi; Zhang, Jianhong; Li, Zhifeng; Shao, Jiang; Zhong, Bin; Zhou, Bei; Woo, Kamsang; Yin, Yuehui

2016-11-01

Renal denervation (RDN) is used to manage blood pressure (BP) in patients with resistant hypertension (rHT), but effectiveness is still a concern, and key arterial portion for successful RDN is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of proximal versus full-length renal artery ablation in patients with resistant hypertension (rHT). Forty-seven patients with rHT were randomly assigned to receive full-length ablation (n = 23) or proximal ablation (n = 24) of the renal arteries. All lesions were treated with radiofrequency energy via a saline-irrigated catheter. Office BP was measured during 12 months of follow-up and ambulatory BP at baseline and 6 months (n = 15 in each group). Compared with full-length ablation, proximal ablation reduced the number of ablation points in both the right (6.1 ± 0.7 vs. 3.3 ± 0.6, P renal arteries (6.2 ± 0.7 vs. 3.3 ± 0.8, P  0.5). Similar office BPs was reduced by -39.4 ± 11.5/-20.9 ± 7.1 mm Hg at 6 months and -38.2 ± 10.3/-21.5 ± 5.8 mm Hg at 12 months in the full-length group (P efficacy and safety profile compared with full-length RDN, and propose the proximal artery as the key portion for RDN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Guam Commercial Fisheries BioSampling (CFBS)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Guam Commercial Fisheries Biosampling program, which collects length and weight frequency data for whole commercial catches, and samples 4-8 species for in-depth...

Behaviors and Conditions that Challenge Teamwork: An Assessment of Operating Events at U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desaulniers, David R.

1998-01-01

As part of its regulatory activities, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews events and routine activities at commercial nuclear power facilities throughout the United States. Frequently, these reviews have highlighted team performance as an important factor in either the initiation or mitigation of significant events and conditions at these facilities. This paper summarizes operating experience relevant to the understanding of teamwork at U.S. nuclear power plants during recent years, describes the specific behaviors that were considered detrimental to team performance, and discusses the conditions that were identified as contributing to these behaviors. (author)

Managing nuclear knowledge: IAEA activities and international coordination. Including resource material full text CD-ROM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

The present CD-ROM summarizes some activities carried out by the Departments of Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Safety and Security in the area of nuclear knowledge management in the period 2003-2005. It comprises, as open resource, most of the relevant documents in full text, including policy level documents, reports, presentation material by Member States and meeting summaries. The collection starts with a reprint of the report to the IAEA General Conference 2004 on Nuclear Knowledge [GOV/2004/56-GC(48)/12] summarizing the developments in nuclear knowledge management since the 47th session of the General Conference in 2003 and covers Managing Nuclear Knowledge including safety issues and Information and Strengthening Education and Training for Capacity Building. It contains an excerpt on Nuclear Knowledge from the General Conference Resolution [GC(48)/RES/13] on Strengthening the Agency's Activities Related to Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications. On the CD-ROM itself, all documents can easily be accessed by clicking on their titles on the subject pages (also printed at the end of this Working Material). Part 1 of the CD-ROM covers the activities in the period 2003-2005 and part 2 presents a resource material full text CD-ROM on Managing Nuclear Knowledge issued in October 2003

A new option for exploitage of future nuclear energy. Accelerator driven radioactive clean nuclear power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Dazhao

2000-01-01

Nuclear energy is an effective, clean and safe energy resource. But some shortages of the nuclear energy system presently commercial available obstruct further development of the nuclear energy by heavy nuclear fission. Those are final disposal of the high level radioactive waste, inefficient use of the uranium resource and safety issue of the system. Innovative technical option is seeking for by the nuclear scientific community in recent ten years in aiming to overcome these obstacles, namely, accelerator driven sub-critical system (ADS). This hybrid system may bridge over the gap between presently commercial available nuclear power system and the full exploitation of the fusion energy. The basic principle of ADS is described and its capability in waste transmutation, conversion of the nuclear fuel are demonstrated by two examples--AD-fast reactor and AD-heavy water thermal reactor. The feasibility of ADS and some projects in US, Japan, etc are briefly discussed. The rationale in promoting the R and D of ADS in China is emphasized as China is at the beginning stage of its ambitious project in construction of the nuclear power

The Price-Anderson Act: A Linchpin in the Development of Commercial Nuclear Power in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quattrocchi, J. L.

2006-01-01

The dawn of the atomic age brought with it both the hope of great benefit and the fear of great disaster. By the mid-1950's, the United States recognized that it was in the national interest to promote commercial development of nuclear energy in medicine and industry, particularly in the generation of electric power. The uncertainties of the technology and the potential for severe accidents were clear obstacles to commercial development. Exposure to potentially serious uninsured liabilities inhibited the private sector. These impediments led Congress to enact the Price-Anderson Act in 1957. Its three-fold purpose was to encourage private development of nuclear power, establish a framework for handling liability claims and provide a ready source of funds to compensate accident victims. The law was originally enacted for ten years but has now been extended four times. The major provisions of the Act and its importance to the public and to insurers are described in this paper.(author)

Human uroporphyrinogen III synthase: Molecular cloning, nucleotide sequence, and expression of a full-length cDNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Shihfeng; Bishop, D.F.; Desnick, R.J.

1988-01-01

Uroporphyrinogen III synthase, the fourth enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway, is responsible for conversion of the linear tetrapyrrole, hydroxymethylbilane, to the cyclic tetrapyrrole, uroporphyrinogen III. The deficient activity of URO-synthase is the enzymatic defect in the autosomal recessive disorder congenital erythropoietic porphyria. To facilitate the isolation of a full-length cDNA for human URO-synthase, the human erythrocyte enzyme was purified to homogeneity and 81 nonoverlapping amino acids were determined by microsequencing the N terminus and four tryptic peptides. Two synthetic oligonucleotide mixtures were used to screen 1.2 x 10 6 recombinants from a human adult liver cDNA library. Eight clones were positive with both oligonucleotide mixtures. Of these, dideoxy sequencing of the 1.3 kilobase insert from clone pUROS-2 revealed 5' and 3' untranslated sequences of 196 and 284 base pairs, respectively, and an open reading frame of 798 base pairs encoding a protein of 265 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 28,607 Da. The isolation and expression of this full-length cDNA for human URO-synthase should facilitate studies of the structure, organization, and chromosomal localization of this heme biosynthetic gene as well as the characterization of the molecular lesions causing congenital erythropoietic porphyria

Civilian protection and Britain's commercial nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

The subject is treated as follows: initial conclusions (major nuclear attack on military installations; nuclear attack including civil nuclear targets; conventional attack on civil nuclear installations); nature of nuclear weapons explosions and power reactor releases (general; dose effects and biologically significant isotopes; nuclear weapon effects; effect of reactors and other fuel-cycle installations in a thermonuclear area; implications of reactor releases due to conventional attack, sabotage, civil disorder or major accident). (U.K.)

Nuclear energy outlook: a GE perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, J.

2006-01-01

Full text: Full text: As one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, GE Energy provides comprehensive solutions for coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as wind, solar and biogas, along with other alternative fuels. With the ever increasing demand for energy and pressures to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, global trends indicate a move towards building more base line nuclear generation capacity. As a reliable, cost-competitive option for commercial power generation, nuclear energy also addresses many of the issues the world faces when it comes to the environment. Since developing nuclear reactor technology in the 1950s, GE's Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) technology accounts for more than 90 operating plants in the world today. Building on that success, GE's ABWR design is now the first and only Generation 111 nuclear reactor in operation today. This advanced reactor technology, coupled with current construction experience and a qualified global supply chain, make ESBWR, GE's Generation III+ reactor design, an attractive option for owners considering adding nuclear generation capacity. In pursuit of new technologies, GE has teamed with Silex to develop, commercialize and license third generation laser enrichment technology. By acquiring the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize this technology, GE is positioned to support the anticipated global demands for enriched uranium. At GE, we are continuing to develop imaginative ideas and investing in products that are cost effective, increase productivity, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and improve safety and security for our customers

Full splitting of the first zero-field steps in the I-V curve of Josephson junctions of intermediate length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, J.B.; Divin, Y.Y.; Mygind, J.

1986-01-01

We report on the observation of full splitting of the first zero-field steps in the I-V curves of Josephson transmission lines of intermediate length Lroughly-equal(3--5)lambda/sub J/, where lambda/sub J/ is the Josephson penetration length. We study in detail how this splitting of the step into two branches depends on the temperature of the junction and on a weak applied magnetic field. We relate the splitting to excitations in the junctions whose behavior is described by the perturbed Sine-Gordon equation

Comprehensive nuclear materials

CERN Document Server

Allen, Todd; Stoller, Roger; Yamanaka, Shinsuke

2012-01-01

Comprehensive Nuclear Materials encapsulates a panorama of fundamental information on the vast variety of materials employed in the broad field of nuclear technology. The work addresses, in five volumes, 3,400 pages and over 120 chapter-length articles, the full panorama of historical and contemporary international research in nuclear materials, from Actinides to Zirconium alloys, from the worlds' leading scientists and engineers. It synthesizes the most pertinent research to support the selection, assessment, validation and engineering of materials in extreme nuclear environments. The work discusses the major classes of materials suitable for usage in nuclear fission, fusion reactors and high power accelerators, and for diverse functions in fuels, cladding, moderator and control materials, structural, functional, and waste materials.

Development of a Flexible Computerized Management Infrastructure for a Commercial Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Syed Firasat; Hajek, Brian K.; Usman, Shoaib

2006-01-01

The report emphasizes smooth transition from paper-based procedure systems (PBPSs) to computer-based procedure systems (CBPSs) for the existing commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. The expected advantages and of the transition are mentioned including continued, safe and efficient operation of the plants under their recently acquired or desired extended licenses. The report proposes a three-stage survey to aid in developing a national strategic plan for the transition from PBPSs to CBPSs. It also includes a comprehensive questionnaire that can be readily used for the first stage of the suggested survey

Potency of full-length MGF to induce maximal activation of the IGF-I R Is similar to recombinant human IGF-I at high equimolar concentrations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.A.M.J.L. Janssen (Joseph); L.J. Hofland (Leo); C.J. Strasburger; E.S.R.D. Van Dungen (Elisabeth S.R. Den); M. Thevis (Mario)

2016-01-01

textabstractAims To compare full-length mechano growth factor (full-length MGF) with human recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and human recombinant insulin (HI) in their ability to activate the human IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), the human insulin receptor (IR-A) and the human insulin

Development of a Flexible Computerized Management Infrastructure for a Commercial Nuclear Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, Syed Firasat; Hajek, Brian K.; Usman, Shoaib

2006-05-01

The report emphasizes smooth transition from paper-based procedure systems (PBPSs) to computer-based procedure systems (CBPSs) for the existing commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. The expected advantages and of the transition are mentioned including continued, safe and efficient operation of the plants under their recently acquired or desired extended licenses. The report proposes a three-stage survey to aid in developing a national strategic plan for the transition from PBPSs to CBPSs. It also includes a comprehensive questionnaire that can be readily used for the first stage of the suggested survey.

Beyond defense-in-depth: cost and funding of state and local government radiological emergency response plans and preparedness in support of commercial nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salomon, S.N.

1979-10-01

Inadequate, sporadic, uncertain and frustrating are words local, state and Federal officials use to describe the current hodgepodge funding approach to State and local government radiological emergency response plans and preparedeness in support of commercial nuclear power stations. The creation of a Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness Fund for State and Local Government is offered as a preferred solution. Monies for the Fund could be derived from a one time Fee of $1 million levied on the operator of each nuclear power station. Every five years, adjustments could be made in the Fee to assure full recovery of costs because of inflation, revised criteria and other cost related factors. Any surplus would be refunded to the utilities. Any state that has obtained NRC concurrence or is in the process could be reimbursed for previous expenditures up to two years prior to NRC concurrence. Concurrence in all state and local government plans is the objective of the funding program. The Fund should be administered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The report also discusses actions by Federal and state agencies and points to long range considerations, such as a training institute, including transportation and non-commercial and other fixed nuclear facilities, where preparedness could be enhanced by a coherent funding mechanism. All recommendations are based on an inquiry by the Office of state Programs, NRC, into the historical and future costs and funding of radiological emergency response plans and preparedness at the state and local government levels and are derived from discussions with many local, State and Federal officials

Nuclear closed-cycle gas turbine (HTGR-GT): dry cooled commercial power plant studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, C.F.; Boland, C.R.

1979-11-01

Combining the modern and proven power conversion system of the closed-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) with an advanced high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) results in a power plant well suited to projected utility needs into the 21st century. The gas turbine HTGR (HTGR-GT) power plant benefits are consistent with national energy goals, and the high power conversion efficiency potential satisfies increasingly important resource conservation demands. Established technology bases for the HTGR-GT are outlined, together with the extensive design and development program necessary to commercialize the nuclear CCGT plant for utility service in the 1990s. This paper outlines the most recent design studies by General Atomic for a dry-cooled commercial plant of 800 to 1200 MW(e) power, based on both non-intercooled and intercooled cycles, and discusses various primary system aspects. Details are given of the reactor turbine system (RTS) and on integrating the major power conversion components in the prestressed concrete reactor vessel

Copper Coordination in the Full-Length, Recombinant Prion Protein†

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Colin S.; Aronoff-Spencer, Eliah; Legname, Giuseppe; Prusiner, Stanley B.; Antholine, William E.; Gerfen, Gary J.; Peisach, Jack; Millhauser, Glenn L.

2010-01-01

The prion protein (PrP) binds divalent copper at physiologically relevant conditions and is believed to participate in copper regulation or act as a copper-dependent enzyme. Ongoing studies aim at determining the molecular features of the copper binding sites. The emerging consensus is that most copper binds in the octarepeat domain, which is composed of four or more copies of the fundamental sequence PHGGGWGQ. Previous work from our laboratory using PrP-derived peptides, in conjunction with EPR and X-ray crystallography, demonstrated that the HGGGW segment constitutes the fundamental binding unit in the octarepeat domain [Burns et al. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 3991–4001; Aronoff-Spencer et al. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 13760–13771]. Copper coordination arises from the His imidazole and sequential deprotonated glycine amides. In this present work, recombinant, full-length Syrian hamster PrP is investigated using EPR methodologies. Four copper ions are taken up in the octarepeat domain, which supports previous findings. However, quantification studies reveal a fifth binding site in the flexible region between the octarepeats and the PrP globular C-terminal domain. A series of PrP peptide constructs show that this site involves His96 in the PrP(92–96) segment GGGTH. Further examination by X-band EPR, S-band EPR, and electron spin–echo envelope spectroscopy, demonstrates coordination by the His96 imidazole and the glycine preceding the threonine. The copper affinity for this type of binding site is highly pH dependent, and EPR studies here show that recombinant PrP loses its affinity for copper below pH 6.0. These studies seem to provide a complete profile of the copper binding sites in PrP and support the hypothesis that PrP function is related to its ability to bind copper in a pH-dependent fashion. PMID:12779334

Beam test of a full-length prototype of the BESIII drift chamber with the readout electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Z.H.; Chen, Y.B.; Sheng, H.Y.; Wu, L.H.; Liu, J.B.; Zhuang, B.A.; Jiang, X.S.; Zhao, Y.B.; Zhu, K.J.; Yan, Z.K.; Chen, C.; Xu, M.H.; Wang, L.; Ma, X.Y.; Tang, X.; Liu, R.G.; Jin, Y.; Zhu, Q.M.; Zhang, G.F.; Wu, Z.; Li, R.Y.; Zhao, P.P.; Dai, H.L.; Li, X.P.; Li, J.

2007-01-01

A full-length prototype of the BESIII drift chamber together with its readout electronics was built and a beam test was performed. Two different methods, namely 'single-threshold method' and 'double-threshold method' for timing measurement, were studied. Test results show that the BESIII drift chamber and its readout electronics can reach their design specifications. The 'double-threshold method' results in a better timing accuracy and noise suppression capabilities as compared with the 'single-threshold method'

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borduin, L.C.; Neuls, A.S.

1981-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated by nuclear utilities presently are shipped to commercial burial grounds for disposal. Substantially increasing shipping and disposal charges have sparked renewed industry interest in incineration and other advanced volume reduction techniques as potential cost-saving measures. Repeated inquiries from industry sources regarding LLW applicability of the Los Alamos controlled-air incineration (CAI) design led DOE to initiate this commercial demonstration program in FY-1980. The selected program approach to achieving CAI demonstration at a utility site is a DOE sponsored joint effort involving Los Alamos, a nuclear utility, and a liaison subcontractor. Required development tasks and responsibilities of the particpants are described. Target date for project completion is the end of FY-1985

Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Motor control centers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toman, G.; Gazdzinski, R.; O'Hearn, E.

1994-02-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) provides recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) and Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) commercial nuclear power plant motor control centers important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Full-scale tests of spent-nuclear-fuel shipping systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, H.R.; Huerta, M.

1976-01-01

Sandia Laboratories will be conducting, for the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration, a series of tests involving spent-nuclear-fuel shipping systems. Large shipping casks in the 20500 to 70000-kg range will be included in the following full-scale tests: (1) Runaway tractor-trailer crash into a solid concrete barrier while carrying a shipping cask. (2) High-speed locomotive grade-crossing impact with a truck carrying a shipping cask. (3) High-speed derailment, collision, and fire involving a special railcar and shipping cask. The hardware and testing procedures for each of the tests are described. The analysis conducted in advance of the tests addresses the modelling technique used and a description of the scale-model tests. Analytical modelling being done before running the full-scale tests is also described. (author)

Relationships between total length and otolith size of bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766 in the Marmara Sea of Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Habib Bal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, was monthly collected from commercial fishing boats operating in the Marmara Sea between January and December 2014. The relationship between total length and otolith size of 346 bluefish samples were examined. Total lengths of females, males and unidentified samples were ranged from between 13.2-37.0, 12.3-34.8 and 13.0-31.6 cm, respectively. Otolith lengths were between 3.82-12.60 mm and otolith width were between 1.59-4.34 mm for all samples. It was found that there is a strong correlations between otolith length-total length (r2 =0.88 and otolith width-total length (r2 0.81.

Nuclear Education and Training Courses as a Commercial Product of a Low Power Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Böck, H.; Villa, M.; Steinhauser, G.

2013-01-01

The Vienna University of Technology (VUT) operates a 250 kW TRIGA Mark II research reactor at the Atominstitut (ATI) since March 1962. This reactor is uniquely devoted to nuclear education and training with the aim to offer an instrument to perform academic research and training. During the past decade a number of requests to the Atominstitut asked for the possibility to offer this reactor for external training courses. Over the years, such courses have been developed as regular courses for students during their academic curricula at the VUT/ATI. The courses cover such subjects as “Reactor physics and kinetics”, and “Reactor instrumentation and control”, in total about 20 practical exercises. Textbooks have been developed in English language for both courses. Target groups for commercial courses are other universities without an access to research reactors (i.e., the Technical University of Bratislava, Slovak Republic, or the University of Manchester, UK), international organisations (i.e., IAEA Dept of Safeguards, training section), research centres (ie. Mol, Belgium) for retraining of their reactor staff or nuclear power plants for staff retraining. These courses have been very successful during the past five years in such a manner that the Atominstitut has now to decline new course applications as the reactor is also used for Masters thesis and PhD work which requires full power operation while courses require low power operation. The paper describes typical training programs, target groups and possible transfers of these courses to other reactors. (author)

Assessment of adaptive evolution between wheat and rice as deduced from full-length common wheat cDNA sequence data and expression patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayashizaki Yoshihide

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Wheat is an allopolyploid plant that harbors a huge, complex genome. Therefore, accumulation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs for wheat is becoming particularly important for functional genomics and molecular breeding. We prepared a comprehensive collection of ESTs from the various tissues that develop during the wheat life cycle and from tissues subjected to stress. We also examined their expression profiles in silico. As full-length cDNAs are indispensable to certify the collected ESTs and annotate the genes in the wheat genome, we performed a systematic survey and sequencing of the full-length cDNA clones. This sequence information is a valuable genetic resource for functional genomics and will enable carrying out comparative genomics in cereals. Results As part of the functional genomics and development of genomic wheat resources, we have generated a collection of full-length cDNAs from common wheat. By grouping the ESTs of recombinant clones randomly selected from the full-length cDNA library, we were able to sequence 6,162 independent clones with high accuracy. About 10% of the clones were wheat-unique genes, without any counterparts within the DNA database. Wheat clones that showed high homology to those of rice were selected in order to investigate their expression patterns in various tissues throughout the wheat life cycle and in response to abiotic-stress treatments. To assess the variability of genes that have evolved differently in wheat and rice, we calculated the substitution rate (Ka/Ks of the counterparts in wheat and rice. Genes that were preferentially expressed in certain tissues or treatments had higher Ka/Ks values than those in other tissues and treatments, which suggests that the genes with the higher variability expressed in these tissues is under adaptive selection. Conclusion We have generated a high-quality full-length cDNA resource for common wheat, which is essential for continuation of the

Studies of nontarget-mediated distribution of human full-length IgG1 antibody and its FAb fragment in cardiovascular and metabolic-related tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidsson, Pia; Söderling, Ann-Sofi; Svensson, Lena; Ahnmark, Andrea; Flodin, Christine; Wanag, Ewa; Screpanti-Sundqvist, Valentina; Gennemark, Peter

2015-05-01

Tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics (PK) of full-length nontargeted antibody and its antigen-binding fragment (FAb) were evaluated for a range of tissues primarily of interest for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Mice were intravenously injected with a dose of 10 mg/kg of either human IgG1or its FAb fragment; perfused tissues were collected at a range of time points over 3 weeks for the human IgG1 antibody and 1 week for the human FAb antibody. Tissues were homogenized and antibody concentrations were measured by specific immunoassays on the Gyros system. Exposure in terms of maximum concentration (Cmax ) and area under the curve was assessed for all nine tissues. Tissue exposure of full-length antibody relative to plasma exposure was found to be between 1% and 10%, except for brain (0.2%). Relative concentrations of FAb antibody were the same, except for kidney tissue, where the antibody concentration was found to be ten times higher than in plasma. However, the absolute tissue uptake of full-length IgG was significantly higher than the absolute tissue uptake of the FAb antibody. This study provides a reference PK state for full-length whole and FAb antibodies in tissues related to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases that do not include antigen or antibody binding. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

NRC/FEMA operational response procedures for response to a commercial nuclear reactor accident. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-02-01

Procedures have been developed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which provide the response teams of both agencies with the steps to be taken in responding to an emergency at a commercial nuclear power plant. The emphasis of these procedures is mainly on the interface between NRC and FEMA at their respective Headquarters and Regional Offices and at the various sites at which such an emergency could occur. Detailed procedures are presented that cover for both agencies, notification schemes and manner of activation, organizations at Headquarters and the site, interface procedures, coordination of onsite and offsite operations, the role of the Senior FEMA Official, and the cooperative efforts of each agency's public information staff

Owners of nuclear power plants: Percentage ownership of commercial nuclear power plants by utility companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, R.S.

1987-08-01

The following list indicates percentage ownership of commercial nuclear power plants by utility companies as of June 1, 1987. The list includes all plants licensed to operate, under construction, docked for NRC safety and environmental reviews, or under NRC antitrust review. It does not include those plants announced but not yet under review or those plants formally canceled. In many cases, ownership may be in the process of changing as a result of altered financial conditions, changed power needs, and other reasons. However, this list reflects only those ownership percentages of which the NRC has been formally notified. Part I lists plants alphabetically with their associated applicants/licensees and percentage ownership. Part II lists applicants/licensees alphabetically with their associated plants and percentage ownership. Part I also indicates which plants have received operating licenses (OL's). Footnotes for both parts appear at the end of this document

Outline of safety regulations and administrations for commercial nuclear power plants in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinichi Yamamoto

1987-01-01

Outline of safety regulations and administrations for the commercial nuclear power plants in Japan is briefly described. The strict measures for safety assurance are always taken based on the principle of defense-indepth. In the actual procedures of regulatory control, the examinations and inspections shall be performed at each individual step in the stage of applications, and also in the stage of constructions. Thus, those regulatory examinations and inspections shall be performed in detail and carefully, and at the most suitable time; resulting in an effective regulatory control by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. (author)

Conformational change in full-length mouse prion: A site-directed spin-labeling study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inanami, Osamu; Hashida, Shukichi; Iizuka, Daisuke; Horiuchi, Motohiro; Hiraoka, Wakako; Shimoyama, Yuhei; Nakamura, Hideo; Inagaki, Fuyuhiko; Kuwabara, Mikinori

2005-01-01

The structure of the mouse prion (moPrP) was studied using site-directed spin-labeling electron spin resonance (SDSL-ESR). Since a previous NMR study by Hornemanna et al., [Hornemanna, Korthb, Oeschb, Rieka, Widera, Wuethricha, Glockshubera, Recombinant full-length murine prion protein, mPrP (23-231): purification and spectroscopic characterization, FEBS Lett. 413 (1997) 277-281] has indicated that N96, D143, and T189 in moPrP are localized in a Cu 2+ binding region, Helix1 and Helix2, respectively, three recombinant moPrP mutations (N96C, D143C, and T189C) were expressed in an Escherichia coli system, and then refolded by dialysis under low pH and purified by reverse-phase HPLC. By using the preparation, we succeeded in preserving a target cystein residue without alteration of the α-helix structure of moPrP and were able to apply SDSL-ESR with a methane thiosulfonate spin label to the full-length prion protein. The rotational correlation times (τ) of 1.1, 3.3, and 4.8 ns were evaluated from the X-band ESR spectra at pH 7.4 and 20 deg C for N96R1, D143R1, and T189R1, respectively. τ reflects the fact that the Cu 2+ binding region is more flexible than Helix1 or Helix2. ESR spectra recorded at various temperatures revealed two phases together with a transition point at around 20 deg C in D143R1 and T189R1, but not in N96R1. With the variation of pH from 4.0 to 7.8, ESR spectra of T189R1 at 20 deg C showed a gradual increase of τ from 2.9 to 4.8 ns. On the other hand, the pH-dependent conformational changes in N96R1 and D143R1 were negligible. These results indicated that T189 located in Helix2 possessed a structure sensitive to physiological pH changes; simultaneously, N96 in the Cu 2+ binding region and D143 in Helix1 were conserved

Should we embrace nuclear energy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolch, Guy

2006-01-01

During his recent tour of North America, Australian Prime Minister John Howard called for a 'full-blooded debate' about the place of nuclear power in the nation's energy mix. 'I have a very open mind on the development of nuclear energy in my own country,' he said. Treasurer Peter Costello said that only economic arguments precluded Australia's move to nuclear energy. 'If it becomes commercial, we should have it,' he said on 23 May. But in reality the 'debate' had already been adjudicated. Three days later the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) presented Science Minister Julie Bishop with a report that delivered Costello's economic justification for nuclear power

Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Power and distribution transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toman, G.; Gazdzinski, R.

1994-05-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) provides recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in power and distribution transformers important to license renewal in commercial nuclear power plants. The intent of this AMG to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner which allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Construction and characterization of a full-length cDNA library for the wheat stripe rust pathogen (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Xianming

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Puccinia striiformis is a plant pathogenic fungus causing stripe rust, one of the most important diseases on cereal crops and grasses worldwide. However, little is know about its genome and genes involved in the biology and pathogenicity of the pathogen. We initiated the functional genomic research of the fungus by constructing a full-length cDNA and determined functions of the first group of genes by sequence comparison of cDNA clones to genes reported in other fungi. Results A full-length cDNA library, consisting of 42,240 clones with an average cDNA insert of 1.9 kb, was constructed using urediniospores of race PST-78 of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici. From 196 sequenced cDNA clones, we determined functions of 73 clones (37.2%. In addition, 36 clones (18.4% had significant homology to hypothetical proteins, 37 clones (18.9% had some homology to genes in other fungi, and the remaining 50 clones (25.5% did not produce any hits. From the 73 clones with functions, we identified 51 different genes encoding protein products that are involved in amino acid metabolism, cell defense, cell cycle, cell signaling, cell structure and growth, energy cycle, lipid and nucleotide metabolism, protein modification, ribosomal protein complex, sugar metabolism, transcription factor, transport metabolism, and virulence/infection. Conclusion The full-length cDNA library is useful in identifying functional genes of P. striiformis.

Full-Length Fibronectin Drives Fibroblast Accumulation at the Surface of Collagen Microtissues during Cell-Induced Tissue Morphogenesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasper Foolen

Full Text Available Generating and maintaining gradients of cell density and extracellular matrix (ECM components is a prerequisite for the development of functionality of healthy tissue. Therefore, gaining insights into the drivers of spatial organization of cells and the role of ECM during tissue morphogenesis is vital. In a 3D model system of tissue morphogenesis, a fibronectin-FRET sensor recently revealed the existence of two separate fibronectin populations with different conformations in microtissues, i.e. 'compact and adsorbed to collagen' versus 'extended and fibrillar' fibronectin that does not colocalize with the collagen scaffold. Here we asked how the presence of fibronectin might drive this cell-induced tissue morphogenesis, more specifically the formation of gradients in cell density and ECM composition. Microtissues were engineered in a high-throughput model system containing rectangular microarrays of 12 posts, which constrained fibroblast-populated collagen gels, remodeled by the contractile cells into trampoline-shaped microtissues. Fibronectin's contribution during the tissue maturation process was assessed using fibronectin-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (Fn-/- MEFs and floxed equivalents (Fnf/f MEFs, in fibronectin-depleted growth medium with and without exogenously added plasma fibronectin (full-length, or various fragments. In the absence of full-length fibronectin, Fn-/- MEFs remained homogenously distributed throughout the cell-contracted collagen gels. In contrast, in the presence of full-length fibronectin, both cell types produced shell-like tissues with a predominantly cell-free compacted collagen core and a peripheral surface layer rich in cells. Single cell assays then revealed that Fn-/- MEFs applied lower total strain energy on nanopillar arrays coated with either fibronectin or vitronectin when compared to Fnf/f MEFs, but that the presence of exogenously added plasma fibronectin rescued their contractility. While collagen

First full length sequences of the S gene of European isolates reveal further diversity among turkey coronaviruses.

OpenAIRE

2011-01-01

Abstract An increasing incidence of enteric disorders clinically evocative of the poult enteritis complex has been observed in turkeys in France since 2003. Using a newly designed real-time RT-PCR assay specific for the nucleocapsid (N) gene of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and turkey coronaviruses (TCoV), coronaviruses were identified in 37 % of the intestinal samples collected from diseased turkey flocks. The full length Spike (S) gene of these viruses was amplified, cloned a...

Inhibition of nuclear T3 binding by fatty acids: dependence on chain length, unsaturated bonds, cis-trans configuration and esterification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersinga, W. M.; Platvoet-ter Schiphorst, M.

1990-01-01

1. Fatty acids have the capacity for inhibition of nuclear T3 binding (INB). The present studies were undertaken to describe the INB-activity of fatty acids as a function of chain length, unsaturated bonds, cis-trans configuration, and esterification. 2. Isolated rat liver nuclei were incubated with

History of Fire Events in the U.S. Commercial Nuclear Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bijan Najafi; Joglar-Biloch, Francisco; Kassawara, Robert P.; Khalil, Yehia

2002-01-01

Over the past decade, interest in performance-based fire protection has increased within the nuclear industry. In support of this growing interest, in 1997 the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) developed a long-range plan to develop/improve data and tools needed to support Risk-Informed/Performance-Based fire protection. This plan calls for continued improvement in collection and use of information obtained from fire events at nuclear plants. The data collection process has the objectives of improving the insights gained from such data and reducing the uncertainty in fire risk and fire modeling methods in order to make them a more reliable basis for performance based fire protection programs. In keeping with these objectives, EPRI continues to collect, review and analyze fire events in support of the nuclear industry. EPRI collects these records in cooperation with the Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL), by compiling public fire event reports and by direct solicitation of U.S. nuclear facilities. EPRI fire data collection project is based on the principle that the understanding of history is one of the cornerstones of improving fire protection technology and practice. Therefore, the goal has been to develop and maintain a comprehensive database of fire events with flexibility to support various aspects of fire protection engineering. With more than 1850 fire records over a period of three decades and 2400 reactor years, this is the most comprehensive database of nuclear power industry fire events in existence today. In general, the frequency of fires in the U.S. commercial nuclear industry remains constant. In few cases, e.g., transient fires and fires in BWR offgas/recombiner systems, where either increasing or decreasing trends are observed, these trends tend to slow after 1980. The key issues in improving quality of the data remain to be consistency of the recording and reporting of fire events and difficulties in collection of records. EPRI has

Quantitative theory of channeling particle diffusion in transverse energy in the presence of nuclear scattering and direct evaluation of dechanneling length

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tikhomirov, Victor V. [Belarusian State University, Institute for Nuclear Problems, Minsk (Belarus)

2017-07-15

A refined equation for channeling particle diffusion in transverse energy taking into consideration large-angle scattering by nuclei is suggested. This equation is reduced to the Sturm-Liouville problem, allowing one to reveal both the origin and the limitations of the dechanneling length notion. The values of the latter are evaluated for both positively and negatively charged particles of various energies. New features of the dechanneling dynamics of positively charged particles are also revealed. First, it is demonstrated that the dechanneling length notion is completely inapplicable for their nuclear dechanneling process. Second, the effective electron dechanneling length of positively charged particle varies more than twice converging to a constant asymptotic value only at the depth exceeding the latter. (orig.)

Development of wall thinning screening system and its application to a commercial nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Kyung Ha; Hwang, Il Soon; Kim, Ji Hyun

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Wall loss screening system (WalSS) has been developed based on ES-DCPD method. • Screening criteria was established based on the thinning of the actual shape that occur in the power plant. • With the criteria, the WalSS gives priority of the need for inspection. • This technique was successfully applied to commercial nuclear power plant. - Abstract: A new non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method has been developed for metal pipes for the detection wall thinning. The method has been showed to be suitable for applications to electric power generation plants where flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) of carbon steel piping is a significant cause of increased maintenance and plant personnel casualty. The wall thinning screening system (WalSS) was developed in two major phases. In the first phase, the equipotential switching direct current potential drop (ES-DCPD) method was developed for piping wall (Ryu et al., 2008a, 2010). In the second phase, in this paper, a quantitative detection criteria was developed. The relative ES-DCPD change of 3.8% has been defined as the screening criteria for wall thinning schematization. This criteria means that the component with measured ES-DCPD change greater than 3.8% is called for a more comprehensive examination. In the criteria development, all variables were taken into consideration based on commercial plant piping inspection data such as initial thickness distributions, wall thinning shape and nominal thickness. The developed WalSS based on ES-DCPD was applied to a moisture separator reheater (MSR) drain line of a commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) during a scheduled overhaul. The measured ES-DCPD change was 2.16%, which is lower than the ES-DCPD criteria, identifying the pipe having adequate wall thickness. This is confirmed by site thickness inspection using ultrasonic technique (UT)

Privatisation of the UK's nuclear power industry: nuclear's triple challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, W.R.I.

1997-01-01

At the British Nuclear Congress in December 1996, Lord Fraser of Caryllie, then UK energy minister, set out the three key issues the nuclear industry must tackle for a successful future: (1) increased competition from other energy sources, (2) a growing world market for its skills and (3) a continuing tough regulatory regime. Nuclear power, with electricity generated in the UK rising to 25%, has responded well to competition from other energy sources, and also to the further competition generated by privatisation which has already generated benefits for the public. As other countries with nuclear programmes diversify and upgrade their technology this will create new export opportunities for Britain over and above those already in existence, notably by BNFL in Japan. Other areas that Britain has to offer relate to safety improvements, notably in eastern Europe, and decommissioning, in which Magnox Electric is one of the few operators in the world with experience in decommissioning a full scale commercial reactor. The regulatory framework for the nuclear industry will continue to be as rigorous as ever, but, however the industry is structured, it should be noted that commercial success and continued safe operations are inextricably linked. The industry must operate within the framework of the development of international treaties and agreements in the nuclear field. The Government will continue to take a close interest in the safety, security and prosperity of the nuclear industry, and help Britain as a whole to be a successful and influential player in the international nuclear community. (UK)

Commercial satellite data as support to the additional protocol declarations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joensson, Camilla; Andersson, Christer

2001-01-01

Full text: Objectives - The overall objective of the project is to show how commercial satellite data can be used for safeguard purposes both at SKI and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Furthermore this project will support IAEA in its process to develop methods to make the best use of provided information such as digitised maps and satellite images. Finally it will give IAEA a case study of the usefulness of satellite data for change detection purposes. Background - The protocol calls among others for an extended/complete declaration of all nuclear fuel cycle-related research and development activities as well as sites where nuclear material is or was customarily used. The declaration shall include descriptions of all buildings at the sites as well as maps. In parallel to the development of the additional protocol IAEA has started to use a variety of measures/techniques both to verify that declarations are complete and correct but also to be able to come to the conclusion that a state has no undeclared nuclear material or undeclared nuclear activities. One such technique is the use of commercial satellite data. The IAEA is now in the process of evaluating the usefulness and effectiveness of such data for safeguard purposes. In order to come to a decision on how to use satellite data IAEA is highly dependant on support from member states which can provide results from case studies etc. Analysis - This project shall provide SKI with digitised maps and commercial satellite data by the means of GIS to verify the descriptions provided by two of the nuclear operators. Furthermore those digital data can be included in the declaration given to IAEA. The overall aim is to enhance the quality of the Swedish declaration including support to IAEA to develop methods to use commercial satellite data. Results - The paper will present experiences and mapping results made during the work. (author)

Sequencing and analysis of full-length cDNAs, 5'-ESTs and 3'-ESTs from a cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii).

KAUST Repository

Brenner, Sydney

2012-10-08

Cartilaginous fishes are the most ancient group of living jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) and are, therefore, an important reference group for understanding the evolution of vertebrates. The elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), a holocephalan cartilaginous fish, has been identified as a model cartilaginous fish genome because of its compact genome (∼910 Mb) and a genome project has been initiated to obtain its whole genome sequence. In this study, we have generated and sequenced full-length enriched cDNA libraries of the elephant shark using the \\'oligo-capping\\' method and Sanger sequencing. A total of 6,778 full-length protein-coding cDNA and 10,701 full-length noncoding cDNA were sequenced from six tissues (gills, intestine, kidney, liver, spleen, and testis) of the elephant shark. Analysis of their polyadenylation signals showed that polyadenylation usage in elephant shark is similar to that in mammals. Furthermore, both coding and noncoding transcripts of the elephant shark use the same proportion of canonical polyadenylation sites. Besides BLASTX searches, protein-coding transcripts were annotated by Gene Ontology, InterPro domain, and KEGG pathway analyses. By comparing elephant shark genes to bony vertebrate genes, we identified several ancient genes present in elephant shark but differentially lost in tetrapods or teleosts. Only ∼6% of elephant shark noncoding cDNA showed similarity to known noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). The rest are either highly divergent ncRNAs or novel ncRNAs. In addition to full-length transcripts, 30,375 5\\'-ESTs and 41,317 3\\'-ESTs were sequenced and annotated. The clones and transcripts generated in this study are valuable resources for annotating transcription start sites, exon-intron boundaries, and UTRs of genes in the elephant shark genome, and for the functional characterization of protein sequences. These resources will also be useful for annotating genes in other cartilaginous fishes whose genomes have been targeted for

Sequencing and analysis of full-length cDNAs, 5'-ESTs and 3'-ESTs from a cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii).

KAUST Repository

Brenner, Sydney; Kodzius, Rimantas; Tan, Yue Ying; Tay, Alice; Tay, Boon-Hui; Venkatesh, Byrappa

2012-01-01

Cartilaginous fishes are the most ancient group of living jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) and are, therefore, an important reference group for understanding the evolution of vertebrates. The elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), a holocephalan cartilaginous fish, has been identified as a model cartilaginous fish genome because of its compact genome (∼910 Mb) and a genome project has been initiated to obtain its whole genome sequence. In this study, we have generated and sequenced full-length enriched cDNA libraries of the elephant shark using the 'oligo-capping' method and Sanger sequencing. A total of 6,778 full-length protein-coding cDNA and 10,701 full-length noncoding cDNA were sequenced from six tissues (gills, intestine, kidney, liver, spleen, and testis) of the elephant shark. Analysis of their polyadenylation signals showed that polyadenylation usage in elephant shark is similar to that in mammals. Furthermore, both coding and noncoding transcripts of the elephant shark use the same proportion of canonical polyadenylation sites. Besides BLASTX searches, protein-coding transcripts were annotated by Gene Ontology, InterPro domain, and KEGG pathway analyses. By comparing elephant shark genes to bony vertebrate genes, we identified several ancient genes present in elephant shark but differentially lost in tetrapods or teleosts. Only ∼6% of elephant shark noncoding cDNA showed similarity to known noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). The rest are either highly divergent ncRNAs or novel ncRNAs. In addition to full-length transcripts, 30,375 5'-ESTs and 41,317 3'-ESTs were sequenced and annotated. The clones and transcripts generated in this study are valuable resources for annotating transcription start sites, exon-intron boundaries, and UTRs of genes in the elephant shark genome, and for the functional characterization of protein sequences. These resources will also be useful for annotating genes in other cartilaginous fishes whose genomes have been targeted for whole

Coulomb corrections to scattering length and effective radius

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mur, V.D.; Kudryavtsev, A.E.; Popov, V.S.

1983-01-01

The problem considered is extraction of the ''purely nuclear'' scattering length asub(s) (corresponding to the strong potential Vsub(s) at the Coulomb interaction switched off) from the Coulomb-nuclear scattering length asub(cs), which is an object of experimental measurement. The difference between asub(s) and asub(cs) is especially large if the potential Vsub(s) has a level (real or virtual) with an energy close to zero. For this case formulae are obtained relating the scattering lengths asub(s) and asub(cs), as well as the effective radii rsub(s) and rsub(cs). The results are extended to states with arbitrary angular momenta l. It is shown that the Coulomb correction is especially large for the coefficient with ksup(2l) in the expansion of the effective radius; in this case the correction contains a large logarithm ln(asub(B)/rsub(0)). The Coulomb renormalization of other terms in the effective radius espansion is of order (rsub(0)/asub(B)), where r 0 is the nuclear force radius, asub(B) is the Bohr radius. The obtained formulae are tried on a number of model potentials Vsub(s), used in nuclear physics

Full length articles published in BJOMS during 2010-11--an analysis by sub-specialty and study type.

Science.gov (United States)

Arakeri, Gururaj; Colbert, Serryth; Rosenbaum, Gavin; Brennan, Peter A

2012-12-01

Full length articles such as prospective and retrospective studies, case series, laboratory-based research and reviews form the majority of papers published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS). We were interested to evaluate the breakdown of these types of articles both by sub-specialty and the type of study as well as the proportion that are written by UK colleagues compared to overseas authors over a 2 year period (2010-11). A total of 191 full length articles across all sub-specialties of our discipline were published, with 107 papers (56%) coming from UK authors. There were proportionately more oncology papers arising from the UK than overseas (60 and 30% of total respectively) while the opposite was found for cleft/deformity studies (10% and 22%). There was only one laboratory-based study published from the UK compared with 27 papers from overseas. The number of quality papers being submitted to the Journal continues to increase, and the type of article being published between UK and overseas probably reflects different practices and case-loads amongst colleagues. The relatively few UK laboratory based studies published in BJOMS compared to overseas authors are most likely due to authors seeking the most prestigious journals possible for their work. Copyright © 2012 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle infectivity of HIV-1 full-length genome infectious molecular clones in a subtype C heterosexual transmission pair following high fidelity amplification and unbiased cloning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deymier, Martin J., E-mail: mdeymie@emory.edu [Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 (United States); Claiborne, Daniel T., E-mail: dclaibo@emory.edu [Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 (United States); Ende, Zachary, E-mail: zende@emory.edu [Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 (United States); Ratner, Hannah K., E-mail: hannah.ratner@emory.edu [Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 (United States); Kilembe, William, E-mail: wkilembe@rzhrg-mail.org [Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project (ZEHRP), B22/737 Mwembelelo, Emmasdale Post Net 412, P/BagE891, Lusaka (Zambia); Allen, Susan, E-mail: sallen5@emory.edu [Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project (ZEHRP), B22/737 Mwembelelo, Emmasdale Post Net 412, P/BagE891, Lusaka (Zambia); Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Hunter, Eric, E-mail: eric.hunter2@emory.edu [Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 (United States); Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2014-11-15

The high genetic diversity of HIV-1 impedes high throughput, large-scale sequencing and full-length genome cloning by common restriction enzyme based methods. Applying novel methods that employ a high-fidelity polymerase for amplification and an unbiased fusion-based cloning strategy, we have generated several HIV-1 full-length genome infectious molecular clones from an epidemiologically linked transmission pair. These clones represent the transmitted/founder virus and phylogenetically diverse non-transmitted variants from the chronically infected individual's diverse quasispecies near the time of transmission. We demonstrate that, using this approach, PCR-induced mutations in full-length clones derived from their cognate single genome amplicons are rare. Furthermore, all eight non-transmitted genomes tested produced functional virus with a range of infectivities, belying the previous assumption that a majority of circulating viruses in chronic HIV-1 infection are defective. Thus, these methods provide important tools to update protocols in molecular biology that can be universally applied to the study of human viral pathogens. - Highlights: • Our novel methodology demonstrates accurate amplification and cloning of full-length HIV-1 genomes. • A majority of plasma derived HIV variants from a chronically infected individual are infectious. • The transmitted/founder was more infectious than the majority of the variants from the chronically infected donor.

Particle infectivity of HIV-1 full-length genome infectious molecular clones in a subtype C heterosexual transmission pair following high fidelity amplification and unbiased cloning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deymier, Martin J.; Claiborne, Daniel T.; Ende, Zachary; Ratner, Hannah K.; Kilembe, William; Allen, Susan; Hunter, Eric

2014-01-01

The high genetic diversity of HIV-1 impedes high throughput, large-scale sequencing and full-length genome cloning by common restriction enzyme based methods. Applying novel methods that employ a high-fidelity polymerase for amplification and an unbiased fusion-based cloning strategy, we have generated several HIV-1 full-length genome infectious molecular clones from an epidemiologically linked transmission pair. These clones represent the transmitted/founder virus and phylogenetically diverse non-transmitted variants from the chronically infected individual's diverse quasispecies near the time of transmission. We demonstrate that, using this approach, PCR-induced mutations in full-length clones derived from their cognate single genome amplicons are rare. Furthermore, all eight non-transmitted genomes tested produced functional virus with a range of infectivities, belying the previous assumption that a majority of circulating viruses in chronic HIV-1 infection are defective. Thus, these methods provide important tools to update protocols in molecular biology that can be universally applied to the study of human viral pathogens. - Highlights: • Our novel methodology demonstrates accurate amplification and cloning of full-length HIV-1 genomes. • A majority of plasma derived HIV variants from a chronically infected individual are infectious. • The transmitted/founder was more infectious than the majority of the variants from the chronically infected donor

Inconsistencies of genome annotations in apicomplexan parasites revealed by 5'-end-one-pass and full-length sequences of oligo-capped cDNAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugano Sumio

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Apicomplexan parasites are causative agents of various diseases including malaria and have been targets of extensive genomic sequencing. We generated 5'-EST collections for six apicomplexa parasites using our full-length oligo-capping cDNA library method. To improve upon the current genome annotations, as well as to validate the importance for physical cDNA clone resources, we generated a large-scale collection of full-length cDNAs for several apicomplexa parasites. Results In this study, we used a total of 61,056 5'-end-single-pass cDNA sequences from Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. yoelii, P. berghei, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Toxoplasma gondii. We compared these partially sequenced cDNA sequences with the currently annotated gene models and observed significant inconsistencies between the two datasets. In particular, we found that on average 14% of the exons in the current gene models were not supported by any cDNA evidence, and that 16% of the current gene models may contain at least one mis-annotation and should be re-evaluated. We also identified a large number of transcripts that had been previously unidentified. For 732 cDNAs in T. gondii, the entire sequences were determined in order to evaluate the annotated gene models at the complete full-length transcript level. We found that 41% of the T. gondii gene models contained at least one inconsistency. We also identified and confirmed by RT-PCR 140 previously unidentified transcripts found in the intergenic regions of the current gene annotations. We show that the majority of these discrepancies are due to questionable predictions of one or two extra exons in the upstream or downstream regions of the genes. Conclusion Our data indicates that the current gene models are likely to still be incomplete and have much room for improvement. Our unique full-length cDNA information is especially useful for further refinement of the annotations for the genomes of

Full scale dynamic testing of Paks nuclear power plant structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Rin, E.M.

1995-01-01

This report refers to the full-scale dynamic structural testing activities that have been performed in December 1994 at the Paks (H) Nuclear Power Plant, within the framework of: the IAEA Coordinated research Programme 'Benchmark Study for the Seismic Analysis and Testing of WWER-type Nuclear Power Plants, and the nuclear research activities of ENEL-WR/YDN, the Italian National Electricity Board in Rome. The specific objective of the conducted investigation was to obtain valid data on the dynamic behaviour of the plant's major constructions, under normal operating conditions, for enabling an assessment of their actual seismic safety to be made. As described in more detail hereafter, the Paks NPP site has been subjected to low level earthquake like ground shaking, through appropriately devised underground explosions, and the dynamic response of the plant's 1 st reactor unit important structures was appropriately measured and digitally recorded. In-situ free field response was measured concurrently and, moreover, site-specific geophysical and seismological data were simultaneously acquired too. The above-said experimental data is to provide basic information on the geophysical and seismological characteristics of the Paks NPP site, together with useful reference information on the true dynamic characteristics of its main structures and give some indications on the actual dynamic soil-structure interaction effects for the case of low level excitation

A new equation of state for core-collapse supernovae based on realistic nuclear forces and including a full nuclear ensemble

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furusawa, S; Togashi, H; Nagakura, H; Sumiyoshi, K; Yamada, S; Suzuki, H; Takano, M

2017-01-01

We have constructed a nuclear equation of state (EOS) that includes a full nuclear ensemble for use in core-collapse supernova simulations. It is based on the EOS for uniform nuclear matter that two of the authors derived recently, applying a variational method to realistic two- and three-body nuclear forces. We have extended the liquid drop model of heavy nuclei, utilizing the mass formula that accounts for the dependences of bulk, surface, Coulomb and shell energies on density and/or temperature. As for light nuclei, we employ a quantum-theoretical mass evaluation, which incorporates the Pauli- and self-energy shifts. In addition to realistic nuclear forces, the inclusion of in-medium effects on the full ensemble of nuclei makes the new EOS one of the most realistic EOSs, which covers a wide range of density, temperature and proton fraction that supernova simulations normally encounter. We make comparisons with the FYSS EOS, which is based on the same formulation for the nuclear ensemble but adopts the relativistic mean field theory with the TM1 parameter set for uniform nuclear matter. The new EOS is softer than the FYSS EOS around and above nuclear saturation densities. We find that neutron-rich nuclei with small mass numbers are more abundant in the new EOS than in the FYSS EOS because of the larger saturation densities and smaller symmetry energy of nuclei in the former. We apply the two EOSs to 1D supernova simulations and find that the new EOS gives lower electron fractions and higher temperatures in the collapse phase owing to the smaller symmetry energy. As a result, the inner core has smaller masses for the new EOS. It is more compact, on the other hand, due to the softness of the new EOS and bounces at higher densities. It turns out that the shock wave generated by core bounce is a bit stronger initially in the simulation with the new EOS. The ensuing outward propagations of the shock wave in the outer core are very similar in the two simulations, which

A full scope nuclear power plant simulator for multiple reactor types with virtual control panels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yonezawa, Hisanori; Ueda, Hiroki; Kato, Takahisa

2017-01-01

This paper summarizes a full scope nuclear power plant simulator for multiple reactor types with virtual control panels which Toshiba developed and delivered. After the Fukushima DAIICHI nuclear power plants accident, it is required that all the people who are engaged in the design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance, management and regulation for the nuclear power plant should learn the wide and deep knowledge about the nuclear power plant design including the severe accident. For this purpose, the training with a full scope simulator is one of the most suitable ways. However the existing full scope simulators which are consist of the control panels replica of the referenced plants are costly and they are hard to remodel to fit to the real plant of the latest condition. That's why Toshiba developed and delivered the new concept simulator system which covers multiple referenced plants even though they have different design like BWR and PWR. The control panels of the simulator are made by combining 69 large Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels with touch screen instead of a control panel replica of referenced plant. The screen size of the each panel is 42 inches and 3 displays are arranged in tandem for one unit and 23 units are connected together. Each panel displays switches, indicators, recorders and lamps with the Computer Graphics (CG) and trainees operate them with touch operations. The simulator includes a BWR and a PWR simulator model, which enable trainees to learn the wide and deep knowledge about the nuclear power plant of BWR and PWR reactor types. (author)

Patient-Specific Instruments Based on Knee Joint Computed Tomography and Full-Length Lower Extremity Radiography in Total Knee Replacement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Tian

2018-01-01

Conclusions: The use of PSIs based on knee joint CT and standing full-length lower extremity radiography in TKR resulted in acceptable alignment compared with the use of conventional instruments, although the marginal advantage was not statistically different. Surgical time and clinical results were also similar between the two groups. However, the PSI group had less postoperative drainage.

Length-weight relationships, condition factors and relative weight of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to record the length-weight relationship parameters and condition factors for some commercially important fish of Bushehr coastal waters of Persian Gulf. The length-weight relationships were calculated for five species caught during fishing surveys using different types of fishing gears (trawls, pots ...

Strengthening IAEA safeguards using high-resolution commercial satellite imagery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hui

2001-01-01

Full text: In May 1997, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted the Additional Safeguards Protocol to improve its ability to detect the undeclared production of fissile material. This new strengthened safeguards system has opened the door for the IAEA to use of all types of information, including the potential use of commercial satellite imagery. We have therefore been investigating the feasibility of strengthening IAEA safeguards using commercial satellite imagery. Based on our analysis on a number of one-meter resolution IKONOS satellite images of military nuclear production facilities at nuclear states including Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Israel, we found that the new high-resolution commercial satellite imagery would play a new and valuable role in strengthening IAEA safeguards. Since 1999, images with a resolution of one meter have been available commercially from Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite. One-meter images from other companies are expected to enter the market soon. Although still an order of magnitude less capable than military imaging satellites, the capabilities of these new high-resolution commercial satellites are good enough to detect and identify the major visible characteristics of nuclear production facilities and sites. Unlike the classified spy satellite photos limited to few countries, the commercial satellite imagery is commercially available to anyone who wants to purchase it. Therefore, the new commercial satellite open a new chance that each state, international organizations, and non-governmental groups could use the commercial images to play a more proactive role in monitoring the nuclear activities in related countries and verifying the compliance of non-proliferation agreements. This could help galvanize support for intensified efforts to slow the pace of nuclear proliferation. To produce fissile materials (plutonium and highly enriched uranium) for weapons, a country would operate dedicated plutonium-production reactors and the

Commercial US nuclear reactors and waste: the current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Platt, A.M.; Robinson, J.V.

1980-09-01

Between March 1 and June 15, 1980, the declared size of the commercial light waste reactor (LWR) nuclear power industry in the US has decreased another 9 GWe. For the presently declared size: the 165 declared reactors will peak at a capacity of 153 GWe in 2001 and will consume about 870,000 MTU as enrichment feed; the theoretical rate of enrichment requirements will peak at about 19,000,000 SWUs/y in the year 2014; as few as two repositories each with capacity equivalent to 100,000 MTU would hold the waste; and predisposal storage reactor basins and AFRs (away-from-reactor basins) would peak at <85,000 MTU in the year 2020 if the two respositories were commissioned in the years 1997 and 2020. It should be noted that the number of declared LWRs has dropped from 226 on December 31, 1974 to 165 as of this writing. The oil equivalent of the energy loss, assuming a 50% efficiency in use as in cars, is 17,000 million barrels. This is about 10 years of the current rate of US consumption of OPEC oil

Commercial US nuclear reactors and waste: the current status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platt, A.M.; Robinson, J.V.

1980-09-01

Between March 1 and June 15, 1980, the declared size of the commercial light waste reactor (LWR) nuclear power industry in the US has decreased another 9 GWe. For the presently declared size: the 165 declared reactors will peak at a capacity of 153 GWe in 2001 and will consume about 870,000 MTU as enrichment feed; the theoretical rate of enrichment requirements will peak at about 19,000,000 SWUs/y in the year 2014; as few as two repositories each with capacity equivalent to 100,000 MTU would hold the waste; and predisposal storage reactor basins and AFRs (away-from-reactor basins) would peak at <85,000 MTU in the year 2020 if the two respositories were commissioned in the years 1997 and 2020. It should be noted that the number of declared LWRs has dropped from 226 on December 31, 1974 to 165 as of this writing. The oil equivalent of the energy loss, assuming a 50% efficiency in use as in cars, is 17,000 million barrels. This is about 10 years of the current rate of US consumption of OPEC oil.

An RNA-Seq strategy to detect the complete coding and non-coding transcriptome including full-length imprinted macro ncRNAs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ru Huang

Full Text Available Imprinted macro non-protein-coding (nc RNAs are cis-repressor transcripts that silence multiple genes in at least three imprinted gene clusters in the mouse genome. Similar macro or long ncRNAs are abundant in the mammalian genome. Here we present the full coding and non-coding transcriptome of two mouse tissues: differentiated ES cells and fetal head using an optimized RNA-Seq strategy. The data produced is highly reproducible in different sequencing locations and is able to detect the full length of imprinted macro ncRNAs such as Airn and Kcnq1ot1, whose length ranges between 80-118 kb. Transcripts show a more uniform read coverage when RNA is fragmented with RNA hydrolysis compared with cDNA fragmentation by shearing. Irrespective of the fragmentation method, all coding and non-coding transcripts longer than 8 kb show a gradual loss of sequencing tags towards the 3' end. Comparisons to published RNA-Seq datasets show that the strategy presented here is more efficient in detecting known functional imprinted macro ncRNAs and also indicate that standardization of RNA preparation protocols would increase the comparability of the transcriptome between different RNA-Seq datasets.

An integrated PCR colony hybridization approach to screen cDNA libraries for full-length coding sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollier, Jacob; González-Guzmán, Miguel; Ardiles-Diaz, Wilson; Geelen, Danny; Goossens, Alain

2011-01-01

cDNA-Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) is a commonly used technique for genome-wide expression analysis that does not require prior sequence knowledge. Typically, quantitative expression data and sequence information are obtained for a large number of differentially expressed gene tags. However, most of the gene tags do not correspond to full-length (FL) coding sequences, which is a prerequisite for subsequent functional analysis. A medium-throughput screening strategy, based on integration of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and colony hybridization, was developed that allows in parallel screening of a cDNA library for FL clones corresponding to incomplete cDNAs. The method was applied to screen for the FL open reading frames of a selection of 163 cDNA-AFLP tags from three different medicinal plants, leading to the identification of 109 (67%) FL clones. Furthermore, the protocol allows for the use of multiple probes in a single hybridization event, thus significantly increasing the throughput when screening for rare transcripts. The presented strategy offers an efficient method for the conversion of incomplete expressed sequence tags (ESTs), such as cDNA-AFLP tags, to FL-coding sequences.

Millimeter length micromachining using a heavy ion nuclear microprobe with standard magnetic scanning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesprías, F.; Debray, M.E.; Davidson, J.; Kreiner, A.J.

2013-01-01

In order to increase the scanning length of our microprobe, we have developed an irradiation procedure suitable for use in any nuclear microprobe, extending at least up to 400% the length of our heavy ion direct writing facility using standard magnetic exploration. Although this method is limited to patterns of a few millimeters in only one direction, it is useful for the manufacture of curved waveguides, optical devices such Mach–Zehnder modulators, directional couplers as well as channels for micro-fluidic applications. As an example, this technique was applied to the fabrication of 3 mm 3D-Mach–Zehnder modulators in lithium niobate with short Y input/output branches and long shaped parallel-capacitor control electrodes. To extend and improve the quality of the machined structures we developed new scanning control software in LabView™ platform. The new code supports an external dose normalization, electrostatic beam blanking and is capable of scanning figures at 16 bit resolution using a National Instruments™ PCI-6731 High-Speed I/O card. A deep and vertical micromachining process using swift 35 Cl ions 70 MeV bombarding energy and direct write patterning was performed on LiNbO 3 , a material which exhibits a strong natural anisotropy to conventional etching. The micromachined structures show the feasibility of this method for manufacturing micro-fluidic channels as well

Millimeter length micromachining using a heavy ion nuclear microprobe with standard magnetic scanning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nesprías, F. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral Paz 1499 (1650), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Debray, M.E., E-mail: debray@tandar.cnea.gov.ar [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral Paz 1499 (1650), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Gral. San Martín, M. De Irigoyen 3100 (1650), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Davidson, J. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral Paz 1499 (1650), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); CONICET, Avda. Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Kreiner, A.J. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral Paz 1499 (1650), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Gral. San Martín, M. De Irigoyen 3100 (1650), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); CONICET, Avda. Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina); and others

2013-04-01

In order to increase the scanning length of our microprobe, we have developed an irradiation procedure suitable for use in any nuclear microprobe, extending at least up to 400% the length of our heavy ion direct writing facility using standard magnetic exploration. Although this method is limited to patterns of a few millimeters in only one direction, it is useful for the manufacture of curved waveguides, optical devices such Mach–Zehnder modulators, directional couplers as well as channels for micro-fluidic applications. As an example, this technique was applied to the fabrication of 3 mm 3D-Mach–Zehnder modulators in lithium niobate with short Y input/output branches and long shaped parallel-capacitor control electrodes. To extend and improve the quality of the machined structures we developed new scanning control software in LabView™ platform. The new code supports an external dose normalization, electrostatic beam blanking and is capable of scanning figures at 16 bit resolution using a National Instruments™ PCI-6731 High-Speed I/O card. A deep and vertical micromachining process using swift {sup 35}Cl ions 70 MeV bombarding energy and direct write patterning was performed on LiNbO{sub 3}, a material which exhibits a strong natural anisotropy to conventional etching. The micromachined structures show the feasibility of this method for manufacturing micro-fluidic channels as well.

Nuclear operations summary Engineering organization for Plowshare nuclear operations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broadman, Gene A [Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA (United States)

1970-05-15

The availability of nuclear explosives for peaceful projects has given the engineer a new dimension in his thinking. He can now seek methods of adapting Plowshare to a variety of industrial applications. The full potential of the Plowshare Program can only be attained when industry begins to use nuclear explosives on a regular basis, for economically sound projects. It is the purpose of this paper to help the engineer familiarize himself with Plowshare technology to hasten the day when 'Plowsharee goes commercial'. An engineering project utilizing nuclear exposives ordinarily involves three main phases: Phase I (a) The theoretical and empirical analysis of effects. (b) Projected economic and/or scientific evaluation. (c) A safety analysis. Phase II (a) Field construction. (b) Safe detonation of the nuclear explosive. (c) Data acquisition. Phase III The evaluation and/or exploitation of the results. This paper will be restricted to Phase II, referred to collectively as the 'nuclear operation'.

Pre-Steady-State Kinetic Analysis of Truncated and Full-Length Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA Polymerase Eta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica A. Brown

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Understanding polymerase fidelity is an important objective towards ascertaining the overall stability of an organism's genome. Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase η (yPolη, a Y-family DNA polymerase, is known to efficiently bypass DNA lesions (e.g., pyrimidine dimers in vivo. Using pre-steady-state kinetic methods, we examined both full-length and a truncated version of yPolη which contains only the polymerase domain. In the absence of yPolη's C-terminal residues 514–632, the DNA binding affinity was weakened by 2-fold and the base substitution fidelity dropped by 3-fold. Thus, the C-terminus of yPolη may interact with DNA and slightly alter the conformation of the polymerase domain during catalysis. In general, yPolη discriminated between a correct and incorrect nucleotide more during the incorporation step (50-fold on average than the ground-state binding step (18-fold on average. Blunt-end additions of dATP or pyrene nucleotide 5′-triphosphate revealed the importance of base stacking during the binding of incorrect incoming nucleotides.

A new set of ESTs and cDNA clones from full-length and normalized libraries for gene discovery and functional characterization in citrus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alamar Santiago

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Interpretation of ever-increasing raw sequence information generated by modern genome sequencing technologies faces multiple challenges, such as gene function analysis and genome annotation. Indeed, nearly 40% of genes in plants encode proteins of unknown function. Functional characterization of these genes is one of the main challenges in modern biology. In this regard, the availability of full-length cDNA clones may fill in the gap created between sequence information and biological knowledge. Full-length cDNA clones facilitate functional analysis of the corresponding genes enabling manipulation of their expression in heterologous systems and the generation of a variety of tagged versions of the native protein. In addition, the development of full-length cDNA sequences has the power to improve the quality of genome annotation. Results We developed an integrated method to generate a new normalized EST collection enriched in full-length and rare transcripts of different citrus species from multiple tissues and developmental stages. We constructed a total of 15 cDNA libraries, from which we isolated 10,898 high-quality ESTs representing 6142 different genes. Percentages of redundancy and proportion of full-length clones range from 8 to 33, and 67 to 85, respectively, indicating good efficiency of the approach employed. The new EST collection adds 2113 new citrus ESTs, representing 1831 unigenes, to the collection of citrus genes available in the public databases. To facilitate functional analysis, cDNAs were introduced in a Gateway-based cloning vector for high-throughput functional analysis of genes in planta. Herein, we describe the technical methods used in the library construction, sequence analysis of clones and the overexpression of CitrSEP, a citrus homolog to the Arabidopsis SEP3 gene, in Arabidopsis as an example of a practical application of the engineered Gateway vector for functional analysis. Conclusion The new

Carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic fingerprinting of commercial gasoline: pattern-recognition analyses for screening quality control purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Flumignan, Danilo Luiz; Boralle, Nivaldo; Oliveira, José Eduardo de

2010-06-30

In this work, the combination of carbon nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C NMR) fingerprinting with pattern-recognition analyses provides an original and alternative approach to screening commercial gasoline quality. Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) was performed on spectroscopic fingerprints to classify representative commercial gasoline samples, which were selected by Hierarchical Cluster Analyses (HCA) over several months in retails services of gas stations, into previously quality-defined classes. Following optimized (13)C NMR-SIMCA algorithm, sensitivity values were obtained in the training set (99.0%), with leave-one-out cross-validation, and external prediction set (92.0%). Governmental laboratories could employ this method as a rapid screening analysis to discourage adulteration practices. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Full-scale impact test data for tornado-missile design of nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephenson, A.E.; Sliter, G.E.

1977-01-01

It is standard practice to consider the effects of low-probability impacts of tornado-borne debris (''tornado missiles'' such as utility poles and steel pipes) in the structural design of nuclear power plants in the United States. To provide data that can be used directly in the design procedure, a series of full-scale tornado-missile impact tests was performed. This paper is a brief summary of the results and conclusions from these tests. The tests consisted of reinforced concrete panels impacted by poles, pipes, and rods propelled by a rocket sled. The panels were constructed to current minimum standards and had thicknesses typical of auxiliary buildings of nuclear power plants. A specific objective was the determination of the impact velocities below which the panels do not experience backface scabbing. Another objective was to assess the adequacy of (1) conventional design formulae for penetration and scabbing and (2) conventional design methods for overall structural response. Test missiles and velocities represented those in current design standards. Missiles included utility poles, steel pipes, and steel bars. It is important to interpret the data in this paper in recognition that the test conditions represent conservative assumptions regarding maximum wind speeds, injection of the missile into the wind stream, aerodynamic trajectory, and orientation of missile at impact. Even with the severe assumptions made, the full-scale tests described demonstrate the ability of prototypical nuclear plant walls and roofs to provide adequate protection against postulated tornado-missile impact

Summary of neutron scattering lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koester, L.

1981-12-01

All available neutron-nuclei scattering lengths are collected together with their error bars in a uniform way. Bound scattering lengths are given for the elements, the isotopes, and the various spin-states. They are discussed in the sense of their use as basic parameters for many investigations in the field of nuclear and solid state physics. The data bank is available on magnetic tape, too. Recommended values and a map of these data serve for an uncomplicated use of these quantities. (orig.)

Commercialization Of Orchid Mutants For Floriculture Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakinah Ariffin; Zaiton Ahmad

2014-01-01

Orchids are the main contributors to cut flower industry in Malaysia with an existing good market and a huge business potential. Orchid industry has been established in Malaysia since 1960s but only started to develop and expand since 1980s. Continuous development of new orchid varieties is essential to meet customers' demands. Orchid mutagenesis research using gamma irradiation at Malaysian Nuclear Agency has successfully generated a number of new orchid varieties with commercial potentials. Therefore, Nuclear Malaysia has collaborated with an industrial partner, Hexagon Green Sdn Bhd (HGSB), to carry out commercialization research on these mutants under a Technofund project entitled 'Pre-Commercialization of Mutant Orchids for Cut Flowers Industry' from July 2011 to July 2014. Through this collaboration, Dendrobium orchid mutant plants developed by Nuclear Malaysia were transferred to HGSB's commercial orchid nursery at Bukit Changgang Agrotechnology Park, Banting, Selangor, for mass-propagation. The activities include evaluations on plant growth performance, flower quality, post harvest and market potential of these mutants. Mutants with good field performance have been identified and filed for Plant Variety Protection (PVP) with Department of Agriculture Malaysia. This paper describes outputs from this collaboration and activities undertaken in commercializing these mutants. (author)

Characterization of near full-length genomes of HIV type 1 strains in Denmark: Basis for a universal therapeutic vaccine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Betina S.; Vinner, Lasse; Tang, Sheila Tuyet

2007-01-01

We report here the near full-length sequence characterization of 17 Danish clinical HIV-1 strains isolated from HLA-A02 patients not in need of ART, with relatively low viral loads and normal CD4 cell counts. Sequencing was performed directly on DNA extracted from short-term cocultures of PBMCs...... of a universal immunotherapeutic vaccine construct based on these epitopes....

Enforced standards of competence, full disclosure, and public control for the U.S. Nuclear Power Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, L.D.

1976-01-01

Some of the past faults of the nuclear power industry to properly inform the public concerning the risks and benefits of nuclear power or to seek the advice and consent of the public or their elected representatives concerning the matters of nuclear policy are pointed out. Some related problems concerning how to ensure that information which the public needs for evaluation of nuclear energy is disclosed publicly and how the will of this informed public should influence the construction of nuclear power plants are discussed. The facts of the case, In the Matter of Virginia Electric and Power Company (''North Anna Decision'') which was significant for its innovation in nuclear regulatory law, are set forth; and the holdings of law from the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board's (ASLB) of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) decision in the case are reviewed. A brief discussion of the benefits and risks which the nuclear power industry presents for Americans and their environment is included. Certain dangerous tendencies of the nuclear industry as a whole are examined. The specific issue of disclosure of information by the nuclear industry to the NRC is examined in order to make clear the imperative necessity for full disclosure. Problems related to disclosure to the public by the nuclear power industry and by NRC are examined. The article takes the stand, after a discussion of the public hearings which the NRC conducts concerning nuclear power plant construction and operating licenses, that these public hearings do not now adequately serve to inform and consult the public, and that NRC hearing requirements should be modified by Congress. On the premise that full disclosure is important, consideration is given to how both existing and recommended disclosure requirements can be enforced. Finally, governmental mechanisms by which the American people can gain significant control over the siting and construction of nuclear power plants are discussed

Safety goals for commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roe, J.W.

1988-01-01

In its official policy statement on safety goals for the operation of nuclear power plants, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) set two qualitative goals, supported by two quantitative objectives. These goals are that (1) individual members of the public should be provided a level of protection from the consequences of nuclear power plant operation such that individuals bear no significant additional risk to life and health; and (2) societal risks to life and health from nuclear power plant operation should be comparable to or less than the risks of generating electricity by viable competing technologies and should not be a significant addition to other societal risks. As an alternative, this study proposes four quantitative safety goals for nuclear power plants. It begins with an analysis of the NRC's safety-goal development process, a key portion of which was devoted to delineating criteria for evaluating goal-development methods. Based on this analysis, recommendations for revision of the NRC's basic benchmarks for goal development are proposed. Using the revised criteria, NRC safety goals are evaluated, and the alternative safety goals are proposed. To further support these recommendations, both the NRC's goals and the proposed goals are compared with the results of three major probabilistic risk assessment studies. Finally, the potential impact of these recommendations on nuclear safety is described

A survey of low-level radioactive waste treatment methods and problem areas associated with commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolley, R.L.; Rodgers, B.R.

1987-01-01

A survey was made (June 1985) of technologies that were currently being used, those that had been discontinued, and those that were under consideration for treatment of low-level radioactive waste from the commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. The survey results included information concerning problems areas, areas needing research and development, and the use of mobile treatment facilities

Ningyo Toge uranium enrichment pilot plant comes into full

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

The uranium enrichment pilot plant of the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation at Ningyo Toge went into full operation on March 26, 1982. This signifies that the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle in Japan, from uranium ore to enrichment, is only a step away from commercialization. On the same day, the pilot plant of uranium processing and conversion to UF 6 , the direct purification of uranium ore into uranium hexafluoride, began batch operation at the same works. The construction of the uranium enrichment pilot plant has been advanced in three stages: i.e. OP-1A with 1000 centrifuges, OP-1B with 3000 centrifuges and OP-2 with 3000 centrifuges. With a total of 7000 centrifuges, the pilot plant, the first enrichment plant in Japan, has now a capacity of supplying enriched uranium for six months operation of a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant. (J.P.N.)

Occupational Radiation Exposure at Commercial Nuclear Power Reactors and Other Facilities 2010, Prepared for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, May 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. E. Lewis D. A. Hagemeyer Y. U. McCormick

2012-07-07

This report summarizes the occupational exposure data that are maintained in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System (REIRS). The bulk of the information contained in the report was compiled from the 2010 annual reports submitted by five of the seven categories of NRC licensees subject to the reporting requirements of 10 CFR 20.2206. Because there are no geologic repositories for high-level waste currently licensed and no NRC-licensed low-level waste disposal facilities currently in operation, only five categories will be considered in this report. The annual reports submitted by these licensees consist of radiation exposure records for each monitored individual. These records are analyzed for trends and presented in this report in terms of collective dose and the distribution of dose among the monitored individuals. Annual reports for 2010 were received from a total of 190 NRC licensees. The summation of reports submitted by the 190 licensees indicated that 192,424 individuals were monitored, 81,961 of whom received a measurable dose. When adjusted for transient workers who worked at more than one licensee during the year, there were actually 142,471 monitored individuals and 62,782 who received a measurable dose. The collective dose incurred by these individuals was 10,617 person-rem, which represents a 12% decrease from the 2009 value. This decrease was primarily due to the decrease in collective dose at commercial nuclear power reactors, as well as a decrease in the collective dose for most of the other categories of NRC licensees. The number of individuals receiving a measurable dose also decreased, resulting in an average measurable dose of 0.13 rem for 2010. The average measurable dose is defined as the total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) divided by the number of individuals receiving a measurable dose. In calendar year 2010, the average annual collective dose per reactor for light water reactor

Some thoughts on the commercial use of reactors in space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buden, D.; Lee, J.

1986-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the major regulatory issues associated with commercialization of space nuclear power. Currently, space reactors are government-owned and approved through the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel (INSRP) and the President while commercial reactors are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The commercial use of reactors in space will open a new regime of regulation; that is public intervenors could enter the space licensing process for the first time. The major issue is responsibility for licensing and operations, but related considerations involve controlling special nuclear materials from aborted launches or abandoned platforms, determining final shutdown and disposal tactics, and solving new design issues such as the need for longer life of space reactor power plants

Binding site analysis of full-length α1a adrenergic receptor using homology modeling and molecular docking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedretti, Alessandro; Elena Silva, Maria; Villa, Luigi; Vistoli, Giulio

2004-01-01

The recent availability of crystal structure of bovine rhodopsin offers new opportunities in order to approach the construction of G protein coupled receptors. This study focuses the attention on the modeling of full-length α 1a adrenergic receptor (α 1a -AR) due to its biological role and significant implications in pharmacological treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia. This work could be considered made up by two main steps: (a) the construction of full structure of α 1a -AR, through homology modeling methods; (b) the automated docking of an endogenous agonist, norepinephrine, and of an antagonist, WB-4101, using BioDock program. The obtained results highlight the key residues involved in binding sites of both agonists and antagonists, confirming the mutagenesis data and giving new suggestions for the rational design of selective ligands

Rational Design of High-Number dsDNA Fragments Based on Thermodynamics for the Construction of Full-Length Genes in a Single Reaction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhagyashree S Birla

Full Text Available Gene synthesis is frequently used in modern molecular biology research either to create novel genes or to obtain natural genes when the synthesis approach is more flexible and reliable than cloning. DNA chemical synthesis has limits on both its length and yield, thus full-length genes have to be hierarchically constructed from synthesized DNA fragments. Gibson Assembly and its derivatives are the simplest methods to assemble multiple double-stranded DNA fragments. Currently, up to 12 dsDNA fragments can be assembled at once with Gibson Assembly according to its vendor. In practice, the number of dsDNA fragments that can be assembled in a single reaction are much lower. We have developed a rational design method for gene construction that allows high-number dsDNA fragments to be assembled into full-length genes in a single reaction. Using this new design method and a modified version of the Gibson Assembly protocol, we have assembled 3 different genes from up to 45 dsDNA fragments at once. Our design method uses the thermodynamic analysis software Picky that identifies all unique junctions in a gene where consecutive DNA fragments are specifically made to connect to each other. Our novel method is generally applicable to most gene sequences, and can improve both the efficiency and cost of gene assembly.

VP1u phospholipase activity is critical for infectivity of full-length parvovirus B19 genomic clones

OpenAIRE

Filippone, Claudia; Zhi, Ning; Wong, Susan; Lu, Jun; Kajigaya, Sachiko; Gallinella, Giorgio; Kakkola, Laura; Söderlund-Venermo, Maria; Young, Neal S.; Brown, Kevin E.

2008-01-01

Three full-length genomic clones (pB19-M20, pB19-FL and pB19-HG1) of parvovirus B19 were produced in different laboratories. pB19-M20 was shown to produce infectious virus. To determine the differences in infectivity, all three plasmids were tested by transfection and infection assays. All three clones were similar in viral DNA replication, RNA transcription, and viral capsid protein production. However, only pB19-M20 and pB19-HG1 produced infectious virus. Comparison of viral sequences showe...

International nuclear commerce: structure, trends and proliferation potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lodgaard, S.

1977-01-01

In recent years a surge has taken place in international nuclear commerce and this paper analyses the new patterns that have emerged. Despite uncertainties in nuclear energy forecasting the market is huge. Projections for the industry for the period 1971-1985 estimate a worldwide investment of 250 billion dollars. Following an initial decade of cooperation, 1955-1965, the superpower monopoly has become eroded. The export market for power reactors is analysed and the growth and spread of reprocessing facilities is discussed. It is pointed out that while commercial scale reprocessing requires vast and complex chemical plant, reprocessing small amounts for bomb production may be done relatively simply. Enrichment capabilities are also becoming more generally available. The market is not only expanding, but becoming multipolar and diversified, and the entire fuel cycle is now involved. The cooperation network France - W. Germany - South Africa- Iran is discussed at some length. The role of international safeguards is also treated fairly extensively, leading to a discussion of the motives and paths in the acquisition of nuclear weapons. It is concluded that little is to be gained from the London talks on safeguard measures and commercial restraint and that the root causes of proliferation should be tackled by comprehensive disarmament schemes. (JIW)

Risk perception as it applies to nuclear power and nuclear waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprecher, W.M.

1988-01-01

Disparate perceptions of risk have emerged as one of the critical issues confronting the future of commercial nuclear power. This paper explores the origins and possible ramifications of the public's perception of risks associated with commercial nuclear power and related high-level nuclear waste disposal programs. This paper summarizes the results of numerous psychometric studies and public opinion polls that analyze the relationship of risk to nuclear power and waste management

Mission to Mars by catalyzed nuclear reactions of the commercialized cold fusion power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Tae Ho

2016-01-01

The chemical compound source is deficient to reach to the power as much as the journey to Mars, unless the massive equipment is installed like the nuclear fusion reactor. However, there is very significant limitations of making up the facility due to the propellant power. Therefore, the light and cheap energy source, Low energy nuclear reactions (LENRs), powered rocket has been proposed. In this paper, the power conditions by LENRs are analyzed. After the successful Apollo mission to Moon of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the U.S. government, the civilian companies have proposed for the manned mission to Mars for the commercial journey purposes. The nuclear power has been a critical issue for the energy source in the travel, especially, by the LENR of LENUCO, Champaign, USA. As the velocity of the rocket increases, the mass flow rate decreases. It could be imaginable to take the reasonable velocity of spacecraft. The energy of the travel system is and will be created for the better one in economical and safe method. There is the imagination of boarding pass for spacecraft ticket shows the selected companies of cold fusion products. In order to solve the limitations of the conventional power sources like the chemical and solar energies, it is reasonable to design LENR concept. Since the economical and safe spacecraft is very important in the long journey on and beyond the Mars orbit, a new energy source, LENR, should be studied much more

Mission to Mars by catalyzed nuclear reactions of the commercialized cold fusion power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woo, Tae Ho [Yonsei University, Wonju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The chemical compound source is deficient to reach to the power as much as the journey to Mars, unless the massive equipment is installed like the nuclear fusion reactor. However, there is very significant limitations of making up the facility due to the propellant power. Therefore, the light and cheap energy source, Low energy nuclear reactions (LENRs), powered rocket has been proposed. In this paper, the power conditions by LENRs are analyzed. After the successful Apollo mission to Moon of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the U.S. government, the civilian companies have proposed for the manned mission to Mars for the commercial journey purposes. The nuclear power has been a critical issue for the energy source in the travel, especially, by the LENR of LENUCO, Champaign, USA. As the velocity of the rocket increases, the mass flow rate decreases. It could be imaginable to take the reasonable velocity of spacecraft. The energy of the travel system is and will be created for the better one in economical and safe method. There is the imagination of boarding pass for spacecraft ticket shows the selected companies of cold fusion products. In order to solve the limitations of the conventional power sources like the chemical and solar energies, it is reasonable to design LENR concept. Since the economical and safe spacecraft is very important in the long journey on and beyond the Mars orbit, a new energy source, LENR, should be studied much more.

Differing Efficacies of Lead Group A Streptococcal Vaccine Candidates and Full-Length M Protein in Cutaneous and Invasive Disease Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tania Rivera-Hernandez

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Group A Streptococcus (GAS is an important human pathogen responsible for both superficial infections and invasive diseases. Autoimmune sequelae may occur upon repeated infection. For this reason, development of a vaccine against GAS represents a major challenge, since certain GAS components may trigger autoimmunity. We formulated three combination vaccines containing the following: (i streptolysin O (SLO, interleukin 8 (IL-8 protease (Streptococcus pyogenes cell envelope proteinase [SpyCEP], group A streptococcal C5a peptidase (SCPA, arginine deiminase (ADI, and trigger factor (TF; (ii the conserved M-protein-derived J8 peptide conjugated to ADI; and (iii group A carbohydrate lacking the N-acetylglucosamine side chain conjugated to ADI. We compared these combination vaccines to a “gold standard” for immunogenicity, full-length M1 protein. Vaccines were adjuvanted with alum, and mice were immunized on days 0, 21, and 28. On day 42, mice were challenged via cutaneous or subcutaneous routes. High-titer antigen-specific antibody responses with bactericidal activity were detected in mouse serum samples for all vaccine candidates. In comparison with sham-immunized mice, all vaccines afforded protection against cutaneous challenge. However, only full-length M1 protein provided protection in the subcutaneous invasive disease model.

Utilization of a full-scope simulation for training the operating personel of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathias, S.G.

1987-01-01

A full-scope simulator of the Angra-2 Nuclear Power Plant has been installed at the NUCLEBRAS Training Center in Mambucaba - close to the site where that Plant is being built -, the goal of providing training for the operating personnel of the KWU-design nuclear power plants to be installed in Brazil. Due to the delays which occurred in the construction of Angra-2, NUCLEBRAS has established an extensive program for the utilization of the simulator for the training of operators for German nuclear power plants and for Spain's Trillo Plant. Besides yielding profits to NUCLEBRAS, that program is resulting in considerable experience in the area of nuclear power plant operators' training generating international recognition to the NUCLEBRAS Training Center. (Author) [pt

A new set of ESTs and cDNA clones from full-length and normalized libraries for gene discovery and functional characterization in citrus

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, M Carmen; Alonso-Cantabrana, Hugo; Forment, Javier; Arribas, Raquel; Alamar, Santiago; Conejero, Vicente; Perez-Amador, Miguel A

2009-01-01

Background Interpretation of ever-increasing raw sequence information generated by modern genome sequencing technologies faces multiple challenges, such as gene function analysis and genome annotation. Indeed, nearly 40% of genes in plants encode proteins of unknown function. Functional characterization of these genes is one of the main challenges in modern biology. In this regard, the availability of full-length cDNA clones may fill in the gap created between sequence information and biological knowledge. Full-length cDNA clones facilitate functional analysis of the corresponding genes enabling manipulation of their expression in heterologous systems and the generation of a variety of tagged versions of the native protein. In addition, the development of full-length cDNA sequences has the power to improve the quality of genome annotation. Results We developed an integrated method to generate a new normalized EST collection enriched in full-length and rare transcripts of different citrus species from multiple tissues and developmental stages. We constructed a total of 15 cDNA libraries, from which we isolated 10,898 high-quality ESTs representing 6142 different genes. Percentages of redundancy and proportion of full-length clones range from 8 to 33, and 67 to 85, respectively, indicating good efficiency of the approach employed. The new EST collection adds 2113 new citrus ESTs, representing 1831 unigenes, to the collection of citrus genes available in the public databases. To facilitate functional analysis, cDNAs were introduced in a Gateway-based cloning vector for high-throughput functional analysis of genes in planta. Herein, we describe the technical methods used in the library construction, sequence analysis of clones and the overexpression of CitrSEP, a citrus homolog to the Arabidopsis SEP3 gene, in Arabidopsis as an example of a practical application of the engineered Gateway vector for functional analysis. Conclusion The new EST collection denotes an

Control room habitability survey of licensed commercial nuclear power generating stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Driscoll, J.W.

1988-10-01

This document presents the results of a survey of control room habitability systems at twelve commercial nuclear generating stations. The survey, conducted by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), is part of an NRC program initiated in response to concerns and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS). The major conclusion of the report is that the numerous types of potentially significant discrepancies found among the surveyed plants may be indicative of similar discrepancies throughout the industry. The report provides plant-specific and generalized findings regarding safety functions with respect to the consistency of the design, construction, operation and testing of control room habitability systems and corresponding Technical Specifications compared with descriptions provided in the license basis documentation including assumptions in the operator toxic gas concentration and radiation dose calculations. Calculations of operator toxic gas concentrations and radiation doses were provided in the license basis documentation and were not performed by the ANL survey team. Recommendation for improvements are provided in the report

EXPRESSION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FULL-LENGTH HUMAN HEME OXYGENASE-1: PRESENCE OF INTACT MEMBRANE-BINDING REGION LEADS TO INCREASED BINDING AFFINITY FOR NADPH-CYTOCHROME P450 REDUCTASE

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Warren J.; Backes, Wayne L.

2009-01-01

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the chief regulatory enzyme in the oxidative degradation of heme to biliverdin. In the process of heme degradation, this NADPH and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR)-dependent oxidation of heme also releases free iron and carbon monoxide. Much of the recent research involving heme oxygenase is done using a 30-kDa soluble form of the enzyme, which lacks the membrane binding region (C-terminal 23 amino acids). The goal of this study was to express and purify a full-length human HO-1 (hHO-1) protein; however, due to the lability of the full-length form, a rapid purification procedure was required. This was accomplished by use of a GST-tagged hHO-1 construct. Although the procedure permitted the generation of a full-length HO-1, this form was contaminated with a 30-kDa degradation product that could not be eliminated. Therefore, we attempted to remove a putative secondary thrombin cleavage site by a conservative mutation of amino acid 254, which replaces lysine with arginine. This mutation allowed the expression and purification of a full length hHO-1 protein. Unlike wild-type HO-1, the K254R mutant could be purified to a single 32-kDa protein capable of degrading heme at the same rate as the wild-type enzyme. The K254R full-length form had a specific activity of ~200–225 nmol bilirubin hr−1nmol−1 HO-1 as compared to ~140–150 nmol bilirubin hr−1nmol−1 for the WT form, which contains the 30-kDa contaminant. This is a 2–3-fold increase from the previously reported soluble 30-kDa HO-1, suggesting that the C-terminal 23 amino acids are essential for maximal catalytic activity. Because the membrane spanning domain is present, the full-length hHO-1 has the potential to incorporate into phospholipid membranes, which can be reconstituted at known concentrations, in combination with other ER-resident enzymes. PMID:17915953

Construction of a normalized full-length cDNA library of cephalopod Amphioctopus fangsiao and development of microsatellite markers

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yanwei; Liu, Wenfen; Xu, Xin; Yang, Jianmin; Wang, Weijun; Wei, Xiumei; Liu, Xiangquan; Sun, Guohua

2017-10-01

Amphioctopus fangsiao is one of the most economically important species and has been considered to be a candidate for aquaculture. In order to facilitate its fine-scale genetic analyses, we constructed a normalized full-length library successfully and developed a set of microsatellite markers in this study. The normalized full-length library had a storage capacity of 6.9×105 independent clones. The recombination efficiency was 95% and the average size of inserted fragments was longer than 1000 bp. A total of 3440 high quality ESTs were obtained, which were assembled into 1803 unigenes. Of these unigenes, 450 (25%) were assigned into 33 Gene Ontology terms, 576 (31.9%) into 153 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, and 275 (15.3%) into 22 Clusters of Orthologous Groups. Seventy-six polymorphic microsatellite markers were identified. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 17, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.167 and 0.967 and between 0.326 and 0.944, respectively. Twelve loci were significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction and no linkage disequilibrium was found between different loci. This study provided not only a useful resource for the isolation of the functional genes, but also a set of informative microsatellites for the assessment of population structure and conservation genetics of A. fangsiao.

A Novel mouse model of enhanced proteostasis: Full-length human heat shock factor 1 transgenic mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierce, Anson; Wei, Rochelle; Halade, Dipti; Yoo, Si-Eun; Ran, Qitao; Richardson, Arlan

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Development of mouse overexpressing native human HSF1 in all tissues including CNS. → HSF1 overexpression enhances heat shock response at whole-animal and cellular level. → HSF1 overexpression protects from polyglutamine toxicity and favors aggresomes. → HSF1 overexpression enhances proteostasis at the whole-animal and cellular level. -- Abstract: The heat shock response (HSR) is controlled by the master transcriptional regulator heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). HSF1 maintains proteostasis and resistance to stress through production of heat shock proteins (HSPs). No transgenic model exists that overexpresses HSF1 in tissues of the central nervous system (CNS). We generated a transgenic mouse overexpressing full-length non-mutant HSF1 and observed a 2-4-fold increase in HSF1 mRNA and protein expression in all tissues studied of HSF1 transgenic (HSF1 +/0 ) mice compared to wild type (WT) littermates, including several regions of the CNS. Basal expression of HSP70 and 90 showed only mild tissue-specific changes; however, in response to forced exercise, the skeletal muscle HSR was more elevated in HSF1 +/0 mice compared to WT littermates and in fibroblasts following heat shock, as indicated by levels of inducible HSP70 mRNA and protein. HSF1 +/0 cells elicited a significantly more robust HSR in response to expression of the 82 repeat polyglutamine-YFP fusion construct (Q82YFP) and maintained proteasome-dependent processing of Q82YFP compared to WT fibroblasts. Overexpression of HSF1 was associated with fewer, but larger Q82YFP aggregates resembling aggresomes in HSF1 +/0 cells, and increased viability. Therefore, our data demonstrate that tissues and cells from mice overexpressing full-length non-mutant HSF1 exhibit enhanced proteostasis.

Computational Insight Into the Structural Organization of Full-Length Toll-Like Receptor 4 Dimer in a Model Phospholipid Bilayer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahesh Chandra Patra

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Toll-like receptors (TLRs are a unique category of pattern recognition receptors that recognize distinct pathogenic components, often utilizing the same set of downstream adaptors. Specific molecular features of extracellular, transmembrane (TM, and cytoplasmic domains of TLRs are crucial for coordinating the complex, innate immune signaling pathway. Here, we constructed a full-length structural model of TLR4—a widely studied member of the interleukin-1 receptor/TLR superfamily—using homology modeling, protein–protein docking, and molecular dynamics simulations to understand the differential domain organization of TLR4 in a membrane-aqueous environment. Results showed that each functional domain of the membrane-bound TLR4 displayed several structural transitions that are biophysically essential for plasma membrane integration. Specifically, the extracellular and cytoplasmic domains were partially immersed in the upper and lower leaflets of the membrane bilayer. Meanwhile, TM domains tilted considerably to overcome the hydrophobic mismatch with the bilayer core. Our analysis indicates an alternate dimerization or a potential oligomerization interface of TLR4-TM. Moreover, the helical properties of an isolated TM dimer partly agree with that of the full-length receptor. Furthermore, membrane-absorbed or solvent-exposed surfaces of the toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain are consistent with previous X-ray crystallography and biochemical studies. Collectively, we provided a complete structural model of membrane-bound TLR4 that strengthens our current understanding of the complex mechanism of receptor activation and adaptor recruitment in the innate immune signaling pathway.

FDS simulation of the fuel fireball from a hypothetical commercial airliner crash on a generic nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luther, W.; Mueller, C.; Zocher, O.

2008-01-01

Before September 11, 2001 nuclear installations were designed to withstand the impact of a typical aircraft fighter of that time. In the aftermath of 9/11 it became clear that any new NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) must be designed sufficiently robust against terrorist attack and that the impact of a fast flying commercial airliner hitting the NPP can no longer be excluded as a potential external hazard threatening the NPP safety. The lesson learnt from the WTC and Pentagon attack is that the impact of the aircraft and the onboard jet fuel can cause structural damage, a fireball and a consecutive fire. This paper deals with the simulation of the fireball and its consequence for the NPP safety. (orig.)

Commercial Fisheries Database Biological Sample (CFDBS)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Age and length frequency data for finfish and invertebrate species collected during commercial fishing vessels. Samples are collected by fisheries reporting...

High avidity antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA correlate with absence of placental malaria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tutterrow, Yeung Lo; Salanti, Ali; Avril, Marion

2012-01-01

VAR2CSA mediates sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in the placenta, increasing the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. Naturally acquired antibodies (Ab) to placental parasites at delivery have been associated with improved pregnancy outcomes, but Ab levels and how early...... in pregnancy Ab must be present in order to eliminate placental parasites before delivery remains unknown. Antibodies to individual Duffy-binding like domains of VAR2CSA have been studied, but the domains lack many of the conformational epitopes present in full-length VAR2CSA (FV2). Thus, the purpose...... of this study was to describe the acquisition of Ab to FV2 in women residing in high and low transmission areas and determine how Ab levels during pregnancy correlate with clearance of placental parasites. Plasma samples collected monthly throughout pregnancy from pregnant women living in high and low...

Politics and technology in repository siting: military versus commercial nuclear wastes at WIPP 1972-1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downey, G.L.

1985-01-01

During the 1970s, attempts by the federal government to develop a comprehensive system for disposing of nuclear wastes in geologic repositories were plagued by two related political problems; (1) whether or not military and commercial wastes should be buried together in the same repository, and (2) how to define the host state's role in the repository siting mechanism. This article explains why these two problems were connected by showing how they proved to be of decisive importance in the development of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Although WIPP was initially conceived as a wholly military facility, The Department of Energy triggered a three-year dispute over the project's scope by proposing in 1978 to include commercial wastes in the repository. The key issue in the dispute concerned the political legitimacy of decision-making mechanisms for repository siting, which depend upon the extent to which they both adequately represent the interests of affected groups and meet an indistinct technical/political criterion of acceptable safety. DOE's ill-fated proposal to mix military and commercial disposal at WIPP demonstrated that the two rely on somewhat different conditions for their legitimacy. The agency overlapped the legitimate authorities of the federal and state governments and gave itself the hopeless task of negotiating a new boundary between them. 50 references, 3 figures

Retrieval of a million high-quality, full-length microbial 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequences without primer bias

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karst, Søren Michael; Dueholm, Morten Simonsen; McIlroy, Simon Jon

2018-01-01

Small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes, 16S in bacteria and 18S in eukaryotes, have been the standard phylogenetic markers used to characterize microbial diversity and evolution for decades. However, the reference databases of full-length SSU rRNA gene sequences are skewed to well-studied e...

Extended fuel cycle length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruyere, M.; Vallee, A.; Collette, C.

1986-09-01

Extended fuel cycle length and burnup are currently offered by Framatome and Fragema in order to satisfy the needs of the utilities in terms of fuel cycle cost and of overall systems cost optimization. We intend to point out the consequences of an increased fuel cycle length and burnup on reactor safety, in order to determine whether the bounding safety analyses presented in the Safety Analysis Report are applicable and to evaluate the effect on plant licensing. This paper presents the results of this examination. The first part indicates the consequences of increased fuel cycle length and burnup on the nuclear data used in the bounding accident analyses. In the second part of this paper, the required safety reanalyses are presented and the impact on the safety margins of different fuel management strategies is examined. In addition, systems modifications which can be required are indicated

Federal Nuclear Energy Program: a synopsis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

This document provides an overview of the new nuclear policy objectives and initiatives and summarizes the Department of Energy programmatic strategy to realize the full nuclear potential. Analyses have been made within the context of prevailing and potential economic conditions, alternative energy options and prior nuclear performance and growth patterns. The Department's organizational structure, which was realigned in June 1982 to conform with the activities mandated by the Administration's policy, is also discussed. The individual program elements for nuclear research and development are described as they contribute to a fully integrated fuel cycle and power generation system. Federal and commercial responsibilities for developmental activity are delinated, and relationship of the programs to broad national energy objectives is specified

Design features of a full-scale high-level waste vitrification system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemens, D.H.; Bonner, W.F.

1976-08-01

A system has been designed and is currently under construction for vitrification of commercial high-level waste. The process consists of a spray calciner coupled to an in-can melter. Due to the high radiation levels expected, this equipment is designed for totally remote operation and maintenance. The in-cell arrangement of this equipment has been developed cooperatively with a nuclear fuel reprocessor. The system will be demonstrated both full scale with nonradioactive simulated waste and pilot scale with actual high-level waste

A preliminary analysis of the risk of transporting nuclear waste to potential candidate commercial repository sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, M.M.

1984-01-01

In accordance with the provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, environmental assessments for potential candidate sites are required to provide a basis for selection of the first site for disposal of commercial radioactive waste in deep geologic repositories. A preliminary analysis of the impacts of transportation for each of the five potential sites will be described. Transportation was assumed to be entirely by truck or entirely by rail in order to obtain bounding impacts. This paper presents both radiological and nonradiological risks for the once-through fuel cycle

Molecular comparisons of full length metapneumovirus (MPV genomes, including newly determined French AMPV-C and -D isolates, further supports possible subclassification within the MPV Genus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul A Brown

Full Text Available Four avian metapneumovirus (AMPV subgroups (A-D have been reported previously based on genetic and antigenic differences. However, until now full length sequences of the only known isolates of European subgroup C and subgroup D viruses (duck and turkey origin, respectively have been unavailable. These full length sequences were determined and compared with other full length AMPV and human metapneumoviruses (HMPV sequences reported previously, using phylogenetics, comparisons of nucleic and amino acid sequences and study of codon usage bias. Results confirmed that subgroup C viruses were more closely related to HMPV than they were to the other AMPV subgroups in the study. This was consistent with previous findings using partial genome sequences. Closer relationships between AMPV-A, B and D were also evident throughout the majority of results. Three metapneumovirus "clusters" HMPV, AMPV-C and AMPV-A, B and D were further supported by codon bias and phylogenetics. The data presented here together with those of previous studies describing antigenic relationships also between AMPV-A, B and D and between AMPV-C and HMPV may call for a subclassification of metapneumoviruses similar to that used for avian paramyxoviruses, grouping AMPV-A, B and D as type I metapneumoviruses and AMPV-C and HMPV as type II.

Nuclear containment structure subjected to commercial and fighter aircraft crash

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadique, M.R.; Iqbal, M.A.; Bhargava, P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Nuclear containment response has been studied against aircraft crash. • Concrete damaged plasticity and Johnson–Cook elasto-viscoplastic models were employed. • Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767-400 aircrafts caused global failure of containment. • Airbus A320 and Boeing 707-320 aircrafts caused local damage. • Tension damage of concrete was found more prominent compared to compression damage. -- Abstract: The response of a boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear containment vessel has been studied against commercial and fighter aircraft crash using a nonlinear finite element code ABAQUS. The aircrafts employed were Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767-400, Airbus A-320, Boeing 707-320 and Phantom F4. The containment was modeled as a three-dimensional deformable reinforced concrete structure while the loading of aircraft was assigned using the respective reaction–time curve. The location of strike was considered near the junction of dome and cylinder, and the angle of incidence, normal to the containment surface. The material behavior of the concrete was incorporated using the damaged plasticity model while that of the reinforcement, the Johnson–Cook elasto-viscoplastic model. The containment could not sustain the impact of Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767-400 aircrafts and suffered rupture of concrete around the impact region leading to global failure. On the other hand, the maximum local deformation at the point of impact was found to be 0.998 m, 0.099 m, 0.092 m, 0.089 m, and 0.074 m against Boeing 747-400, Phantom F4, Boeing 767, Boeing 707-320 and Airbus A-320 aircrafts respectively. The results of the present study were compared with those of the previous analytical and numerical investigations with respect to the maximum deformation and overall behavior of the containment

Nuclear containment structure subjected to commercial and fighter aircraft crash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadique, M.R., E-mail: rehan.sadique@gmail.com; Iqbal, M.A., E-mail: iqbalfce@iitr.ernet.in; Bhargava, P., E-mail: bhpdpfce@iitr.ernet.in

2013-07-15

Highlights: • Nuclear containment response has been studied against aircraft crash. • Concrete damaged plasticity and Johnson–Cook elasto-viscoplastic models were employed. • Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767-400 aircrafts caused global failure of containment. • Airbus A320 and Boeing 707-320 aircrafts caused local damage. • Tension damage of concrete was found more prominent compared to compression damage. -- Abstract: The response of a boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear containment vessel has been studied against commercial and fighter aircraft crash using a nonlinear finite element code ABAQUS. The aircrafts employed were Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767-400, Airbus A-320, Boeing 707-320 and Phantom F4. The containment was modeled as a three-dimensional deformable reinforced concrete structure while the loading of aircraft was assigned using the respective reaction–time curve. The location of strike was considered near the junction of dome and cylinder, and the angle of incidence, normal to the containment surface. The material behavior of the concrete was incorporated using the damaged plasticity model while that of the reinforcement, the Johnson–Cook elasto-viscoplastic model. The containment could not sustain the impact of Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767-400 aircrafts and suffered rupture of concrete around the impact region leading to global failure. On the other hand, the maximum local deformation at the point of impact was found to be 0.998 m, 0.099 m, 0.092 m, 0.089 m, and 0.074 m against Boeing 747-400, Phantom F4, Boeing 767, Boeing 707-320 and Airbus A-320 aircrafts respectively. The results of the present study were compared with those of the previous analytical and numerical investigations with respect to the maximum deformation and overall behavior of the containment.

Introduction of the commercial grade dedication into Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (NEK) procurement process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heruc, Z.; Gajsak, Z.; Nikpalj, R.

1996-01-01

NEK management has undertaken a set of actions to improve the ability to provide equipment, spare parts and material needed to support operation and maintenance of the Krsko plant. These actions are necessary due primarily to the fact that NEK is more and more confronted (increasing trend) with the issue that suppliers of safety-related equipment and spare parts have decided not to pursue the nuclear portion of their business, incl. specific QA systems and qualifications. The purchase orders imposing these requirements are no longer accepted. In order to continue to obtain the necessary materials at the required quality level, a 'Commercial Grade Item' (CGI) procurement and dedication program has been developed based on similar practices in USA. (author)

Systems engineering approach to U.S. Department of Energy's commercial nuclear waste transportation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pardue, W.M.

1987-01-01

The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) has been given the responsibility of developing a program to transport commercially produced spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive wastes to disposal sites or storage facilities safely and cost-effectively. To accomplish this task it is desirable to plan, perform, and document all technical activities based on systems engineering principles. This paper presents an overview of the systems engineering approach being developed by Battelle for consideration by DOE, specifically the early identification of the required technical activities and approaches to technical management and decision making. The program should support the development of an integrated, well-documented transportation system acceptable to regulatory agencies and the public

Development of Improved Burnable Poisons for Commercial Nuclear Power Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossbeck, M. L.; Renier, J-P.A.; Bigelow, Tim

2003-01-01

Burnable poisons are used in nuclear reactors to produce a more level distribution of power in the reactor core and to reduce to necessity for a large control system. An ideal burnable poison would burn at the same rate as the fuel. In this study, separation of neutron-absorbing isotopes was investigated in order to eliminate isotopes that remain as absorbers at the end of fuel life, thus reducing useful fuel life. The isotopes Gd-157, Dy-164, and Er-167 were found to have desirable properties. These isotopes were separated from naturally occurring elements by means of plasma separation to evaluate feasibility and cost. It was found that pure Gd-157 could save approximately $6 million at the end of four years. However, the cost of separation, using the existing facility, made separation cost- ineffective. Using a magnet with three times the field strength is expected to reduce the cost by a factor of ten, making isotopically separated burnable poisons a favorable method of increasing fuel life in commercial reactors, in particular Generation-IV reactors. The project also investigated various burnable poison configurations, and studied incorporation of metallic burnable poisons into fuel cladding

On present situation of radioactive waste management and exposure of workers in nuclear reactor facilities for commercial power generation in fiscal 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The article summarizes the contents of some reports including the Report on Radiation Management in 1988 that were submitted by the operators of nuclear reactor facilities for commercial power generation according to the requirements specified in the Law Concerning Regulation on Nuclear Material, Nuclear Fuel and Nuclear Reactor. According to these reports, the annual radiation release in all nuclear power generation plants was well below the radiation release limits set up in the report 'On Guidelines for Target Dose in Areas around Light Water Reactor Facilities for Power Generation'. Data submitted also show that there are no significant problems with the management of radioactive solid waste. In all nuclear generation plants, the personal exposure of workers is below the permissible exposure dose specified in law. The Agency of Natural Resources and Energy is planned to further promote the development of advanced techniques for automatization and remote control of light water reactors and to provide effective guidance to electrical contractors for positive radiation management. (N.K.)

Use of Dried Blood Spots to Elucidate Full-Length Transmitted/Founder HIV-1 Genomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesus F. Salazar-Gonzalez

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Identification of HIV-1 genomes responsible for establishing clinical infection in newly infected individuals is fundamental to prevention and pathogenesis research. Processing, storage, and transportation of the clinical samples required to perform these virologic assays in resource-limited settings requires challenging venipuncture and cold chain logistics. Here, we validate the use of dried-blood spots (DBS as a simple and convenient alternative to collecting and storing frozen plasma. Methods: We performed parallel nucleic acid extraction, single genome amplification (SGA, next generation sequencing (NGS, and phylogenetic analyses on plasma and DBS. Results: We demonstrated the capacity to extract viral RNA from DBS and perform SGA to infer the complete nucleotide sequence of the transmitted/founder (TF HIV-1 envelope gene and full-length genome in two acutely infected individuals. Using both SGA and NGS methodologies, we showed that sequences generated from DBS and plasma display comparable phylogenetic patterns in both acute and chronic infection. SGA was successful on samples with a range of plasma viremia, including samples as low as 1,700 copies/ml and an estimated ~50 viral copies per blood spot. Further, we demonstrated reproducible efficiency in gp160 env sequencing in DBS stored at ambient temperature for up to three weeks or at -20ºC for up to five months. Conclusions: These findings support the use of DBS as a practical and cost-effective alternative to frozen plasma for clinical trials and translational research conducted in resource-limited settings.

Single-molecule study of full-length NaChBac by planar lipid bilayer recording.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Jo

Full Text Available Planar lipid bilayer device, alternatively known as BLM, is a powerful tool to study functional properties of conducting membrane proteins such as ion channels and porins. In this work, we used BLM to study the prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav NaChBac in a well-defined membrane environment. Navs are an essential component for the generation and propagation of electric signals in excitable cells. The successes in the biochemical, biophysical and crystallographic studies on prokaryotic Navs in recent years has greatly promoted the understanding of the molecular mechanism that underlies these proteins and their eukaryotic counterparts. In this work, we investigated the single-molecule conductance and ionic selectivity behavior of NaChBac. Purified NaChBac protein was first reconstituted into lipid vesicles, which is subsequently incorporated into planar lipid bilayer by fusion. At single-molecule level, we were able to observe three distinct long-lived conductance sub-states of NaChBac. Change in the membrane potential switches on the channel mainly by increasing its opening probability. In addition, we found that individual NaChBac has similar permeability for Na+, K+, and Ca2+. The single-molecule behavior of the full-length protein is essentially highly stochastic. Our results show that planar lipid bilayer device can be used to study purified ion channels at single-molecule level in an artificial environment, and such studies can reveal new protein properties that are otherwise not observable in in vivo ensemble studies.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission information digest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-03-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission information digest provides summary information regarding the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, its regulatory responsibilities, and areas licensed by the commission. This is an annual publication for the general use of the NRC Staff and is available to the public. The digest is divided into two parts: the first presents an overview of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the second provides data on NRC commercial nuclear reactor licensees and commercial nuclear power reactors worldwide

Calculation of evolutionary correlation between individual genes and full-length genome: a method useful for choosing phylogenetic markers for molecular epidemiology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuai Wang

Full Text Available Individual genes or regions are still commonly used to estimate the phylogenetic relationships among viral isolates. The genomic regions that can faithfully provide assessments consistent with those predicted with full-length genome sequences would be preferable to serve as good candidates of the phylogenetic markers for molecular epidemiological studies of many viruses. Here we employed a statistical method to evaluate the evolutionary relationships between individual viral genes and full-length genomes without tree construction as a way to determine which gene can match the genome well in phylogenetic analyses. This method was performed by calculation of linear correlations between the genetic distance matrices of aligned individual gene sequences and aligned genome sequences. We applied this method to the phylogenetic analyses of porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2, measles virus (MV, hepatitis E virus (HEV and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for comparisons and the possible factors affecting the method accuracy were also discussed in the calculations. The results revealed that this method could produce results consistent with those of previous studies about the proper consensus sequences that could be successfully used as phylogenetic markers. And our results also suggested that these evolutionary correlations could provide useful information for identifying genes that could be used effectively to infer the genetic relationships.

Full reflector thickness and isolation thickness on neutron transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Tomohiro; Naito, Yoshitaka; Komuro, Yuichi.

1988-08-01

A method to determine ''full reflector thickness'' and ''isolation thickness'', which is utilized for criticality safety evaluation on nuclear fuel facilities, was proposed in this paper. Firstly, a calculation was tryed to obtain the two kinds of thicknesses from the result of criticality calculations for a specific case. Then, two simple equations which calculates the two kinds of thicknesses were made from the relation between reflector (or isolator) thickness and k eff , and one-group diffusion theory. Finally, we proposed a new method to determine the thicknesses. From the method we proposed, ''full reflector thickness'' and ''isolation thickness'' can be obtain using the equations and migration length of the reflector (or isolator) and infinite and effective multiplication factor of the fuel. (author)

Examining the Conservatisms in Dissolution Rates of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanson, Brady D.

2008-01-01

Most models for commercial spent nuclear fuel dissolution are based on data obtained from single-pass flow-through tests. These tests are designed to have a high water volume to fuel surface area ratio so that the concentration of radionuclides in solution are below solubility limits and thus back reactions and the formation of alteration products are minimized. While this method is ideal for determining the dependence of the dissolution rate on various parameters, it is important to examine the differences between these tests and the realistic scenarios that will exist in a geologic repository. Many of the inherent conservatisms that are part of the models are examined. These conservatisms include: limited water, short-term vs. long-term rates, groundwater effects, non-congruent release, radiolysis, and fuel chemistry effects. Each of these conservatisms has the potential to decrease the currently modeled dissolution rates by between a factor of 2 and 200. The combined effects are unknown, but, if quantified, could significantly improve the waste form performance relative to current models.

America's nuclear waste backlog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benenson, R.

1981-01-01

This report discusses three topics: concern and controversy relating to nuclear waste; high-level waste storage and politics of waste disposal. The most pressing waste disposal problem concerns spent fuel assemblies from commercial nuclear power plants. It was expected that commercial spent fuel would be sent to commercial reprocessing plants. The feasibility of commercial reprocessing in the United States is contingent on the expansion of the nuclear power industry. The current high-level liquid waste inventory is about 77 million gallons. These are stored at Richland, Washington; Aiken, South Carolina; and Idaho Falls, Idaho. The only commercial high-level wastes ever produced are stored at the defunct reprocessing facility at West Valley, New York. A high-level waste repository must be capable of isolating wastes that will remain dangerous for thousands of years. Salt has long been considered the most suitable medium for high-level and transuranic waste disposal. The timetable for opening a deep geological repository is one of the issues that will have to be dealt with by Congress. The 97th Congress appears ready to act on high-level nuclear waste legislation. Even opponents of nuclear expansion admit the necessity of legislation. Even if Congress gets its act together, it does not mean that the nuclear waste issue is gone. There are still unknowns - future of reprocessing, the needs and demands of the military; the health of the nuclear power industry; the objections of residents in potential site areas; the possibility of a state veto, and the unsolved technological problems in geologic site selection

Commercial basis to nuclear industry skills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Mike

1989-01-01

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has considerable experience in measurement and control systems which it has designed for nuclear reactor use. It is now using this experience to help other industries needing to monitor variables such as flow, level, position, conductivity, thickness, temperature, density, sound, vibrations, light, movement, pressure, strain and radiation. Recently British Nuclear Fuels sought UKAEA's help to solve a process measurement problem at the Sellafield encapsulation plant which is used to recycle unspent fuel and immobilise liquid wastes using a cementation process. The level and specific gravity of the liquid waste slurry must be accurately measured before the correct amount of solidifying material can be added. The solution to this problem, using pneumacator technology, is described. (author)

Overview of Nuclear Fuel-Cycle Policy and the Role of the Nuclear Safety Commission in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higashi, K.; Nishinosono, S.

2008-01-01

Since the first generation of electricity by the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor in 1963, Japan has been extensively developing nuclear technologies solely for peaceful purposes. The country now operates 55 nuclear power plants consisted of BWRs and PWRs. Although Japan is one of the largest consumers of energy in the world, the country has very limited domestic energy resources. Therefore, Japan considers the nuclear power generation very important as plutonium and uranium recovered from spent fuels can be used in new nuclear fuels as quasi-domestic energy resource. For recycle use of nuclear fuels, the establishment of nuclear fuel recycling technologies including reprocessing technologies is essential. Since 1977, Japan has been recovering plutonium and uranium by a small scale reprocessing plant built by French technology. Recently, 800 ton/year scale commercial reprocessing plant is under construction. After overcoming the current technical problem in the vitrification facility, the commercial plant is expected to be in full operation soon. Concerning the disposal of radioactive wastes, which arises from nuclear utilization, sallow land disposal has already been implemented and medium depth (50 to 100 m) disposal plan is in progress. For high-level waste, possible candidate sites for disposal are being sought. In this paper, the statuses of nuclear power plants and of nuclear fuel cycle facilities in Japan are summarized. As safety is essential for these nuclear installations, safety regulations in Japan are briefly presented from the viewpoint of Nuclear Safety Commission. Furthermore, as the most significant recent safety issue in Japan, the impacts of the large near-site earthquake hit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP last July are reported.(author)

The UK commercial demonstration fast reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, J.A.G.

1987-01-01

The paper on the UK Commercial Demonstration Fast Reactor design was presented to the seminar on 'European Commercial Fast Reactor Programme, London 1987. The design is discussed under the topic headings:- primary circuit, intermediate heat exchangers and pumps, fuel and core, refuelling, steam generators, and nuclear island layout. (U.K.)

An overview of commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plummer, T.L.; Morreale, B.J.

1991-01-01

The primary objective of low-level radioactive (LLW) waste management is to safely dispose of LLW while protecting the health of the public and the quality of the environment. LLW in the United States is generated through both Department of Energy (DOE) and commercial activities. In this paper, waste from commercial activities will be referred to as ''commercial LLW.'' The DOE waste will not be discussed in this paper. Commercial LLW is waste that is generated by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) designated licensees or Agreement States. Commercial LLW is generated by nuclear power reactors, hospitals, universities, and manufacturers. This paper will give an overview of the current disposal technologies planned by selected States' for disposing of their LLW and the processes by which those selections were made. 3 refs

Full aperture imaging with stereoscopic properties in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strocovsky, Sergio G.; Otero, D.

2011-01-01

The imaging techniques based on gamma camera (CG) and used in nuclear medicine have low spatial resolution and low sensitivity due to the use of the collimator. However, this element is essential for the formation of images in CG. The aim of this work is to show the principles of a new technique to overcome the limitations of existing techniques based on CG. Here, we present a Full Aperture Imaging (FAI) technique which is based on the edge-encoding of gamma radiation and differential detection. It takes advantage of the fact that gamma radiation is spatially incoherent. The mathematical principles and the method of images reconstruction with the new proposed technique are explained in detail. The FAI technique is tested by means of Monte Carlo simulations with filiform and spherical sources. The results show that FAI technique has greater sensitivity (>100 times) and greater spatial resolution (>2.6 times) than that of GC with LEHR collimator, in both cases, with and without attenuating material and long and short-distance configurations. The FAI decoding algorithm reconstructs simultaneously four different projections which are located in separate image fields on the detector plane, while GC produces only one projection per acquisition. Simulations have allowed comparison of both techniques under ideal identical conditions. Our results show it is possible to apply an extremely simple encoded imaging technique, and get three-dimensional radioactivity information for simplistic geometry sources. The results are promising enough to evaluate the possibility of future research with more complex sources typical of nuclear medicine imaging. (author)

Rational Design of High-Number dsDNA Fragments Based on Thermodynamics for the Construction of Full-Length Genes in a Single Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Birla, Bhagyashree S; Chou, Hui-Hsien

2015-01-01

Gene synthesis is frequently used in modern molecular biology research either to create novel genes or to obtain natural genes when the synthesis approach is more flexible and reliable than cloning. DNA chemical synthesis has limits on both its length and yield, thus full-length genes have to be hierarchically constructed from synthesized DNA fragments. Gibson Assembly and its derivatives are the simplest methods to assemble multiple double-stranded DNA fragments. Currently, up to 12 dsDNA fragments can be assembled at once with Gibson Assembly according to its vendor. In practice, the number of dsDNA fragments that can be assembled in a single reaction are much lower. We have developed a rational design method for gene construction that allows high-number dsDNA fragments to be assembled into full-length genes in a single reaction. Using this new design method and a modified version of the Gibson Assembly protocol, we have assembled 3 different genes from up to 45 dsDNA fragments at once. Our design method uses the thermodynamic analysis software Picky that identifies all unique junctions in a gene where consecutive DNA fragments are specifically made to connect to each other. Our novel method is generally applicable to most gene sequences, and can improve both the efficiency and cost of gene assembly.

Introduction of the commercial grade dedication into Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (NEK) procurement process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heruc, Z.; Gajsak, Z.; Nikpalj, R.

1996-01-01

NEK management has undertaken a set of actions to improve the ability to provide equipment, spare parts and material needed to support operation and maintenance of the Krsko plant. These actions are necessary due primarily to the fact that NEK is more and more confronted (increasing trend) with the issue that suppliers of safety-related equipment and spare parts have decided not to pursue the nuclear portion of their business, incl. specific QA systems and qualifications. The purchase orders imposing these requirements are no longer accepted. In order to continue to obtain the necessary materials at the required quality level, a 'Commercial Grade Item' (CGI) procurement and dedication program has been developed based on similar practices in the USA. (author)

Experimental validation of 3D reconstructed pin-power distributions in full-scale BWR fuel assemblies with partial length rods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giust, F. D. [Axpo Kernenergie, Parkstrasse 23, CH-5401 Baden (Switzerland); Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Grimm, P. [Paul Scherrer Inst., CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Chawla, R. [Paul Scherrer Inst., CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2012-07-01

Total fission rate measurements have been performed on full-size BWR fuel assemblies of type SVEA-96 Optima2 in the framework of Phase III of the LWR-PROTEUS experimental program at the Paul Scherrer Inst.. This paper presents comparisons of calculated, nodal reconstructed, pin-wise total-fission rate distributions with experimental results. Radial comparisons have been performed for the three sections of the assembly (96, 92 and 84 fuel pins), while three-dimensional effects have been investigated at pellet-level for the two transition regions, i.e. the tips of the short (1/3) and long (2/3) partial length rods. The test zone has been modeled using two different code systems: HELIOS/PRESTO-2 and CASMO-5/SIMULATE-5. The first is presently used for core monitoring and design at the Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant (KKL). The second represents the most recent generation of the widely applied CASMO/SIMULATE system. For representing the PROTEUS test-zone boundaries, Partial Current Ratios (PCRs) - derived from a 3D MCNPX model of the entire reactor - have been applied to the PRESTO-2 and SIMULATE-5 models in the form of 2- and 5-group diagonal albedo matrices, respectively. The MCNPX results have also served as a reference, high-order transport solution in the calculation/experiment comparisons. It is shown that the performance of the nodal methodologies in predicting the global distribution of the total-fission rate is very satisfactory. Considering the various radial comparisons, the standard deviations of the calculated/experimental (C/E) distributions do not exceed 1.9% for any of the three methodologies - PRESTO-2, SIMULATE-5 and MCNPX. For the three-dimensional comparisons at pellet-level, the corresponding standard deviations are 2.7%, 2.0% and 2.1%, respectively. (authors)

Commercial Decommissioning at DOE's Rocky Flats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freiboth, C.; Sandlin, N.; Schubert, A.; Hansen, S.

2002-01-01

Due in large part to the number of nuclear facilities that make up the DOE complex, DOE-EM work has historically been paperwork intensive and driven by extensive regulations. Requirements for non-nuclear facilities are often grouped with those of nuclear facilities, driving up costs. Kaiser-Hill was interested in applying a commercial model to demolition of these facilities and wanted to apply necessary and sufficient standards to the work activities, but avoid applying unnecessary requirements. Faced with demolishing hundreds of uncontaminated or non-radiologically contaminated facilities, Kaiser-Hill has developed a subcontracting strategy to drastically reduce the cost of demolishing these facilities at Rocky Flats. Aiming to tailor the demolition approach of such facilities to more closely follow commercial practices, Kaiser-Hill recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the demolition of the site's former central administration facility. The RFP significantly reduced requirements for compliance with specific DOE directives. Instead, the RFP required subcontractors to comply with health and safety requirements commonly found in the demolition of similar facilities in a commercial setting. This resulted in a number of bids from companies who have normally not bid on DOE work previously and at a reduced cost over previous approaches. This paper will discuss the details of this subcontracting strategy

Seismic design criteria used for electrical raceway systems in commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, P.B.; Manrique, M.A.; Nelson, T.A.

1991-01-01

This paper summarizes some of the seismic design approaches, relevant technical issues and criteria used over the years for design of electrical raceway systems at commercial nuclear power plant facilities. The approaches used for design and endorsed by the NRC can be seen to be quite varied. In recent years, considerably more rigor has been required for raceway design, as well as for the level of design basis documentation produced. However, there has also been a willingness by the NRC to accept rational approaches based on testing, analytical results or experience data, provided proper justification is given. Such rational approaches can simplify the significant task of analysis, design and construction of miles of raceways and thousands of raceway supports. Summarizing past practice and identifying relevant technical issues are an important first step in formalizing up-to-date criteria for new raceway designs

Applying commercial robotic technology to radioactive material processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grasz, E.L.; Sievers, R.H. Jr.

1991-01-01

The development of robotic systems to automate nuclear material processing in glove boxes is motivated by the need to reduce operator radiation exposure, minimize the generation of process waste, and to improve security of nuclear materials. Commercial robotic systems can furnish the needed manipulation capabilities by are not readily compatible with the glove box environment and physical restrictions. Alpha radiation, concentrated dust, a dry atmosphere and restricted work space require unique adaptations of commercial robotics. Tradeoffs between meeting desired functional capabilities and extensive customization are necessary. The reported design and development efforts include evaluating the feasibility of using a commercial gantry robot for glove box pyrochemical and smelting operations. This paper presents the initial results and observations for this development effort

On the Traceability of Commercial Saffron Samples Using 1H-NMR and FT-IR Metabolomics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Consonni

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In previous works on authentic samples of saffron of known history (harvest and processing year, storage conditions, and length of time some biomarkers were proposed using both FT-IR and NMR metabolomics regarding the shelf life of the product. This work addresses the difficulties to trace back the “age” of commercial saffron samples of unknown history, sets a limit value above which these products can be considered substandard, and offers a useful tool to combat saffron mislabeling and fraud with low-quality saffron material. Investigations of authentic and commercial saffron samples of different origin and harvest year, which had been stored under controlled conditions for different lengths of time, allowed a clear-cut clustering of samples in two groups according to the storage period irrespectively of the provenience. In this respect, the four-year cut off point proposed in our previous work assisted to trace back the “age” of unknown samples and to check for possible mislabeling practices.

Expression and characterization of full-length human heme oxygenase-1: the presence of intact membrane-binding region leads to increased binding affinity for NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase.

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Warren J; Backes, Wayne L

2007-10-30

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the chief regulatory enzyme in the oxidative degradation of heme to biliverdin. In the process of heme degradation, HO-1 receives the electrons necessary for catalysis from the flavoprotein NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), releasing free iron and carbon monoxide. Much of the recent research involving heme oxygenase has been done using a 30 kDa soluble form of the enzyme, which lacks the membrane binding region (C-terminal 23 amino acids). The goal of this study was to express and purify a full-length human HO-1 (hHO-1) protein; however, due to the lability of the full-length form, a rapid purification procedure was required. This was accomplished by use of a glutathione-s-transferase (GST)-tagged hHO-1 construct. Although the procedure permitted the generation of a full-length HO-1, this form was contaminated with a 30 kDa degradation product that could not be eliminated. Therefore, attempts were made to remove a putative secondary thrombin cleavage site by a conservative mutation of amino acid 254, which replaces arginine with lysine. This mutation allowed the expression and purification of a full-length hHO-1 protein. Unlike wild type (WT) HO-1, the R254K mutant could be purified to a single 32 kDa protein capable of degrading heme at the same rate as the WT enzyme. The R254K full-length form had a specific activity of approximately 200-225 nmol of bilirubin h-1 nmol-1 HO-1 as compared to approximately 140-150 nmol of bilirubin h-1 nmol-1 for the WT form, which contains the 30 kDa contaminant. This is a 2-3-fold increase from the previously reported soluble 30 kDa HO-1, suggesting that the C-terminal 23 amino acids are essential for maximal catalytic activity. Because the membrane-spanning domain is present, the full-length hHO-1 has the potential to incorporate into phospholipid membranes, which can be reconstituted at known concentrations, in combination with other endoplasmic reticulum resident enzymes.

Nuclear science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This fact sheet answers specific questions about the Department of Energy's possible acquisition and conversion of a partially completed commercial nuclear power plant to a nuclear materials production facility. The nuclear power plant is the Washington Nuclear Plant number sign 1 owned by the Washington Public Power Supply System and is located on DOE's Hanford Reservation near Richland, Washington

Nuclear science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-04-01

This report answers questions about the Department of Energy's possible acquisition and conversion of a partially completed commercial nuclear power plant to a nuclear materials production facility. The nuclear power plant is the Washington Nuclear Plant No.1 owned by the Washington Public Power Supply System and is located on DOE's Hanford Reservation near Richland, Washington

Commercialism - the growth prospect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, D.K.R.

1990-01-01

In an attempt to ensure good business proposals for the future British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) is making a number of international initiatives. Likely markets for expansion include the United States, Japan and Western Europe, to whom the company can offer activities such as oxide fuel reprocessing, uranium hexafluoride conversion, fabrication of oxide and mixed oxide fuels, uranium enrichment and the safe transport of nuclear materials. The creation of International Nuclear Fuels Limited will expand overseas business and ensure security of fuel supply for the international nuclear industry. Working jointly with AEA Technology, BNFL will seek to market their combined decommissioning experience on the international market. The author concludes the BNFL is in a strong position to supply an increasing world-wide need for nuclear waste management and increased commercial awareness within the company will ensure a good section of the market is secured. U.K

Use of commercial grade item dedication to reduce procurement costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosch, F.

1995-01-01

In the mid-1980s, the Nuclear Regulatory Industry (NRC) began inspecting utility practices of procuring and dedicating commercial grade items intended for plant safety-related applications. As a result of the industry efforts to address NRC concerns, nuclear utilities have enhanced existing programs and procedures for dedication of commercial grade items. Though these programs were originally enhanced to meet NRC concerns, utilities have discovered that the dedication of commercial grade items can also reduce overall procurement costs. This paper will discuss the enhancement of utility dedication programs and demonstrates how utilities have utilized them to reduce procurement costs

Significance of urinary full-length megalin in patients with IgA nephropathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuto Seki

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Megalin is highly expressed at the apical membranes of proximal tubular epithelial cells. A urinary full-length megalin (C-megalin assay is linked to the severity of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes. This study examined the relationship between levels of urinary C-megalin and histological findings in adult patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Urine samples voided in the morning on the day of renal biopsy were obtained from 73 patients with IgAN (29 men and 44 women; mean age, 33 years and 5 patients with membranous nephropathy (MN. Renal pathologic variables were analyzed using the Oxford classification of IgAN, the Shigematsu classification and the Clinical Guidelines of IgAN in Japan. The levels of urinary C-megalin were measured by sandwich ELISA. RESULTS: Histological analysis based on the Oxford classification revealed that the levels of urinary C-megalin were correlated with mesangial hypercellularity in IgAN patients (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-3.27, P<0.05. There was a significant correlation between the levels of urinary C-megalin and the severity of chronic extracapillary abnormalities according to the Shigematsu classification in IgAN patients (β = 0.33, P = 0.008. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in all risk levels of IgAN patients requiring dialysis using the Clinical Guidelines of IgAN in Japan than in the control group. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in the high risk and very high risk grades than in the low risk grade (P<0.05. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in MN patients compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of urinary C-megalin are associated with histological abnormalities in adult IgAN patients. There is a possibility that urinary C-megalin is an independent predictor of disease progression of IgAN. In addition, our results suggest that

Cloning and sequencing of full-length cDNAs of RNA1 and RNA2 of a Tomato black ring virus isolate from Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Jończyk, M; Le Gall, O; Pałucha, A; Borodynko, N; Pospieszny, H

2004-04-01

Full-length cDNA clones corresponding to the RNA1 and RNA2 of the Polish isolate MJ of Tomato black ring virus (TBRV, genus Nepovirus) were obtained using a direct recombination strategy in yeast, and their complete nucleotide sequences were established. RNA1 is 7358 nucleotides and RNA2 is 4633 nucleotides in length, excluding the poly(A) tails. Both RNAs contain a single open reading frame encoding polyproteins of 254 kDa and 149 kDa for RNA1 and RNA2 respectively. Putative cleavage sites were identified, and the relationships between TBRV and related nepoviruses were studied by sequence comparison.

'Newcomer' nuclear nation leads way into new nuclear year

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepherd, John [nuclear 24, St George' s Redditch (United Kingdom)

2018-01-15

At the start of a new year, it is appropriate that a 'newcomer' nuclear nation has launched work on building its first nuclear power plant. First nuclear safety-related concrete has been poured for the plant at Rooppur in Bangladesh - making the South Asia nation the first in 30 years to start building its first commercial reactor unit following the United Arab Emirates in 2012 and Belarus in 2013. Despite setbacks that nuclear has endured in recent years, there are nearly 60 reactors under construction around the world, mostly in Asia. Some 447 commercial reactor units are in operation in 30 countries.

Full-scope nuclear training simulator -brought to the desktop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaPointe, D.J.; Manz, A.; Hall, G.S.

1997-01-01

RighTSTEP is a suite of simulation software which has been initially designed to facilitate upgrade of Ontario Hydro's full-scope simulators, but is also adaptable to a variety of other roles. it is presently being commissioned at Bruch A Training Simulator and has seen preliminary use in desktop and classroom roles. Because of the flexibility of the system, we anticipate it will see common use in the corporation for full-scope simulation roles. A key reason for developing RighTSTEP (Real Time Simulator Technology Extensible and Portable) was the need to modernize and upgrade the full-scope training simulator while protecting the investment in modelling code. This modelling code represents the end product of 18 years of evolution from the beginning of its development in 1979. Bringing this modelling code to a modern and more useful framework - the combination of simulator host, operating system, and simulator operating system - also could provide many spin-off benefits. The development (and first implementation) of the righTSTEP system was cited for saving the corporation 5.6M$ and was recognized by a corporate New Technology Award last year. The most important spin-off from this project has been the desktop version of the full-scope simulator. The desktop simulator uses essentially the same software as does its full-scope counterpart, and may be used for a variety of new purposes. Classroom and individual simulator training can now be easily accommodated since a desktop simulator is both affordable and relatively ease to use. Further, a wide group of people can be trained using the desktop simulator: by contrast the full-scope simulators were almost exclusively devoted to front-line operating staff. The desktop is finding increasing use in support of engineering applications, resulting from its easy accessibility, breadth of station systems represented, and tools for analysis and viewing. As further plant models are made available on the new simulator platform and

Seismic qualification of a commercial grade emergency diesel generator system in high seismic zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Mohsin R.; Chen, Wayne W.H.; Chu, Winnie S.

2004-01-01

The paper presents the seismic qualification of a commercially procured emergency diesel generator (EDG) system for use in a nuclear power plant. Response spectrum analyses of finite element models, validated using in situ vibration test data, were performed to qualify the skid and floor mounted mechanical components whose functional capacity and structural integrity can be analyzed. Time history analyses of these models were also performed to obtain the amplified response spectra for seismic testing of small valves, electrical and electro-mechanical components whose functional capacity can not be analyzed to establish the seismic qualification. The operational loads were obtained by in-plant vibration monitoring. Full scale shake table testing was performed for auxiliary electrical cabinets. It is concluded that with some minor structural modifications, a commercial grade EDG system can be qualified for safety-related applications in nuclear power plants located in high seismic zones. (author)

Accumulation of 137Cs in commercial fish of the Belyarsk nuclear power station cooling supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trapeznikova, V.N.; Kulikov, N.V.; Trapeznikov, A.V.

1984-01-01

Results are presented of a comparative study of the accumulation of 137 Cs in basic species of commercial fish of the Beloyarsk reservoir which is used as the cooling supply for the Beloyarsk nuclear power station. Possible reasons for interspecies differences in accumulation of the radionuclide are indicated, and the increased accumulation of 137 Cs by free-living fish in the zone of heated water effluent from the station and the reduced accumulation of the emitter in carp, which are cultivated on artificial food in cages, are noted. Levels of the content of the radionuclide are compared in roach and farm carp from the cooling supplies of the Beloyarsk station and the Reftinsk power plant in the Urals

Effect of Full-Length Carbon Fiber Insoles on Lower Limb Kinetics in Patients With Midfoot Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Taeim; Kim, Jung Hyun; Oh-Park, Mooyeon; Hwang, Ji Hye

2018-03-01

We investigated the effects of full-length carbon fiber (FCF) insoles on gait, muscle activity, kinetics, and pain in patients with midfoot osteoarthritis (OA). We enrolled 13 patients with unilateral midfoot OA (mild: Visual Analog Scale [VAS] range, 1-3; moderate, VAS range, 4-7) and healthy controls. All participants were asked to walk under two conditions: with and without FCF insole. The outcome measures were ground reaction force, quantitative gait parameters, electromyography activities and pain severity (VAS). In the patients with moderate midfoot OA, significantly longer gait cycle and higher muscle activity of lower limb during loading-response phase were observed while walking without FCF insoles. In the mild midfoot OA group, there was no significant difference in VAS score (without, 2.0 ± 1.0 vs. with, 2.0 ± 0.5) with FCF insole use. However, significantly reduced VAS score (without, 5.5 ± 1.4 vs. with, 2.0 ± 0.5) and muscle activity of the tibialis anterior and increased muscle activity of gastrocnemius were observed in the moderate midfoot OA group by using an FCF insole (P < 0.05). Full-length carbon fiber insoles can improve pain in individuals with moderate midfoot OA, which might be associated with changes in the kinetics and muscle activities of the lower limb. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that FCF insoles may be used as a helpful option for midfoot OA.

A full-length Plasmodium falciparum recombinant circumsporozoite protein expressed by Pseudomonas fluorescens platform as a malaria vaccine candidate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy R Noe

Full Text Available The circumsporozoite protein (CSP of Plasmodium falciparum is a major surface protein, which forms a dense coat on the sporozoite's surface. Preclinical research on CSP and clinical evaluation of a CSP fragment-based RTS, S/AS01 vaccine have demonstrated a modest degree of protection against P. falciparum, mediated in part by humoral immunity and in part by cell-mediated immunity. Given the partial protective efficacy of the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine in a recent Phase 3 trial, further improvement of CSP-based vaccines is crucial. In this report, we describe the preclinical development of a full-length, recombinant CSP (rCSP-based vaccine candidate against P. falciparum malaria suitable for current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP production. Utilizing a novel high-throughput Pseudomonas fluorescens expression platform, we demonstrated greater efficacy of full-length rCSP as compared to N-terminally truncated versions, rapidly down-selected a promising lead vaccine candidate, and developed a high-yield purification process to express immunologically active, intact antigen for clinical trial material production. The rCSP, when formulated with various adjuvants, induced antigen-specific antibody responses as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA and immunofluorescence assay (IFA, as well as CD4+ T-cell responses as determined by ELISpot. The adjuvanted rCSP vaccine conferred protection in mice when challenged with transgenic P. berghei sporozoites containing the P. falciparum repeat region of CSP. Furthermore, heterologous prime/boost regimens with adjuvanted rCSP and an adenovirus type 35-vectored CSP (Ad35CS showed modest improvements in eliciting CSP-specific T-cell responses and anti-malarial protection, depending on the order of vaccine delivery. Collectively, these data support the importance of further clinical development of adjuvanted rCSP, either as a stand-alone product or as one of the components in a heterologous prime

Construction of a Full-Length Enriched cDNA Library and Preliminary Analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags from Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changqing Liu

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, a full-length enriched cDNA library was successfully constructed from Bengal tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, the most well-known wild Animal. Total RNA was extracted from cultured Bengal tiger fibroblasts in vitro. The titers of primary and amplified libraries were 1.28 × 106 pfu/mL and 1.56 × 109 pfu/mL respectively. The percentage of recombinants from unamplified library was 90.2% and average length of exogenous inserts was 0.98 kb. A total of 212 individual ESTs with sizes ranging from 356 to 1108 bps were then analyzed. The BLASTX score revealed that 48.1% of the sequences were classified as a strong match, 45.3% as nominal and 6.6% as a weak match. Among the ESTs with known putative function, 26.4% ESTs were found to be related to all kinds of metabolisms, 19.3% ESTs to information storage and processing, 11.3% ESTs to posttranslational modification, protein turnover, chaperones, 11.3% ESTs to transport, 9.9% ESTs to signal transducer/cell communication, 9.0% ESTs to structure protein, 3.8% ESTs to cell cycle, and only 6.6% ESTs classified as novel genes. By EST sequencing, a full-length gene coding ferritin was identified and characterized. The recombinant plasmid pET32a-TAT-Ferritin was constructed, coded for the TAT-Ferritin fusion protein with two 6× His-tags in N and C-terminal. After BCA assay, the concentration of soluble Trx-TAT-Ferritin recombinant protein was 2.32 ± 0.12 mg/mL. These results demonstrated that the reliability and representativeness of the cDNA library attained to the requirements of a standard cDNA library. This library provided a useful platform for the functional genome and transcriptome research of Bengal tigers.

The Effect of Casting Ring Liner Length and Prewetting on the Marginal Adaptation and Dimensional Accuracy of Full Crown Castings.

Science.gov (United States)

Haralur, Satheesh B; Hamdi, Osama A; Al-Shahrani, Abdulaziz A; Alhasaniah, Sultan

2017-01-01

To evaluate the effect of varying cellulose casting ring liner length and its prewetting on the marginal adaptation and dimensional accuracy of full veneer metal castings. The master die was milled in stainless steel to fabricate the wax pattern. Sixty wax patterns were fabricated with a uniform thickness of 1.5 mm at an occlusal surface and 1 mm axial surface, cervical width at 13.5 mm, and 10 mm cuspal height. The samples were divided into six groups ( n = 10). Groups I and II samples had the full-length cellulose prewet and dry ring liner, respectively. The groups III and IV had 2 mm short prewet and dry cellulose ring liner, respectively, whereas groups V and VI were invested in 6 mm short ring liner. The wax patterns were immediately invested in phosphate bonded investment, and casting procedure was completed with nickel-chrome alloy. The castings were cleaned and mean score of measurements at four reference points for marginal adaption, casting height, and cervical width was calculated. The marginal adaption was calculated with Imaje J software, whereas the casting height and cervical width was determined using a digital scale. The data was subjected to one-way analysis of varaince and Tukey post hoc statistical analysis with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20 software. The group II had the best marginal adaption with a gap of 63.786 μm followed by group I (65.185 μm), group IV (87.740 μm), and group III (101.455 μm). A large marginal gap was observed in group V at 188.871 μm. Cuspal height was more accurate with group V (10.428 mm), group VI (10.421 mm), and group II (10.488 mm). The cervical width was approximately similar in group I, group III, and group V. Statistically significant difference was observed in Tukey post hoc analysis between group V and group VI with all the other groups with regards to marginal adaptation. The dry cellulose ring liners provided better marginal adaptation in comparison to prewet cellulose ring

Impact of Nuclear Energy Futures on Advanced Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, B.W.; Piet, S.J.

2004-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the Secretary of Energy to inform Congress before 2010 on the need for a second geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. By that time, the spent fuel discharged from current commercial reactors will exceed the statutory limit of the first repository. There are several approaches to eliminate the need for another repository in this century. This paper presents a high-level analysis of these spent fuel management options in the context of a full range of possible nuclear energy futures. The analysis indicates the best option to implement varies depending on the nuclear energy future selected

Tula hantavirus isolate with the full-length ORF for nonstructural protein NSs survives for more consequent passages in interferon-competent cells than the isolate having truncated NSs ORF.

Science.gov (United States)

Jääskeläinen, Kirsi M; Plyusnina, Angelina; Lundkvist, Ake; Vaheri, Antti; Plyusnin, Alexander

2008-01-11

The competitiveness of two Tula hantavirus (TULV) isolates, TULV/Lodz and TULV/Moravia, was evaluated in interferon (IFN) -competent and IFN-deficient cells. The two isolates differ in the length of the open reading frame (ORF) encoding the nonstructural protein NSs, which has previously been shown to inhibit IFN response in infected cells. In IFN-deficient Vero E6 cells both TULV isolates survived equally well. In contrast, in IFN-competent MRC5 cells TULV/Lodz isolate, that possesses the NSs ORF for the full-length protein of 90 aa, survived for more consequent passages than TULV/Moravia isolate, which contains the ORF for truncated NSs protein (66-67 aa). Our data show that expression of a full-length NSs protein is beneficial for the virus survival and competitiveness in IFN-competent cells and not essential in IFN-deficient cells. These results suggest that the N-terminal aa residues are important for the full activity of the NSs protein.

Full-Length Venom Protein cDNA Sequences from Venom-Derived mRNA: Exploring Compositional Variation and Adaptive Multigene Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Modahl, Cassandra M; Mackessy, Stephen P

2016-06-01

Envenomation of humans by snakes is a complex and continuously evolving medical emergency, and treatment is made that much more difficult by the diverse biochemical composition of many venoms. Venomous snakes and their venoms also provide models for the study of molecular evolutionary processes leading to adaptation and genotype-phenotype relationships. To compare venom complexity and protein sequences, venom gland transcriptomes are assembled, which usually requires the sacrifice of snakes for tissue. However, toxin transcripts are also present in venoms, offering the possibility of obtaining cDNA sequences directly from venom. This study provides evidence that unknown full-length venom protein transcripts can be obtained from the venoms of multiple species from all major venomous snake families. These unknown venom protein cDNAs are obtained by the use of primers designed from conserved signal peptide sequences within each venom protein superfamily. This technique was used to assemble a partial venom gland transcriptome for the Middle American Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus tzabcan) by amplifying sequences for phospholipases A2, serine proteases, C-lectins, and metalloproteinases from within venom. Phospholipase A2 sequences were also recovered from the venoms of several rattlesnakes and an elapid snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), and three-finger toxin sequences were recovered from multiple rear-fanged snake species, demonstrating that the three major clades of advanced snakes (Elapidae, Viperidae, Colubridae) have stable mRNA present in their venoms. These cDNA sequences from venom were then used to explore potential activities derived from protein sequence similarities and evolutionary histories within these large multigene superfamilies. Venom-derived sequences can also be used to aid in characterizing venoms that lack proteomic profiles and identify sequence characteristics indicating specific envenomation profiles. This approach, requiring only venom, provides

Commercial Nuclear Waste Research and Development Program. Annual report, fiscal year 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-12-01

Nuclear waste handling, packaging, and dry storage testing for the Department of Energy (DOE) Commercial Nuclear Waste Research and Development Program are conducted at the E-MAD (Engine Maintenance, Assembly and Disassembly) facility in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site. Brief discussions of E-MAD activities are included in this report. Significant accomplishments for this period are as follows: (1) Integrity monitoring of the 17 fuel assemblies located at E-MAD was performed to determine if handling, packaging, or storage had affected the overall integrity of the fuel. (2) The 24-month Dry Storage Fuel Integrity Demonstration Test being conducted at the E-MAD facility was completed. Two fuel rods, removed from the assembly prior to the test, were reinserted into the fuel assembly. (3) The remaining nine fuel assemblies were removed from their seal-welded canisters and characterized to verify their integrity following storage tests. (4) The decay heat rates of five fuel assemblies were measured using the E-MAD boiling water calorimeter. The measured decay heat rates were compared to predicted rates. (5) At DOE/NV request, plans were prepared and submitted to ship the 17 E-MAD fuel assemblies to the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and then shut down the E-MAD facility. (6) The revised safety assessment document was approved and transmitted to DOE/NV. (7) Quality Assurance personnel assisted in the completion of the DOE/NV Quality Assurance Manual and it was approved and published. (8) Technical support was provided to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the decontamination of electronic equipment

Full-Length Characterization of Hepatitis C Virus Subtype 3a Reveals Novel Hypervariable Regions under Positive Selection during Acute Infection▿

OpenAIRE

Humphreys, Isla; Fleming, Vicki; Fabris, Paolo; Parker, Joe; Schulenberg, Bodo; Brown, Anthony; Demetriou, Charis; Gaudieri, Silvana; Pfafferott, Katja; Lucas, Michaela; Collier, Jane; Huang, Kuan-Hsiang Gary; Pybus, Oliver G.; Klenerman, Paul; Barnes, Eleanor

2009-01-01

Hepatitis C virus subtype 3a is a highly prevalent and globally distributed strain that is often associated with infection via injection drug use. This subtype exhibits particular phenotypic characteristics. In spite of this, detailed genetic analysis of this subtype has rarely been performed. We performed full-length viral sequence analysis in 18 patients with chronic HCV subtype 3a infection and assessed genomic viral variability in comparison to other HCV subtypes. Two novel regions of int...

Construction and evaluation of normalized cDNA libraries enriched with full-length sequences for rapid discovery of new genes from Sisal (Agave sisalana Perr.) different developmental stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wen-Zhao; Zhang, Yan-Mei; Lu, Jun-Ying; Li, Jun-Feng

2012-10-12

To provide a resource of sisal-specific expressed sequence data and facilitate this powerful approach in new gene research, the preparation of normalized cDNA libraries enriched with full-length sequences is necessary. Four libraries were produced with RNA pooled from Agave sisalana multiple tissues to increase efficiency of normalization and maximize the number of independent genes by SMART™ method and the duplex-specific nuclease (DSN). This procedure kept the proportion of full-length cDNAs in the subtracted/normalized libraries and dramatically enhanced the discovery of new genes. Sequencing of 3875 cDNA clones of libraries revealed 3320 unigenes with an average insert length about 1.2 kb, indicating that the non-redundancy of libraries was about 85.7%. These unigene functions were predicted by comparing their sequences to functional domain databases and extensively annotated with Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Comparative analysis of sisal unigenes and other plant genomes revealed that four putative MADS-box genes and knotted-like homeobox (knox) gene were obtained from a total of 1162 full-length transcripts. Furthermore, real-time PCR showed that the characteristics of their transcripts mainly depended on the tight expression regulation of a number of genes during the leaf and flower development. Analysis of individual library sequence data indicated that the pooled-tissue approach was highly effective in discovering new genes and preparing libraries for efficient deep sequencing.

The full-length E1-circumflexE4 protein of human papillomavirus type 18 modulates differentiation-dependent viral DNA amplification and late gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, Regina; Ryan, Gordon B.; Knight, Gillian L.; Laimins, Laimonis A.; Roberts, Sally

2007-01-01

Activation of the productive phase of the human papillomavirus (HPV) life cycle in differentiated keratinocytes is coincident with high-level expression of E1-circumflexE4 protein. To determine the role of E1-circumflexE4 in the HPV replication cycle, we constructed HPV18 mutant genomes in which expression of the full-length E1-circumflexE4 protein was abrogated. Undifferentiated keratinocytes containing mutant genomes showed enhanced proliferation when compared to cells containing wildtype genomes, but there were no differences in maintenance of viral episomes. Following differentiation, cells with mutant genomes exhibited reduced levels of viral DNA amplification and late gene expression, compared to wildtype genome-containing cells. This indicates that HPV18 E1-circumflexE4 plays an important role in regulating HPV late functions, and it may also function in the early phase of the replication cycle. Our finding that full-length HPV18 E1-circumflexE4 protein plays a significant role in promoting viral genome amplification concurs with a similar report with HPV31, but is in contrast to an HPV11 study where viral DNA amplification was not dependent on full-length E1-circumflexE4 expression, and to HPV16 where only C-terminal truncations in E1-circumflexE4 abrogated vegetative genome replication. This suggests that type-specific differences exist between various E1-circumflexE4 proteins

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1989 Information Digest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-03-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1989 Information Digest provides summary information regarding the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, its regulatory responsibilities, and areas licensed by the Commission. This is the first of an annual publication for the general use of the NRC staff and is available to the public. The Digest is divided into two parts: the first presents an overview of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the second provides data on NRC commercial nuclear reactor licensees and commercial nuclear power reactors worldwide

Production of a full-length infectious GFP-tagged cDNA clone of Beet mild yellowing virus for the study of plant-polerovirus interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Mark; Viganó, Felicita

2007-04-01

The full-length cDNA of Beet mild yellowing virus (Broom's Barn isolate) was sequenced and cloned into the vector pLitmus 29 (pBMYV-BBfl). The sequence of BMYV-BBfl (5721 bases) shared 96% and 98% nucleotide identity with the other complete sequences of BMYV (BMYV-2ITB, France and BMYV-IPP, Germany respectively). Full-length capped RNA transcripts of pBMYV-BBfl were synthesised and found to be biologically active in Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts following electroporation or PEG inoculation when the protoplasts were subsequently analysed using serological and molecular methods. The BMYV sequence was modified by inserting DNA that encoded the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the P5 gene close to its 3' end. A. thaliana protoplasts electroporated with these RNA transcripts were biologically active and up to 2% of transfected protoplasts showed GFP-specific fluorescence. The exploitation of these cDNA clones for the study of the biology of beet poleroviruses is discussed.

Dendritic cell nuclear protein-1, a novel depression-related protein, upregulates corticotropin-releasing hormone expression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhou, Tian; Wang, Shanshan; Ren, Haigang; Qi, Xin-Rui; Luchetti, Sabina; Kamphuis, Willem; Zhou, Jiang-Ning; Wang, Guanghui; Swaab, Dick F.

2010-01-01

The recently discovered dendritic cell nuclear protein-1 is the product of a novel candidate gene for major depression. The A allele encodes full-length dendritic cell nuclear protein-1, while the T allele encodes a premature termination of translation at codon number 117 on chromosome 5. In the

A review from the regulatory position of the control of occupational exposure associated with the first 20 years of the United Kingdom commercial nuclear power programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emmerson, B.W.

1980-01-01

The control of occupational exposure received at commercial nuclear generating plants in the United Kingdom has been subject to regulatory requirements embodied in site licence conditions since 1959, and at commercial fuel production and reprocessing plants since 1971. The paper indicates the main radiological control objectives which have applied, reviews the statutory measures introduced for their achievement and indicates some of the administrative arrangements made by site operators in order to comply. The principal sources of occupational exposure associated with each stage of the fuel cycle are identified and exposure data since licensed operations commenced are reviewed. The effectiveness of the United Kingdom site licensing procedure in ensuring adequate radiological control procedures, including the minimisation of occupational exposure, is examined in relation to the relevant ICRP recommendations and against the background of the first 20 years of commercial nuclear power production. The impact on these procedures of more recently introduced legislation relating to health and safety at all places of employment in the United Kingdom is discussed. The paper considers the changes in current regulatory procedures that may result from the introduction of ICRP-26 and the recommendations of ICRP Committee 2, and concludes with a review of the more important problems facing the licensee and the Nuclear Inspectorate with regard to the implementation of future radiological control procedures. (H.K.)

Nuclear fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ainsworth, K.F.

1979-01-01

A nuclear fuel element is described having a cluster of nuclear fuel pins supported in parallel, spaced apart relationship by transverse cellular braces within coaxial, inner and outer sleeves, the inner sleeve being in at least two separate axial lengths, each of the transverse braces having a peripheral portion which is clamped peripherally between the ends of the axial lengths of the inner sleeve. (author)

Commissioning and operation of the nuclear physics injector at SLAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, R.F.; Iverson, R.; Leyer, G.K.; Miller, R.H.

1985-01-01

The new Nuclear Physics Injector (NPI) approved for construction in October of 1983 was completed by September of 1984, and delivered short pulse beams for SPEAR ring checkout in mid-October. Long pulse beams of up to 1.6 microsecond length were also demonstrated. The paper describes the startup operation, reviews the performance characteristics, and discusses the beam transport optics used to deliver 1 to 4 GeV beams to nuclear physics experiments in End Station A. The SLAC Nuclear Physics Injector is in full operationexclamation

Commissioning and operation of the nuclear physics injector at SLAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, R.F.; Miller, R.H.; Leger, G.K.; Iverson, R.

1985-01-01

The new Nuclear Physics Injector (NPI) approved for construction in October of 1983 was completed by September of 1984, and delivered short pulse beams for SPEAR ring checkout in mid-October. Long pulse beams of up to 1.6 microsecond length were also demonstrated. The paper describes the start-up operation, reviews the performance characteristics, and discusses the beam transport optics used to deliver 1 to 4 GeV beams to nuclear physics experiments in End Station A. The SLAC Nuclear Physics Injector is in full operation!

Assessing the genetic diversity of Cu resistance in mine tailings through high-throughput recovery of full-length copA genes

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaofang; Zhu, Yong-Guan; Shaban, Babak; Bruxner, Timothy J. C.; Bond, Philip L.; Huang, Longbin

2015-01-01

Characterizing the genetic diversity of microbial copper (Cu) resistance at the community level remains challenging, mainly due to the polymorphism of the core functional gene copA. In this study, a local BLASTN method using a copA database built in this study was developed to recover full-length putative copA sequences from an assembled tailings metagenome; these sequences were then screened for potentially functioning CopA using conserved metal-binding motifs, inferred by evolutionary trace analysis of CopA sequences from known Cu resistant microorganisms. In total, 99 putative copA sequences were recovered from the tailings metagenome, out of which 70 were found with high potential to be functioning in Cu resistance. Phylogenetic analysis of selected copA sequences detected in the tailings metagenome showed that topology of the copA phylogeny is largely congruent with that of the 16S-based phylogeny of the tailings microbial community obtained in our previous study, indicating that the development of copA diversity in the tailings might be mainly through vertical descent with few lateral gene transfer events. The method established here can be used to explore copA (and potentially other metal resistance genes) diversity in any metagenome and has the potential to exhaust the full-length gene sequences for downstream analyses. PMID:26286020

Full-Scale Cask Testing and Public Acceptance of Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipments - 12254

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dilger, Fred [Black Mountain Research, Henderson, NV 81012 (United States); Halstead, Robert J. [State of Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects Carson City, NV 80906 (United States); Ballard, James D. [Department of Sociology, California State University, Northridge Northridge, CA 91330 (United States)

2012-07-01

Full-scale physical testing of spent fuel shipping casks has been proposed by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 2006 report on spent nuclear fuel transportation, and by the Presidential Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America's Nuclear Future 2011 draft report. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2005 proposed full-scale testing of a rail cask, and considered 'regulatory limits' testing of both rail and truck casks (SRM SECY-05-0051). The recent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cancellation of the Yucca Mountain project, NRC evaluation of extended spent fuel storage (possibly beyond 60-120 years) before transportation, nuclear industry adoption of very large dual-purpose canisters for spent fuel storage and transport, and the deliberations of the BRC, will fundamentally change assumptions about the future spent fuel transportation system, and reopen the debate over shipping cask performance in severe accidents and acts of sabotage. This paper examines possible approaches to full-scale testing for enhancing public confidence in risk analyses, perception of risk, and acceptance of spent fuel shipments. The paper reviews the literature on public perception of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste transportation risks. We review and summarize opinion surveys sponsored by the State of Nevada over the past two decades, which show consistent patterns of concern among Nevada residents about health and safety impacts, and socioeconomic impacts such as reduced property values along likely transportation routes. We also review and summarize the large body of public opinion survey research on transportation concerns at regional and national levels. The paper reviews three past cask testing programs, the way in which these cask testing program results were portrayed in films and videos, and examines public and official responses to these three programs: the 1970's impact and fire testing of spent fuel truck casks at Sandia National

Commercial application of fault tree analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crosetti, P.A.; Bruce, R.A.

1970-01-01

The potential for general application of Fault Tree Analysis to commercial products appears attractive based not only on the successful extension from the aerospace safety technology to the nuclear reactor reliability and availability technology, but also because combinatorial hazards are common to commercial operations and therefore lend themselves readily to evaluation by Fault Tree Analysis. It appears reasonable to conclude that the technique has application within the commercial industrial community where the occurrence of a specified consequence or final event would be of sufficient concern to management to justify such a rigorous analysis as an aid to decision making. (U.S.)

Pre-Steady-State Kinetic Analysis of Truncated and Full-Length Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA Polymerase Eta

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jessica A.; Zhang, Likui; Sherrer, Shanen M.; Taylor, John-Stephen; Burgers, Peter M. J.; Suo, Zucai

2010-01-01

Understanding polymerase fidelity is an important objective towards ascertaining the overall stability of an organism's genome. Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase η (yPolη), a Y-family DNA polymerase, is known to efficiently bypass DNA lesions (e.g., pyrimidine dimers) in vivo. Using pre-steady-state kinetic methods, we examined both full-length and a truncated version of yPolη which contains only the polymerase domain. In the absence of yPolη's C-terminal residues 514–632, the DNA binding affinity was weakened by 2-fold and the base substitution fidelity dropped by 3-fold. Thus, the C-terminus of yPolη may interact with DNA and slightly alter the conformation of the polymerase domain during catalysis. In general, yPolη discriminated between a correct and incorrect nucleotide more during the incorporation step (50-fold on average) than the ground-state binding step (18-fold on average). Blunt-end additions of dATP or pyrene nucleotide 5′-triphosphate revealed the importance of base stacking during the binding of incorrect incoming nucleotides. PMID:20798853

Administrative and research needs associated with the control of occupational exposures in commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, D.W.

1980-01-01

This review of occupational exposures in commercial nuclear power plants in the United States of America has revealed that, although many problem areas are being adequately addressed, there is a need for additional work. Areas relative to exposure evaluation that need attention include better data collection and analysis as to when and where exposures occur, improved information on exposures from internally deposited radionuclides, improved techniques for monitoring occupational neutron exposures, and an upgrading in quality control procedures in the manufacture, calibration, use and maintenance of monitoring instruments. Areas relative to exposure control that need attention include the development of additional design and manufacturing approaches for preventing the production and build-up of key radionuclides within reactor cooling systems, the development and testing of techniques for removing those radionuclides that do accumulate in such systems, the application of risk/benefit assessments to procedures for the maintenance, repair, modification, replacement and disposal of major nuclear power plant components, such as steam generators, and the development of design features to facilitate the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. Professional radiation workers also have to be aware of the impact that the proposed major reductions in occupational dose limits would have on their operations. This impact is compounded by the fact that the number of people receiving graduate education in radiation protection in the USA is decreasing. (author)

Full scale vibration test on nuclear power plant auxiliary building: Part I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langer, V.; Tinic, S.; Berger, E.; Zwicky, P.; Prater, E.G.

1987-01-01

In connection with the construction of the reinforced concrete auxiliary building housing the two boric water tanks (so-called BOTA building) of the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant in Switzerland the opportunity was given to carry out full scale vibration tests in November 1985. The overall aim of the tests was to validate computational models and parameters widely used in the seismic analysis of the structures and critical components of nuclear power plants. The scope of the experimental investigation was the determination of the eigenfrequencies and damping values for the fundamental soil-structure interaction (SSI) modes. The excitation level was aimed to be as high as feasibly possible. A working group was formed of representatives of the owner, NOK, the consulting firm Basler and Hofmann and the ETH to supervise the project. The project's main phases were the planning and execution of the tests, the evaluation of recorded data, numerical simulation of the tests using different computer models and finally the comparison and interpretation of measured and computed results

Construction of phosphorylation interaction networks by text mining of full-length articles using the eFIP system.

Science.gov (United States)

Tudor, Catalina O; Ross, Karen E; Li, Gang; Vijay-Shanker, K; Wu, Cathy H; Arighi, Cecilia N

2015-01-01

Protein phosphorylation is a reversible post-translational modification where a protein kinase adds a phosphate group to a protein, potentially regulating its function, localization and/or activity. Phosphorylation can affect protein-protein interactions (PPIs), abolishing interaction with previous binding partners or enabling new interactions. Extracting phosphorylation information coupled with PPI information from the scientific literature will facilitate the creation of phosphorylation interaction networks of kinases, substrates and interacting partners, toward knowledge discovery of functional outcomes of protein phosphorylation. Increasingly, PPI databases are interested in capturing the phosphorylation state of interacting partners. We have previously developed the eFIP (Extracting Functional Impact of Phosphorylation) text mining system, which identifies phosphorylated proteins and phosphorylation-dependent PPIs. In this work, we present several enhancements for the eFIP system: (i) text mining for full-length articles from the PubMed Central open-access collection; (ii) the integration of the RLIMS-P 2.0 system for the extraction of phosphorylation events with kinase, substrate and site information; (iii) the extension of the PPI module with new trigger words/phrases describing interactions and (iv) the addition of the iSimp tool for sentence simplification to aid in the matching of syntactic patterns. We enhance the website functionality to: (i) support searches based on protein roles (kinases, substrates, interacting partners) or using keywords; (ii) link protein entities to their corresponding UniProt identifiers if mapped and (iii) support visual exploration of phosphorylation interaction networks using Cytoscape. The evaluation of eFIP on full-length articles achieved 92.4% precision, 76.5% recall and 83.7% F-measure on 100 article sections. To demonstrate eFIP for knowledge extraction and discovery, we constructed phosphorylation-dependent interaction

Molecular Comparisons of Full Length Metapneumovirus (MPV) Genomes, Including Newly Determined French AMPV-C and –D Isolates, Further Supports Possible Subclassification within the MPV Genus

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Paul A.; Lemaitre, Evelyne; Briand, François-Xavier; Courtillon, Céline; Guionie, Olivier; Allée, Chantal; Toquin, Didier; Bayon-Auboyer, Marie-Hélène; Jestin, Véronique; Eterradossi, Nicolas

2014-01-01

Four avian metapneumovirus (AMPV) subgroups (A–D) have been reported previously based on genetic and antigenic differences. However, until now full length sequences of the only known isolates of European subgroup C and subgroup D viruses (duck and turkey origin, respectively) have been unavailable. These full length sequences were determined and compared with other full length AMPV and human metapneumoviruses (HMPV) sequences reported previously, using phylogenetics, comparisons of nucleic and amino acid sequences and study of codon usage bias. Results confirmed that subgroup C viruses were more closely related to HMPV than they were to the other AMPV subgroups in the study. This was consistent with previous findings using partial genome sequences. Closer relationships between AMPV-A, B and D were also evident throughout the majority of results. Three metapneumovirus “clusters” HMPV, AMPV-C and AMPV-A, B and D were further supported by codon bias and phylogenetics. The data presented here together with those of previous studies describing antigenic relationships also between AMPV-A, B and D and between AMPV-C and HMPV may call for a subclassification of metapneumoviruses similar to that used for avian paramyxoviruses, grouping AMPV-A, B and D as type I metapneumoviruses and AMPV-C and HMPV as type II. PMID:25036224

FIRE BEHAVIOR PREDICTING MODELS EFFICIENCY IN BRAZILIAN COMMERCIAL EUCALYPT PLANTATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Leonardo Alves White

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Knowing how a wildfire will behave is extremely important in order to assist in fire suppression and prevention operations. Since the 1940’s mathematical models to estimate how the fire will behave have been developed worldwide, however, none of them, until now, had their efficiency tested in Brazilian commercial eucalypt plantations nor in other vegetation types in the country. This study aims to verify the accuracy of the Rothermel (1972 fire spread model, the Byram (1959 flame length model, and the fire spread and length equations derived from the McArthur (1962 control burn meters. To meet these objectives, 105 experimental laboratory fires were done and their results compared with the predicted values from the models tested. The Rothermel and Byram models predicted better than McArthur’s, nevertheless, all of them underestimated the fire behavior aspects evaluated and were statistically different from the experimental data.

Impact of Nuclear Energy Futures on Advanced Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brent W. Dixon; Steven J. Piet

2004-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the Secretary of Energy to inform Congress before 2010 on the need for a second geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. By that time, the spent fuel discharged from current commercial reactors will exceed the statutory limit of the first repository (63,000 MTiHM commercial, 7,000 MT non-commercial). There are several approaches to eliminate the need for another repository in this century. This paper presents a high-level analysis of these spent fuel management options in the context of a full range of possible nuclear energy futures. The analysis indicates the best option to implement varies depending on the nuclear energy future selected. The first step in understanding the need for different spent fuel management approaches is to understand the size of potential spent fuel inventories. A full range of potential futures for domestic commercial nuclear energy is considered. These energy futures are as follows: 1. Existing License Completion - Based on existing spent fuel inventories plus extrapolation of future plant-by-plant discharges until the end of each operating license, including known license extensions. 2. Extended License Completion - Based on existing spent fuel inventories plus a plant-by-plant extrapolation of future discharges assuming on all operating plants having one 20-year extension. 3. Continuing Level Energy Generation - Based on extension of the current ∼100 GWe installed commercial base and average spent fuel discharge of 2100 MT/yr through the year 2100. 4. Continuing Market Share Generation - Based on a 1.8% compounded growth of the electricity market through the year 2100, matched by growing nuclear capacity and associated spent fuel discharge. 5. Growing Market Share Generation - Extension of current nuclear capacity and associated spent fuel discharge through 2100 with 3.2% growth representing 1.5% market growth (all energy, not just electricity) and 1.7% share growth. Share growth results in

A Study on the Revitalizing of technology commercialization in KAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, J. I.; Jang, S. K.; Hong, G. P.; Lee, E. S.

2009-02-01

The TEC training program should be implemented for researches who want to commercialize their own technologies. To build creative organization culture is essential for technology commercialization. Collaboration strategy is related to analyze how KAERI is catching up their technological capabilities in nuclear technology, and what the success factors of KAERI in technology commercialization are.

Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Battery chargers, inverters and uninterruptible power supplies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, R.; Stroinski, M.; Giachetti, R.

1994-02-01

This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant battery chargers, inverters and uninterruptible power supplies important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already, experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

Regulatory challenges facing the global nuclear energy partnership

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyman, Edwin S.

2007-01-01

In January 2006 the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the creation of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), an ambitious plan to reshape the nuclear energy production sector both in the United States and worldwide. If fully realized in the United States, GNEP would entail the construction of a large number of sodium-cooled fast reactors utilizing actinide-based fuels, multiple commercial-scale reprocessing plants for both light-water and fast reactors, and fast reactor fuel fabrication plants. It appears likely that the first commercial-scale GNEP facilities, as well as a future full-scale GNEP complex, would fall under the licensing jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This will be a challenging endeavor for the NRC, primarily because the proposed GNEP facilities will in large part be based on novel and untested designs and processes that have not been developed on a commercial scale. In order to effectively regulate the GNEP complex, the NRC will have to quickly address the many technical and policy questions that will arise in any GNEP licensing scheme. This paper identifies some difficult issues that will be encountered in GNEP licensing by examining the potential implications of NRC's current policies and regulatory requirements, and analyzing the impacts of some emerging post-9/11 security issues. (author)

Correlation of Neutron Data Taken at Commercial Nuclear Sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathbun, L. A.; Endres, G. W.R.

1983-10-01

In this report, data from neutron measurement and dosimetry studies performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory, the Environmental Measurements Laboratory, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are examined and compared. The purpose of this data correlation effort is to determine whether useful relationships exist between the actual neutron dose equivalent in a typical commercial nuclear power reactor and various measurement parameters, such as ratios of the response of 9-in. to 3-in. spheres, neutron/gamma ratios, albedo dosimeter response and neutron spectrometer readings. In most neutron radiation fields found in the reactors visited, the response of albedo dosimeters can be brought into reasonable agreement with dose equivalents measured with multispheres, tissue equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs) or remmeters. Because the responses of the remmeters, like the responses of albedo dosimeters, are energy dependent, it is preferable to correct the responses of the albedo dosimeters to agree with dose equivalents measured with either TEPCs or multispheres. If one of these laboratory systems has been used to measure neutron dose equivalents at a specific pressurized water reactor, a calculated average albedo dosimeter correction factor can be used for most locations at that reactor. However, if the measured 9-in. to 3-in. remmeter ratio is greater than 0.20, it is advisable to use a plot of 9-in. to 3-in. remmeter ratios versus albedo dosimeter correction factors to obtain an albedo dosimeter correction factor. Because 9-in. to 3-in. remmeter ratios at boiling water reactors are typically greater than 0.20, the latter approach applies to this type of reactor.

Drug resistance is conferred on the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by expression of full-length melanoma-associated human ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCB5.

Science.gov (United States)

Keniya, Mikhail V; Holmes, Ann R; Niimi, Masakazu; Lamping, Erwin; Gillet, Jean-Pierre; Gottesman, Michael M; Cannon, Richard D

2014-10-06

ABCB5, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, is highly expressed in melanoma cells, and may contribute to the extreme resistance of melanomas to chemotherapy by efflux of anti-cancer drugs. Our goal was to determine whether we could functionally express human ABCB5 in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in order to demonstrate an efflux function for ABCB5 in the absence of background pump activity from other human transporters. Heterologous expression would also facilitate drug discovery for this important target. DNAs encoding ABCB5 sequences were cloned into the chromosomal PDR5 locus of a S. cerevisiae strain in which seven endogenous ABC transporters have been deleted. Protein expression in the yeast cells was monitored by immunodetection using both a specific anti-ABCB5 antibody and a cross-reactive anti-ABCB1 antibody. ABCB5 function in recombinant yeast cells was measured by determining whether the cells possessed increased resistance to known pump substrates, compared to the host yeast strain, in assays of yeast growth. Three ABCB5 constructs were made in yeast. One was derived from the ABCB5-β mRNA, which is highly expressed in human tissues but is a truncation of a canonical full-size ABC transporter. Two constructs contained full-length ABCB5 sequences: either a native sequence from cDNA or a synthetic sequence codon-harmonized for S. cerevisiae. Expression of all three constructs in yeast was confirmed by immunodetection. Expression of the codon-harmonized full-length ABCB5 DNA conferred increased resistance, relative to the host yeast strain, to the putative substrates rhodamine 123, daunorubicin, tetramethylrhodamine, FK506, or clorgyline. We conclude that full-length ABCB5 can be functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae and confers drug resistance.

Shutdown and low-power operation at commercial nuclear power plants in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

The report contains the results of the NRC Staff's evaluation of shutdown and low-power operations at US commercial nuclear power plants. The report describes studies conducted by the staff in the following areas: Operating experience related to shutdown and low-power operations, probabilistic risk assessment of shutdown and low-power conditions and utility programs for planning and conducting activities during periods the plant is shut down. The report also documents evaluations of a number of technical issues regarding shutdown and low-power operations performed by the staff, including the principal findings and conclusions. Potential new regulatory requirements are discussed, as well as potential changes in NRC programs. A draft report was issued for comment in February 1992. This report is the final version and includes the responses to the comments along with the staff regulatory analysis of potential new requirements

Tritium issues in commercial pressurized water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, G.

2008-01-01

Tritium has become an important radionuclide in commercial Pressurized Water Reactors because of its mobility and tendency to concentrate in plant systems as tritiated water during the recycling of reactor coolant. Small quantities of tritium are released in routine regulated effluents as liquid water and as water vapor. Tritium has become a focus of attention at commercial nuclear power plants in recent years due to inadvertent, low-level, chronic releases arising from routine maintenance operations and from component failures. Tritium has been observed in groundwater in the vicinity of stations. The nuclear industry has undertaken strong proactive corrective measures to prevent recurrence, and continues to eliminate emission sources through its singular focus on public safety and environmental stewardship. This paper will discuss: production mechanisms for tritium, transport mechanisms from the reactor through plant, systems to the environment, examples of routine effluent releases, offsite doses, basic groundwater transport and geological issues, and recent nuclear industry environmental and legal ramifications. (authors)

Full-length genome sequences of five hepatitis C virus isolates representing subtypes 3g, 3h, 3i and 3k, and a unique genotype 3 variant.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Ling; Li, Chunhua; Yuan, Jie; Lu, Teng; Okamoto, Hiroaki; Murphy, Donald G

2013-03-01

We characterized the full-length genomes of five distinct hepatitis C virus (HCV)-3 isolates. These represent the first complete genomes for subtypes 3g and 3h, the second such genomes for 3k and 3i, and of one novel variant presently not assigned to a subtype. Each genome was determined from 18-25 overlapping fragments. They had lengths of 9579-9660 nt and each contained a single ORF encoding 3020-3025 aa. They were isolated from five patients residing in Canada; four were of Asian origin and one was of Somali origin. Phylogenetic analysis using 64 partial NS5B sequences differentiated 10 assigned subtypes, 3a-3i and 3k, and two additional lineages within genotype 3. From the data of this study, HCV-3 full-length sequences are now available for six of the assigned subtypes and one unassigned. Our findings should add insights to HCV evolutionary studies and clinical applications.

Correlated evolution of sternal keel length and ilium length in birds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Zhao

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The interplay between the pectoral module (the pectoral girdle and limbs and the pelvic module (the pelvic girdle and limbs plays a key role in shaping avian evolution, but prior empirical studies on trait covariation between the two modules are limited. Here we empirically test whether (size-corrected sternal keel length and ilium length are correlated during avian evolution using phylogenetic comparative methods. Our analyses on extant birds and Mesozoic birds both recover a significantly positive correlation. The results provide new evidence regarding the integration between the pelvic and pectoral modules. The correlated evolution of sternal keel length and ilium length may serve as a mechanism to cope with the effect on performance caused by a tradeoff in muscle mass between the pectoral and pelvic modules, via changing moment arms of muscles that function in flight and in terrestrial locomotion.

Identification of a truncated nucleoprotein in avian metapneumovirus-infected cells encoded by a second AUG, in-frame to the full-length gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarez Rene

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Avian metapneumoviruses (aMPV cause an upper respiratory disease with low mortality, but high morbidity primarily in commercial turkeys. There are three types of aMPV (A, B, C of which the C type is found only in the United States. Viruses related to aMPV include human, bovine, ovine, and caprine respiratory syncytial viruses and pneumonia virus of mice, as well as the recently identified human metapneumovirus (hMPV. The aMPV and hMPV have become the type viruses of a new genus within the Metapneumovirus. The aMPV nucleoprotein (N amino acid sequences of serotypes A, B, and C were aligned for comparative analysis. Based on predicted antigenicity of consensus protein sequences, five aMPV-specific N peptides were synthesized for development of peptide-antigens and antisera. Results The presence of two aMPV nucleoprotein (N gene encoded polypeptides was detected in aMPV/C/US/Co and aMPV/A/UK/3b infected Vero cells. Nucleoprotein 1 (N1 encoded from the first open reading frame (ORF was predicted to be 394 amino acids in length for aMPV/C/US/Co and 391 amino acids in length for aMPV/A/UK/3b with approximate molecular weights of 43.3 kilodaltons and 42.7 kilodaltons, respectively. Nucleoprotein 2 (N2 was hypothesized to be encoded by a second downstream ORF in-frame with ORF1 and encoded a protein predicted to contain 328 amino acids for aMPV/C/US/Co or 259 amino acids for aMPV/A/UK/3b with approximate molecular weights of 36 kilodaltons and 28.3 kilodaltons, respectively. Peptide antibodies to the N-terminal and C-terminal portions of the aMPV N protein confirmed presence of these products in both aMPV/C/US/Co- and aMPV/A/UK/3b-infected Vero cells. N1 and N2 for aMPV/C/US/Co ORFs were molecularly cloned and expressed in Vero cells utilizing eukaryotic expression vectors to confirm identity of the aMPV encoded proteins. Conclusion This is the first reported identification of potential, accessory in-frame N2 ORF gene products among

Full-length model of the human galectin-4 and insights into dynamics of inter-domain communication

Science.gov (United States)

Rustiguel, Joane K.; Soares, Ricardo O. S.; Meisburger, Steve P.; Davis, Katherine M.; Malzbender, Kristina L.; Ando, Nozomi; Dias-Baruffi, Marcelo; Nonato, Maria Cristina

2016-09-01

Galectins are proteins involved in diverse cellular contexts due to their capacity to decipher and respond to the information encoded by β-galactoside sugars. In particular, human galectin-4, normally expressed in the healthy gastrointestinal tract, displays differential expression in cancerous tissues and is considered a potential drug target for liver and lung cancer. Galectin-4 is a tandem-repeat galectin characterized by two carbohydrate recognition domains connected by a linker-peptide. Despite their relevance to cell function and pathogenesis, structural characterization of full-length tandem-repeat galectins has remained elusive. Here, we investigate galectin-4 using X-ray crystallography, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, molecular modelling, molecular dynamics simulations, and differential scanning fluorimetry assays and describe for the first time a structural model for human galectin-4. Our results provide insight into the structural role of the linker-peptide and shed light on the dynamic characteristics of the mechanism of carbohydrate recognition among tandem-repeat galectins.

DOCUMENTATION OF NATIONAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AFFECTING LONG-TERM DEGRADATION OF COMMERCIAL SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND DOE SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL WASTE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

W. L. Poe, Jr.; P.F. Wise

1998-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing a proposal to construct, operate 2nd monitor, and eventually close a repository at Yucca Mountain in Nye County, Nevada, for the geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). As part of this effort, DOE has prepared a viability assessment and an assessment of potential consequences that may exist if the repository is not constructed. The assessment of potential consequences if the repository is not constructed assumes that all SNF and HLW would be left at the generator sites. These include 72 commercial generator sites (three commercial facility pairs--Salem and Hope Creek, Fitzpatrick and Nine Mile Point, and Dresden and Morris--would share common storage due to their close proximity to each other) and five DOE sites across the country. DOE analyzed the environmental consequences of the effects of the continued storage of these materials at these sites in a report titled Continued Storage Analysis Report (CSAR; Reference 1 ) . The CSAR analysis includes a discussion of the degradation of these materials when exposed to the environment. This document describes the environmental parameters that influence the degradation analyzed in the CSAR. These include temperature, relative humidity, precipitation chemistry (pH and chemical composition), annual precipitation rates, annual number of rain-days, and annual freeze/thaw cycles. The document also tabulates weather conditions for each storage site, evaluates the degradation of concrete storage modules and vaults in different regions of the country, and provides a thermal analysis of commercial SNF in storage

First full-length genome sequence of the polerovirus luffa aphid-borne yellows virus (LABYV) reveals the presence of at least two consensus sequences in an isolate from Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Knierim, Dennis; Maiss, Edgar; Kenyon, Lawrence; Winter, Stephan; Menzel, Wulf

2015-10-01

Luffa aphid-borne yellows virus (LABYV) was proposed as the name for a previously undescribed polerovirus based on partial genome sequences obtained from samples of cucurbit plants collected in Thailand between 2008 and 2013. In this study, we determined the first full-length genome sequence of LABYV. Based on phylogenetic analysis and genome properties, it is clear that this virus represents a distinct species in the genus Polerovirus. Analysis of sequences from sample TH24, which was collected in 2010 from a luffa plant in Thailand, reveals the presence of two different full-length genome consensus sequences.

Gene discovery from Jatropha curcas by sequencing of ESTs from normalized and full-length enriched cDNA library from developing seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugantham Priyanka Annabel

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Jatropha curcas L. is promoted as an important non-edible biodiesel crop worldwide. Jatropha oil, which is a triacylglycerol, can be directly blended with petro-diesel or transesterified with methanol and used as biodiesel. Genetic improvement in jatropha is needed to increase the seed yield, oil content, drought and pest resistance, and to modify oil composition so that it becomes a technically and economically preferred source for biodiesel production. However, genetic improvement efforts in jatropha could not take advantage of genetic engineering methods due to lack of cloned genes from this species. To overcome this hurdle, the current gene discovery project was initiated with an objective of isolating as many functional genes as possible from J. curcas by large scale sequencing of expressed sequence tags (ESTs. Results A normalized and full-length enriched cDNA library was constructed from developing seeds of J. curcas. The cDNA library contained about 1 × 106 clones and average insert size of the clones was 2.1 kb. Totally 12,084 ESTs were sequenced to average high quality read length of 576 bp. Contig analysis revealed 2258 contigs and 4751 singletons. Contig size ranged from 2-23 and there were 7333 ESTs in the contigs. This resulted in 7009 unigenes which were annotated by BLASTX. It showed 3982 unigenes with significant similarity to known genes and 2836 unigenes with significant similarity to genes of unknown, hypothetical and putative proteins. The remaining 191 unigenes which did not show similarity with any genes in the public database may encode for unique genes. Functional classification revealed unigenes related to broad range of cellular, molecular and biological functions. Among the 7009 unigenes, 6233 unigenes were identified to be potential full-length genes. Conclusions The high quality normalized cDNA library was constructed from developing seeds of J. curcas for the first time and 7009 unigenes coding

Selectivity of commercial, larger mesh and square mesh trawl codends for deep water rose shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846 in the Aegean Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hakan Kaykaç

2009-09-01

Full Text Available We investigated the differences between size selectivity of a commercial codend (40 mm diamond mesh – 40D, a larger mesh codend (48 mm diamond mesh – 48D, and a square mesh codend (40 mm square mesh – 40S for Parapenaeus longirostris in international waters of the Aegean Sea. Selectivity data were collected by using a covered codend method and analysed taking between-haul variation into account. The results indicate significant increases in L50 values in relation to an increase in mesh size and when the square mesh is used in the commercial trawl codend. The results demonstrate that the commercially used codend (40D is not selective enough for P. longirostris in terms of length at first maturity. Changing from a 40D to a 48D codend significantly improves selection, with an increase of about 15% in the L50 values (carapace length 14.5 mm for 40D and 16.6 mm for 48D. Similarly, 40 mm square mesh, which has recently been legislated for EU Mediterranean waters, showed a 12.4% higher mean L50 value (16.3 mm than 40 mm diamond mesh for this species. However, despite these improvements, the 48D and 40S codends still need further improvements to obtain higher selectivity closer to the length at first maturity (20 mm carapace length.

Crystal Structure of the Full-Length Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Capsid Protein Shows an N-Terminal β-Hairpin in the Absence of N-Terminal Proline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christelle Folio

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV is a member of the Retroviridae family. It is the causative agent of an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS in cats and wild felines. Its capsid protein (CA drives the assembly of the viral particle, which is a critical step in the viral replication cycle. Here, the first atomic structure of full-length FIV CA to 1.67 Å resolution is determined. The crystallized protein exhibits an original tetrameric assembly, composed of dimers which are stabilized by an intermolecular disulfide bridge induced by the crystallogenesis conditions. The FIV CA displays a standard α-helical CA topology with two domains, separated by a linker shorter than other retroviral CAs. The β-hairpin motif at its amino terminal end, which interacts with nucleotides in HIV-1, is unusually long in FIV CA. Interestingly, this functional β-motif is formed in this construct in the absence of the conserved N-terminal proline. The FIV CA exhibits a cis Arg–Pro bond in the CypA-binding loop, which is absent in known structures of lentiviral CAs. This structure represents the first tri-dimensional structure of a functional, full-length FIV CA.

Full-length U-xPu-10Zr (x = 0, 8, 19 wt.%) fast reactor fuel test in FFTF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porter, D.L., E-mail: Douglas.Porter@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-6188 (United States); Tsai Hanchung [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439-4803 (United States)

2012-08-15

The Integral Fast Reactor-1 (IFR-1) experiment performed in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) was the only U-Pu-10Zr (Pu-0, 8 and 19 wt.%) metallic fast reactor test with commercial-length (91.4-cm active fuel-column length) conducted to date. With few remaining test reactors, there is little opportunity for performing another test with a long active fuel column. The assembly was irradiated to the goal burnup of 10 at.%. The beginning-of-life (BOL) peak cladding temperature of the hottest pin was 608 Degree-Sign C, cooling to 522 Degree-Sign C at end-of-life (EOL). Selected fuel pins were examined non-destructively using neutron radiography, precision axial gamma scanning, and both laser and spiral contact cladding profilometry. Destructive exams included plenum gas pressure, volume, and gas composition determinations on a number of pins followed by optical metallography, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and alpha and beta-gamma autoradiography on a single U-19Pu-10Zr pin. The post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) showed very few differences compared to the short-pin (34.3-cm fuel column) testing performed on fuels of similar composition in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II). The fuel column grew axially slightly less than observed in the short pins, but with the same pattern of decreasing growth with increasing Pu content. There was a difference in the fuel-cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) in that the maximum cladding penetration by interdiffusion with fuel/fission products did not occur at the top of the fuel column where the cladding temperature is highest, as observed in EBR-II tests. Instead, the more exaggerated fission-rate profile of the FFTF pins resulted in a peak FCCI at {approx}0.7 X/L axial location along the fuel column. This resulted from a higher production of rare-earth fission products at this location and a higher {Delta}T between fuel center and cladding than at core center, together providing more rare earths at the cladding and

Angra 1 nuclear power plant full scope simulator development project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selvatici, Edmundo; Castanheira, Luiz Carlos C.; Silva Junior, Nilo Garcia da, E-mail: edsel@eletronuclear.gov.br, E-mail: lccast@eletronuclear.gov.br, E-mail: nilogar@eletronuclear.gov.br [Eletrobras Termonuclear S.A. (SCO/ELETRONUCLEAR), Angra dos Reis, RJ (Brazil). Superintendencia de Coordenacao da Operacao; Zazo, Francisco Javier Lopez; Ruiz, Jose Antonio, E-mail: jlopez@tecnatom.es, E-mail: jaruiz@tecnatom.es [Tecnatom S.A., San Sebastian de los Reyes, Madrid (Spain)

2015-07-01

Specific Full Scope Simulators are an essential tool for training NPP control room operators, in the formation phase as well as for maintaining their qualifications. In the last years availability of a Plant specific simulator has also become a Regulator requirement for Nuclear Power Plant operation. By providing real-time practical training for the operators, the use of a simulator allows improving the operator's performance, reducing the number of unplanned shutdowns and more effective response to abnormal and emergency operating conditions. It can also be used, among other uses, to validate procedures, test proposed plant modifications, perform engineering studies and to provide operation training for the technical support staff of the plant. The NPP site, in Angra dos Reis-RJ, Brazil, comprises the two units in operation, Unit 1, 640 MWe, Westinghouse PWR and Unit 2, 1350 MWe, KWU/Areva PWR and one unit in construction, Unit 3, 1405 MWe, KWU/Areva PWR, of the same design of Angra 2. Angra 2 has had its full scope simulator from the beginning, however this was not the case of Angra 1, that had to train its operators abroad, due to lack of a specific simulator. Eletronuclear participated in all the phases of the project, from data supply to commissioning and validation. The Angra 1 full scope simulator encompasses more than 80 systems of the plant including the Primary system, reactor core and associated auxiliary systems, the secondary system and turbo generator as well as all the Plant operational and safety I and C. The Angra 1 Main Control Room panels were reproduced in the simulator control room as well as the remote shutdown panels that are outside the control room. This paper describes the project for development of the Angra 1 NPP Full Scope Simulator, supplied by Tecnatom S.A., in the period of Feb.2012 to Feb.2015. (author)

Angra 1 nuclear power plant full scope simulator development project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selvatici, Edmundo; Castanheira, Luiz Carlos C.; Silva Junior, Nilo Garcia da

2015-01-01

Specific Full Scope Simulators are an essential tool for training NPP control room operators, in the formation phase as well as for maintaining their qualifications. In the last years availability of a Plant specific simulator has also become a Regulator requirement for Nuclear Power Plant operation. By providing real-time practical training for the operators, the use of a simulator allows improving the operator's performance, reducing the number of unplanned shutdowns and more effective response to abnormal and emergency operating conditions. It can also be used, among other uses, to validate procedures, test proposed plant modifications, perform engineering studies and to provide operation training for the technical support staff of the plant. The NPP site, in Angra dos Reis-RJ, Brazil, comprises the two units in operation, Unit 1, 640 MWe, Westinghouse PWR and Unit 2, 1350 MWe, KWU/Areva PWR and one unit in construction, Unit 3, 1405 MWe, KWU/Areva PWR, of the same design of Angra 2. Angra 2 has had its full scope simulator from the beginning, however this was not the case of Angra 1, that had to train its operators abroad, due to lack of a specific simulator. Eletronuclear participated in all the phases of the project, from data supply to commissioning and validation. The Angra 1 full scope simulator encompasses more than 80 systems of the plant including the Primary system, reactor core and associated auxiliary systems, the secondary system and turbo generator as well as all the Plant operational and safety I and C. The Angra 1 Main Control Room panels were reproduced in the simulator control room as well as the remote shutdown panels that are outside the control room. This paper describes the project for development of the Angra 1 NPP Full Scope Simulator, supplied by Tecnatom S.A., in the period of Feb.2012 to Feb.2015. (author)

Comparison between TRU burning reactors and commercial fast reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimura, Koji; Sanda, Toshio; Ogawa, Takashi

2001-03-01

Research and development for stabilizing or shortening the radioactive wastes including in spent nuclear fuel are widely conducted in view point of reducing the environmental impact. Especially it is effective way to irradiate and transmute long-lived TRU by fast reactors. Two types of loading way were previously proposed. The former is loading relatively small amount of TRU in all commercial fast reactors and the latter is loading large amount of TRU in a few TRU burning reactors. This study has been intended to contribute to the feasibility studies on commercialized fast reactor cycle system. The transmutation and nuclear characteristics of TRU burning reactors were evaluated and compared with those of conventional transmutation system using commercial type fast reactor based upon the investigation of technical information about TRU burning reactors. Major results are summarized as follows. (1) Investigation of technical information about TRU burning reactors. Based on published reports and papers, technical information about TRU burning reactor concepts transmutation system using convectional commercial type fast reactors were investigated. Transmutation and nuclear characteristics or R and D issue were investigated based on these results. Homogeneously loading of about 5 wt% MAs on core fuels in the conventional commercial type fast reactor may not cause significant impact on the nuclear core characteristics. Transmutation of MAs being produced in about five fast reactors generating the same output is feasible. The helium cooled MA burning fast reactor core concept propose by JAERI attains criticality using particle type nitride fuels which contain more than 60 wt% MA. This reactor could transmute MAs being produced in more than ten 1000 MWe-LWRs. Ultra-long life core concepts attaining more than 30 years operation without refueling by utilizing MA's nuclear characteristics as burnable absorber and fertile nuclides were proposed. Those were pointed out that

Efficient generation of recombinant RNA viruses using targeted recombination-mediated mutagenesis of bacterial artificial chromosomes containing full-length cDNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun; Risager, Peter Christian; Fahnøe, Ulrik

2013-01-01

Background Infectious cDNA clones are a prerequisite for directed genetic manipulation of RNA viruses. Here, a strategy to facilitate manipulation and rescue of classical swine fever viruses (CSFVs) from full-length cDNAs present within bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) is described....... This strategy allows manipulation of viral cDNA by targeted recombination-mediated mutagenesis within bacteria. Results A new CSFV-BAC (pBeloR26) derived from the Riems vaccine strain has been constructed and subsequently modified in the E2 coding sequence, using the targeted recombination strategy to enable...

Nuclear technologies for local energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonnell, F.N.; Lynch, G.F.

1990-03-01

If nuclear energy is to realize its full potential as a safe and cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels, applications beyond those that are currently being serviced by large, central nuclear power stations must be identified and appropriate reactors developed. The Canadian program on reactor systems for local energy supply is at the forefront of these developments. This program emphasizes design simplicity, low power density and fuel rating, reliance on natural processes, passive systems, and reduced reliance on operator action. The first product, the SLOWPOKE Energy System, is a 10 MW heat source specifically designed to provide hot water to satisfy the needs of local heating systems for building complexes, institutions and municipal district heating systems. A demonstration heating reactor has been constructed at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment in Manitoba and has been undergoing an extensive test program since first operation in 1987 July. Based on the knowledge learned from the design, construction, licensing and operational testing of this facility, the design of the 10 MW commercial-size unit is well advanced, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is prepared to commit the construction of the first commercial unit. Although the technical demonstration of the concept is important, it is recognized that another crucial element is the public and regulatory acceptance of small nuclear systems in urban areas. The decision by a community to commit the construction of a SLOWPOKE Energy System brings to a sharp focus the current public apprehension about nuclear technologies

Method for operating a nuclear reactor with scrammable part length rod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bevilacqua, F.

1979-01-01

A new part length rod is provided which may be used to control xenon induced power oscillations but also to contribute to shutdown reactivity when a rapid shutdown of the reactor is required. The part length rod consists of a control rod with three regions. The lower control region is a longer weaker active portion separated from an upper stronger shorter poison section by an intermediate section which is a relative non-absorber of neutrons. The combination of the longer weaker control section with the upper high worth poison section permits the part length rod to be scrammed into the core. When a reactor shutdown is required but also permits the control rod to be used as a tool to control power distribution in both the axial and radial directions during normal operation

Full-length genome sequence analysis of an avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) as contaminant in live poultry vaccine: The commercial live vaccines might be a potential route for ALV-J transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, P; Lin, L; Li, H; Shi, M; Gu, Z; Wei, P

2018-02-25

One avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) strain was isolated from 67 commercial live poultry vaccines produced by various manufacturers during 2013-2016 in China. The complete genomes of the isolate were sequenced and it was found that the genes gag and pol of the strain were relatively conservative, while the gp85 gene of the strain GX14YYA1 had the highest similarities with a field strain GX14ZS14, which was isolated from the chickens of a farm that had once used the same vaccine as the one found to be contaminated with the GX14YYA1. This is the first report of ALV-J contaminant in live poultry vaccine in China. Our finding demonstrates that vaccination of the commercial live vaccines might be a potential new route for ALV-J transmission in chickens and highlights the need for more extensive monitoring of the commercial live vaccines in China. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

DIGITAL IMAGE CORRELATION FROM COMMERCIAL TO FOS SOFTWARE: A MATURE TECHNIQUE FOR FULL-FIELD DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Belloni

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in studying non-contact methods for full-field displacement and strain measurement. Among such techniques, Digital Image Correlation (DIC has received particular attention, thanks to its ability to provide these information by comparing digital images of a sample surface before and after deformation. The method is now commonly adopted in the field of civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering and different companies and some research groups implemented 2D and 3D DIC software. In this work a review on DIC software status is given at first. Moreover, a free and open source 2D DIC software is presented, named py2DIC and developed in Python at the Geodesy and Geomatics Division of DICEA of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”; its potentialities were evaluated by processing the images captured during tensile tests performed in the Structural Engineering Lab of the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and comparing them to those obtained using the commercial software Vic-2D developed by Correlated Solutions Inc, USA. The agreement of these results at one hundredth of millimetre level demonstrate the possibility to use this open source software as a valuable 2D DIC tool to measure full-field displacements on the investigated sample surface.

Development of Simulation-Based Evaluation System for Iterative Design of Human-Machine Interface in a Nuclear Power Plant - Application for Reducing Workload

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fumizawa, Motoo; Kameda, Akiyuki; Nakagawa, Takashi; Wu Wei; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

2003-01-01

Development of simulation-based evaluation and analysis support system for man-machine interface design (SEAMAID) has been conducted in the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation to simulate the behavior of a few operators and the human-machine interface (HMI) in a commercialized pressurized water reactor plant. The workload is one of the key factors with respect to reducing the human error in the operation of nuclear power plants. In order to produce a high-quality design of HMI, the evaluation method was developed to simulate and analyze the operator's workload. Our method was adopted from the cognition model proposed by Reason. The workload such as the length of the visual point movement and the moving length of the operators was visualized in a monitor image during the simulation, and then recorded as a movie-file. As a consequence, the validation of SEAMAID was clarified

Production of full length and splicing form of chymosin using pETexpression system in E-coli and investigation its enzyme activity and preplasmic secretion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ahmadi Zeydabadi

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Chymosin (Rennin EC 3.4.23.4 is an aspartyl proteinas (the major proteolyticenzyme in the fourth stomach of the unweaned calf that is formed by proteolytic activation fromzymogene prochymosin. The aim of his study was to produce the full length and splicing form ofchymosin using pETexpression system in E-coli and to assay the activity of expressed enzyme andpreplasmic secretion.Materials and Methods: The sense primer F-prochy(+ (5´-ggggccatgGCTGAGATCACCAGGAincluding NCOI restriction site. The anti sense R-prochy(- (5´-gggcggccgcGATGGCTTTGGCCAGC -3´ hybridizing to the C-terminal end of calf preprocymosincDNA and contains an additional NotI restriction site at its 5´-end . The cells were disrupted bysonication and proteins were purified by using Ni-NTA beads from Qiagen under native conditional.The preprochymosin and AS6 preprochymosin were activated at pH 4.7. The enzyme solutions werediluted 20-fold with 50 mM phosphate buffer .Results: Sequencing data analysis showed that the exon six has been spliced out and, therefore thegene product is 114 bp shorter in length, both chymosin forms were expressed together in E.coli.Under the same expression conditions, at least AS6 preprochymosin was produced 7-fold highexpression in comparison to a full-length recombinant chymosin. Following acid activation andneutralization, the purified fractions were tested in a qualitative milk clotting assay. The clottingactivity of preprochymosin and exon6-less preprochymosin were comparable.Conclusion: High expression of this alternatively expressed transcript in bacteria, and properfolding of the AS6 chymosin protein molecule in the absence of exon six are the two most importantaspects distinguished in this research.

Safety study of fire protection for nuclear fuel cycle facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Insufficiencies in the fire protection system of the nuclear reactor facilities were pointed out when the fire occurred due to the Niigata prefecture-Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in July, 2007. This prompted the revision of the fire protection safety examination guideline for nuclear reactors as well as commercial guidelines. The commercial guidelines have been endorsed by the regulatory body. Now commercial fire protection standards for nuclear facilities such as the design guideline and the management guideline for protecting fire in the Light Water Reactors (LWRs) are available, however, those to apply to the nuclear fuel cycle facilities such as mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility (MFFF) have not been established. For the improvement of fire protection system of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities, the development of a standard for the fire protection, corresponding to the commercial standard for LWRs were required. Thus, Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES) formulated a fire protection guidelines for nuclear fuel cycle facilities as a standard relevant to the fire protection of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities considering functions specific to the nuclear fuel cycle facilities. In formulating the guidelines, investigation has been conduced on the commercial guidelines for nuclear reactors in Japan and the standards relevant to the fire protection of nuclear facilities in USA and other countries as well as non-nuclear industrial fire protection standards. The guideline consists of two parts; Equipments and Management, as the commercial guidances of the nuclear reactor. In addition, the acquisition of fire evaluation data for a components (an electric cabinet, cable, oil etc.) targeted for spread of fire and the evaluation model of fire source were continued for the fire hazard analysis (FHA). (author)

Stable preparations of tyrosine hydroxylase provide the solution structure of the full-length enzyme

Science.gov (United States)

Bezem, Maria T.; Baumann, Anne; Skjærven, Lars; Meyer, Romain; Kursula, Petri; Martinez, Aurora; Flydal, Marte I.

2016-01-01

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of catecholamine neurotransmitters. TH is a highly complex enzyme at mechanistic, structural, and regulatory levels, and the preparation of kinetically and conformationally stable enzyme for structural characterization has been challenging. Here, we report on improved protocols for purification of recombinant human TH isoform 1 (TH1), which provide large amounts of pure, stable, active TH1 with an intact N-terminus. TH1 purified through fusion with a His-tagged maltose-binding protein on amylose resin was representative of the iron-bound functional enzyme, showing high activity and stabilization by the natural feedback inhibitor dopamine. TH1 purified through fusion with a His-tagged ZZ domain on TALON is remarkably stable, as it was partially inhibited by resin-derived cobalt. This more stable enzyme preparation provided high-quality small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data and reliable structural models of full-length tetrameric TH1. The SAXS-derived model reveals an elongated conformation (Dmax = 20 nm) for TH1, different arrangement of the catalytic domains compared with the crystal structure of truncated forms, and an N-terminal region with an unstructured tail that hosts the phosphorylation sites and a separated Ala-rich helical motif that may have a role in regulation of TH by interacting with binding partners. PMID:27462005

Preparation of a differentially expressed, full-length cDNA expression library by RecA-mediated triple-strand formation with subtractively enriched cDNA fragments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hakvoort, T. B.; Spijkers, J. A.; Vermeulen, J. L.; Lamers, W. H.

1996-01-01

We have developed a fast and general method to obtain an enriched, full-length cDNA expression library with subtractively enriched cDNA fragments. The procedure relies on RecA-mediated triple-helix formation of single-stranded cDNA fragments with a double-stranded cDNA plasmid library. The complexes

Comparison of performances of full-speed turbine and half-speed turbine for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hu; Zhang Weihong; Zhang Qiang; Li Shaohua

2010-01-01

The steam turbines of nuclear power plants can be divided into the full-speed turbine and half-speed turbine. Different speed leads to differences in many aspects. Therefore, the rational speed is the key point in the selection of steam turbines. This paper contrasts the economy between the half-speed turbine and full-speed turbine, by calculating the relative internal efficiency of half-speed and full-speed steam turbines with the typical level of 1000 megawatt. At the same time, this paper also calculate the relative speed of high speed water drops in the last stage blade of half-speed turbine and full-speed turbine, to contrast the water erosion between the half-speed turbine and full-speed turbine. The results show that the relative internal efficiency of half-speed turbine is higher than that of the full-speed turbine, and that the security especially the ability of preventing water erosion of half-speed turbine is better than that of the full-speed turbine. (authors)

License stewardship and other approaches to commercial nuclear power plant decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daly, P.T.; Moloney, B.P.

2011-01-01

This paper addresses the challenge of how our industry could arrange itself to deliver decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) safely, in good time and affordably. There is a growing wealth of experience across the world in safe decommissioning techniques. Most - arguably all - of the techniques required to perform the full decommissioning of NPPs have been demonstrated on full-scale projects. Waste processing and disposal challenges remain in many countries, where the major issues are societal acceptance and political will. Interim storage possibilities have been identified in most countries. In decommissioning, the outstanding significant issues lie now in the domain of affordability and risk management. This paper will illustrate approaches to decommissioning with examples from the US and UK, to explore how the industry can achieve configurations to deliver lower risk and improved affordability for utilities. Different configurations, or models, will be used to illustrate the approaches taken. (orig.)

Cost-effective instrumentation and control upgrades for commercial nuclear power plants surety principles developed at Sandia National Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochau, G.E.; Dalton, L.J.

1998-01-01

Many nuclear power plants use instrument and control systems based on analog electronics. The state of the art in process control and instrumentation has advanced to use digital electronics and incorporate advanced technology. This technology includes: distributed microprocessors, fiber optics, intelligent systems (neutral networks), and advanced displays. The technology is used to optimize processes and enhance the man-machine interface while maintaining control and safety of the processes. Nuclear power plant operators have been hesitant to install this technology because of the cost and uncertainty in the regulatory process. This technology can be directly applied in an operating nuclear power plant provided a surety principle-based 'administrator' hardware system is included in parallel with the upgrade. Sandia National Laboratories has developed a rigorous approach to High Consequence System Surety (HCSS). This approach addresses the key issues of safety, security, and control while satisfying requirements for reliability and quality. We believe that HCSS principles can be applied to nuclear power plants in a manner that allows the off-the-shelf use of process control instrumentation while maintaining a high level of safety and enhancing the plant performance. We propose that an HCSS Administrator be constructed as a standardized approach to address regulatory issues. Such an administrator would allow a plant control system to be constructed with commercially available, state-to-the-art equipment and be customized to the needs of the individual plant operator. (author)

Modelling and simulation of containment on full scope simulator for Qinshan 300 MW Nuclear Power Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Tingyun

1996-01-01

A multi-node containment thermal-hydraulic model has been developed and adapted in Full Scope Simulator for Qinshan 300 MW Nuclear Power Unit with good realtime simulation effects. Containment pressure for LBLOCA calculated by the model is well agreed with those of CONTEMPT-4/MOD3

Nuclear Energy: Pros and Cons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valentukevicius, V.

1999-01-01

Early this year the Government of the Republic of Lithuania has basically approved and submitted to the Parliament (Seimas) for their approval the new draft of the National Energy Strategy. It still envisages two scenarios for the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. In accordance with one of them, the nuclear plant is to be shut down fairly soon. The greatest advantage of any commercial nuclear plant is that the share of fuel in the production cost is low. That is why efforts are being made to operate nuclear power plants to their full capacity all over the world. At the meantime a system of legal regulation and organisational management has been created and is functioning in Lithuania; Lithuania has joined the key international agreements that regulate the use of nuclear energy; a lot has been done to upgrade safety and reliability of the Ignalina NPP. Lithuania is going to stick to the policy of openness and co-operation with international organisations concerned, at the same time defends the interests of country's population

Commercialization project of Ulchin vitrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Hyun-Jun; Kim, Cheon-Woo; Hwang, Tae-Won

2011-01-01

The Ulchin Vitrification Facility (UVF), to be used for the vitirification of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) generated by nuclear power plants (NPPs), is the world's first commercial facility using Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM) technology. The construction of the facility was begun in 2005 and was completed in 2007. From December 2007 to September 2009, all key performance tests, such as the system functional test, the cold test, the hot test, and the real waste test, were successfully carried out. The UVF commenced commercial operation in October 2009 for the vitrification of radioactive waste. (author)

Management of commercial radioactive nuclear wastes. A status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

The President's Energy Resources Council (ERC) has the responsibility for coordination of Administration policies and programs relating to energy. Because of the important role envisioned for nuclear power in the next decade and beyond, the ERC established a nuclear sub-committee to coordinate Federal nuclear policy and programs to assure that issues which arise are treated via an integrated Government effort. This paper was prepared by those Federal agencies which are ERC members and have the technical, economic, and environmental expertise to provide a brief review of the nature of radioactive wastes and our ability to dispose of them safely

Full Length Research Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ahmed

other areas of business administration. ... mathematics, real estate, insurance, actuarial science and business administration (McCutcheon & Scott, 1989). Most textbooks written in these ..... Mathematics of Finance; Heinemann; Oxford. Murray ...

Full length Research Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ahmed

ABSTRACT. This paper considered contamination of aquifer resulting from petroleum spillage, which is a common phenomenal in the. Niger Delta area of Nigeria. We used the model given by. Bestman (1987) and assumed that some endogenous variables are built into the system. To achieve a level of desirable state, we ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ahmed

Mbah & Amao (SWJ):11-14. Natural Foods and Feeding Habits Of The African Honey bee ... Keywords: natural food, nectar, pollen, african honeybee, Apis mellifera adansonii ..... Crailsheim, K. (1990). The Protein balance of the honeybee.

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Dr Ahmed

... Solarin (SWJ):1-6. On Existence Of Control For A Class Of Uncertain Dynamical Systems ... .m We apply the Conjugate Gradient Method. (C.G.M) in ...... Numerical Technique .... Some of its Applications; Journal of Mathematical Analysis and.

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Dr Ahmed

providing energy storage and metabolic fuel, acting as functional and structural ... zoonotic and non-zoonotic diseases are been imported and exported in and out ..... rabbits infected with T. brucie and Gow et al., (2007) in which dog naturally ...

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Dr Ahmed

In recent years, a new technique was introduced that combines both hydrolysis and ... Cassava Starch Preparation: The cassava starch used for this investigation was prepared ... One normal HCl and one normal NaOH were used to adjust the ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

chemical oxidation and reduction, electro-chemical treatment and ion-pair extraction were extensively used ... The present study is an effort to develop a fungal-based treatment system for the cleaning of dye industrial ..... Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 178:1056-. 1063. Raju, N. S., Venkataramana ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ahmed

SPECKLED PIGEON (Columba guinea HARTLAUB AND. FINSCH ... area of the Nigerian northern guinea savanna (Fry, 1965). The habit of the .... defined by Margolis et al., (1982). Chi-square ..... Southern Africa, Academic Press, London.. 4 ...

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Marcos

2012-08-21

Aug 21, 2012 ... Cut flowers have a very limited life after they have been cut off from the mother plant, as survival on their own reserves is ... One of the techniques used for the removal ... and vegetables (Pellegrini and Belle, 2008). There are ...

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inorganic, synthetic organic polymer and naturally occurring coagulants .... Flash fast mixing was done for 2 mins at a speed of 100rpm, followed by slow mixing for ..... Moringa leaves from germplasm to plant, to food, to health. Symposium on ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ahmed

The isotope techniques used in hydrology may be classified into three groups: environmental ..... In that case a solution may be found in measurements of 14C content of groundwaters. ... Applied Isotope Hydrogeology. Elsevier, New. York.

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ahmed

some rural communities of Zaria, Nigeria for microbial index of water quality in relation to ... These factors, together with the inadequate waste treatment facilities and ..... The Need for an Integrated Approach to Water Supply and. Sanitation in ...

Full Length Research paper

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Marcos

2012-08-21

Aug 21, 2012 ... 1Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, CEP: 18601-060, Botucatu, SP, Brasil. 2Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Centro de Ciências Agrárias-CECA, Maceio, AL, Brasil. 3Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Departamento de Ciências Vegetais, Mossoró, RN, Brasil ...

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MEMUNA

markovian process could be reduced to a markovian chain with the homogenous .... x and y respectively. n= the value of the strategy i.e. number of dummies/virtual ..... Groove, CA. Feinberg, E. A. & Shwartz, A. (2002), Handbook of Markov.

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Full-Length cDNA of Calmodulin Gene from Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xing-Xia Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The shell of the pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata mainly comprises aragonite whereas that of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas is mainly calcite, thereby suggesting the different mechanisms of shell formation between above two mollusks. Calmodulin (CaM is an important gene for regulating the uptake, transport, and secretion of calcium during the process of shell formation in pearl oyster. It is interesting to characterize the CaM in oysters, which could facilitate the understanding of the different shell formation mechanisms among mollusks. We cloned the full-length cDNA of Pacific oyster CaM (cgCaM and found that the cgCaM ORF encoded a peptide of 113 amino acids containing three EF-hand calcium-binding domains, its expression level was highest in the mantle, hinting that the cgCaM gene is probably involved in shell formation of Pacific oyster, and the common ancestor of Gastropoda and Bivalvia may possess at least three CaM genes. We also found that the numbers of some EF hand family members in highly calcified species were higher than those in lowly calcified species and the numbers of these motifs in oyster genome were the highest among the mollusk species with whole genome sequence, further hinting the correlation between CaM and biomineralization.

Nuclear energy industry in Russia promoting global strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Masaharu

2001-01-01

Since former USSR disintegrated to birth new Russia on December, 1991, it already passed ten years. As Russian economic hardship affected its nuclear energy development, No.1 reactor of the Rostov nuclear power station (VVER-1000) established its full power operation on September, 2001 after passing eight years of pausing period as a Russian nuclear power station, at dull development of nuclear energy in the world. When beginning of its commercial operation, scale of nuclear power generation under operation in Russia will reach to the fourth one in the world by getting over the one in Germany. Russia also begins international business on reprocessing of spent fuel and intermittent storage. And, Russia positively develops export business of concentrated uranium and nuclear fuel, too. Furthermore, Russia shows some positive initiatives on export of nuclear power station to China, Iran and India, and development on advanced nuclear reactor and nuclear fuel cycle forecast to future. Here was introduced on international developmental development of nuclear energy industry activated recently at delayed time for this ten years. (G.K.)

Commercial Satellite Data as a Support to the Additional Protocol Declarations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isaksson, Stig; Dahlin, Goeran; Joensson, Camilla

2003-05-01

The overall objective of the project is to show how commercial satellite data can be used for safeguard purposes both at the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI and IAEA. Furthermore the experiences from this project can support IAEA in its process to develop methods and routines to make the best use of the Member State provided information in combination with satellite images. Finally it will give IAEA a relevant case study of the usefulness of satellite data for change detection purposes. This project shall provide SKI with digitised maps and commercial satellite data to verify the descriptions provided by two Swedish nuclear operators. Furthermore those digital data may be included in the declaration given to IAEA. The long-term aim is to enhance the quality of the Swedish declaration as well as to give the IAEA support as regards methods to use commercial satellite data. The project has provided SKI with digitised vector maps and optical satellite data over two selected nuclear sites. Furthermore these data will help to verify the descriptions that those two Swedish nuclear operators will give to SKI. The selected sites in this project are: Simpevarp with the three Oskarshamn nuclear power reactors, CLAB (the Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel) and Aespoe laboratory. The area has been chosen since it contains nuclear power reactors, as well as storage facilities for used nuclear fuels and an underground research laboratory. For the Simpevarp site historical data has also been included to illustrate changes that have occurred since the first reactor O1 came in to use; and Studsvik with the materials testing reactor 'R2', a number of other types of nuclear technical activities and other non-nuclear related activities. The site has been chosen for its complexity

Nuclear reactor fuel element splitter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeo, D.

1976-01-01

A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing nuclear fuel from a clad fuel element. The fuel element is power driven past laser beams which simultaneously cut the cladding lengthwise into at least two longitudinal pieces. The axially cut lengths of cladding are then separated, causing the nuclear fuel contained therein to drop into a receptacle for later disposition. The cut lengths of cladding comprise nuclear waste which is disposed of in a suitable manner. 6 claims, 10 drawing figures

Characterization of a Full-Length Endogenous Beta-Retrovirus, EqERV-Beta1, in the Genome of the Horse (Equus caballus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoinette C. van der Kuyl

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Information on endogenous retroviruses fixed in the horse (Equus caballus genome is scarce. The recent availability of a draft sequence of the horse genome enables the detection of such integrated viruses by similarity search. Using translated nucleotide fragments from gamma-, beta-, and delta-retroviral genera for initial searches, a full-length beta-retrovirus genome was retrieved from a horse chromosome 5 contig. The provirus, tentatively named EqERV-beta1 (for the first equine endogenous beta-retrovirus, was 10434 nucleotide (nt in length with the usual retroviral genome structure of 5’LTR-gag-pro-pol-env-3’LTR. The LTRs were 1361 nt long, and differed approximately 1% from each other, suggestive of a relatively recent integration. Coding sequences for gag, pro and pol were present in three different reading-frames, as common for beta-retroviruses, and the reading frames were completely open, except that the env gene was interrupted by a single stopcodon. No reading frame was apparent downstream of the env gene, suggesting that EqERV-beta1 does not encode a superantigen like mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV. A second proviral genome of EqERV-beta1, with no stopcodon in env, is additionally integrated on chromosome 5 downstream of the first virus. Single EqERV-beta1 LTRs were abundantly present on all chromosomes except chromosome 24. Phylogenetically, EqERV-beta1 most closely resembles an unclassified retroviral sequence from cattle (Bos taurus, and the murine beta-retrovirus MMTV.

Study of canine parvovirus evolution: comparative analysis of full-length VP2 gene sequences from Argentina and international field strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo Calderón, Marina; Wilda, Maximiliano; Boado, Lorena; Keller, Leticia; Malirat, Viviana; Iglesias, Marcela; Mattion, Nora; La Torre, Jose

2012-02-01

The continuous emergence of new strains of canine parvovirus (CPV), poorly protected by current vaccination, is a concern among breeders, veterinarians, and dog owners around the world. Therefore, the understanding of the genetic variation in emerging CPV strains is crucial for the design of disease control strategies, including vaccines. In this paper, we obtained the sequences of the full-length gene encoding for the main capsid protein (VP2) of 11 canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) Argentine representative field strains, selected from a total of 75 positive samples studied in our laboratory in the last 9 years. A comparative sequence analysis was performed on 9 CPV-2c, one CPV-2a, and one CPV-2b Argentine strains with respect to international strains reported in the GenBank database. In agreement with previous reports, a high degree of identity was found among CPV-2c Argentine strains (99.6-100% and 99.7-100% at nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively). However, the appearance of a new substitution in the 440 position (T440A) in four CPV-2c Argentine strains obtained after the year 2009 gives support to the variability observed for this position located within the VP2, three-fold spike. This is the first report on the genetic characterization of the full-length VP2 gene of emerging CPV strains in South America and shows that all the Argentine CPV-2c isolates cluster together with European and North American CPV-2c strains.

Development of three full-length infectious cDNA clones of distinct brassica yellows virus genotypes for agrobacterium-mediated inoculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Yan; Dong, Shu-Wei; Xiang, Hai-Ying; Chen, Xiang-Ru; Li, Da-Wei; Yu, Jia-Lin; Han, Cheng-Gui

2015-02-02

Brassica yellows virus is a newly identified species in the genus of Polerovirus within the family Luteoviridae. Brassica yellows virus (BrYV) is prevalently distributed throughout Mainland China and South Korea, is an important virus infecting cruciferous crops. Based on six BrYV genomic sequences of isolates from oilseed rape, rutabaga, radish, and cabbage, three genotypes, BrYV-A, BrYV-B, and BrYV-C, exist, which mainly differ in the 5' terminal half of the genome. BrYV is an aphid-transmitted and phloem-limited virus. The use of infectious cDNA clones is an alternative means of infecting plants that allows reverse genetic studies to be performed. In this study, full-length cDNA clones of BrYV-A, recombinant BrYV5B3A, and BrYV-C were constructed under control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. An agrobacterium-mediated inoculation system of Nicotiana benthamiana was developed using these cDNA clones. Three days after infiltration with full-length BrYV cDNA clones, necrotic symptoms were observed in the inoculated leaves of N. benthamiana; however, no obvious symptoms appeared in the upper leaves. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot detection of samples from the upper leaves showed that the maximum infection efficiency of BrYVs could reach 100%. The infectivity of the BrYV-A, BrYV-5B3A, and BrYV-C cDNA clones was further confirmed by northern hybridization. The system developed here will be useful for further studies of BrYV, such as host range, pathogenicity, viral gene functions, and plant-virus-vector interactions, and especially for discerning the differences among the three genotypes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large-scale analysis of full-length cDNAs from the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cultivar Micro-Tom, a reference system for the Solanaceae genomics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kikuchi Mari

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Solanaceae family includes several economically important vegetable crops. The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum is regarded as a model plant of the Solanaceae family. Recently, a number of tomato resources have been developed in parallel with the ongoing tomato genome sequencing project. In particular, a miniature cultivar, Micro-Tom, is regarded as a model system in tomato genomics, and a number of genomics resources in the Micro-Tom-background, such as ESTs and mutagenized lines, have been established by an international alliance. Results To accelerate the progress in tomato genomics, we developed a collection of fully-sequenced 13,227 Micro-Tom full-length cDNAs. By checking redundant sequences, coding sequences, and chimeric sequences, a set of 11,502 non-redundant full-length cDNAs (nrFLcDNAs was generated. Analysis of untranslated regions demonstrated that tomato has longer 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions than most other plants but rice. Classification of functions of proteins predicted from the coding sequences demonstrated that nrFLcDNAs covered a broad range of functions. A comparison of nrFLcDNAs with genes of sixteen plants facilitated the identification of tomato genes that are not found in other plants, most of which did not have known protein domains. Mapping of the nrFLcDNAs onto currently available tomato genome sequences facilitated prediction of exon-intron structure. Introns of tomato genes were longer than those of Arabidopsis and rice. According to a comparison of exon sequences between the nrFLcDNAs and the tomato genome sequences, the frequency of nucleotide mismatch in exons between Micro-Tom and the genome-sequencing cultivar (Heinz 1706 was estimated to be 0.061%. Conclusion The collection of Micro-Tom nrFLcDNAs generated in this study will serve as a valuable genomic tool for plant biologists to bridge the gap between basic and applied studies. The nrFLcDNA sequences will help annotation of the

Construction of a Full-Length Enriched cDNA Library and Preliminary Analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags from Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Changqing; Liu, Dan; Guo, Yu; Lu, Taofeng; Li, Xiangchen; Zhang, Minghai; Ma, Jianzhang; Ma, Yuehui; Guan, Weijun

2013-01-01

In this study, a full-length enriched cDNA library was successfully constructed from Bengal tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, the most well-known wild Animal. Total RNA was extracted from cultured Bengal tiger fibroblasts in vitro. The titers of primary and amplified libraries were 1.28 × 106 pfu/mL and 1.56 × 109 pfu/mL respectively. The percentage of recombinants from unamplified library was 90.2% and average length of exogenous inserts was 0.98 kb. A total of 212 individual ESTs with sizes ranging from 356 to 1108 bps were then analyzed. The BLASTX score revealed that 48.1% of the sequences were classified as a strong match, 45.3% as nominal and 6.6% as a weak match. Among the ESTs with known putative function, 26.4% ESTs were found to be related to all kinds of metabolisms, 19.3% ESTs to information storage and processing, 11.3% ESTs to posttranslational modification, protein turnover, chaperones, 11.3% ESTs to transport, 9.9% ESTs to signal transducer/cell communication, 9.0% ESTs to structure protein, 3.8% ESTs to cell cycle, and only 6.6% ESTs classified as novel genes. By EST sequencing, a full-length gene coding ferritin was identified and characterized. The recombinant plasmid pET32a-TAT-Ferritin was constructed, coded for the TAT-Ferritin fusion protein with two 6× His-tags in N and C-terminal. After BCA assay, the concentration of soluble Trx-TAT-Ferritin recombinant protein was 2.32 ± 0.12 mg/mL. These results demonstrated that the reliability and representativeness of the cDNA library attained to the requirements of a standard cDNA library. This library provided a useful platform for the functional genome and transcriptome research of Bengal tigers. PMID:23708105

Evaluation of human error estimation for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haney, L.N.; Blackman, H.S.

1987-01-01

The dominant risk for severe accident occurrence in nuclear power plants (NPPs) is human error. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored an evaluation of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) techniques for estimation of human error in NPPs. Twenty HRA techniques identified by a literature search were evaluated with criteria sets designed for that purpose and categorized. Data were collected at a commercial NPP with operators responding in walkthroughs of four severe accident scenarios and full scope simulator runs. Results suggest a need for refinement and validation of the techniques. 19 refs

A full-configuration-interaction nuclear orbital approach and application for small doped He clusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lara-Castells, M. P. de, E-mail: delara@iff.csic.es; Aguirre, N. F., E-mail: delara@iff.csic.es; Delgado-Barrio, G., E-mail: delara@iff.csic.es; Villarreal, P., E-mail: delara@iff.csic.es [Instituto de Física Fundamental (CSIC), Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Mitrushchenkov, A. O. [Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle, MSME UMR 8208 CNRS, 5 bd Descartes, 77454 Marne-la-Vallée (France)

2015-01-22

An efficient full-configuration-interaction 'nuclear orbital' treatment was developed as a benchmark quantum-chemistry-like method to calculate, ground and excited, fermionic 'solvent' wave-functions and applied to {sup 3}He{sub N} clusters with atomic or molecular impurities [J. Chem. Phys. (Communication) 125, 221101 (2006)]. The main difficulty in handling doped {sup 3}He{sub N} clusters lies in the Fermi-Dirac nuclear statistics, the wide amplitudes of the He-dopant and He-He motions, and the hard-core He-He interaction at short distances. This paper overviews the theoretical approach and its recent applications to energetic, structural and spectroscopic aspects of different dopant-{sup 3}He{sub N} clusters. Preliminary results by using the latest version of the FCI-NO computational implementation, to bosonic Cl{sub 2}(X)-({sup 4}He){sub N} clusters, are also shown.

All-fiber, long-active-length Fabry-Perot strain sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pevec, Simon; Donlagic, Denis

2011-08-01

This paper presents a high-sensitivity, all-silica, all-fiber Fabry-Perot strain-sensor. The proposed sensor provides a long active length, arbitrary length of Fabry-Perot cavity, and low intrinsic temperature sensitivity. The sensor was micro-machined from purposely-developed sensor-forming fiber that is etched and directly spliced to the lead-in fiber. This manufacturing process has good potential for cost-effective, high-volume production. Its measurement range of over 3000 µε, and strain-resolution better than 1 µε were demonstrated by the application of a commercial, multimode fiber-based signal processor.

Brief introduction to project management of full scope simulator for Qinshan 300 MW Nuclear Power Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jie

1996-01-01

The key points in development and engineering project management of full scope simulator for Qinshan 300 MW Nuclear Power Unit are briefly introduced. The Gantt chart, some project management methods and experience are presented. The key points analysis along with the project procedure will be useful to the similar project

A Multi-Layered Ceramic Composite for Impermeable Fuel Cladding for COmmercial Wate Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feinroth, Herbert

2008-03-03

A triplex nuclear fuel cladding is developed to further improve the passive safety of commercial nuclear plants, to increase the burnup and durablity of nuclear fuel, to improve the power density and economics of nuclear power, and to reduce the amount of spent fuel requiring disposal or recycle.

Lessons learned from full-scale vibration tests on nuclear power plant auxiliary structure in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, E.; Tinic, S.

1988-01-01

The Beznau Nuclear Power Plant is located in northern Switzerland. The plant is owned and operated by the Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK) in Baden, Switzerland. It is a twin unit plant (2 x 350 MWe) which was designed in the early 1960's and placed into commercial operation between 1969 and 1971. In connection with a major backfit project, which will improve the safety of the plant against external events, the free-standing boric water tanks had to be relocated and were replaced by two boric water tanks in a new building (the so called BOTA-building). It enabled to plan and perform full scale vibration tests.The scope of experimental investigation was to determine the eigenfrequencies and damping values for fundamental soil-structure interaction. The vibration tests allowed identification of the important modes of the soil-structure system in the range 3 to 15 Hz. The excitation was strung enough to generate accelerations in the structure comparable to those of a small earthquake. From the comparisons of computed and measured results it is concluded that the rocking frequency can be reasonably well predicted by either Finite Element or Lumped Parameter models with springs simulating the soil-foundation stiffness, provided in the case of the latter the embedment is taken into account. The prediction of the amplitude of structural response appears to be more difficult, as shown by the differences in the mode shapes. In the frequency range 8 to 10 Hz the agreement between computed and test results was less satisfactory. The actual structural behaviour turned out to be more complex than expected and needs further investigation with the aid of more refined models for the soil-structure system

Lessons learned from full-scale vibration tests on nuclear power plant auxiliary structure in Switzerland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, E [Basler and Hofmann AG, Consulting Engineers, Zurich (Switzerland); Tinic, S [Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG, Baden (Switzerland)

1988-07-01

The Beznau Nuclear Power Plant is located in northern Switzerland. The plant is owned and operated by the Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK) in Baden, Switzerland. It is a twin unit plant (2 x 350 MWe) which was designed in the early 1960's and placed into commercial operation between 1969 and 1971. In connection with a major backfit project, which will improve the safety of the plant against external events, the free-standing boric water tanks had to be relocated and were replaced by two boric water tanks in a new building (the so called BOTA-building). It enabled to plan and perform full scale vibration tests.The scope of experimental investigation was to determine the eigenfrequencies and damping values for fundamental soil-structure interaction. The vibration tests allowed identification of the important modes of the soil-structure system in the range 3 to 15 Hz. The excitation was strung enough to generate accelerations in the structure comparable to those of a small earthquake. From the comparisons of computed and measured results it is concluded that the rocking frequency can be reasonably well predicted by either Finite Element or Lumped Parameter models with springs simulating the soil-foundation stiffness, provided in the case of the latter the embedment is taken into account. The prediction of the amplitude of structural response appears to be more difficult, as shown by the differences in the mode shapes. In the frequency range 8 to 10 Hz the agreement between computed and test results was less satisfactory. The actual structural behaviour turned out to be more complex than expected and needs further investigation with the aid of more refined models for the soil-structure system.

Nuclear Trafficking of Retroviral RNAs and Gag Proteins during Late Steps of Replication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew S. Stake

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Retroviruses exploit nuclear trafficking machinery at several distinct stages in their replication cycles. In this review, we will focus primarily on nucleocytoplasmic trafficking events that occur after the completion of reverse transcription and proviral integration. First, we will discuss nuclear export of unspliced viral RNA transcripts, which serves two essential roles: as the mRNA template for the translation of viral structural proteins and as the genome for encapsidation into virions. These full-length viral RNAs must overcome the cell’s quality control measures to leave the nucleus by co-opting host factors or encoding viral proteins to mediate nuclear export of unspliced viral RNAs. Next, we will summarize the most recent findings on the mechanisms of Gag nuclear trafficking and discuss potential roles for nuclear localization of Gag proteins in retrovirus replication.

Technical and commercial aspects of MHTGR development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Northup, T.E.; Simon, W.A.; Wistrom, J.D.

1992-01-01

The Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) is under development by industry and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Passive safety and design simplicity make the MHTGR an attractive option for future nuclear power generation, but deployment faces many challenges. Economic competitiveness, public acceptance, licensing approval and first-of-a-kind (FOAK) development funding represent some of the prerequisites to commercialization. Successful commercialization hinges on a prototype and a subsequent Lead Plant Project. (author)

Generation of Length Distribution, Length Diagram, Fibrogram, and Statistical Characteristics by Weight of Cotton Blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Azzouz

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The textile fibre mixture as a multicomponent blend of variable fibres imposes regarding the proper method to predict the characteristics of the final blend. The length diagram and the fibrogram of cotton are generated. Then the length distribution, the length diagram, and the fibrogram of a blend of different categories of cotton are determined. The length distributions by weight of five different categories of cotton (Egyptian, USA (Pima, Brazilian, USA (Upland, and Uzbekistani are measured by AFIS. From these distributions, the length distribution, the length diagram, and the fibrogram by weight of four binary blends are expressed. The length parameters of these cotton blends are calculated and their variations are plotted against the mass fraction x of one component in the blend .These calculated parameters are compared to those of real blends. Finally, the selection of the optimal blends using the linear programming method, based on the hypothesis that the cotton blend parameters vary linearly in function of the components rations, is proved insufficient.

Construction of a full-length prototype of the BESIII drift chamber and on-detector test for the BESIII drift chamber electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Zhonghua; Wu Linghui; Liu Jianbei; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Yan Zhikang; Hunan Univ., Changsha; Chen Yuanbo; Chen Chang; Xu Meihang; Wang Lan; Ma Xiaoyan; Jin Yan; Liu Rongguang; Tang Xiao; Zhang Guifang; Zhu Qiming; Sheng Huayi; Zhu Kejun

2007-01-01

A full-length prototype of the BESIII drift chamber was built. The experience gained on gas sealing, high voltage supply and front-end electronics installation should be greatly beneficial to the successful construction of the BESIII drift chamber. An on-detector test of the BESIII drift chamber electronics was carried out with the constructed prototype chamber. The noise performance, drift time and charge measurements, and electronics gains were examined specifically. The final test results indicate that the electronics have a good performance and can satisfy their design requirements. (authors)

Siemens technology transfer and cooperation in the nuclear fuel area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holley, H.-P.; Fuchs, J. H.; Rothenbuecher, R. A.

1997-01-01

Siemens is a full-range supplier in the area of nuclear power generation with broad experience and activities in the field of nuclear fuel. Siemens has developed advanced fuel technology for all types fuel assemblies used throughout the world and has significant experience worldwide in technology transfer in the field of nuclear fuel. Technology transfer and cooperation has ranged between the provision of mechanical design advice for a specific fuel design and the erection of complete fabrication plants for commercial operation in 3 countries. In the following the wide range of Siemens' technology transfer activities for both fuel design and fuel fabrication technologies are shown

Mutation of androgen receptor N-terminal phosphorylation site Tyr-267 leads to inhibition of nuclear translocation and DNA binding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Karaca

Full Text Available Reactivation of androgen receptor (AR may drive recurrent prostate cancer in castrate patients. Ack1 tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in prostate cancer and promotes castrate resistant xenograft tumor growth and enhances androgen target gene expression and AR recruitment to enhancers. Ack1 phosphorylates AR at Tyr-267 and possibly Tyr-363, both in the N-terminal transactivation domain. In this study, the role of these phosphorylation sites was investigated by characterizing the phosphorylation site mutants in the context of full length and truncated AR lacking the ligand-binding domain. Y267F and Y363F mutants showed decreased transactivation of reporters. Expression of wild type full length and truncated AR in LNCaP cells increased cell proliferation in androgen-depleted conditions and increased colony formation. However, the Y267F mutant of full length and truncated AR was defective in stimulating cell proliferation. The Y363F mutant was less severely affected than the Y267F mutant. The full length AR Y267F mutant was defective in nuclear translocation induced by androgen or Ack1 kinase. The truncated AR was constitutively localized to the nucleus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that it was recruited to the target enhancers without androgen. The truncated Y267F AR mutant did not exhibit constitutive nuclear localization and androgen enhancer binding activity. These results support the concept that phosphorylation of Tyr-267, and to a lesser extent Tyr-363, is required for AR nuclear translocation and recruitment and DNA binding and provide a rationale for development of novel approaches to inhibit AR activity.

LDC nuclear power prospects, 1975--1990: commercial, economic, and security implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The potential market for products of the U. S. nuclear industry in the lesser developed countries is evaluated. The political, economic, and security implications of U. S. nuclear technology exports to these countries are analyzed. Information is presented under the following headings: energy projections and economic change in less developed countries; comparative costs of nuclear and conventional power; the general policy environment and its effect on the nuclear power market potential; assessment of U. S. and foreign capabilities in the international competitive environment for production and sale of nuclear power plant products and services; and assessment of international and domestic implications of expanding exports of U. S. nuclear products to less developed countries. (U.S.)

Commercial Scale Production of Mushroom Liquid Seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosnani Abdul Rashid; Hassan Hamdani Hassan Mutaat; Mohd Meswan Maskom; Khairuddin Abdul Rahim

2015-01-01

Mushroom liquid seed production technology was developed by Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia) in the late 1990s. Initially, the liquid seeds were used mainly in the solid state fermentation process for converting oil palm empty fruit bunch fibres into ruminant feed. Considering widespread problems encountered by mushroom growers from use of solid seeds, especially in cases of contaminant agents infecting cultivated bags and inconsistencies in yield, we diverted our focus to utilising liquid seeds as alternative inocula for mushroom cultivation. These problems provide us opportunities to look into the issues and address the problems faced by mushroom growers. However, the technology of producing liquid seed at laboratory scale needs to be primed for commercial production. This paper discusses developmental aspects of mushroom liquid seed at commercial scale for the advancement of the country's mushroom industry. (author)

Preliminary nuclear power reactor technology qualitative assessment for Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamsul Amri Sulaiman

2011-01-01

Since the worlds first nuclear reactor major breakthrough in December 02, 1942, the nuclear power industry has undergone tremendous development and evolution for more than half a century. After surpassing moratorium of nuclear power plant construction caused by catastrophic accidents at Three-mile island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986), today, nuclear energy is back on the policy agendas of many countries, both developed and developing, signaling nuclear revival or nuclear renaissance. Selection of suitable nuclear power technology has thus been subjected to primary attention. This short paper attempts to draw preliminary technology assessment for the first nuclear power reactor technology for Malaysia. Methodology employed is qualitative analysis collating recent finding of tnb-kepco preliminary feasibility study for nuclear power program in peninsular malaysia and other published presentations and/or papers by multiple experts. The results suggested that pressurized water reactor (PWR) is the prevailing technology in terms of numbers and plant performances, and while the commercialization of generation IV reactors is remote (e.g. Not until 2030), generation III/ III+ NPP models are commercially available on the market today. Five (5) major steps involved in reactor technology selection were introduced with a focus on introducing important aspects of selection criteria. Three (3) categories for the of reactor technology selection were used for the cursory evaluation. The outcome of these analyses shall lead to deeper and full analyses of the recommended reactor technologies for a comprehensive feasibility study in the near future. Recommendations for reactor technology option were also provided for both strategic and technical recommendations. The paper shall also implore the best way to select systematically the first civilian nuclear power reactor. (Author)

MSR (Pu converters) and MSBRs in commercial nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichle, L.F.C.

1977-01-01

Molten Salt Reactors are likely to be the best way to achieve lowest-cost, safe, reliable and environmentally compatible commercial nuclear power in the early 1990's. This conclusion is based on work performed by the industrial members of the U.S. Molten Salt Group and by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - both of whom are in general agreement on the status and prospects of Molten Salt Reactor technology. The MSBR Development Program is a 14-year program comprised of a 250 MWe MSTR (Molten Salt Test Reactor), a 1,000 MWe MSBR (Molten Salt Breeder Reactor) Demonstration Plant, and related development work. Plutonium from LWRs will fuel MSR (Pu Converters) which, in turn, will produce U-233 to fuel MSBRs. Because of the low inventory of fissile material in MSRs, a given amount of Pu will start-up many more MSRs than LMFBRs or GCFRs. MSRs can be expected to produce energy at a cost that will be competitive with LWRs before LMFBRs or GCFRs. They will use less uranium and require less enrichment. They will have a much lower development cost. They have the potential of producing high-temperature process heat. MSRs use a fluid fuel, and therefore eliminate the high cost of fuel fabrication. They have on-stream refueling and high thermal efficiency. They will have construction costs comparable to LWRs. MSRs have relative safety and environmental advantages, such as no possibility of a LOCA, low inventory of fissile material, continuous removal of fission products and on-site storage of spent fuel wastes

Prm3p is a pheromone-induced peripheral nuclear envelope protein required for yeast nuclear fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Shu; Tobery, Cynthia E; Rose, Mark D

2009-05-01

Nuclear membrane fusion is the last step in the mating pathway of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We adapted a bioinformatics approach to identify putative pheromone-induced membrane proteins potentially required for nuclear membrane fusion. One protein, Prm3p, was found to be required for nuclear membrane fusion; disruption of PRM3 caused a strong bilateral defect, in which nuclear congression was completed but fusion did not occur. Prm3p was localized to the nuclear envelope in pheromone-responding cells, with significant colocalization with the spindle pole body in zygotes. A previous report, using a truncated protein, claimed that Prm3p is localized to the inner nuclear envelope. Based on biochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy and live cell microscopy, we find that functional Prm3p is a peripheral membrane protein exposed on the cytoplasmic face of the outer nuclear envelope. In support of this, mutations in a putative nuclear localization sequence had no effect on full-length protein function or localization. In contrast, point mutations and deletions in the highly conserved hydrophobic carboxy-terminal domain disrupted both protein function and localization. Genetic analysis, colocalization, and biochemical experiments indicate that Prm3p interacts directly with Kar5p, suggesting that nuclear membrane fusion is mediated by a protein complex.

Guidebook to nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nero, A.V. Jr.

1976-05-01

A general introduction to reactor physics and theory is followed by descriptions of commercial nuclear reactor types. Future directions for nuclear power are also discussed. The technical level of the material is suitable for laymen

Instructor station of full scope simulator for Qinshan 300 MW Nuclear Power Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Fanghui

1996-01-01

The instructor station of Full Scope Simulator for Qinshan 300 MW Nuclear Power Unit is based on SGI graphic workstation. The operation system is real time UNIX, and the development of man-machine interface, mainly depends on standard X window system, special for X TOOLKITS and MOTIF. The instructor station has been designed to increase training effectiveness and provide the most flexible environment possible to enhance its usefulness. Based on experiences in the development of the instructor station, many new features have been added including I/O panel diagrams, simulation diagrams, graphic operation of malfunction, remote function and I/O overrides etc

U.S. Nuclear Power Reactor Plant Status

Data.gov (United States)