Strain evolution during hydride precipitation in Zircaloy-4 observed with synchrotron X-ray diffraction

Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to evaluate strain evolution observed in Zircaloy-4 undergoing hydride precipitation during a range of thermal operations. During continuous heating, a change in the constraining effect of the matrix was observed at a temperature of 280 °C, thought to be the result of matrix dilatation from interstitial hydrogen. A deconvolution of the thermal, chemical and mechanical sources of strain during quench and dwell operations identified a non-negligible mechanical effect in the matrix. During these dwells, slow strain rate relaxation of elastic strains was seen in the matrix and hydride, suggesting that time dependent relaxation of misfit stresses may be possible at reactor relevant temperatures. Notable anisotropy was observed between the rolling and transverse directions, identified as being the likely product of a similar anisotropy in the relaxation of the hydride misfit between the α and α matrix directions, owing to the differing coherency of these two interfaces

In situ hydrogen loading on zirconium powder

For the first time, various hydride phases in a zirconium-hydrogen system have been prepared in a high-energy synchrotron X-ray radiation beamline and their transformation behaviour has been studied in situ. First, the formation and dissolution of hydrides in commercially pure zirconium powder were monitored in real time during hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, then whole pattern crystal structure analysis such as Rietveld and Pawley refinements were performed. All commonly reported low-pressure phases presented in the Zr-H phase diagram are obtained from a single experimental arrangement

Fine-mapping analysis including over 254,000 East Asian and European descendants identifies 136 putative colorectal cancer susceptibility genes

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 200 common genetic variants independently associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known CRC risk loci using GWAS data from 100,204 cases and 154,587 controls of East Asian and European ancestry. Our stepwise conditional analyses revealed 238 independent association signals of CRC risk, each with a set of credible causal variants (CCVs), of which 28 signals had a single CCV. Our cis-eQTL/mQTL and colocalization analyses using colorectal tissue-specific transcriptome and methylome data separately from 1299 and 321 individuals, along with functional genomic investigation, uncovered 136 putative CRC susceptibility genes, including 56 genes not previously reported. Analyses of single-cell RNA-seq data from colorectal tissues revealed 17 putative CRC susceptibility genes with distinct expression patterns in specific cell types. Analyses of whole exome sequencing data provided additional support for several target genes identified in this study as CRC susceptibility genes. Enrichment analyses of the 136 genes uncover pathways not previously linked to CRC risk. Our study substantially expanded association signals for CRC and provided additional insight into the biological mechanisms underlying CRC development

Xenon bubbles formed by ion implantation in zirconium alloy films

The xenon content of a Zircaloy-4 thin film was quantified in a spatially resolved way using high angle annular dark field (HAADF) images and DualEELS, a type of electron energy loss spectroscopy that takes spectra from the high- and low-loss regions in quick succession. The xenon in the films was implanted using a tandem accelerator. The HAADF images show that the xenon had coalesced into bubbles. A semi-empirical standard was used created for the quantification using pre-existing xenon data and experimental data scaled using a Hartree Slater cross-section. This standard was used to calculate the number of atoms in the xenon bubbles and their densities and pressures were then calculated. In total, 244 were bubbles were analysed. The mean diameter, density and pressure across all the bubbles were 21.2 Å, 2355 kg/m and 5.27 GPa respectively. Most of the bubbles were gaseous xenon. The separation of the bubbles was also analysed. This work is a good demonstration of a characterisation technique for end-of-life structural materials and the technique can be easily applied to small gas bubbles in other materials

Zirconium hydride precipitation kinetics in Zircaloy-4 observed with synchrotron X-ray diffraction

International audienceHigh-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the isothermal precipitation of d-hy-dride platelets in Zircaloy-4 at a range of temperatures relevant to reactor conditions, during both normal operation and thermal transients. From an examination of the rate kinetics of the precipitation process, precipitation slows with increasing temperature above 200°C, due to a reduction in the thermodynamic driving force. A model for nucleation rate as a function of temperature was developed, to interpret the precipitation rates seen experimentally. While the strain energy associated with the misfit between hydrides and the matrix makes a significant contribution to the energy barrier for nucleation, a larger contribution arises from the interfacial energy. Diffusion distance calculations show that hydrogen is highly mobile in the considered thermal range and on the scale of inter-hydride spacing and it is not expected to be significantly rate limiting on the precipitation process that takes place under reactor operating conditions

Assessment of association between lower ureteric excision technique and oncological outcomes for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: retrospective analysis from the Scottish Renal Cancer Consortium.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Uro-oncology multi-disciplinary teams across the various sites involved in the study for their assistance in patient identification.PURPOSE: Nephroureterectomy(NU) remains the gold-standard surgical option for the management of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma(UTUC). Controversy exists regarding the optimal excision technique of the lower ureter. We sought to compare post-UTUC bladder tumour recurrence across the Scottish Renal Cancer Consortium(SRCC). METHODS: Patients who underwent NU for UTUC across the SRCC 2012-2019 were identified. The impact of lower-end surgical technique along with T-stage, N-stage, tumour location and focality, positive surgical margin, pre-NU ureteroscopy, upper-end technique and adjuvant mitomycin C administration were assessed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression. The primary outcome was intra-vesical recurrence-free survival (B-RFS). RESULTS: In 402 patients, the median follow-up was 29 months. The lower ureter was managed by open transvesical excision in 90 individuals, transurethral and laparoscopic dissection in 76, laparoscopic or open extra-vesical excision in 31 and 42 respectively, and transurethral dissection and pluck in 163. 114(28.4%) patients had a bladder recurrence during follow-up. There was no difference in B-RFS between lower-end techniques by Kaplan-Meier (p = 0.94). When all factors were taken into account by adjusted Cox-regression, preceding ureteroscopy (HR 2.65, p = 0.001), lower ureteric tumour location (HR 2.16, p = 0.02), previous bladder cancer (HR 1.75, p = 0.01) and male gender (HR 1.61, p = 0.03) were associated with B-RFS. CONCLUSION: These data suggest in appropriately selected patients, lower ureteric management technique does not affect B-RFS. Along with lower ureteric tumour location, male gender and previous bladder cancer, preceding ureteroscopy was associated with a higher recurrence rate following NU, and the indication for this should be carefully considered

Fine-mapping analysis including over 254,000 East Asian and European descendants identifies 136 putative colorectal cancer susceptibility genes.

Acknowledgements: This research was supported primarily by US National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant R01CA188214 (to W.Z.), Anne Potter Wilson Chair endowment from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (to W.Z.), and NIH grant R37CA227130 and R01CA269589 (to X.G.). Sample preparation and genotyping assays at Vanderbilt University were conducted at the Survey and Biospecimen Shared Resources and Vanderbilt Microarray Shared Resource, supported in part by the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (grant P30CA068485). Data analyses were performed on servers maintained by the Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education (ACCRE) at Vanderbilt University.Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH)Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 200 common genetic variants independently associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known CRC risk loci using GWAS data from 100,204 cases and 154,587 controls of East Asian and European ancestry. Our stepwise conditional analyses revealed 238 independent association signals of CRC risk, each with a set of credible causal variants (CCVs), of which 28 signals had a single CCV. Our cis-eQTL/mQTL and colocalization analyses using colorectal tissue-specific transcriptome and methylome data separately from 1299 and 321 individuals, along with functional genomic investigation, uncovered 136 putative CRC susceptibility genes, including 56 genes not previously reported. Analyses of single-cell RNA-seq data from colorectal tissues revealed 17 putative CRC susceptibility genes with distinct expression patterns in specific cell types. Analyses of whole exome sequencing data provided additional support for several target genes identified in this study as CRC susceptibility genes. Enrichment analyses of the 136 genes uncover pathways not previously linked to CRC risk. Our study substantially expanded association signals for CRC and provided additional insight into the biological mechanisms underlying CRC development