Diet management, lifestyle factors and education needs by target attainment in Italian youth with type 1 diabetes from the Global TEENs study

Background and aims: TEENs is an international, cross-sectional observational study, conducted in 20 countries in order to assess T1D management and psychosocial parameters in 8-25-year-olds (y/o). Data on diet management, lifestyle factors and education needs by target HbA1c attainment from the Italian cohort are reported. Materials and methods: Data were collected at 23 centres by participant interview, medical record review and participant/parent survey from 1,009 Italian youth (46% female) in three age groups: 8-12 y/o (n=330), 13-18 y/o (n=490), and 19-25 y/o (n=189). HbA1c was measured uniformly using A1cNow™ with target HbA1c defined as <7.5% (58 mmol/mol) for ≤18 y/o (ISPAD) and <7% (53 mmol/mol) for >18 y/o (ADA). Results: Overall, 40% of participants met HbA1c targets. Measuring food intake based on experience was the most common method used by all age groups, followed by carbohydrate counting (Table). Of the participants who used carbohydrate counting, a higher percentage met target HbA1c than did not in all age groups, with a significant effect on target attainment due to carbohydrate counting compared with other methods observed in 13-18 y/o (p=0.035). Avoiding sugars was the least common method used in all age groups. Across all age groups, participants who did not undertake any exercise were numerically less likely to reach HbA1c target; on the contrary, participants who exercised 1-2 days/week were numerically more likely to reach HbA1c target. Performing exercise had a significant effect on target HbA1c attainment in 8-12 y/o (p=0.012). The majority of participants were in the underweight/normal body mass index (BMI) category in all age groups, with no clear pattern between BMI class and the proportion of patients reaching HbA1c target. Participants of all ages commonly requested education on diet, carbohydrate counting, how to manage T1D during illness, and how to manage blood glucose levels with exercise. Conclusion: Carbohydrate counting and exercising at least twice per week help to attain HbA1c target across all age groups. Assessment of lifestyle factors suggests that efforts targeting carbohydrate counting and exercise could promote successful health outcomes and help more patients with T1D to reach the recommended HbA1c target. Supported by: Sanof

Thermodynamic assessment of the rhodium-ruthenium-oxygen (Rh-Ru-O) system

International audienc

Quantification of hypo eutectic b-c-fe-o under severe accident condition in nuclear material by epma

International audienceIn the framework of a JAEA and CEA collaboration agreement, experimental and modelling studies have been focused on the investigation of the solidification behavior of a melt representative of the in-vessel conditions of Fukushima Daichi Unit 2 (1-F2). Boron was initially present in Unit 1-F2 under B4C phase (control rod). During and after the accident, boron was able to react with the different oxide/metallic melts to form complex liquid mixtures and then solid phases after cooling (possible eutectic phase). The eventual presence of boron in the solid phases is a key point for the future corium extraction operations in Fukushima Daichi 1-F2 NPP and for the material storage options, to accurately evaluate the potential risk of re-criticality whatever the configuration. This contribution focused on the interaction between boron and steel. It concerned three interactive thermal tests of boron oxide and boron carbide samples with iron, in order to identify the Fe-C-B system formed at high temperature. Small-scale experiments were carried out at CEA Cadarache (PLINIUS/VITI) to characterize and model the solidification of the melt for materials containing B-C-Fe-O elements under different conditions representative of SA scenarios. Fe, B4C, Fe2O3, and/or B2O3 powders were heat-treated in an inductive furnace with the material compositions and temperature histories determined from the hypothetical scenario of the 1-F2 accident. Characterization of the microstructure and distribution of boron in the solidified melt was then investigated using SEM/EDS with a field emission gun. The analyses of eutectic compositions in the B-C-Fe-O system were carried out by EPMA /WDS. XRD was used to allow and confirm the potential phases.EPMA/WDS was performed taking into account the chemical shift of boron and carbon in the different states of the material detected by using LPC3 and PC2 crystal. The results indicated that the final solid is separated into metal phases (Fig. 1) based on Fe with borides or boron-carbides compounds or solid solutions, and a vitrified part with oxide phase formed from B2O3. The following solid phase have been identified by SEM/EPMA Fe + Fe2B and eutectic formation as Fe3 (B,C), Fe23(B,C)6 included in the metal matrix. The oxide part, which was a vitrified solid based on XRD spectra, was partially contaminated by the crucible material in alumina, consisting of mixed oxides of Al2O3-B2O3-FeOx compositions and small precipitates of pure Fe. XRD confirmed the presence of a metallic phase (cubic Iron with dendritic microstructure), a tetragonal Fe2B and a cubic Fe23 (C, B)6 with eutectic microstructure in agreement with SEM/EPMA. A measurement of the amorphous structure was observed at the low angle may be the result of the BO1.5 rich oxide phase measured by EPMA. The identification of the formed solids is also important because it will play an important role for the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi reactors

ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO MATERIALS CHARACTERISATION IN FUTURE NUCLEAR REACTORS (GENERATION IV)

The CEA contributes to the development of the reactors selected under the Generation IV. Thermochemical studies are conducted to investigate the fuel and the cladding used for GFR reactor and the materials used of neutron absorbent in SFR reactor under nominal and accidental conditions (2000°C).For the GFR reactor, the fuel studied is constituted by a mixed uranium-plutonium carbide and the cladding consists of several layers of ceramic materials (SiC) and a metal liner. In order to compile a thermodynamic database on the formation of liquid ternary phases at high temperatures, USiC samples have been prepared with various chemical compositions then heat treated within a range of 1630°C to 1920°C. Other types of samples were also prepared with the same temperature treatment to study the phases formed during the interaction between sheath type steel, B4C and fuel UO2 in SFR reactor.Materials characterization requires the use of a variety of analytical tools (XRD, EBSD, SEM, and EPMA). The measurement of light elements by microanalysis is still complex and must taking into account numerous phenomena :- native oxidation of UC, - spectral interference with U, C, O for carbon measurement,- carbon contamination by the electron beam,- chemical shift for B, C, O.The analytic method was validated on standards before applying it USiC and UBCO samples. The chemical compositions measured were in good agreement with the phases measured by XRD. A study of EBSD texture between sheath type steel, B4C and UO2 was also conducted to better understand the diffusion mechanisms

Experimental contribution to the corium thermodynamic modelling – The U–Zr–Al–Ca–Si–O system

International audienceDuring a severe accident in a nuclear reactor, extreme temperatures may be reached (T>2500 K). In these conditions, the nuclear fuel may react with the Zircaloy cladding and then with the steel vessel, forming a mixture of solid-liquid phases called in-vessel corium. In the worst scenario, this mixture may penetrate the vessel and reach the concrete underneath the reactor. In order to develop the TAF-ID thermodynamic database (www.oecd-nea.orgiscienceitaf-id) on nuclear fuels and to predict the high temperature behaviour of the corium + concrete system, new high temperature thermodynamic data are needed. The LM2T at CEA Saclay centre started an experimental campaign of phase equilibria measurements at high temperature (up to 2600 K) on interesting corium sub-systems. In particular, a heat treatment at 2500 K has been performed on two prototypic ex-vessel corium samples (within the U-Zr-Al-Ca-Si-O system) with different amounts of CaO and SiO2. The results show that depending on the SiO2-content, the final configuration of the samples can be significantly different. The sample with the higher CaO-content showed a dendritic structure representative of a single quenched liquid phase, whilst the sample richer in SiO2 exhibited a microstructure which suggests the presence of a liquid miscibility gap. Furthermore a new laser heating setup has been conceived. This technique allows very high temperature measures (T > 3000 K) limiting the interactions between the sample and the surroundings. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

molybdenum behaviour during u-al research reactor spent fuel dissolution

International audienceIn the frame of Research Reactors Spent Fuel (RRSF) treatment by hydrometallurgy, the dissolution in nitric acid of irradiated U-Al, is a key issue because of the low solubility of molybdenum fission product in presence of high concentration of aluminium. In this study, the values of molybdenum solubility have been accurately measured in different operating conditions. Studies have carried out with non-active materials. To be more representative of metallic fuel, uranium-molybdenum alloy powder and molybdenum metal have been dissolved in aluminium nitrate solutions at high temperature. In order to be sure that molybdenum solubility has been reached, experiments have been carried out with an excess of molybdenum metal. In spite of this excess addition, metallic elements have been dissolved completely after stirring time of thirty minutes with a magnetic stirrer. Shortly after this total dissolution, a slow molybdenum precipitation has been observed for almost 15 hours. An experimental protocol has been developed to properly wash precipitates in order to determine their elemental composition. No uranium has been detected in the washed precipitate by ICP-AES measurements performed after redissolution of solids in aluminium free nitric acid solutions. Further analyses by Scanning Electron Microscope have shown a needle-like morphology. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses on several selected areas have confirmed the absence of uranium in precipitates. EDX semi-quantification has been carried out on ionically polished particles. They are composed of 75% oxygen and 25% molybdenum, suggesting MoO3 compounds. X-ray diffraction spectra of powders have confirmed this result all samples matched the crystallographic form of MoO3