The Reading of Young People

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Corrosion of Steel by Lead Bismuth Eutectic: Quarterly Report November- December 2002 January 2003

We continue to get valuable data from sputter depth profiling of steel samples. We meet weekly to discuss progress. We took depth-profiling data on D9 steel that had been exposed to LBE. This the first time we have examined this type of steel. This is important because it will enable us to separate out two effects and determine their effect on corrosion: composition of the steel vs surface preparation. We started to plan a small experiments using a crucible of heated LBE, with the research program to be conducted at UNLV, on basic aspects of corrosion in this system. The idea is to conduct small-scale experiments to corrode steel samples using lead-bismuth eutectic. These experiments would be conducted using small pots of molten LBE, not the massive LBE loop that UNLV now has. A proposal was submitted at the end of February 2003. While that was not funded because of budget constraints, we hope to make a start on such a program on a much-reduced budget

Corrosion of Steel by Lead Bismuth Eutectic: Year 1 Annual Report

The goal is to investigate the corrosion of stainless steel by lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), which has been proposed for use as a blanket coolant and a spallation target in the transmuter

Corrosion of Steel by Lead Bismuth Eutectic: Quarterly Report August September October 2002

We continued with sputter depth profiling of 316 and 316L steel samples that have been exposed to LBE. We also calibrated the sputter depth profiling using a sample of SiO2 on Si, and the SEM. This is a valuable independent determination of the thickness of oxide layers. In the laboratory, progress continues using the XPS machine. Experiments have been performed on steel samples using Argon ions to mill away the surface of the sample, thereby making measurements as a function of depth. This ion beam milling proceeds slowly through the oxide layer that covers the steel sample. We are making measurements of samples with apparently quite thick oxide layers. We cannot mill any faster without causing damage to the vacuum pumps of the XPS instrument

Corrosion of Steel by Lead Bismuth Eutectic: Quarterly Report for May-June-July 2002

The goal of this project is to understand the basic science of corrosion in the steel/LBE system. We are taking more data, typically using the newly installed X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometry (XPS) apparatus, and analyzing our existing data. Undergraduate students Denise Parsons and Julia Manzerova have helped a great deal in the analysis of the data. We can obtain the elemental composition as a function of position within the sample. This gives clues to the migration of materials, the composition of the protective oxide layer, and the basic science of the corrosion process. We found dramatic differences between the exposed and unexposed samples

Obtaining tissue diagnosis in lung cancer patients with poor performance status and its influence on treatment and survival

Introduction: 25% of patients with lung cancer have performance status 3 or 4. A pragmatic approach to investigative procedures is often adopted based on the risks and benefits in these patients and whether tissue diagnosis is necessary for anticipated future treatment. This cohort study investigated factors influencing a clinician's decision to pursue a tissue diagnosis in patients with lung cancer and performance status 3 and 4 and to examine the association of tissue diagnosis with subsequent management and survival. Methods: All patients with lung cancer diagnosed in North Glasgow from 2009 to 2012 were prospectively recorded in a registry. We investigated the relationships between achieving a tissue diagnosis, treatment and survival. Results: Of 2493 patients diagnosed with lung cancer, 490 patients (20%) were PS 3 and 122 patients (5%) were PS 4. Tissue diagnosis was attempted in 60% and 35% patients with PS 3 and PS 4 respectively. Younger age, better performance status and having stage 4 disease were independently associated with a diagnostic procedure being performed. Only 5% of patients with poor performance status received treatment conventionally requiring a tissue diagnosis. Age, stage and performance status were independent predictors of mortality. Achieving a tissue diagnosis was not associated with mortality. Receiving treatment requiring tissue diagnosis is associated with survival benefit. Conclusions: The majority of patients with poor fitness undergo a diagnostic procedure which does not influence further treatment or affect survival. However, the cohort of patients who do undergo therapy determined by tissue diagnosis have improved survival

Ultrasonic study of the elastic properties of calcium tungstate and other scheelites

A study of the elastic properties of the scheelite structure crystals CaW0(_4), CaMo0(_4), ArMo0(_4) and PbMo0(_4) is presented. The seven independent components of the elastic stiffness constant tensor of CaW0(_4) have been determined between 1.5 K and 300 K by pulse superposition measurements of ultrasound velocities. A computer fitting procedure has been used to obtain the elastic constants from the velocity data; this has allowed the elastic constants to be determined even though large energy flux deviations prevented the measurements of the velocities of the quasi-shear modes propagated in the [100] and [110] directions. Experiments on SrMo0(_4) single crystals have shown that similar difficulties were the cause of inconsistencies in recently published velocity data; a new, correct set of elastic constants for SrMo0(_4) has been determined. Scheelites belong to the TII Laue group. The signs of C(_16) and S(_16) depend on the definition of the sense of the +z axis with recpect to the atomic arrangement. A convention previously used for CaMo0(_4) has bee adopted, the Z axis sensehas been found in SrMo0(+4) by an x-ray method: in each material C(_16) has been shown to be negative. Elastic behaviour and wave propagation characteristic, and their orientation dependence in the four materials, have been compared and contrasted. The work has provided a new in-sight into the acoustic properties of TI and TII Laue group materials; in the latter the “axes of acoustic symmetry” in the (001) plane do not coincide with the and crystallographic directions (as in TI's) but deviate from them by angles which are between 15 and 23 in the scheelites studied. Knowledge of the positions of these axes should facilitate further ultrasonic studies