An Integrated Software Platform for Best Estimate Safety Analyses of Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power plant safety is granted through the demonstration that regulatory acceptance criteria are fulfilled by the provided (calculated) analyses of the NPP performances and sufficient safety margins are respected during normal operation, anticipated transients and postulated accident conditions. Safety margins are very hard to determine in absolute terms, numerical calculations are used to assess their values. Over the last 30 years an extensive effort has been carried out aiming to improve the knowledge of the nuclear power plant behaviour under transient scenarios. The development of Best Estimate (BE) computer codes are the direct consequence of these noteworthy efforts. The availability of more sophisticated and specialized computer codes gives the analyst the possibility to perform very detailed analysis in all the fields involved in the safety of a NPP: thermal-hydraulics, CFD, 3D neutron kinetics etc. The possibility to create a software environment where a multidisciplinary problem can be solved adopting different specialized codes able to exchange data among them is a fruitful approach to the problem aiming to improve the results. The computational tools, adopted in best-estimate approach in licensing, include a) the best estimate computer codes; b) the nodalizations together with the procedures for the development and the qualification; c) the uncertainty methodology. The Nuclear Research Group of San Piero a Grado of the University of Pisa has developed a software platform with 15 interacting computer codes. Such platform covers the reactor simulation multidisciplinary problem from generation of neutron cross-sections, through system thermal-hydraulic analyses, up to detailed structural and fuel mechanics studies and it embeds software procedures for automatized data transfer between codes. Together with methodological procedures for nodalizations development and qualification the platform leads to a great decrease of the human induced error in the results. The developed platform has been tested and successfully applied to perform the safety analyses required by the Chapter 15 of the Final Safety Analysis Report of the CNA-2 nuclear power plant in Argentina

Effects of 12-week combined training versus high intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and fat metabolism in obese male adults

Background: /Objectives: A weekly combination of a high volume of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) with a low volume of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) provides important improvements in body composition and physical capacities in individuals with obesity. However, previous studies did not determine the weekly proportions of HIIT and MICT a priori. This study aimed to investigate changes in body composition, physical capacities and the fat oxidation rate in obese male adults by comparing a combination of MICT and HIIT, called combined training (COMB), with HIIT for a 12-week period. Methods: Thirty-four obese male adults (mean age: 39.4 ± 7.0 y; mean body mass index [BMI] 34.0 ± 4.2 kg m−2) participated in this study (n = 18 for COMB, n = 16 HIIT), attending ∼ 36 training sessions. The COMB group performed 3 repetitions of 2 min at 95% of peak oxygen uptake (V'O2 peak) (e.g., HIIT ≤20%), followed by 30 min at 60% of VO2 peak (e.g., MICT ≥80%). The HIIT group performed 5–7 repetitions of 2 min at 95% of VO2 peak. At baseline (PRE) and at the end of the training period (POST), body composition, VO2 peak, and the fat oxidation rate were measured. The two training programs were equivalent in caloric expenditure. Results: At POST, body mass (BM) and fat mass (FM) decreased by a mean of 3.09 ± 3.21 kg and 3.90 ± 2.40 kg, respectively (P < 0.05), in both groups and V'O2 peak increased in both groups by a mean of 0.47 ± 0.34 L min−1 (P < 0.05). The maximal fat oxidation rate increased similarly in both groups from 0.32 ± 0.05 to 0.36 ± 0.06 g min−1 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: COMB training represents a viable alternative to HIIT to improve anthropometric characteristics, physical capacities and fat oxidation in obese male adults

Transcranial cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) over ventral premotor-motor pathways enhances action performance and corticomotor excitability in young adults more than in elderly adults

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) methods such as cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) can increase the strength of functional connectivity between ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) via spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), leading to enhanced motor functions in young adults. However, whether this STDP-inducing protocol is effective in the aging brain remains unclear. In two groups of young and elderly healthy adults, we evaluated manual dexterity with the 9-hole peg task before and after ccPAS of the left PMv-M1 circuit. We observed that ccPAS enhanced dexterity in young adults, and this effect was anticipated by a progressive increase in motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during ccPAS administration. No similar effects were observed in elderly individuals or in a control task. Across age groups, we observed that the magnitude of MEP changes predicted larger behavioral improvements. These findings demonstrate that left PMv-to-M1 ccPAS induces functionally specific improvements in young adults' manual dexterity and an increase in corticomotor excitability, but altered plasticity prevents the effectiveness of ccPAS in the elderly

Minimally invasive strategies for the treatment of prostate cancer recurrence after radiation therapy: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this review was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the role of minimally invasive salvage modalities in radio-recurrent prostate cancer and the associated clinical outcomes and toxicity profiles. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review of the current literature was conducted through the Medline and NCBI PubMed, Scopus databases in January 2020. All papers published after 2000, concerning studies conducted on humans for radio-recurrent prostate cancer were considered for the review. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Overall, 545 studies were identified. After duplicate exclusion, initial screening, and eligibility evaluation, a total of 80 studies were included in the qualitative analysis, corresponding to a cohort of 6681 patients. The median age at initial diagnosis ranged from 59 to 75.5. Pre-treatment PSA ranged from 6.2 to 27.4 ng/mL. All patients underwent primary radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. Cryotherapy, Brachytherapy, EBRT, HIFU were the minimally invasive options mostly used as salvage therapy. They showed to be promising approaches for recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) control, with acceptable toxicities. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive therapeutic options offer promising results in terms of biochemical control in the local recurrence setting. Unfortunately, the absence of high quality and comparative studies makes it difficult to establish which method is the best in terms of oncological and safety outcomes

Neurophysiological Markers of Premotor–Motor Network Plasticity Predict Motor Performance in Young and Older Adults

Aging is commonly associated with a decline in motor control and neural plasticity. Tuning cortico–cortical interactions between premotor and motor areas is essential for controlling fine manual movements. However, whether plasticity in premotor–motor circuits predicts hand motor abilities in young and elderly humans remains unclear. Here, we administered transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) using the cortico–cortical paired-associative stimulation (ccPAS) protocol to manipulate the strength of PMv-to-M1 connectivity in 14 young and 14 elderly healthy adults. We assessed changes in motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during ccPAS as an index of PMv-M1 network plasticity. We tested whether the magnitude of MEP changes might predict interindividual differences in performance in two motor tasks that rely on premotor-motor circuits, i.e., the nine-hole pegboard test and a choice reaction task. Results show lower motor performance and decreased PMv-M1 network plasticity in elderly adults. Critically, the slope of MEP changes during ccPAS accurately predicted performance at the two tasks across age groups, with larger slopes (i.e., MEP increase) predicting better motor performance at baseline in both young and elderly participants. These findings suggest that physiological indices of PMv-M1 plasticity could provide a neurophysiological marker of fine motor control across age-groups

Analysis and hindcast simulations of an extreme rainfall event in the Mediterranean area: The Genoa 2011 case

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Recent Applications of RELAP5-3D at GRNSPG

CNA2 : FSAR activities Standard Consolidated Reference Experimental Database MASLWR benchmark OECD benchmarks CHF calculation in low mass flux condition Turbulence effects in Relap5-3

Improvement of adiponectin in relation to physical performance and body composition in young obese males subjected to twenty-four weeks of training programs

Obesity and related metabolic diseases represent a worldwide health problem. The main factor predisposing to obesity is an unhealthy lifestyle including the lack of physical activity. A pivotal role in the etio-pathogenesis of obesity is carried out by adipose tissue, an endocrine organ secreting several adipokines involved in numerous metabolic and inflammatory processes. Among these, of particular importance is adiponectin, an adipokine involved in the regulation of insulin sensibility and in anti-inflammatory processes. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of 24 weeks of two different training programs polarized (POL) and threshold training (THR) on body composition, physical capacities and adiponectin expression. Thirteen male obese subjects (BMI: 32.0 ± 3.0 kg m-2) followed 24 weeks of two different training programs, POL and THR, consisting of walking or running (or a combination of the two methods) in their normal living conditions. Before (T0) and after the end of the program (T1), the assessment of body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance and the concentration of salivary and serum adiponectin was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting. Although the results obtained did not show significant differences between the two training programs, body mass and body mass index decreased by a mean of −4.46 ± 2.90 kg and 1.43 ± 0.92 kg m−2 (P < 0.05). Fat mass decreased by −4.47 ± 2.78 kg (P < 0.05). V′O2max increased by a mean of 0.20 ± 0.26 L min−1 (P < 0.05) Also, we observed an increase in saliva and in serum of adiponectin concentrations at T1 compared to T0 by 4.72 ± 3.52 μg mL−1 and 5.22 ± 4.74 ng mL−1 (P < 0.05) respectively. Finally, we found significant correlations between Δ serum adiponectin and Δ Hip (R = −0.686, P = 0.001) and between Δ salivary adiponectin and ΔWaist (R = −0.678, P = 0.011). Our results suggest that a 24 weeks training program, independently from intensity and volume, induces an amelioration of body composition and fitness performance. These improvements are associated with an increase in total and HMW adiponectin expression in both saliva and in serum

Protocol for the development and validation procedure of the managing the link and strengthening transition from child to adult mental health care (MILESTONE) suite of measures

Background: Mental health disorders in the child and adolescent population are a pressing public health concern. Despite the high prevalence of psychopathology in this vulnerable population, the transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) has many obstacles such as deficiencies in planning, organisational readiness and policy gaps. All these factors contribute to an inadequate and suboptimal transition process. A suite of measures is required that would allow young people to be assessed in a structured and standardised way to determine the on-going need for care and to improve communication across clinicians at CAMHS and AMHS. This will have the potential to reduce the overall health economic burden and could also improve the quality of life for patients travelling across the transition boundary. The MILESTONE (Managing the Link and Strengthening Transition from Child to Adult Mental Health Care) project aims to address the significant socioeconomic and societal challenge related to the transition process. This protocol paper describes the development of two MILESTONE transition-related measures: The Transition Readiness and Appropriateness Measure (TRAM), designed to be a decision-making aide for clinicians, and the Transition Related Outcome Measure (TROM), for examining the outcome of transition. Methods: The TRAM and TROM have been developed and were validated following the US FDA Guidance for Patient-reported Outcome Measures which follows an incremental stepwise framework. The study gathers information from service users, parents, families and mental health care professionals who have experience working with young people undergoing the transition process from eight European countries. Discussion: There is an urgent need for comprehensive measures that can assess transition across the CAMHS/AMHS boundary. This study protocol describes the process of development of two new transition measures: the TRAM and TROM. The TRAM has the potential to nurture better transitions as the findings can be summarised and provided to clinicians as a clinician-decision making support tool for identifying cases who need to transition and the TROM can be used to examine the outcomes of the transition process. Trial registration: MILESTONE study registration: ISRCTN83240263 Registered 23-July-2015 - ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03013595 Registered 6 January 2017

Testing the performance of a blind burst statistic

In this work we estimate the performance of a method for the detection of burst events in the data produced by interferometric gravitational wave detectors. We compute the receiver operating characteristics in the specific case of a simulated noise having the spectral density expected for Virgo, using test signals taken from a library of possible waveforms emitted during the collapse of the core of Type II Supernovae.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, Talk given at the GWDAW2002 worksho