Dissolution, Reactor, and Environmental Behavior of ZrO2-MgO Inert Fuel Matrix: Neutronic Evaluation of ZrO2-MgO Inert Fuels

This report presents the results of the Task 3, defined in working program as: evaluation of burnable poison designs. Adopting the basic design of a standard PWR and Pu loadings required for 18-month cycle (results of Task 2), this part of the program is aimed to estimate performance of each BP design and BP material to address challenges of Fertile-Free Fuel (FFF) Concept. Finally, an optimal BP design will be developed and an overall feasibility of FFF concept will be determined. Basically, the main challenge encountered in neutronic design for a FFF core is to develop reactivity control system which is capable to satisfy performance and safety criteria of existing PWR plants. Heavy Pu loadings combined with absence of fertile isotopes with capture resonances result in low reactivity worth of existing control mechanisms and inadequate temperature coefficients. The main solution adopted by several previous design efforts is based on increased content of BP materials with capture resonances. The BP designs proposed and analyzed in previous designs are based on such elements as: Gd, Hf, and Er, located in fuel cell, either as a homogeneous mixture or as a thin ring (IFBA-type geometry). This approach results in a large residual reactivity penalty due to an incomplete burnup of the BP material (especially Hf and Er). Description and parameters of the BP designs considered in this work are presented in section II. In this report, an extensive set of calculations was carried out to assess the potential of the main BP materials - B, Gd, Hf, and Er, utilized in three main geometrical arrangements: Wet Annular Burnable Absorber (WABA) type, Integral Fuel Burnable Absorber (IFBA) type, and Homogeneous fuel-BP mixture. Heavy loadings of BP materials in non-standard geometries combined with high Pu content in a fertile-free matrix necessitated additional verification of the calculational tools. Verification of the calculational modeling and parameters are presented in section III. A full scope of calculations is presented in section IV of this report. All cases are arranged according to geometry-type and BP material. The results and analysis of these calculations, presented and summarized in Section V, serve as a basis for a comprehensive assessment of BP potential to address challenges of the FFF concepts. Three main performance parameters of the BP designs will be evaluated: 1. Maximum critical soluble boron concentration (CBC) required during the cycle, 2. Acceptable fuel and moderator temperature coefficients (will be evaluated in Task 4), 3. Residual reactivity penalty associated with incomplete depletion of the BP materia

Hybrid microscopic depletion model in nodal code DYN3D

The paper presents a general hybrid method that combines the micro-depletion technique with correction of micro- and macro- diffusion parameters to account for the spectral history effects. The fuel in a core is subjected to time- and space-dependent operational conditions (e.g. coolant density), which cannot be predicted in advance. However, lattice codes assume some average conditions to generate cross sections (XS) for nodal diffusion codes such as DYN3D. Deviation of local operational history from average conditions leads to accumulation of errors in XS, which is referred as spectral history effects. Various methods to account for the spectral history effects, such as spectral index, burnup-averaged operational parameters and micro-depletion, were implemented in some nodal codes. Recently, an alternative method, which characterizes fuel depletion state by burnup and ²³⁹Pu concentration (denoted as Pu-correction) was proposed, implemented in nodal code DYN3D and verified for a wide range of history effects. The method is computationally efficient, however, it has applicability limitations. The current study seeks to improve the accuracy and applicability range of Pu-correction method. The proposed hybrid method combines the micro-depletion method with a XS characterization technique similar to the Pu-correction method. The method was implemented in DYN3D and verified on multiple test cases. The results obtained with DYN3D were compared to those obtained with Monte Carlo code Serpent, which was also used to generate the XS. The observed differences are within the statistical uncertainties.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2016.02.01

Restoring the full velocity field in the gaseous disk ofthe spiral galaxy NGC 157

We analyse the line-of-sight velocity field of ionized gas in the spiral galaxy NGC 157 which has been obtained in the H\alpha emission at the 6m telescope of SAO RAS. The existence of systematic deviations of the observed gas velocities from pure circular motion is shown. A detailed investigation of these deviations is undertaken by applying a Fourier analysis of the azimuthal distributions of the line-of-sight velocities at different distances from the galactic center. As a result of the analysis, all the main parameters of the wave spiral pattern are determined: the corotation radius, the amplitudes and phases of the gas velocity perturbations at different radii, and the velocity of circular rotation of the disk corrected for the velocity perturbations due to spiral arms. At a high confidence level, the presence of the two giant anticyclones in the reference frame rotating with the spiral pattern is shown; their sizes and the localization of their centers are consistent with the results of the analytic theory and of numerical simulations. Besides the anticyclones, the existence of cyclones in residual velocity fields of spiral galaxies is predicted. In the reference frame rotating with the spiral pattern these cyclones have to reveal themselves in galaxies where a radial gradient of azimuthal residual velocity is steeper than that of the rotation velocity (abridged).Comment: 23 pages including 25 eps-figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Dynamic stabilization of non-spherical bodies against unlimited collapse

We solve equations, describing in a simplified way the newtonian dynamics of a selfgravitating nonrotating spheroidal body after loss of stability. We find that contraction to a singularity happens only in a pure spherical collapse, and deviations from the spherical symmetry stop the contraction by the stabilising action of nonlinear nonspherical oscillations. A real collapse happens after damping of the oscillations due to energy losses, shock wave formation or viscosity. Detailed analysis of the nonlinear oscillations is performed using a Poincar\'{e} map construction. Regions of regular and chaotic oscillations are localized on this map.Comment: MNRAS, accepted, 7 pages, 9 figure

Autistic spectrum disorder symptoms in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytical review

BACKGROUND: Research identifies highly variable prevalence estimates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly between community and clinical samples, warranting quantitative meta-analyses to investigate the true prevalence of ASD in children and adolescents with ADHD. // METHODS: Studies were identified through a systematic literature search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Web of Science through January 2018. Twenty-two publications met inclusion criteria (total N = 61 985). Two random effects meta-analyses were conducted: (1) to identify the proportion of children and adolescents with ADHD that met criteria for ASD; and (2) to compare the severity of dimensionally-measured ASD symptomology in children and adolescents with and without ADHD. // RESULTS: The overall pooled effect for children and adolescents with ADHD who met threshold for ASD was 21%. There was no significant difference between community samples (19%) and clinical samples (24%) or between US studies v. those from other countries. Children and adolescents with ADHD had substantially more dimensionally-measured ASD traits compared with those who did not have ADHD (d = 1.23). // CONCLUSION: The findings provide further evidence that ADHD and ASD are associated in nature. Clinical and research implications are discussed

Comprehending Complexity: Data-Rate Constraints in Large-Scale Networks

This paper is concerned with the rate at which a discrete-time, deterministic, and possibly large network of nonlinear systems generates information, and so with the minimum rate of data transfer under which the addressee can maintain the level of awareness about the current state of the network. While being aimed at development of tractable techniques for estimation of this rate, this paper advocates benefits from directly treating the dynamical system as a set of interacting subsystems. To this end, a novel estimation method is elaborated that is alike in flavor to the small gain theorem on input-to-output stability. The utility of this approach is demonstrated by rigorously justifying an experimentally discovered phenomenon. The topological entropy of nonlinear time-delay systems stays bounded as the delay grows without limits. This is extended on the studied observability rates and appended by constructive upper bounds independent of the delay. It is shown that these bounds are asymptotically tight for a time-delay analog of the bouncing ball dynamics

Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney odds ratio: A statistical measure for ordinal outcomes such as EDSS

Background: In many clinical situations, ordinal scales afford the primary method of semi-quantifying patient outcomes. In the field of multiple sclerosis, the primary ordinal scale is the Expanded Disability Status Scale. Predominant methods of ordinal scale statistical analysis provide a p-value without effect size or rely heavily on the assumption of proportionality of odds, subjecting them to lack of power and error. The Wilcoxon-Manny-Whitney Odds is a statistical method which provides significant information such as p-value, effect size, number needed to treat, confidence intervals, and is largely assumption-free. However, its utility has not been demonstrated in the field of multiple sclerosis. Methods: Three clinical studies in the field of multiple sclerosis were selected which utilized ordinal scale outcomes at group or individual levels. Data from these studies was extracted using WebPlotDigitizer, and a custom Wilxocon-Mann-Whitney Odds software was applied to each dataset to re-analyze the main outcomes of the studies. Results: Re-analysis of the manuscript by Muraro et al., 2017 demonstrated that autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis resulted in a 65% chance of improving from any Expanded Disability Status Scale category, although not significant. Re-analysis of the manuscript by Songthammawat et al., 2019 demonstrated chance of improvement with intravenous methylprednisolone and concurrent plasma exchange was 185% versus 32% in intravenous methylprednisolone with add-on plasma exchange, although not significant. Re-analysis of Kister et al., 2012 demonstrated the chances of mobility or cognition scores generally favored decline at every 5-year increment of study, and although statistically significant, these were smaller effect sizes ranging from an 11% chance of improvement to a 66% chance of decline over a 5-year interval. Discussion: The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds simplifies ordinal data analysis with its robust largely assumption-free nature. In the place of numerous statistical tests, this single test provides effect size estimate, number needed to treat, p-values, and confidence intervals. Importantly, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds effect size calculation is intuitively applicable to both individual and population-levels. Further, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds allows intuitive description of the progression of large cohorts over time, and we were able to clearly convey the odds of mobility and cognitive decline over 30 years in a large multiple sclerosis cohort. Overall, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds is a powerful and robust statistical test with significant promise within the field of multiple sclerosis