Results of the PBF/LOFT Lead Rod Test Series

The PBF/LOFT Lead Rod (PBF/LLR) Test Series consisted of four sequential, nuclear blowdown experiments (Test LLR-3, LLR-5, LLR-4, and LLR-4A). The primary objective of the test series was to evaluate the extent of mechanical deformation that would be expected to occur to low pressure (0.1 MPa) light water reactor design fuel rods subjected to a series of nuclear blowdown tests, and to determine if subjecting deformed fuel rods to subsequent testing would result in rod failure. The extent of mechanical deformation (buckling, collapse, or waisting of the cladding) was evaluated by comparison of cladding temperatue versus system pressure response with out-of-pile experimental data and by posttest visual examinations and cladding diametral measurements

A fuel response model for the design of spent fuel shipping casks

The radiological source terms pertinent to spent fuel shipping cask safety assessments are of three distinct origins. One of these concerns residual contamination within the cask due to handling operations and previous shipments. A second is associated with debris (''crud'') that had been deposited on the fuel rods in the course of reactor operation, and a third involves the radioactive material contained within the rods. Although the lattermost source of radiotoxic material overwhelms the others in terms of inventory, its release into the shipping cask, and thence into the biosphere, requires the breach of an additional release barrier, viz., the fuel rod cladding. Hence, except for the special case involving the transport of fuel rods containing previously breached claddings, considerations of the source terms due to material contained in the fuel rods are complicated by the need to address the likelihood of fuel cladding failure during transport. The purpose of this report is to describe a methodology for estimating the shipping cask source terms contribution due to radioactive material contained within the spent fuel rods. Thus, the probability of fuel cladding failure as well as radioactivity release is addressed. 8 refs., 2 tabs

Triage conducted by lay-staff and emergency training reduces paediatric mortality in the emergency department of a rural hospital in Northern Mozambique

Introduction The majority of emergency paediatric death in African countries occur within the first 24 h of admission. A coloured triage system is widely implemented in high-income countries and the emergency triage and assessment treatment (ETAT) is recommended by the World Health Organization, but not put into practice in Mozambique. We implemented a three-colour triage system in a rural district hospital with lay-staff workers conducting the first triage. Methods A retrospective, before and after, mortality analysis was performed using routine patient files from the district hospital between 2014 and 2017. The triage system was implemented in August 2016. Inclusion criteria were children under 15 years of age that entered the emergency centre. Primary outcome was child mortality rate. Secondary outcomes included the percentage agreement between the clinical and non-clinical staff and the duration from triage to first treatment. We used a negative binomial model in STATA 15 to compare mortality rates, and Kappa statistics to estimate the agreement between clinical and non-clinical staff. Results 4176 admissions were included. The mortality rate ratio (MMR) was 45% lower after the start of the intervention (2016; MRR = 0.55; 0.38, 0.81; p = 0.002), compared to before. To estimate the agreement between non-clinical and clinical staff, 548 (of the 671) patient files were included. The agreement was estimated at 88.7% (Kappa = 0.644; p < 0.001). The median waiting time decreased with urgency of the triage: 2 h33 for ‘green’/least serious (IQR 1 h58-3 h30), 21 min for yellow/serious (IQR 0 h10-0 h58) and nine minutes for ‘red’/urgent (IQR 2–40 min). Conclusion In a rural setting with nurse-led clinical care and non-clinician staff working at the triage reception, implementation of a three-coloured triage system was feasible. Triage and ETAT training was associated with a decrease of 45% of paediatric deaths. The impact on mortality, low cost, and ease of the implementation supports scaling this intervention in similar settings

The History of Preconception Care: Evolving Guidelines and Standards

This article explores the history of the preconception movement in the United States and the current status of professional practice guidelines and standards. Professionals with varying backgrounds (nurses, nurse practitioners, family practice physicians, pediatricians, nurse midwives, obstetricians/gynecologists) are in a position to provide preconception health services; standards and guidelines for numerous professional organizations, therefore, are explored. The professional nursing organization with the most highly developed preconception health standards is the American Academy of Nurse Midwives (ACNM); for physicians, it is the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). These guidelines and standards are discussed in detail

El Comercio : diario de Valencia, científico, literario y artístico, defensor de los intereses del comercio, industria y agricultura: El Comercio : diario de Valencia, científico, literario y artístico, defensor de los intereses del comercio, industria y agricultura - Año IV Número 1178 - 1880 octubre 25 (25/10/1880)

The success of the development of nuclear thermal propulsion devices and thermionic space nuclear power generation systems depends on the successful utilization of nuclear fuel materials at temperatures in the range 2000 to 3500 K. Problems associated with the utilization of uranium bearing fuel materials at these very high temperatures while maintaining them in the solid state for the required operating times are addressed. The critical issues addressed include evaporation, melting, reactor neutron spectrum, high temperature chemical stability, fabrication, fission induced swelling, fission product release, high temperature creep, thermal shock resistance, and fuel density, both mass and fissile atom. Candidate fuel materials for this temperature range are based on UO{sub 2} or uranium carbides. Evaporation suppression, such as a sealed cladding, is required for either fuel base. Nuclear performance data needed for design are sparse for all candidate fuel forms in this temperature range, especially at the higher temperatures