Simulation of the Melting Behavior of the UO2-Zircaloy Fuel Cladding System by Laser Heating

The current research focuses on laser melting and successive analysis of laboratory-scale uranium dioxide nuclear fuel samples in direct contact with Zircaloy-4 cladding. The goal was to characterize the melted and refrozen interfaces, in particular, observing local changes of the melting point and interdiffusion of fuel and cladding materials under inert gas (Ar), in the presence of hydrogen (Ar + 6% H2) or in air. Results obtained by laser heating UO2 pellets clad in a Zircaloy ring were interpreted in light of reference tests performed on pellets in which UO2 and zirconium were blended in a series of given compositions. The sample composition was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy to verify the occurrence of diffusion and segregation phenomena during the laser-heating cycles. Laser-melting experiments were performed on pellets of uranium dioxide clad in Zircaloy-4 rings to simulate the configuration of a light water reactor fuel rod. Under inert gas, the material interdiffusion resulted in consistent melting point depression (of up to 200 K below the melting point of pure UO2) at the interface between the fuel and the cladding. Experiments carried out in the presence of H2 displayed a more limited effect on the melting temperature, but they resulted in a remarkable embrittlement of the whole structure, with large fragmentation of the Zircaloy cladding. This was probably due to the formation of brittle and highly volatile Zr hydrides. The observed melting point decrease was even more pronounced (up to over 400 K) under air in uranium-rich samples, due to the change in the stoichiometry of UO2 in UO2+x

Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study regarding Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption

We aimed to determine the role of HPV in the pathogenesis and outcome of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in lifelong nonsmoking and nondrinking patients. A case-case analysis was performed to compare the presence of HPV-DNA in tumor cells of 16 nonsmoking and nondrinking with 16 matched smoking and drinking patients (matching criteria: age at incidence, gender, tumor sublocation, tumor stage). HPV was detected using 2 PCR tests, FISH analysis, and p16INK4A immunostaining. Nonsmoking and nondrinking patients had more HPV-positive tumors than smoking and drinking patients (n = 12; 75% versus n = 2; 13%; P < 0.001). All HPV-positive tumors showed p16INK4A overexpression, and 1 HPV-negative tumor had p16INK4A overexpression, (P < 0.001). Overall survival and disease-specific survival were higher for HPV-positive compared to HPV-negative cases (P = 0.027, P = 0.039, resp.). In conclusion, HPV is strongly associated with OSCC of nonsmoking and nondrinking patients. Specific diagnostic and therapeutic actions should be considered for these patients to achieve a better prognosis

Spillovers from Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe. An index for measuring a country’s potential to benefit from technology spillovers

In the paper, we construct a composite indicator to estimate the potential of four Central and Eastern European countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) to benefit from productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment (FDI) in the manufacturing sector. Such transfers of technology are one of the main benefits of FDI for the host country, and should also be one of the main determinants of FDI incentives offered to investing multinationals by governments, but they are difficult to assess ex ante. For our composite index, we use six components to proxy the main channels and determinants of these spillovers. We have tried several weighting and aggregation methods, and we consider our results robust. According to the analysis of our results, between 2003 and 2007 all four countries were able to increase their potential to benefit from such spillovers, although there are large differences between them. The Czech Republic clearly has the most potential to benefit from productivity spillovers, while Poland has the least. The relative positions of Hungary and Slovakia depend to some extent on the exact weighting and aggregation method of the individual components of the index, but the differences are not large. These conclusions have important implication both the investment strategies of multinationals and government FDI policies

Burden of early, advanced and metastatic breast cancer in The Netherlands

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate the total economic and health related burden of breast cancer in the Netherlands. METHODS: Data on incidence, prevalence, mortality and survival were extracted from the Dutch National Cancer Registry and were used to calculate the economic and health related burden of breast cancer for overall, DCIS (stage 0), early- (stage I), locally advanced- (stage II-III) and metastatic- (stage IV) breast cancer by age groups and by year (if applicable). RESULTS: The overall incidence of breast cancer increased from 103.4 up to 153.2 per 100,000 women between 1990 and 2014. The increase was driven by DCIS and early breast cancer as the incidence of locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer remained stable. Between 1990 and 2014, ten-year overall survival rates increased from 87% to 93% for early breast cancer, 41% to 62% for locally advanced- and from 6% to 9% for metastatic disease. Annually, breast cancer in the Netherlands is responsible for approximately 3100 deaths, 26,000 life years lost, 65,000 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and an economic burden of €1.27 billion. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the burden of breast cancer and subsequent trends over time in the Netherlands

The determinants of vulnerability to currency crises: country-specific factors versus regional factors

We investigate the determinants of exchange market pressures (EMP) for some new EU member states at both the national and regional levels, where macroeconomic and financial variables are considered as potential sources. The regional common factors are extracted from these variables by using dynamic factor analysis. The linear empirical analysis, in general, highlights the importance of country-specific factors to defend themselves against vulnerability in their external sectors. Yet, given a significant impact of the common component in credit on EMP, a contagion effect is apparent through the conduit of credit market integration across these countries under investigation

Recent thermochemical research on reactor materials and fission products

By adiabatic calorimetric measurements from 5 to 350 K and enthalpy increment determinations above the ambient temperature the thermophysical properties of such uranium compounds as UF3, UC13, UBr3, URu3, URh3, UPd3 and fission product combinations such as RuO2, RuSe2, and CsBO2 have been obtained. In addition, the enthalpies of formation of these substances have been determined by EMF and enthalpy of solution measurements. By combining these measurements the formation properties have been derived as a basis for modeling, critical evaluation and prediction. Some examples of these applications are given.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27772/1/0000166.pd