Characterization method of dielectric properties of free falling drops in a microwave processing cavity and its application in microwave internal gelation

[EN] Microwave internal gelation (MIG) is a chemical process proposed for the production of nuclear particle fuel. The internal gelation reaction is triggered by a temperature increase of aqueous droplets falling by gravity by means of non-contact microwave heating. Due to the short residence time of a solution droplet in a microwave heating cavity, a detailed knowledge of the interaction between microwaves and chemical solution (shaped in small drops) is required. This paper describes a procedure that enables the measurement of the dielectric properties of aqueous droplets that freely fall through a microwave cavity. These measurements provide the information to determine the optimal values of the parameters (such as frequency and power) that dictate the heating of such a material under microwaves.This work is a part of the PINE (Platform for Innovative Nuclear FuEls) project which targets the development of an advanced production method for Sphere-Pac fuel and is financed by the Swiss Competence Center for Energy and Mobility. The work has been also financed by the European Commission through contract no 295664 regarding the FP7 PELGRIMM Project, as well as contract no 295825 regarding the FP7-ASGARD Project. MC-S would like to thank the ITACA research team (UPV Valencia, Spain) and the EMPA Thun (Switzerland) for their support in the measurements and Carl Beard (PSI, Switzerland) for the help provided in respect with CST simulations. The work of FLP-F was supported by the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana for economic support (BEST/2012/010).Cabanes Sempere, M.; Catalá Civera, JM.; Penaranda-Foix, FL.; Cozzo, C.; Vaucher, S.; Pouchon, MA. (2013). Characterization method of dielectric properties of free falling drops in a microwave processing cavity and its application in microwave internal gelation. Measurement Science and Technology. 24(9). https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/24/9/095009S24

What we learn about bipolar disorder from large-scale neuroimaging: Findings and future directions from theENIGMABipolar Disorder Working Group

MRI‐derived brain measures offer a link between genes, the environment and behavior and have been widely studied in bipolar disorder (BD). However, many neuroimaging studies of BD have been underpowered, leading to varied results and uncertainty regarding effects. The Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta‐Analysis (ENIGMA) Bipolar Disorder Working Group was formed in 2012 to empower discoveries, generate consensus findings and inform future hypothesis‐driven studies of BD. Through this effort, over 150 researchers from 20 countries and 55 institutions pool data and resources to produce the largest neuroimaging studies of BD ever conducted. The ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group applies standardized processing and analysis techniques to empower large‐scale meta‐ and mega‐analyses of multimodal brain MRI and improve the replicability of studies relating brain variation to clinical and genetic data. Initial BD Working Group studies reveal widespread patterns of lower cortical thickness, subcortical volume and disrupted white matter integrity associated with BD. Findings also include mapping brain alterations of common medications like lithium, symptom patterns and clinical risk profiles and have provided further insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of BD. Here we discuss key findings from the BD working group, its ongoing projects and future directions for large‐scale, collaborative studies of mental illness

Beyond Refugia: New insights on Quaternary climate variation and the evolution of biotic diversity in tropical South America

Haffer’s (Science 165: 131–137, 1969) Pleistocene refuge theory has provided motivation for 50 years of investigation into the connections between climate, biome dynamics, and neotropical speciation, although aspects of the orig- inal theory are not supported by subsequent studies. Recent advances in paleocli- matology suggest the need for reevaluating the role of Quaternary climate on evolutionary history in tropical South America. In addition to the many repeated large-amplitude climate changes associated with Pleistocene glacial-interglacial stages (~40 kyr and 100 kyr cyclicity), we highlight two aspects of Quaternary climate change in tropical South America: (1) an east-west precipitation dipole, induced by solar radiation changes associated with Earth’s precessional variations (~20 kyr cyclicity); and (2) periods of anomalously high precipitation that persisted for centuries-to-millennia (return frequencies ~1500 years) congruent with cold “Heinrich events” and cold Dansgaard-Oeschger “stadials” of the North Atlantic region. The spatial footprint of precipitation increase due to this North Atlantic forcing extended across almost all of tropical South America south of the equator. Combined, these three climate modes present a picture of climate change with different spatial and temporal patterns than envisioned in the original Pleistocene refuge theory. Responding to these climate changes, biomes expanded and contracted and became respectively connected and disjunct. Biome change undoubtedly influenced biotic diversification, but the nature of diversification likely was more complex than envisioned by the original Pleistocene refuge theory. In the lowlands, intermittent forest expansion and contraction led to species dispersal and subsequent isolation, promoting lineage diversification. These pulses of climate-driven biotic interchange profoundly altered the composition of regional species pools and triggered new evolutionary radiations. In the special case of the tropical Andean forests adjacent to the Amazon lowlands, new phylogenetic data provide abundant evidence for rapid biotic diversification during the Pleistocene. During warm interglacials and intersta- dials, lowland taxa dispersed upslope. Isolation in these disjunct climate refugia led to extinction for some taxa and speciation for others.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155561/1/Baker2020.pdfDescription of Baker2020.pdf : Main articl

A NEA review on innovative structural materials solutions, including advanced manufacturing processes for nuclear applications based on technology readiness assessment

International audienceThe Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Expert Group on Innovative Structural Materials (EGISM) was established in 2008 under the guidance of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC). Its objectives are to conduct joint and comparative studies to support the development, selection and characterisation of innovative structural materials that can be implemented in advanced nuclear fuel cycles, under long service lifetime and extreme conditions, such as high temperature, high dose/dose rate and corrosive chemical environments.In this context of growing interest and initiatives, the EGISM initiated at the beginning of 2018 an activity among its members to:• Identify, in a non-exhaustive way, the currently existing programs on innovative materials and fabrication processes in NEA member countries and China;• Establish a first cartography of the activities that are underway on these topics and identify common subjects and thematic;• Propose a Technology Readiness Level scale to estimate the maturity of both innovative materials and fabrication processes;• Carry out a reflection on what the enablers are to quickly climb this TRL scale, as well as the obstacles, in order to identify solutions to overcome them.This paper first gives definitions shared between the EGISM members on what are considered as advanced structural materials solutions. Next, some international initiatives for the accelerated development of high performance materials are presented both in non-nuclear and nuclear fields. Then, the methodology adopted for technology readiness assessment is explained. A non-exhaustive synthesis of the projects identified among the EGISM members on innovative structural materials and advanced manufacturing solutions such as additive manufacturing is presented. The TRL level of these projects is evaluated. A focus is also made on some of these projects to illustrate and explain the TRLs chosen as well as highlighting enablers or obstacles identified to climbing up the TRL scale

ORTHOSKIM: In silico sequence capture from genomic and transcriptomic libraries for phylogenomic and barcoding applications

International audienc