Numerical Algortihms for Intragranular Fission Gas Release.

Abstract not availableJRC.E-Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe

Communication of CD8+ T cells with mononuclear phagocytes in multiple sclerosis

Objective CD8+ T cells are the most prevailing lymphocyte population in inflammatory lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but it is not even known whether they are merely passive bystanders or actively communicate with other cells in the brain. To identify their potential interaction partners, we analyzed CD8+ T cells that contained vectorially oriented cytotoxic granules and analyzed the areas to which the granules pointed. Methods We stained cryo‐sections of active MS lesions of an index patient with antibodies to CD8 and perforin, searched for vectorially oriented perforin granules, and isolated target areas opposing the granules and control areas by laser‐microdissection. From both areas, we analyzed cell‐type specific transcripts by next‐generation sequencing. In parallel, we stained samples from the index‐patient and other patients by four‐color immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results We found transcripts of the mononuclear phagocyte (MP) specific markers CD163 and CD11b only in the microdissected target areas but not in control areas. We validated the finding that MPs are communication partners of CD8+ T cells in MS lesions by classical IHC in samples from the index‐patient and other patients with acute and progressive MS and other inflammatory neurological diseases. Interpretation Because CD163 and CD11b are specifically expressed in MPs, our findings suggest that CD8+ T cells communicate with local MPs. Although it is still unclear if these interactions lead to killing of the communication partners by CD8+ T cells, our data underline that CD8+ T cells play an active role in the pathogenesis of MS

Comprehensive longitudinal microbiome analysis of the chicken cecum reveals a shift from competitive to environmental drivers and a window of opportunity for Campylobacter

Copyright © 2018 Ijaz, Sivaloganathan, McKenna, Richmond, Kelly, Linton, Stratakos, Lavery, Elmi, Wren, Dorrell, Corcionivoschi and Gundogdu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Chickens are a key food source for humans yet their microbiome contains bacteria that can be pathogenic to humans, and indeed potentially to chickens themselves. Campylobacter is present within the chicken gut and is the leading cause of bacterial foodborne gastroenteritis within humans worldwide. Infection can lead to secondary sequelae such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and stunted growth in children from low-resource areas. Despite the global health impact and economic burden of Campylobacter, how and when Campylobacter appears within chickens remains unclear. The lack of day to day microbiome data with replicates, relevant metadata, and a lack of natural infection studies have delayed our understanding of the chicken gut microbiome and Campylobacter. Here, we performed a comprehensive day to day microbiome analysis of the chicken cecum from day 3 to 35 (12 replicates each day; final n = 379). We combined metadata such as chicken weight and feed conversion rates to investigate what the driving forces are for the microbial changes within the chicken gut over time, and how this relates to Campylobacter appearance within a natural habitat setting. We found a rapidly increasing microbial diversity up to day 12 with variation observed both in terms of genera and abundance, before a stabilization of the microbial diversity after day 20. In particular, we identified a shift from competitive to environmental drivers of microbial community from days 12 to 20 creating a window of opportunity whereby Campylobacter can appear. Campylobacter was identified at day 16 which was 1 day after the most substantial changes in metabolic profiles observed. In addition, microbial variation over time is most likely influenced by the diet of the chickens whereby significant shifts in OTU abundances and beta dispersion of samples often corresponded with changes in feed. This study is unique in comparison to the most recent studies as neither sampling was sporadic nor Campylobacter was artificially introduced, thus the experiments were performed in a natural setting. We believe that our findings can be useful for future intervention strategies and help reduce the burden of Campylobacter within the food chain

Biokinetics and dosimetry of commonly used radiopharmaceuticals in diagnostic nuclear medicine – a review

Purpose The impact on patients’ health of radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine diagnostics has not until now been evaluated systematically in a European context. Therefore, as part of the EU-funded Project PEDDOSE. NET (www.peddose.net), we review and summarize the current knowledge on biokinetics and dosimetry of commonly used diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. Methods A detailed literature search on published biokinetic and dosimetric data was performed mostly via PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). In principle the criteria for inclusion of data followed the EANM Dosimetry Committee guidance document on good clinical reporting. Results Data on dosimetry and biokinetics can be difficult to find, are scattered in various journals and, especially in paediatric nuclear medicine, are very scarce. The data collection and calculation methods vary with respect to the time-points, bladder voiding, dose assessment after the last data point and the way the effective dose was calculated. In many studies the number of subjects included for obtaining biokinetic and dosimetry data was fewer than ten, and some of the biokinetic data were acquired more than 20 years ago. Conclusion It would be of interest to generate new data on biokinetics and dosimetry in diagnostic nuclear medicine using state-of-the-art equipment and more uniform dosimetry protocols. For easier public access to dosimetry data for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, a database containing these data should be created and maintained

FDG PET and PET/CT: EANM procedure guidelines for tumour PET imaging: version 1.0

The aim of this guideline is to provide a minimum standard for the acquisition and interpretation of PET and PET/CT scans with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). This guideline will therefore address general information about [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) and is provided to help the physician and physicist to assist to carrying out, interpret, and document quantitative FDG PET/CT examinations, but will concentrate on the optimisation of diagnostic quality and quantitative information

The Development of the TRANSURANUS-WWER Version.

Abstract not availableJRC.E-Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe

The European Accident Code EAC-2 and its Coupling Algorithm between Fuel and Coolant Channel

WE GIVE A SHORT OVERVIEW ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EAC-2 CODE WITH EMPHASIS ON THE COUPLING MECHANISM BETWEEN THE FUEL BEHAVIOUR MODULE TRANSURANUS AND THE THERMOHYDRAULICS MODULES WHICH CAN BE EITHER CFEM OR BLOW3A. THESE MODULES WILL ALSO BE SHORTLY DESCRIBED. SOME NUMERICAL RESULTS ARE GIVEN: THEY ARE RECALCULATIONS OF AN UNPROTECTED LOF ACCIDENT WHICH WAS EARLIER ANALYSED IN THE FRAME OF A COMPARATIVE EXERCISE PERFORMED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 80S ANS ORGANISED BY THE CEC.NA-NOT AVAILABL

A New Data-Condensation Method Based on Multidimensional Minimisation.

Abstract not availableJRC.E-Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe

Extension of the TRANSURANUS Burnup Model to Heavy Water Reactor Conditions.

In this paper the existing models for buildup of plutonium are analysed. In order to overcome limitations of the RADAR model which is frequently used at high burnup, a new model is presented. After verification against data for the radial distribution of Cs, Nd, Pu and Xe from electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) the formation of the HBS in a Heavy Water Reactor is estimated.JRC.E-Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe

The ‘Fuel Rod Analysis ToolBox’: a general program for preparing the input of a fuel performance code

This paper gives an overview of the new ‘Fuel Rod Analysis Toolbox’, which is a program for the pre-processing of input data for fuel performance codes with a graphical user interface under Windows. It consists of three different modules that can handle several tasks such as data condensation, merging and synchronization. It can reduce the amount of data, hence the computation time of fuel performance codes and reduce the time required to prepare input files for complex experimental data sets, or prepare the input files on the basis of detailed code calculations carried out by neutronics or thermo-hydraulics codes applied for safety analysis reports. It is proposed to be used as a common basis to generate input files for fuel performance code validation on the basis of the experimental data included in the International Fuel Performance Experiments database of the IAEA and the OECD-NEA in the frame of benchmarks such as FUMAC.JRC.E.3-Materials researc