interpretation of local flux measurements in subcritical systems and reactivity determination

The determination of the subcriticality level constitutes an important issue in the assessment of the accelerator-driven system technology. For this purpose, the interpretation of flux measurements requires a lumped-parameter model employed in an inverse fashion. This papers addresses the drawbacks of point kinetics in performing such a task. In particular, the problem of the generation of integral parameters is considered, in connection with the use of a shape function and of a projection weight tailored to the neutron flux detector. Furthermore, the question of the generation of the effective source is analysed, and some proposals to modify the time dependence of such a function to account for the time delay at the flux detector are presented and discussed

Cannabis for Medical Use: Analysis of Recent Clinical Trials in View of Current Legislation

Cannabis has long been regarded as a recreational substance in the Western world. The recent marketing authorization of some medicinal products of industrial origin and the introduction onto the market of inflorescences for medical use mean that medical doctors can now prescribe Cannabis-based medicines in those countries which allow it. Nevertheless, there is still considerable controversy on this topic in the scientific community. In particular, this controversy concerns: the plant species to be used; the pathologies that can be treated and consequently the efficacy and safety of use; the routes of administration; the methods of preparation; the type and dosage of cannabinoids to be used; and, the active molecules of interest. As such, although medical Cannabis has been historically used, the results of currently completed and internationally published studies are inconclusive and often discordant. In light of these considerations, the aim of this work is to analyse the current legislation in countries that allow the use of medical Cannabis, in relation to the impact that this legislation has had on clinical trials. First of all, a literature search has been performed (PubMed and SciFinder) on clinical trials which involved the administration of Cannabis for medical use over the last 3 years. Of the numerous studies extrapolated from the literature, only about 43 reported data on clinical trials on medical Cannabis, with these mainly being performed in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Once the reference countries were identified, an evaluation of the legislation in relation to Cannabis for medical use in each was carried out via the consultation of the pertinent scientific literature, but also of official government documentation and that of local regulatory authorities. This analysis provided us with an overview of the different legislation in these countries and, consequently, allowed us to analyse, with greater awareness, the results of the clinical trials published in the last 3 years in order to obtain general interest indications in the prosecution of scientific research in this area

How to promote vaccinations: a pilot study in the North-West of Italy

Background: vaccines are one of the greatest medical discoveries. In various countries, pharmacists are authorised to administer vaccines directly in pharmacies; thus, leading to an increase in the immunisation rate and a notable gain in consensus amongst the population. The main objective was to evaluate the opinion of pharmacy customers regarding the proposal to authorise pharmacies to administer vaccines. Results: 85% of the respondents were in favour of the introduction of a vaccinating pharmacist. The data show more positive attitudes to the introduction of this service amongst subjects with an elderly dependant relative (PR = 1,10; p = 0.025). Furthermore, it can be noticed a higher probability of positive attitudes to the establishment of the vaccinating pharmacist amongst those with positive attitudes to vaccines (PR = 1,15; p = 0.039). Moreover, the pharmacist is seen as a reference on the subject of vaccines by only 8% of interviewees. Discussion: The data highlight the particularly positive feedback regarding the subject of pharmacists being authorised to administer vaccines. This service may, however, encounter obstacles such as economic problems and opposition from other health professionals. Materials and methods: Data were gathered through a face-to-face interview by means of questionnaires in eight pharmacies in the north-west of Piedmont (Italy). Descriptive statistics were performed. The comparison between the proportions and average values was performed by χ2 and t-test. The indicator used for the associations was the Prevalence Ratio (PR). The PR was calculated using a modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors. The level of significance was fixed at 0.05; IC at 95%

Extension of the Discrete-Ordinates Transport Solver IDT to Regular Two-Dimensional Triangular Meshes

In this work, the Integro-Differential Transport solver (IDT), which is one of the transport solvers available in the APOLLO3(R) lattice code, has been extended to handle 2D unstructured meshes. In particular, the previously implemented method of short characteristics (MoSC) used to solve for the spatial variable in the framework of an SN approach has been extended to triangular cells which represent the natural discretization for calculating the hexagonal lattices present in fast reactors. The coefficients of the collision-probability matrices have been evaluated by means of a split-cell algorithm, specialized for dealing with different orientations of the triangle with respect to each discrete ordinate of the SN sweeping. A new sweeping routine for unstructured meshes has been added to IDT. The correct implementation of the method and its robustness with respect to the skewness and the optical thickness of the triangle has been verified. The method of manufactured solutions has been employed to obtain a numerical estimate of the spatial convergence order of the method. The same version of the MoSC has then been implemented in MINARET, another solver available in APOLLO3(R). Finally, the modified IDT applied to an unstructured mesh for the C5G7 benchmark has been successfully benchmarked against MC calculations, and the modified MINARET has been applied to a neutron transport calculation for the RJH research reactor

Neutronic benchmark of the FRENETIC code for the multiphysics analysis of lead fast reactors

The FRENETIC code is being developed at Politecnico di Torino in the frame of the international effort for the deployment of lead fast reactors technology. FRENETIC is a multiphysics computational tool solving the neutronics and thermal-hydraulics equation at the full-core level, aiming at performing steady-state and time-dependent simulations in different conditions. In the present work, the validation activity of FRENETIC is carried forward by performing a benchmark against a reference computational model for the ALFRED design implemented in Serpent. Different core configurations in FRENETIC and different temperature distributions are considered, performing consistent comparisons between the two codes. All the results obtained show an extremely good agreement between the two models, implying that the ALFRED core can be well characterized by the FRENETIC code. The present study sets the basis for the future application of the code to simulate safety-relevant transients with FRENETIC

Cyborg Activism: Exploring the reconfigurations of democratic subjectivity in Anonymous

This article develops the concept of cyborg activism as novel configuration of democratic subjectivity in the Information Age by exploring the online collectivity Anonymous as a prototype. By fusing elements of human/machine and organic/digital the cyborg disrupts modern logics of binary thinking. Cyborg activism emerges as the reconfiguration of equality/hierarchy, reason/emotion, and nihilism/idealism. Anonymous demonstrates how through the use of contingent and ephemeral digital personae hierarchies in cyborg activism prove more volatile than in face-to-face settings. Emotions appear as an essential part of a politics of passion, which enables pursuing laughter and joy, expressing anger, and experiencing empowerment as part of a reasoned, strategic politics. Anonymous’ political content reconfigures nihilist sentiments, frustration, and political disenchantment on the one hand with idealist world views on the other. This enables the cohabitation and partial integration of a great diversity of political claims rooted in various ideologies

COAUTHOR - a MoU to create a COnsortium of Academics from Universities promoting the use of THORium

This paper describes the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the authors to create a future consortium of academics from universities to promote the utilization of thorium (COAUTHOR). Besides the description of the MoU, also results of the research conducted in each participating partner or collaborative work performed among them will be described. Finally, the future work planned in the framework of the MoU, will be discussed