Conceptual design of the enhanced coolant purification systems for the European HCLL and HCPB test blanket modules

The Coolant Purification Systems (CPSs) is one of the most relevant ancillary systems of European Helium Cooled Lead Lithium (HCLL) and Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Test Blanket Modules (TBMs) which are currently in the preliminary design phase in view of their installation and operation in ITER. The CPS implements mainly two functions: the extraction and concentration of the tritium permeated from the TBM modules into the primary cooling circuit and the chemistry control of helium primary coolant. During the HCLL and HCPB-TBSs (Test Blanket Systems) Conceptual Design Review (CDR) in 2015 it was recognized the need of reducing the tritium permeation into the Port Cell #16 of ITER. To achieve this and, then, to lower the tritium partial pressure in the Helium Cooling Systems in normal operation, the helium flow-rate treated by each CPS has been increased of almost one order of magnitude. In 2017, to satisfy the CDR outcomes and the new design requirements requested by Fusion for Energy (F4E, the European Domestic Agency for ITER), ENEA performed a preliminary design of the “enhanced” CPSs. This paper presents the current design of the “enhanced” CPSs, focusing on design requirements, assumptions, selection of technologies and preliminary components sizing

IOTA - a code to study ion transport and radiation damage in composite materials

Der Code IOTA wurde mit dem Ziel entwickelt, primaere Schaeden durch Bestrahlung mit Ionen in Verbundwerkstoffen untersuchen zu koennen. Der Code kann fuer die Berechnung der Gesamtzahl der primaeren Schaeden in den Materialien, fuer Displacement-Wirkungsquerschnitte und fuer die raeumlichen Verteilungen der Strahlenschaeden benuetzt werden. Die Berechnungen fuer den Transfer der kinetischen Energie des bewegenden Teilchens zum Atom im Gitter, basieren auf der Anwendung von tabellierten Daten oder auf analytischen Formeln fuer die differentiellen Wirkungsquerschnitte. Die Simulation wurde mit der 'binary collision approximation' (BCA) und mit dem Monte Carlo Verfahren realisiert. Unter Verwendung von Rechnungsergebnissen nach der Methode der Molekular Dynamik (MD) kann der IOTA Code auch fuer hochenergetische Rechnungen in gekoppelten BCA-MD Rechnungen angewandt werden.The code IOTA has been elaborated to study primary radiation defects in composite materials irradiated by ions. The code may be used for the calculation of the total number of primary defects created in materials, for the displacement cross-section and for the spatial defect distribution. The calculations are based on the use of tabulated data or of analytical expressions for the differential cross-section for the transfer of the kinetic energy from the moving ion to a lattice atom. The simulation is based on the binary collision approximation and the Monte Carlo method. Using the results obtained with the help of the method of molecular dynamics (MD), the IOTA code may also be applied for high energy calculations in joint BCA-MD calculations. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: ZA 5141(6984) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Corticotropin-releasing hormone inhibits in vitro oocyte maturation in mice

The expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor 1 messenger RNA in stages of follicle growth was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in long-term cultures of early preantral mouse follicles with and without CRH addition. Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 is present in stages of mouse follicle growth, whereas 10 -9, 10-7, and 10-6 mol/L CRH inhibits oocyte maturation in vitro, an effect reversed by antalarmin addition. © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Published by Elsevier Inc

Updated design and integration of the ancillary circuits for the European Test Blanket Systems

The validation of the key technologies relevant for a DEMO Breeding Blanket is one of the main objectives of the design and operation of the Test Blanket Systems (TBS) in ITER. In compliance with the main features and technical requirements of the parent breeding blanket concepts, the European TBM Project is developing the HCLL (Helium Cooled Lithium Lead) and HCPB (Helium Cooled Pebble Bed)-TBS, focusing in this phase on the design life cycle and on R&D activities in support of the design. The TBS ancillary systems are mainly circuits devoted to the removal of thermal power and to the extraction and recovery of the tritium generated in the Test Blanket Modules. They are: \u2022 The Helium Cooling System (HCS); \u2022 The Coolant Purification System (CPS); \u2022 The Tritium Extraction System (HCLL-TRS, HCPB-TES); \u2022 The Lead Lithium Loop. Their conceptual design was deeply analyzed during the ITER Conceptual Design Review (CDR) in 2015. The assessment of the CDR was overall positive and recommendations for improvements were made. The present design takes into account the main CDR recommendations as well as the implementation of the requirements related to ITER operation, safety principles application and physical space constrains

Conceptual design of the main Ancillary Systems of the ITER Water Cooled Lithium Lead Test Blanket System

The Water Cooled Lithium Lead Test Blanket System (WCLL TBS) is one of the EU Test Blanket Systems candidate for being installed and operated in ITER. In view of its Conceptual Design Review by F4E and ITER Organization (IO), planned for mid-September 2020, several technical activities have been performed in the areas of WCLL TBS Ancillary Systems design. In this article the outcomes of the conceptual design phase of the four main Ancillary Systems of WCLL TBS, namely the Water Cooling System (WCS), the Coolant Purification System (CPS), the PbLi loop and the Tritium Extraction System (TES), are reported and critically discussed. In particular, for each Ancillary System hereafter are reported: i) a short design description, including the conceptual design of their main components together with their operative conditions under the so-called Normal Operational State (NOS), ii) the ESP-ESPN classification for their main components, and iii) their arrangement and integration in the assigned ITER areas (PC#16, Vertical Shaft, TCWS Vault, Galleries and Tritium Process Room)

Analysis of 1.9 Mb of contiguous sequence from chromosome 4 of Arabidopsis thaliana

The plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) has become an important model species for the study of many aspects of plant biology(1). The relatively small size of the nuclear genome and the availability of extensive physical maps of the five chromosomes(2-4) provide a feasible basis for initiating sequencing of the five chromosomes. The YAC (yeast artificial chromosome)-based physical map of chromosome 4 was used to construct a sequence-ready map of cosmid and BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) clones covering a 1,9-megabase (Mb) contiguous region(5), and the sequence of this region is reported here. Analysis of the sequence revealed an average gene density of one gene every 4.8 kilobases (kb), and 54% of the predicted genes had significant similarity to known genes. Other interesting features were found, such as the sequence of a disease-resistance gene locus, the distribution of retroelements, the frequent occurrence of clustered gene families, and the sequence of several classes of genes not previously encountered in plants

A 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel to prevent adverse drug reactions: an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised crossover implementation study

Background: The benefit of pharmacogenetic testing before starting drug therapy has been well documented for several single gene–drug combinations. However, the clinical utility of a pre-emptive genotyping strategy using a pharmacogenetic panel has not been rigorously assessed. Methods: We conducted an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised, crossover implementation study of a 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel in 18 hospitals, nine community health centres, and 28 community pharmacies in seven European countries (Austria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK). Patients aged 18 years or older receiving a first prescription for a drug clinically recommended in the guidelines of the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (ie, the index drug) as part of routine care were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria included previous genetic testing for a gene relevant to the index drug, a planned duration of treatment of less than 7 consecutive days, and severe renal or liver insufficiency. All patients gave written informed consent before taking part in the study. Participants were genotyped for 50 germline variants in 12 genes, and those with an actionable variant (ie, a drug–gene interaction test result for which the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group [DPWG] recommended a change to standard-of-care drug treatment) were treated according to DPWG recommendations. Patients in the control group received standard treatment. To prepare clinicians for pre-emptive pharmacogenetic testing, local teams were educated during a site-initiation visit and online educational material was made available. The primary outcome was the occurrence of clinically relevant adverse drug reactions within the 12-week follow-up period. Analyses were irrespective of patient adherence to the DPWG guidelines. The primary analysis was done using a gatekeeping analysis, in which outcomes in people with an actionable drug–gene interaction in the study group versus the control group were compared, and only if the difference was statistically significant was an analysis done that included all of the patients in the study. Outcomes were compared between the study and control groups, both for patients with an actionable drug–gene interaction test result (ie, a result for which the DPWG recommended a change to standard-of-care drug treatment) and for all patients who received at least one dose of index drug. The safety analysis included all participants who received at least one dose of a study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03093818 and is closed to new participants. Findings: Between March 7, 2017, and June 30, 2020, 41 696 patients were assessed for eligibility and 6944 (51·4 % female, 48·6% male; 97·7% self-reported European, Mediterranean, or Middle Eastern ethnicity) were enrolled and assigned to receive genotype-guided drug treatment (n=3342) or standard care (n=3602). 99 patients (52 [1·6%] of the study group and 47 [1·3%] of the control group) withdrew consent after group assignment. 652 participants (367 [11·0%] in the study group and 285 [7·9%] in the control group) were lost to follow-up. In patients with an actionable test result for the index drug (n=1558), a clinically relevant adverse drug reaction occurred in 152 (21·0%) of 725 patients in the study group and 231 (27·7%) of 833 patients in the control group (odds ratio [OR] 0·70 [95% CI 0·54–0·91]; p=0·0075), whereas for all patients, the incidence was 628 (21·5%) of 2923 patients in the study group and 934 (28·6%) of 3270 patients in the control group (OR 0·70 [95% CI 0·61–0·79]; p <0·0001). Interpretation: Genotype-guided treatment using a 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel significantly reduced the incidence of clinically relevant adverse drug reactions and was feasible across diverse European health-care system organisations and settings. Large-scale implementation could help to make drug therapy increasingly safe. Funding: European Union Horizon 2020