CAnceR IN PreGnancy (CARING) - a retrospective study of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy in the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND: The incidence of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is increasing. Data relating to investigation and management, as well as maternal and foetal outcomes is lacking in a United Kingdom (UK) population.METHODS: In this retrospective study we report data from 119 patients diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy from 14 cancer centres in the UK across a five-year period (2016-2020).RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 33 years, with breast, skin and haematological the most common primary sites. The majority of cases were new diagnoses (109 patients, 91.6%). Most patients were treated with radical intent (96 patients, 80.7%), however, gastrointestinal cancers were associated with a high rate of palliative intent treatment (63.6%). Intervention was commenced during pregnancy in 68 (57.1%) patients; 44 (37%) had surgery and 31 (26.1%) received chemotherapy. Live births occurred in 98 (81.7%) of the cases, with 54 (55.1%) of these delivered by caesarean section. Maternal mortality during the study period was 20.2%.CONCLUSIONS: This is the first pan-tumour report of diagnosis, management and outcomes of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy in the UK. Our findings demonstrate proof of concept that data collection is feasible and highlight the need for further research in this cohort of patients.</p

Tomato: a crop species amenable to improvement by cellular and molecular methods

Tomato is a crop plant with a relatively small DNA content per haploid genome and a well developed genetics. Plant regeneration from explants and protoplasts is feasable which led to the development of efficient transformation procedures. In view of the current data, the isolation of useful mutants at the cellular level probably will be of limited value in the genetic improvement of tomato. Protoplast fusion may lead to novel combinations of organelle and nuclear DNA (cybrids), whereas this technique also provides a means of introducing genetic information from alien species into tomato. Important developments have come from molecular approaches. Following the construction of an RFLP map, these RFLP markers can be used in tomato to tag quantitative traits bred in from related species. Both RFLP's and transposons are in the process of being used to clone desired genes for which no gene products are known. Cloned genes can be introduced and potentially improve specific properties of tomato especially those controlled by single genes. Recent results suggest that, in principle, phenotypic mutants can be created for cloned and characterized genes and will prove their value in further improving the cultivated tomato.

Model investigations on fluidised beds : a contribution to the coating of nuclear fuel particles

The objectives of the present paper were: 1. Simulation of the processes of movement in the high temperature coating bed at room temperature. 2. Optimisation of the fluidisation conditions in order to improve the deposition conditions with regard to polyhedralityof the coated particles. In the f irst part of the paper we report on the theoretical fundamentals required to determine conditions in the coating bed and for producing physical similarity in the model bed. We derive similarity parameters in order to describe the states in the coating and model bed, we describe numerical methods for determining material characteristics, especially at high temperature, and give formulae for calculating the gas and particle velocities in the fluid bed. Variational calculations showed that the same parameters feature in a model with petunia seeds (petunia hybridia) and a nitrogen/hydrogen mixture as in the coating bed. In the model test the same types of movement (spouting, bubbling, slugging) were observed as in the coating bed. In order to gain a knowledge of the processes occurring on coating in a conical fluid bed, the effect of gas flow and gas distribution, of particle loading and of bed and jetgeometry on particle movement was investigated in the model experiment. We report on these matters in the second part of the paper. We found the following results: 1. Due to the different gas distribution between central and annular jet the three types of movement appear. 2. With increasing gas velocity the effect of particle loading on the type of movement diminishes. 3. Tests with variable jet geometry showed that the type of movement is determined by the jet outlet velocities. At a large central jet area spouting disappears. 4. The most favourable conditions were shown by tests involving different cone aperture angles to occur for = 3o deg.(stable bubble movement, good circulation of particles). 5. Tests involving different bed diameters showed that in the 1 inch bed relatively good fluidised beds are produced while for the larger bed geometries very inhomogeneous conditions and so unfavourable coating conditions occur due to low particle concentration in the central coating zone. 6. A cyclone bed was developed with a view to impoving the flow conditions. By producing rotational flow by means of auxilliary jets in the cone and a spiral annular gas inlet the shearlayers may be fluidised and the deposition conditions homogenised 7. In coating tests involving various types of movement the best results with regard to polyhedrality of the coated particles were established for bubbling, and the worst for slugging. 8. Coating in the cyclone bed gave small polyhedrality values even for !arge thicknesses of layer

Modelluntersuchungen an konischen Fließbetten: Ein Beitrag zur Beschichtung von Kernbrennstoffteilchen

Zielsetzung der vorliegenden Arbeit war: 1. Simulierung der Bewegungsvorgänge im Hochtemperatur-Beschichtungsbett bei Raumtemperatur. 2. Optimierung der Fluidisierbedingungen zur Verbesserung der Abscheidebedingungen bezüglich Polyedrität der coated particles. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird über die theoretischen Grundlagen zur Ermittlung der Bedingungen im Beschichtungsbett und zur Erzeugung von physikalischer Ähnlichkeit im Modellbett berichtet. Es werden die Ähnlichkeitskenngrößen zur Beschreibung der Zustände im Beschichtungs- und Modellbett abgeleitet, numerische Methoden zur Ermittlung der Stoffwerte, speziell bei hohen Temperaturen, beschrieben und Formeln zur Berechnung der Gas- und Partikelgeschwindigkeiten im Fließbett angegeben. Variationsrechnungen ergaben, daßsich mit Petuniensamen (petunia hybrida) und einer Stickstoff-Wasserstoffmischung im Modell die gleichen Kennzahlen wie im Beschichtungsbett einstellen lassen. Im Modellversuch wurden die gleichen Bewegungsformen (Spouting, Bubbling, Slugging) wie im Beschichtungsbett beobachtet. [...

Gamma spectroscopic examination of the Peach Bottom HTGR Core

Fission product distributions were established for individual core components after the final shutdown of the Peach Bottom High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR). The purpose was to provide information on relative axial and radial power distributions, thorium absorption rates, fuel stack length, and fission product release

Nuclear and thermal design verification for the Peach Bottom High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor

This report describes the efforts by General Atomic Company to verify high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) nuclear and thermal design methods through verification of the calculational methods for nuclear and thermal performance of Peach Bottom Core 2 standard driver fuel elements

Gamma spectroscopic examination of Peach Bottom HTGR core components

During discharge of Core 2 from the Peach Bottom High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR), 55 driver elements, 21 test elements, three reflector elements, and one control rod with sleeve were axially gamma scanned with a high-resolution Ge(Li) detector. The purpose of the exercise was to determine fission product distributions for use in burnup calculations, power profile determinations, and fission product release and redistribution studies. The results showed that the predicted and measured burnups had a +-7 percent root mean square deviation on an element-to-element basis and were within +-0.7 percent (1 sigma) on a core average basis. The element-to-element variation of +-7 percent is within the generally stated +-3 percent to 8 percent accuracy for nuclear predictions

Development of a surveillance robot for dimensional and visual inspection of fuel and reflector elements from the Fort St. Vrain HTGR

A robotic device has been developed for dimensional and visual inspection of irradiated HTGR core components. The robot consists of a rotary table and a two-finger probe, driven by stepping motors, and four remotely controlled television cameras. Automated operation is accomplished via minicomputer control. A total of 51 irradiated fuel and reflector elements were inspected at a fraction of the time and cost required for conventional methods