Fast Spectrum Molten Salt Reactor Options

During 2010, fast-spectrum molten-salt reactors (FS-MSRs) were selected as a transformational reactor concept for light-water reactor (LWR)-derived heavy actinide disposition by the Department of Energy-Nuclear Energy Advanced Reactor Concepts (ARC) program and were the subject of a preliminary scoping investigation. Much of the reactor description information presented in this report derives from the preliminary studies performed for the ARC project. This report, however, has a somewhat broader scope-providing a conceptual overview of the characteristics and design options for FS-MSRs. It does not present in-depth evaluation of any FS-MSR particular characteristic, but instead provides an overview of all of the major reactor system technologies and characteristics, including the technology developments since the end of major molten salt reactor (MSR) development efforts in the 1970s. This report first presents a historical overview of the FS-MSR technology and describes the innovative characteristics of an FS-MSR. Next, it provides an overview of possible reactor configurations. The following design features/options and performance considerations are described including: (1) reactor salt options-both chloride and fluoride salts; (2) the impact of changing the carrier salt and actinide concentration on conversion ratio; (3) the conversion ratio; (4) an overview of the fuel salt chemical processing; (5) potential power cycles and hydrogen production options; and (6) overview of the performance characteristics of FS-MSRs, including general comparative metrics with LWRs. The conceptual-level evaluation includes resource sustainability, proliferation resistance, economics, and safety. The report concludes with a description of the work necessary to begin more detailed evaluation of FS-MSRs as a realistic reactor and fuel cycle option

Mise en oeuvre de l'épitaxie par jets moléculaires pour la synthèse de diamant monocristallin

Le diamant est un matériau qui possède des propriétés exceptionnelles et peut jouer un rôle de première importance dans les dispositifs électroniques de puissance ou fonctionnant en milieux hostiles. Depuis une vingtaine d'années, la synthèse de films minces de diamant par dépôt chimique en phase gazeuse (CVD) a permis son emploi dans des dispositifs passifs. Cependant, les difficultés associées au contrôle de ses propriétés électriques (maîtrise du dopage de type n) empêchent son utilisation en électronique active. L'Epitaxie par Jets Moléculaires (EJM) est une technique de croissance à très basse pression qui pourrait limiter l'incorporation de défauts et faciliter le dopage des films de diamant, mais elle a été, à l'heure actuelle, très peu utilisée dans cette optique. Contrairement au procédés CVD, elle permet de contrôler indépendamment la nature et les flux des différentes espèces chimiques. Au cours de cette thèse, un bâti a été développé pour étudier la croissance de diamant en ultra-vide. Différentes sources d'hydrogène atomique et de radicaux méthyles, espèces nécessaires à la croissance de diamant en CVD, ont été étudiées et caractérisées en spectrométrie de masse à ionisation de seuil. L'hydrogène atomique était généré par décomposition thermique sur filament chaud ou dans une cellule plasma post-décharge. Le taux de dissociation et la distribution angulaire des flux gazeux ont été mesurés et optimisés. Les radicaux méthyles étaient produits à partir de la décomposition thermique de différents hydrocarbures (CH4,C2H6,CH3COCH3,i-C4H8) en régime moléculaire ou collisionnel.La nature des différentes espèces neutres et radicalaires formées a été analysée en spectrométrie de masse et les flux de radicaux méthyles mesurés. On a enfin étudié la réactivité de ces radicaux vis-à-vis des surfaces silicium (l00) et diamant (100), in-situ par diffraction d'électrons rasants de haute énergie et ex-situ par spectroscopie de photoélectrons excités par rayons X. La réactivité des radicaux carbonés a été analysée en observant la formation de carbures ou de dépôts de carbone amorphe. L'hydrogène atomique attaque préférentiellement le carbone Sp2 et stabilise la croissance de diamant. Sa réactivité en fonction de la température a été mesurée par érosion de films de carbone amorphe déshydrogénés et de surfaces diamant. On a enfin étudié la synergie entre l'hydrogène atomique et les radicaux carbonés, ainsi que l'activation de la réactivité des surfaces par l'hydrogène atomique. Ce dernier permet d'activer la condensation de C3H5 et de former des films de carbone amorphe (DLC). Par contre, dans nos conditions de pression et de température, le système H / CH3 ne permet pas la croissance de diamant, ni celle d'autres formes condensées de carbone. Ces résultats sont discutés en considérant que les flux de H sont trop faibles pour activer l'incorporation de carbone avant la désorption des groupements chimisorbés.LILLE1-BU (590092102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Tumor Antigen Microarray for the Diagnosis and individual therapy of Breast Cancer

2-6 juin 2014International audienceBreast cancer is one of the most challenging diseases, endangering the health of women worldwide. In 2012, there is 1.7 million new breast cancer cases and 520 000 women were dead. The five year survival of patients can be greatly improved if they are diagnosed at an early stage. However, conventional methods of diagnosis are based on imaging techniques (mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography scans (CT), ultrasounds, positron emission tomography (PET)) which required high technology equipments, and are not available to most women. So there is a need to develop cheaper, more reliable and specific screening tools. Protein microarray has a great potential as biomarkers screening tool because it can fulfill high throughput using tiny volume of sample [1]. Protein microarray is a solid surface (typically glass) on which many proteins (up to thousands) are immobilized as probes and dedicated to catch their target in a given sample. This specific interaction can be detected by various methods such as fluorescent detection method. In many cancers, the tumor produces modified proteins (called tumor antigens) which are recognized by the immune system. Antibodies against these tumor antigens circulate in the body and represent good indicators of tumor development. In this study, we focused on the detection of these antibodies in the serum of breast cancer patients to identify relevant signature of the disease. However, protein microarray performances are influenced by various factors including surface chemistry, spotting buffer, concentration of immobilized proteins, etc [2]. So firstly, we immobilized 8 tumor antigens on 6 different surfaces in order to determine the best immobilization condition for each protein. Results turned out that each protein has its own optimal condition but 3 surfaces displayed good performances for all proteins. Then secondly, we immobilized the 8 tumor antigens on these 3 surfaces and screened 76 sera including 50 breast cancer sera and 26 healthy donor sera for the presence of antibodies against the tumor antigens. Results showed that if we consider only a single antibody, few breast cancer sera could be indentified. However, if we combine the detection of the 8 antibodies on the 3 surfaces, the sensitivity of breast cancer identification can be greatly increased from 26% up to 60%

DNA functionalization of gold surface for biosensor application

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Overview of the Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL)

The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) was established in July 2010 for the purpose of providing advanced modeling and simulation solutions for commercial nuclear reactors. The primary goal is to provide coupled, higher-fidelity, usable modeling and simulation capabilities than are currently available. These are needed to address light water reactor (LWR) operational and safety performance-defining phenomena that are not yet able to be fully modeled taking a first-principles approach. In order to pursue these goals, CASL has participation from laboratory, academic, and industry partners. These partners are pursuing the solution of ten major “Challenge Problems” in order to advance the state-of-the-art in reactor design and analysis to permit power uprates, higher burnup, life extension, and increased safety. At present, the problems being addressed by CASL are primarily reactor physics-oriented; however, this paper is intended to introduce CASL to the reactor dosimetry community because of the importance of reactor physics modelling and nuclear data to define the source term for that community and the applicability and extensibility of the transport methods being developed

Gold surface cleaning and DNA functionalization for biosensor application

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Quantification of uPA in breast tumour tissue extracts by microarray immunoassay: Comparison with ELISA technology

International audienceThe urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and PA inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) play important roles in breast cancer metastasis through cell migration and invasion. They are clinically applicable prognostic and predictive markers. High levels of uPA and PAI-1 are associated with high risk of recurrence and adjuvant chemotherapy provides substantial benefit for this breast cancer population. The current sole validated method for quantifying uPA level in breast tumour tissue is ELISA assay. It requires 50-300 mg of fresh or frozen tissue, which is the main limitation for routine use. In this study, we evaluated the performances of customized antibody microarray to quantify uPA concentration from reduced extraction solution of breast tumour tissue and compared it with standard ELISA kit. We firstly optimized the elaboration of customized antibody microarray in order to sensitively detect and quantify uPA standard solutions. In the best conditions, we analysed uPA concentration in 16 cytosolic extracts from breast tumour tissue. Results showed that our customized antibody microarray could correctly quantify uPA concentration while consuming 100 times less volume of tumour tissue extraction solution than ELISA. Our antibody microarray is a powerful and promising tool for the miniaturization of the immunoassay quantification of uPA from breast tumour tissue extracts