[en] The low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is operated in compliance with United States Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, ''Radioactive Waste Management''. DOE Order 435.1 includes requirements to conduct a performance assessment and composite analysis (PA/CA) to project the potential doses that may be received by a member of the public as a result of releases that may occur from the facility and other surrounding sources. Although the PA/CA were deemed sufficient to justify issuing the Disposal Authorization for the disposal facility, the DOE Low-Level Waste Disposal Facilities Federal Review Group (LFRG) identified some assumptions that required additional confirmation. Thus, the Disposal Authorization was granted with some conditions that required resolution in order to maintain the capability to operate the LLW disposal facility. This paper summarizes INEEL research and technologies that contributed to successful resolution of all of the conditions imposed on the Disposal Authorization

[en] A high pressure thick walled (171 mm+cladding) reactor was under construction when a crack, with a total length of about 2.5 m, occurred at a nozzle. An investigation was conducted to determine how manufacture could safely proceed. This revealed that the primary cause of cracking was the method by which preheat had been applied to the vessel for the welding operation, coupled with the very low impact values achieved by the weld metal in the as-welded condition. Investigation also centred on the use of dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) instead of an intermediate stress relief (ISR), and the oxidised nature of the fracture surface. The oxidation could not be satisfactorily explained, and as a result neither the time the fracture occurred nor the significance of applying DHT in place of ISR could be absolutely determined. Nevertheless it was concluded that fracture probably occurred before DHT was applied. It was recommended that the method of preheat be revised and ISR applied without cooling below minimum preheat temperature. Further review of the incident resulted in additional recommendations for prevention of a recurrence in future work. One critical aspect was the lack of response to the poor as-welded toughness properties of the weld deposit

[en] Radiation polymerisation of cyclohexyl acrylate has been studied at various dose rates. The rate of polymerisation of cyclohexyl acrylate is an order of magnitude higher than any of the acrylates reported so far. The ksub(p)/ksub(t)sup(1/2) values determined are in the range of some of ionic initiated polymerisations induced by radiation. GPC chromatogram shows two distinct peaks of equal area which are identified with free radical and ionic initiations. (author)

[en] Radiation polymerisation of cyclohexyl acrylate in presence of cyclohexanol has been studied at various dose rates. The dose rate exponent determined approx. 0.66 indicates the possibility of the existence of the chain transfer to cyclohexanol. GPC chromatogram shows the presence of the low molecular weight polymer suppressing the high molecular weight fraction. These results suggest that the origin of the low molecular weight polymer could be through free radical initiation. High molecular weight fraction which is due to ionic initiation is suppressed completely indicating the possibility of cyclohexanol acting as a chain transfer agent for ions. (author)

[en] We report a case of tumor infiltration into an intervertebral disk imaged at MR. The MRI appearance of a tumor infiltration into an intervertebral disk is the same as a spondylodiscitis: loss of the internuclear cleft, increased signal intensity of the disk on T2 weighted imaging. Other metastatic infiltration in vertebrae and a primitive tumor suggest the diagnosis. It is confirmed by percutaneous biopsy. (author)

[en] A retrospective study was performed of 73 tumors of the major salivary glands in patients referred to our service over the past 5 years. In every case, we reviewed the clinical data, the diagnostic imaging methods employed and the histological results. Likewise, we describe the most common ultrasonographic findings corresponding to the different tumors. Our experience has shown that ultrasound should be the initial method of assessment of the tumor pathology of major salivary glands because of its greater diagnostic sensitivity when compared with sialography or clinical exploration. Although it is not specific, it is orientation with respect to the degree of benignity and histology of the lesion, permitting the study of adjacent structures in the same exploration through the use of a technique which is comfortable and noninvasive for the patient

[en] The ultimate performance of any remote sensor is ideally governed by the hardware signal-to-noise capability and allowed signal-averaging time. In real-world scenarios, this may not be realizable and the limiting factors may suggest the need for more advanced capabilities. Moving from passive to active remote sensors offers the advantage of control over the illumination source, the laser. Added capabilities may include polarization discrimination, instantaneous imaging, range resolution, simultaneous multi-spectral measurement, or coherent detection. However, most advanced detection technology has been engineered heavily towards the straightforward passive sensor requirements, measuring an integrated photon flux. The need for focal plane array technology designed specifically for laser sensing has been recognized for some time, but advances have only recently made the engineering possible. This paper will present a few concepts for laser sensing receiver architectures, the driving specifications behind those concepts, and test/modeling results of such designs.

[en] We investigated the influence of tomograph sensitivity on reliability of parameter estimation in positron emission tomography studies of the rat brain. The kinetics of two tracers in rat striatum and cerebellum were simulated. A typical injected dose of 10 MBq and a reduced dose of 1 MBq were assumed. Kinetic parameters were estimated using a region of interest (ROI) analysis and two pixel-by-pixel analyses. Striatal binding potential was estimated as a function of effective tomograph sensitivity (S_eff) using a simplified reference tissue model. A S_eff value of ≥1% was required to ensure reliable parameter estimation for ROI analysis and a S_eff of 3-6% was required for pixel-by-pixel analysis. We conclude that effective tomograph sensitivity of 3% may be an appropriate design goal for rat brain imaging

[en] While the importance of radial electric fields was already perceived early in fusion research, a genuine flurry of activity was prompted by the experimental and theoretical recognition of a possible link between E_r, and the establishment of edge and internal transport barriers in toroidal plasmas. The effects that the radial electric field and its finer structure is assumed to have on particle orbits, on collisional and turbulent transport and on bifurcation to improved confinement will be reviewed together with the experimental evidence for some of these effects. (author)

[en] The use of low doses of iodine 131, eventually repeated, allows to get the recovery without consequences in 61 to 70% of cases with the passing of time under 10 years. One can estimate the risk of hypothyroidism at 25% and this one of residual hyperthyroidism at 5 to 10 %. The average period of curing is about six months. The interest of this treatment is in its efficiency, its easiness, its cost and its very low risks. However, it could be desirable that the precautions of use can be standardized in a strict way. (N.C.)