The nuclear fuel cycle

In the first half of the 21st century, a redistribution of the energy data should occur, where nuclear will play a more important role, particularly as coal will become more and more costly to extract.On a worldwide basis, the unability of oil to be replaced in some areas like transportation, and the difficulty of developing countries to find substitutes for this energy source, could also lead developed countries to keep the energy resources for a better utilization, and give the countries which have no access to other resources, a possibility to develop.Thus, France has extensively enhanced nuclear energy for its electricity production, and, consequently, makes the necessary efforts for the knowledge of the whole fuel cycle.     

Tetracycline-resistant Chlamydia trachomatis in Toulouse, France

Host immunity to Epstein-Barr Virus Patterns of Epstein-Barr Virus latent gene expression in EBV posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders Cytokines network in posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders associated with EBV Lymphomagenesis and EBV Morphology and clonality of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders associated with EBV Treatment of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders associated with EBV.     

Low Doses of PFOA Promote Prostate and Breast Cancer Cells Growth through Different Pathways

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) are found in everyday products. Widely distributed throughout the environment, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a specific class of EDCs that can accumulate in adipose tissue. Many of them induce adverse effects on human health—such as obesity, fertility disorders and cancers—by perturbing hormone effects. We previously identified many compounds with EDC activity in the circulation of obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery. Herein, we analyzed the effects of four of them (aldrin, BDE28, PFOA and PCB153) on two cancer cell lines of hormone-sensitive organs (prostate and breast). Each cell line was exposed to serial dilutions of EDCs from 10⁻⁶ M to 10⁻¹² M; cytotoxicity and proliferation were monitored using the IncuCyte^® technology. We showed that none of these EDCs induce cytotoxicity and that PFOA and PCB153, only at very low doses (10⁻¹² M), increase the proliferation of DU145 (prostate cancer) and MCF7 (breast cancer) cells, while the same effects are observed with high concentrations (10⁻⁶ M) for aldrin or BDE28. Regarding the mechanistic aspects, PFOA uses two different signaling pathways between the two lines (the Akt/mTORC1 and PlexinD1 in MCF7 and DU145, respectively). Thus, our study demonstrates that even at picomolar (10⁻¹² M) concentrations PFOA and PCB153 increase the proliferation of prostate and breast cancer cell lines and can be considered possible carcinogens.     

Valuing amenity: public perceptions of sustainable drainage systems ponds

Understanding the potential concerns and needs of residents is key to achieving good acceptability of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). This paper highlights, through the application of a structured questionnaire, the potential value to residents of living in close proximity to a SuDS pond. The results show that although the pond's characteristics are not the main factor influencing the choice to move into an area, its effect is markedly positive. Contingent valuation of the benefits is used to show that the additional value brought by SuDS amenity, when monetised, can offset a pond's initial construction costs and ongoing maintenance, hence ensuring the return on investment for developers. By building on existing research, this paper highlights major changes in the perception and valuation of pond structures.     

Measurements and correlations for gas liquid surface tension at high pressure and high temperature

Surface tension of water/nitrogen and water–phenol/nitrogen systems was successfully measured by the hanging drop method in a wide domain of temperature (from 100 to 300°C) and pressure (from 4 to 30MPa), conditions little explored in litterature. Results show that surface tension of water–phenol mixtures decreases as phenol mass fraction increases. This decrease is observed under saturated and unsaturated conditions and is more pronounced at low temperatures and does not seem to depend on pressure. The effect of saturation on surface tension in the water/nitrogen system has been correlated with water vapor pressure by using experimental points with a great accuracy. For the water–phenol/nitrogen system, experimental data obtained with different mass fraction of phenol were correlated using Macleod‐Sugden equation for mixtures. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 4110–4117, 2018     

Numerical verification of the continuous calculation method for tip stress during the driving process of the dynamic penetration test

This paper presents a calculation method for obtaining the continuous variation in stress between the tip and the soil during dynamic penetration tests, particularly in the case of using the Panda 3® penetration testing device. The originality of the method is that the tip stress can be computed continuously throughout the driving process. For each impact of the hammer on the penetrometer, data are recorded by sensors located at the top of the apparatus. Then, the stress at the tip and the displacement of the apparatus are calculated with a method based on the propagation of waves in the device. A three-dimensional numerical model of the penetration test, based on the Panda 3® specifications and using the discrete element method (DEM), is proposed in this paper. The purpose of the simulations is to validate the calculation method by comparing the curves of the tip stress versus the penetration distance obtained in two different ways, the first being the distance directly observed at the tip and the second being the distance calculated from the data recorded at the top of the penetrometer, as with the experimental device. The entire apparatus is represented, including the hammer, the rod, and the tip, and is driven into the model soil. The calculation method is applied, and the results are compared to the actual response of the soil to the driving of the penetrometer directly at the tip, which can be obtained with the numerical model. The responses are found to be very similar, confirming the theoretical framework and its underlying assumptions. This method is applied to dynamic penetration tests and provides the opportunity to obtain mechanical parameters other than the tip resistance from the tests.     

Deformation behavior and texture development in beta Ti-V alloys

Beta phase titanium-vanadium alloys in the composition range 20 to 40 wt pct vanadium were studied to determine the dependence of mechanical properties and texture formation on deformation modes. Changes in twinning probability and slip characteristics with vanadium content are reflected in wide variations in sheet textures in both as-rolled and rolled and recrystallized samples. These sheet textures exhibit strongly anisotropic strength properties which may be qualitatively related to the type of texture.     

Coupling losses in a rectangular multifilamentary superconducting composite

Coupling current losses between filaments of a superconducting multifilament composite subjected to a transverse varying field is highly dependent on the shape of the conductor. The ac loss is evaluated in a conductor of rectangular cross sectional area. It is shown that the loss per unit volume is somewhat different from the loss in an elliptical shaped composite of the same aspect ratio. In addition, the loss in the outer copper sheath is less sensitive to the aspect ratio than the inner filamentary region. Numerous experimental results are given on losses in as-received conductors and in conductors where the outer copper sheath has been partially removed. The anisotropy in the losses caused by a changing field perpendicular or parallel to the wide side of a conductor is in very good agreement with the theory.