bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Research in France on Disposal Concepts for High Level and Long Lived Radioactive Waste in Deep Clay Formation
Authors: Hoorelbeke Jean-Michel , Chupeau Joël , Loubrieu Jean , Poisson Jean-Baptiste , Poisson Richard 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The 15 year research on high level and long lived radioactive waste disposal in deep geological formations is being carried out by the ANDRA within the framework of the 1991 law. The status of the research program corresponds to the sinking of the shafts of the Meuse/Haute-Marne Underground Research Laboratory in an argilite layer.
A set of preliminary concepts associated to this argillite layer has been studied to help address the issues raised by the feasibility analysis of a potential repository with respect to safety objectives. These concepts deal with transuranic no heat emitting waste, high level vitrified waste and potentially disposed spent fuel.
Provision is made for a high level of flexibility, in particular regarding the reversibility of the step by step disposal process.
The architecture of the repository concepts distinguishes disposal zones dedicated respectively to transuranic (type B) waste, vitrified high level (type C) waste, UOX and MOX spent fuel (if the case arrises). Each zone is itself divided into modules. The modular design, which segregates the waste categories, guarantees in particular the flexibility of the repository to contend with potential variations in inventory or waste management modes. This makes it possible to study the feasibility of disposal of each type of waste, in an independent way from the others.
For each disposal zone and waste category, current studies, including safety and cost analysis, enable to compare various design options of the disposal cells and modules, prior to selecting those which will be presented in 2005.
The paper mentions research targets of the program aiming at answering major scientific and technological questions raised by the concepts.
The next milestone of the research program is scheduled at the end of the year 2001. It aims at tuning the approach to be used to assess the feasibility of disposal by 2005.
The design will progressively benefit from the research carried out in the Meuse/Haute Marne underground research laboratory and other fields: The resulting data make it possible to fit the models used to dimension the structures, especially in the 2002–2005 period.
Waste Avoidance Program for Mercury-Laden Mixed Waste
Authors: Cournoyer Michael E. , Martinez Timothy P. , Grundemann Robert F. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Mercury is ideal for use in such things as thermometers and vacuum gauges (manometers) because this naturally occurring silvery liquid expands and contracts evenly with temperature and pressure changes. Within the Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory, mercury containing devices are used for a variety of operations, including actinide chemistry, weapons production, radiochemistry, and analytical chemistry. Mercury present in these instruments does not in itself constitute a risk of contamination since the metal is contained within a closed system. However, breakage, inadequate maintenance and disposal of such instruments can expose workers and the public to this toxic substance.
In this study, waste minimization issues associated with replacing these mercury-laden instruments with non- and less-hazardous devices are addressed. These include institutional program available to support this effort, the hazards grouped with mercury, and devices that use mercury. Life cycle management issues are also examined. Procedures and waste minimization processes used to remove the metallic mercury from an operation will be presented. A project in which mercury containing thermometers and manometers are systematically replace with less hazardous instruments is discussed. This project resulted in approximately 5 kilograms of mercury being removed from Radiological Controlled Areas during project, which represents the elimination of a potential liability of the generation of 100 m3 of Mixed Low-Level Waste in the future. As a final step, an approach to get buy-in from both technical and budget minded employees is presented. The elimination and substitution of hazardous materials in NMT Division is an ongoing process that starts during the design phase of a process or facility and continues through the performance of routine procedures.
Reduction of Radioactive Waste Production: Where Is the Optimum?
Authors: Havard P. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Low and medium level waste management means reducing the amount of waste generated during maintenance and operation of the plant, in accordance with the ALARA concept, while keeping not only the quality of the product but also the associated costs under control.
All this waste is managed by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Federal Agency responsible for waste management, including conditioning, intermediate storage and final disposal.
Unfortunately, the actions taken by ONDRAF/NIRAS and the producers in order to reduce waste production have had a negative impact on waste treatment tariffs.
It has become necessary to re-examine the relationship between ONDRAF/NIRAS and the producers, in order to control the costs of waste management. This problem concerns not only the treatment costs but also the disposal costs.
The volume of waste has fallen from 30M3/Thwh in 1985 to 4.m3/Twh in 2000, not by chance but as the result of a new site organisation geared towards achieving this aim. This paper presents firstly the history of Belgian waste management, taking into account the impact on the associated costs, and secondly the measures that have to be taken in order to be able to decide which new technologies are necessary to go further with the objective of waste volume reduction in a new environment, namely deregulation and consequently high pressure on production costs. Finally, it presents a few conclusions.
The Decontamination of Lead Shielding Blocks for Unrestricted Re-Use or Re-Cycle
Authors: Ensor Brian , Calloway Michael , Chambers Trevor N. , Inns Alec J. , Partridge David J. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Since 1997, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and NNC Ltd. have embarked on the decommissioning and demolition of a redundant metallurgical facility at Harwell. The metallurgical suite comprised three concrete-shielded remote handling cells and 36 lead-shielded enclosures, with associated support and electron microscopy facilities. The decommissioning work carried out by NNC entails the dismantling of the 36 lead enclosures, which were expected to yield over 1000 tonnes of lead shielding blocks as waste. The decommissioning project is nearing completion, with only two large enclosures remaining to dismantle. This paper describes the management and technical processes utilised in the treatment of the lead blocks, in order to re-use or re-cycle the lead materials as far as reasonably practicable.
In processing 700 tonnes of lead block arisings from the decommissioning of this facility so far, NNC and UKAEA have segregated over 400 tonnes of uncontaminated lead and decontaminated approximately 250 tonnes of lead for unrestricted re-use or for recycling, after smelting. Much of this material would otherwise have been consigned as low level radioactive waste. Secondary low level radioactive wastes arising from the decontamination process have amounted to approximately 15 m3 to date, of which only a small proportion of the arisings are lead shavings.
Radioactive Waste Treatment From Mo-99 Production Facility in the Netherlands
Authors: Van Kleef Rozé M. , Duijves Klaas A. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
In Petten, the Netherlands, a Molybdenum Production Facility (MPF) has been realised since 1994 by the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) in close co-operation with Mallinckrodt, a company that produces isotopes for medical applications at the same site. The facility is operated by Mallinckrodt personnel under the license of NRG. At this moment the facility has a weekly production rate of 0,4 PBq (10,500 Ci). The management of the radioactive waste treatment, developed by Mallinckrodt, NRG and COVRA, has been one of the key issues during the development of the production facility.
COVRA is the Central Organisation for Radioactive Waste in the Netherlands and responsible for the execution of the radwaste policy of the Dutch government. For solid and liquid low level waste (LLW) the existing route at COVRA was available. For the handling of solid and liquid intermediate level waste (ILW) from the MPF, a new system for transport, interim storage and treatment had to be developed. Therefore the Mo-waste project was established in 1994.
This project included the following issues:
• development, construction and operation of a filling and packaging station for liquid waste at the production site,
• design, engineering, fabrication and testing of Type A-transport containers for both the solid and liquid ILW,
• modification of transport vehicle,
• design and realisation of interim storage and treatment facilities for both the solid and liquid ILW at the COVRA site.
At this moment the completed facilities have successfully undergone the hot testing phase. The experiences achieved confirmed the rightness of the choice to integrate the COVRA waste management concept in the Molybdenum production cycle.
CONSTOR® Transport and Storage Cask for Spent Fuel and for High Active Waste
Authors: Diersch Rudolf , Gartz Robert , Gluschke Konrad 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The CONSTOR® was developed with special consideration to an economical and effective way of manufacturing by using conventional mechanical engineering technologies and common materials. The main objective of this development was to fabricate these casks in countries not having highly specialized industries for casting or forging of thick-walled casks. Nevertheless, the CONSTOR® concept fulfills both the internationally valid IAEA criteria for transportation and the German criteria for long-term intermediate storage. The basic cask concept has been designed for adaptation to different spent fuel specifications as well as handling conditions in the NPPs. Adaptations have been made for spent fuel from RBMK and VVER reactors, and also for BWR spent fuel and high active waste.
So far, 30 CONSTOR® RBMK-1500 original casks have been manufactured and delivered to Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania. Two of these have been succesfully loaded during hot trial tests and placed in storage.
The CONSTOR® cask for RBMK fuel has obtained the type B(U)F verification certificate from the Russian authority GAN and the release for manufacturing as a storage cask by the Lithuanian Authority VATESI. Following the successful hot trials, the final storage license from VATESI is expected in the near future. The type B(U)F licensing in the Czech Republic will be finished in 2001.
8 Years Working of ENTRAP’s Working Group on Non-Destructive Testing of Waste Packages
Authors: Bruggeman M. , Van Iseghem P. , Odoj R. , Lierse von Gostomski Ch. , Dierckx R. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
ENTRAP is a European organisation grouping nuclear waste quality checking laboratories from different EU member states. The main objectives of ENTRAP are information exchange and harmonisation between the laboratories. ENTRAP works on different aspects of quality checking of nuclear waste packages. The working items are treated in different working groups and one of these working groups is WGA, dealing with non-destructive assay techniques for waste packages. This paper discusses the main achievements made by WGA, and gives a summary of the state-of-the-practice of assay techniques used for quality checking of nuclear waste packages in the different member laboratories.
Quality Assurance in Radwaste Conditioning, Long-Term Interim Storage and Disposal in Germany
Authors: Brennecke Peter , Giller Heinz , Steyer Stefan , Theis Stefan 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
A nationwide harmonized quality assurance system for radwaste conditioning, interim storage and final disposal has been implemented in Germany. Up to now the guideline for all steps have been the waste acceptance criteria for the final disposal facilities Morsleben and Konrad. While the first one is in the stage of preparation for final closure the startup of the latter will be postponed for at least another 10 years. Possibly the next German repository will not be located at Konrad and start operation as late as 2030. This change in disposal policy has significant impact on the conditioning and QA-procedures today.
Intergenerational transmission of alcohol misuse: mediation and interaction by school performance in a Swedish birth cohort
Authors: Almquist Ylva B , Bishop Lauren , Gustafsson Nina-Katri , Berg Lisa 
Published: April 2020

BackgroundChildren whose parents misuse alcohol have increased risks of own alcohol misuse in adulthood. Though most attain lower school marks, some still perform well in school, which could be an indicator of resilience with protective potential against negative health outcomes. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine the processes of mediation and interaction by school performance regarding the intergenerational transmission of alcohol misuse.MethodsData were drawn from a prospective Swedish cohort study of children born in 1953 (n=14 608). Associations between parental alcohol misuse (ages 0–19) and participants’ own alcohol misuse in adulthood (ages 20–63) were examined by means of Cox regression analysis. Four-way decomposition was used to explore mediation and interaction by school performance in grade 6 (age 13), grade 9 (age 16) and grade 12 (age 19).ResultsMediation and/or interaction by school performance accounted for a substantial proportion of the association between parental alcohol misuse and own alcohol misuse in adulthood (58% for performance in grade 6, 27% for grade 9 and 30% for grade 12). Moreover, interaction effects appeared to be more important for the outcome than mediation.ConclusionAbove-average school performance among children whose parents misused alcohol seems to reflect processes of resilience with the potential to break the intergenerational transmission of alcohol misuse. Four-way decomposition offers a viable approach to disentangle processes of interaction from mediation, representing a promising avenue for future longitudinal research.
Effects of dietary silicate levels on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microflora, odorous gas emissions, blood characteristics, and foot and mouth disease antibodies in weaning to finishing pigs
Authors: Lee Ji Hwan , Yun Won , Oh Han Jin , An Ji Seon , Kim Young Gwang , Lee Chang Gyu , Cho Jin Ho 
Published: April 2020

The goal of this study was to investigate effects of different levels of silicate supplementation in weaning to finishing pigs. A total of 96 piglets [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with initial body weight of 11.30 ± 0.02 kg were used for 16 wk (six replicate pens with four pigs per pen). Dietary treatment consisted of 0% (CON), 0.1% (T1), 0.5% (T2), and 1.0% (T3) silicate in the basal diet. Inclusion of 0.1% dietary silicate increased (P < 0.05) body weight, average daily gain, and gain-to-feed ratio in 0–16 wk. In addition, inclusion of 0.1% dietary silicate increased (P < 0.05) crude protein digestibility in 8 and 16 wk, whereas it decreased (P < 0.05) Escherichia coli count and ammonia emissions throughout the study period. Additionally, inclusion of dietary silicate increased (linear, P < 0.05) white blood cell in 4 wk, whereas it increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) white blood cell counts in 8 and 16 wk. Blood urea nitrogen decreased (quadratic, P < 0.05), and lymphocyte and foot and mouth antibodies increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) when silicate level increased. In conclusion, supplementation of 0.1% silicate in the diet showed positive effects in weaning to finishing pigs.
Lineage-Specific Epigenomic and Genomic Activation of Oncogene HNF4A Promotes Gastrointestinal Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Pan Jian , Silva Tiago C. , Gull Nicole , Yang Qian , Plummer Jasmine T. , Chen Stephanie , Daigo Kenji , Hamakubo Takao , Gery Sigal , Ding Ling-Wen , Jiang Yan-Yi , Hu Shaoyan , Xu Li-Yan , Li En-Min , Ding Yanbing , Klempner Samuel J. , Gayther Simon A. , Berman Benjamin P. , Koeffler H. Phillip , Lin De-Chen 
Published: April 2020

Abstract

Gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas (GIAC) of the tubular gastrointestinal (GI) tract including esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum comprise most GI cancers and share a spectrum of genomic features. However, the unified epigenomic changes specific to GIAC are poorly characterized. Using 907 GIAC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we applied mathematical algorithms to large-scale DNA methylome and transcriptome profiles to reconstruct transcription factor (TF) networks and identify a list of functionally hyperactive master regulator (MR) TF shared across different GIAC. The top candidate HNF4A exhibited prominent genomic and epigenomic activation in a GIAC-specific manner. A complex interplay between the HNF4A promoter and three distal enhancer elements was coordinated by GIAC-specific MRTF including ELF3, GATA4, GATA6, and KLF5. HNF4A also self-regulated its own promoter and enhancers. Functionally, HNF4A promoted cancer proliferation and survival by transcriptional activation of many downstream targets, including HNF1A and factors of interleukin signaling, in a lineage-specific manner. Overall, our study provides new insights into the GIAC-specific gene regulatory networks and identifies potential therapeutic strategies against these common cancers.

Significance:
These findings show that GIAC-specific master regulatory transcription factors control HNF4A via three distal enhancers to promote GIAC cell proliferation and survival.
Antibody Responses to Helicobacter pylori and Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer in a European Cohort
Authors: Butt Julia , Jenab Mazda , Pawlita Michael , Tjønneland Anne , Kyrø Cecilie , Boutron-Ruault Marie-Christine , Carbonnel Franck , Dong Catherine , Kaaks Rudolf , Kühn Tilman , Boeing Heiner , Schulze Matthias B. , Trichopoulou Antonia , Karakatsani Anna , La Vecchia Carlo , Palli Domenico , Agnoli Claudia , Tumino Rosario , Sacerdote Carlotta , Panico Salvatore , Bueno-de-Mesquita Bas , Vermeulen Roel , Gram Inger T. , Weiderpass Elisabete , Borch Kristin Benjaminsen , Quirós Jose Ramón , Agudo Antonio , Rodríguez-Barranco Miguel , Santiuste Carmen , Ardanaz Eva , Van Guelpen Bethany , Harlid Sophia , Imaz Liher , Perez-Cornago Aurora , Gunter Marc J. , Zouiouich Semi , Park Jin Young , Riboli Elio , Cross Amanda J. , Heath Alicia K. , Waterboer Tim , Hughes David J. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract

Background:
While Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the major cause of gastric cancer, it has also been suggested to be involved in colorectal cancer development. However, prospective studies addressing H. pylori and colorectal cancer are sparse and inconclusive. We assessed the association of antibody responses to H. pylori proteins with colorectal cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Methods:
We applied H. pylori multiplex serology to measure antibody responses to 13 H. pylori proteins in prediagnostic serum samples from 485 colorectal cancer cases and 485 matched controls nested within the EPIC study. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariable conditional logistic regression to estimate the association of H. pylori overall and protein-specific seropositivity with odds of developing colorectal cancer.

Results:
Fifty-one percent of colorectal cancer cases were H. pylori seropositive compared with 44% of controls, resulting in an OR of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.00–1.85). Among the 13 individual H. pylori proteins, the association was driven mostly by seropositivity to Helicobacter cysteine-rich protein C (HcpC; OR: 1.66; 95% CI, 1.19–2.30) and Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) (OR: 1.34; 95% CI, 0.99–1.82), the latter being nonstatistically significant only in the fully adjusted model.

Conclusions:
In this prospective multicenter European study, antibody responses to H. pylori proteins, specifically HcpC and VacA, were associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Impact:
Biological mechanisms for a potential causal role of H. pylori in colorectal carcinogenesis need to be elucidated, and subsequently whether H. pylori eradication may decrease colorectal cancer incidence.
Interannual Variations in Summer Precipitation in Southwest China: Anomalies in Moisture Transport and the Role of the Tropical Atlantic
Authors: Yuan Chaoxia , Yang Mengzhou 
Published: April 2020

AbstractUsing a Lagrangian trajectory model, contributions of moisture from the Indian Ocean (IO), the South China Sea (SCS), the adjacent land region (LD), and the Pacific Ocean (PO) to interannual summer precipitation variations in southwestern China (SWC) are investigated. Results show that, on average, the IO, SCS, LD, and PO contribute 48.8%, 21.1%, 23.6%, and 3.7% of the total moisture release in SWC, respectively. In summers with the above-normal precipitation, moisture release from the IO and SCS increases significantly by 41.4% and 15.1%, respectively. In summers with below-normal precipitation, moisture release from the IO and SCS decreases significantly by 44.2% and 24.6%, respectively. In addition, the moisture anomalies from the four source regions together explain 86.5% of the total interannual variances of SWC summer precipitation, and the IO and SCS only can explain 75.7%. Variations in moisture transport from the IO, SCS, and LD to SWC are not independent of one another and are commonly influenced by the anomalous anticyclone in the western North Pacific Ocean, which enhances the moisture transport from the IO and SCS by the anomalous southwesterlies over its northwestern quadrant but reduces that from the LD east of SWC by the anomalous westerlies along its northern edge. Anomalous warming in the tropical Atlantic Ocean can modify the Walker circulation, induce anomalous descending motion over the central tropical Pacific, and excite the anomalous anticyclone in the western North Pacific as the classic Matsuno–Gill response. The observed impacts of the tropical Atlantic warming on the anomalous anticyclone and summer precipitation in SWC can be well reproduced in an atmospheric general circulation model.