ABSTRACT
In the exceedingly rare event of nuclear reactor core meltdown, uranium dioxide fuel reacts with Zircaloy cladding to produce eutectic melts which can subsequently be oxidized by coolant/moderator water. Oxidized corium liquids in the xUO2·(100 - x)ZrO2 system were produced via laser melting of UO2-ZrO2 mixtures to temperatures in excess of 3000 K. Contamination was avoided by floating the droplets on a gas stream within an aerodynamic levitator and in-situ high-energy x-ray diffraction experiments allowed structural details to be elucidated. Molecular dynamics simulations well reproduced diffraction and density data, and show less compositional variation in thermal expansion and viscosity than suggested by existing measurements. As such, corium liquids maintain their highly penetrating nature irrespective of the amount of oxidized cladding dissolved in the molten fuel. Metal-oxygen coordination numbers vary with both composition and temperature. The former is due to mismatch in native values, nUO(x = 100) ≈ 7 and nZrO(x = 0) ≈ 6, and the requirement for oxygen site stabilization. The latter provides a thermal expansion mechanism.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many pipeline drugs have low solubility in their crystalline state and require compounding in special dosage forms to increase bioavailability for oral administration. The use of amorphous formulations increases solubility and uptake of active pharmaceutical ingredients. These forms are rapidly gaining commercial importance for both pre-clinical and clinical use. METHODS: Synthesis of amorphous drugs was performed using an acoustic levitation containerless processing method and spray drying. The structure of the products was investigated using in-situ high energy X-ray diffraction. Selected solvents for processing drugs were investigated using acoustic levitation. The stability of amorphous samples was measured using X-ray diffraction. Samples processed using both spray drying and containerless synthesis were compared. RESULTS: We review methods for making amorphous pharmaceuticals and present data on materials made by containerless processing and spray drying. It was shown that containerless processing using acoustic levitation can be used to make phase-pure forms of drugs that are known to be difficult to amorphize. The stability and structure of the materials was investigated in the context of developing and making clinically useful formulations. CONCLUSIONS: Amorphous compounds are emerging as an important component of drug development and for the oral delivery of drugs with low solubility. Containerless techniques can be used to efficiently synthesize small quantities of pure amorphous forms that are potentially useful in pre-clinical trials and for use in the optimization of clinical products. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Developing new pharmaceutical products is an essential enterprise to improve patient outcomes. The development and application of amorphous pharmaceuticals to increase absorption is rapidly gaining importance and it provides opportunities for breakthrough research on new drugs. There is an urgent need to solve problems associated with making formulations that are both stable and that provide high bioavailability. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Science for Life" Guest Editor: Dr. Austen Angell, Dr. Salvatore Magazù and Dr. Federica Migliardo.
Subject(s)
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/methods , Pharmaceutical Preparations/chemistry , Acoustics , Crystallization , Solvents/chemistry , Surface Tension , X-RaysABSTRACT
An aerodynamic levitator with carbon dioxide laser beam heating was integrated with a hermetically sealed controlled atmosphere chamber and sample handling mechanism. The system enabled containment of radioactive samples and control of the process atmosphere chemistry. The chamber was typically operated at a pressure of approximately 0.9 bars to ensure containment of the materials being processed. Samples 2.5-3 mm in diameter were levitated in flowing gas to achieve containerless conditions. Levitated samples were heated to temperatures of up to 3500 °C with a partially focused carbon dioxide laser beam. Sample temperature was measured using an optical pyrometer. The sample environment was integrated with a high energy (100 keV) x-ray synchrotron beamline to enable in situ structure measurements to be made on levitated samples as they were heated, melted, and supercooled. The system was controlled from outside the x-ray beamline hutch by using a LabVIEW program. Measurements have been made on hot solid and molten uranium dioxide and binary uranium dioxide-zirconium dioxide compositions.
ABSTRACT
We describe a microwave photon counter based on the current-biased Josephson junction. The junction is tuned to absorb single microwave photons from the incident field, after which it tunnels into a classically observable voltage state. Using two such detectors, we have performed a microwave version of the Hanbury Brown-Twiss experiment at 4 GHz and demonstrated a clear signature of photon bunching for a thermal source. The design is readily scalable to tens of parallelized junctions, a configuration that would allow number-resolved counting of microwave photons.
ABSTRACT
We have characterized the complex inductance of dc SQUIDs cooled to millikelvin temperatures. The SQUID inductance displays a rich, history-dependent structure as a function of temperature, with fluctuations of order 1 fH. At a fixed temperature, the SQUID inductance fluctuates with a 1/f power spectrum; the inductance noise is highly correlated with the conventional 1/f flux noise. The data are interpreted in terms of the reconfiguration of clusters of surface spins, with correlated fluctuations of effective magnetic moments and relaxation times.
ABSTRACT
We have characterized the temperature dependence of the flux threading dc SQUIDs cooled to millikelvin temperatures. The flux increases as 1/T as temperature is lowered; moreover, the flux change is proportional to the density of trapped vortices. The data are compatible with the thermal polarization of surface spins in the trapped fields of the vortices. In the absence of trapped flux, we observe evidence of spin-glass freezing at low temperature. These results suggest an explanation for the universal 1/f flux noise in SQUIDs and superconducting qubits.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Postangiogram femoral site care varies by institution and practitioner. The literature is unclear about which intervention provides the best hemostasis and patient comfort. OBJECTIVE: To investigate which method of femoral site immobilization results in less bleeding and more comfort after coronary angiography. METHODS: Three hundred inpatients and outpatients undergoing coronary angiography in a large, metropolitan, tertiary care facility were assigned randomly to three types of femoral site immobilization. A three-group experimental design was used in this intervention study. Patients were on bedrest and received one of the following interventions to the affected (site of puncture) leg for 6 hours: group 1 had a sandbag applied to the femoral site, group 2 had a sheet over the affected leg and tucked under the mattress, and group 3 had verbal instruction to keep the leg straight and still. An ordinal level hemostasis scale was developed, with descriptors based on the extent of intervention necessary, ranging from 1 = none to 5 = surgical. A 17-item, Likert-type scale was used. RESULTS: The verbal instruction group experienced significantly more bleeding than the sandbag group. There was no difference in bleeding or comfort between the sandbag and sheet-tuck groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that sheet-tuck immobilization of the affected leg provides the same degree of hemostasis to the femoral site after coronary angiography as the sandbag.
