Abstract: All neoplastic cells express one or more members of a unique family of cell surface ubiquinone (NADH) oxidase proteins with protein disulfide-thiol interchange activity (ECTO-NOX proteins) that are characteristically inhibited by quinone site inhibitors with anti-cancer activity and a common amino acid sequence disclosed herein that allows for cancer-specific antibody recognition as well as for detection of certain critical reference proteins that provide loading controls. Cancers of different cellular or tissue origins express different ENOX2 cancer isoforms or combinations of isoforms and shed these proteins into the circulation. Herein are disclosed methods both for cancer detection and diagnosis of particular origin, based on the patterns and molecular weights of the isoforms which allow the identification of the cell type and or tissue of origin of the neoplasm. Relative ENOX2 amounts are proportional to tumor burden and provide a reliable measure of response to therapy and disease progression.

Abstract: A method 20 for decontaminating plastic products and materials which have become radioactively contaminated. The treatment method 20 involves dissolving such plastics in a dissolution tank 28 in an organic solvent and treating the resulting solution by a solvent extraction technique in column 36 to remove particulate and dissolved radioactive contaminants from the plastic. The contaminants can be buried in a low level radioactive waste site and the separated plastic material can be disposed of in a sanitary landfill or recycled into other plastic products.

Abstract: A method 20 for decontaminating specially selected plastic materials comprised of polymers and copolymers of unsaturated organic acids and other specially selected plastic materials, which have become radioactively contaminated, includes dissolving such plastic materials in an aqueous solvent 34 and treating the resulting solution selectively via filtration 36, ion-exchange absorption 40, and precipitation 44 processes to remove particulate and dissolved radioactive contaminants. The treated aqueous stream may be discharged to a sewage stream and the separated plastic materials can be disposed of in a sanitary landfill or recycled into other plastic products.

Abstract: A horizontal, modular, dry, irradiated fuel storage system (10) includes a thin-walled canister (12) for containing irradiated fuel assemblies (20), which canister (12) can be positioned in a transfer cask (14) and transported in a horizontal manner from a fuel storage pool (18), to an intermediate-term storage facility. The storage system (10) includes a plurality of dry storage modules (26) which accept the canister (12) from the transfer cask (14) and provide for appropriate shielding about the canister (12). Each module (26) also provides for air cooling of the canister (12) to remove the decay heat of the irradiated fuel assemblies (20). The modules (26) can be interlocked so that each module (26) gains additional shielding from the next adjacent module (26). Hydraulic rams (30) are provided for inserting and removing the canisters (12) from the modules (26).

Abstract: Stress corrosion cracking 36 at a welded pipe joint 14 in service in a nuclear reactor can be controlled by the location of a overlay weld 18 over the primary weld 16, which extends axially along the pipe on either side of the primary weld 16. The overlay weld 18 is comprised of a plurality of circumferentially and continuously applied weld beads 35, 37 which extend substantially to a minimum distance necessary to produced a favorable residual stress pattern. This distance has been estimated to be the square root of the product of the radius of the pipe times the thickness of the pipe on either side of the primary weld 16.