Diamond Coating Reduces Nuclear Fuel Rod Corrosion at Accidental Temperatures: The Role of Surface Electrochemistry and Semiconductivity.

If we want to decrease the probability of accidents in nuclear reactors, we must control the surface corrosion of the fuel rods. In this work we used a diamond coating containing <60% diamond and >40% sp "soft" carbon phase to protect Zr alloy fuel rods (ZIRLO) against corrosion in steam at temperatures from 850 °C to 1000 °C. A diamond coating was grown in a pulse microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition apparatus and made a strong barrier against hydrogen uptake into ZIRLO (ZIRLO) under all tested conditions.

[Advanced maternal age as a sole indication for amniocentesis--analysis of 418 fetal karyotypes].

Aim Of Study: Analysis of incidence of chromosomal abnormalities and variants in foetuses karyotyped because of the advanced maternal age.

Type Of Study: A retrospective epidemiological study of results of cytogenetic examinations followed amniocentesis in 418 foetuses.

Material And Methods: In our study we have used data from archives of the Cytogenetic laboratory of the Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Teaching Hospital in Prague.