In 1996, EDF decided to build a containment model at the scale 1:3, the MAEVA mock-up, in order to check and study the behaviour of a pre-stressed concrete containment vessel without a liner in terms ...of mechanical strength and leaktightness, for loadings corresponding to its design and beyond design conditions. In parallel with the construction and testing of the mock-up, a cost-shared R&D action supported by the European Union, the CESA project, is dealing with quantification of leak rates through concrete cracks and porosity, predictive calculations of the behaviour of the mock-up and analysis of the experimental results. In this paper, we propose a synthesis of the main theoretical and experimental results, obtained after 2.5 years. It should however be noted that, due to some unexpected delays in the experimental programme, quite natural with such a huge and unique experimental set-up, only the design-basis accident sequences, already performed, have been reported in this paper. The first results are nevertheless very interesting, both from a scientific and nuclear utility point of view.
Monoclonal antibody technology has made it possible to produce homogeneous populations of antibodies to discrete determinants on an antigen surface. We have produced monoclonal antibodies to the ...alpha-subunit and beta-subunits of the glycoprotein hormones choriogonadotropin, thyrotropin, and lutropin, and developed two-site simultaneous enzyme-linked immunospecific assays for these hormones. The anti-alpha-subunit monoclonal antibody was used as the solid-phase (coated tube) capture antibody for all three hormones; the anti-beta-subunit monoclonal antibodies were coupled to horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7). Cross reactions between the closely related choriogonadotropin and lutropin were apparently greater in this method than in RIA, with use of the same antibodies. Ka of the antibodies did not appear to be as critical to sensitivity of the sandwich assay as it was for RIA. The lower limit of detection was 0.2 microgram/L after a 2-h incubation with serum sample at room temperature and a 30-min incubation with enzyme substrate at room temperature after washing away excess enzyme conjugate. Within-assay precision (CV) was very good, less than 6%.
