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The conceptual design of the demonstration fusion power reactor, known as DEMO, is ongoing and several reactor configurations have to be investigated by exploring different design parameters. For these reasons, within the European framework, systems codes like SYCOMORE (SYstem COde for MOdelling tokamak REactor) have been developed. SYCOMORE includes several specific modules, one of which is aimed to define a suitable design of the helium breeding blanket. The research activity has been devoted to improve the method to define automatically the First Wall design starting from thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical considerations, using analytical design formulae and, also, taking into account the design criteria coming from Codes&Standards. Thanks to these considerations, it has been possible to derive the first dimensions of the First Wall channels from which all the other characteristics are deducted. Afterwards, it has been assessed the thermal and mechanical field using a theoretical approach. Therefore, in order to compare and validate the results, a 3D geometric model has been created and FEM analyses have been carried out finding out very satisfying results with maximum error of 6.06% for the thermal analysis while a maximum error of 20% for primary and secondary stresses.

Most research on bioenergy short rotation woody crops (SRWC) has been dedicated to the genera Populus and Salix. These species generally require relatively high-input culture, including intensive weed competition control, which increases costs and environmental externalities. Widespread native early successional species, characterized by high productivity and good coppicing ability, may be better adapted to local environmental stresses and therefore could offer alternative low-input bioenergy production systems. To test this concept, we established a three-year experiment comparing a widely-used hybrid poplar (Populus nigra × P. maximowiczii, clone ‘NM6’) to two native species, American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) and tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) grown under contrasting weed and pest control at a coastal plain site in eastern North Carolina, USA. Mean cumulative aboveground wood production was significantly greater in sycamore, with yields of 46.6 Mg ha−1 under high-inputs and 32.7 Mg ha−1 under low-input culture, which rivaled the high-input NM6 yield of 32.9 Mg ha−1. NM6 under low-input management provided noncompetitive yield of 6.2 Mg ha−1. Sycamore also showed superiority in survival, biomass increment, weed resistance, treatment convergence, and within-stand uniformity. All are important characteristics for a bioenergy feedstock crop species, leading to reliable establishment and efficient biomass production. Poor performance in all traits was found for tuliptree, with a maximum yield of 1.2 Mg ha−1, suggesting this native species is a poor choice for SRWC. We conclude that careful species selection beyond the conventionally used genera may enhance reliability and decrease negative environmental impacts of the bioenergy biomass production sector.

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The Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon houses coffin H 2320 and its mummy cover H 2321 belonging to the pure priest, lector priest and embalmer Padikhonsu. The decoration of this unpublished material of unknown origin, made from traditional local woods (Ficus sycomorus L. and tamarisk), differs from contemporary creations. Indeed, the external decoration of the lid has a white background with a low density of features, whereas the box is painted in yellow. Furthermore, the inner decoration of the lid shows a frieze extracted from Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead combined with a long hieroglyphic inscription, including two mortuary formulae and Chapter 1 of the Book of the Dead. The inside of the mummy cover is mainly illustrated with extracts from the 10th and 11th hours of the Book of Amduat. Ultimately, stylistic, iconographic and palaeographic criteria suggest a dating of this funerary equipment at the end of the 21st Dynasty, and it is even likely that it was produced during the pontificate of Pinedjem II (990–969 BC). Yet, as the yellow background of the external box represents an essential characteristic of Theban coffins from the 21st Dynasty, this coffin most probably comes from Thebes.The book contains a complete iconographic, textual and technical study of this coffin and its mummy cover and tries to replace it in its historical context by focusing on the name, the titles and the social status of its owner under the government of the High Priests of Amun. A wood analysis was conducted by Victoria Asensi Amoros, expert micrograph of wood (UPMC-Paris VI)., Le cercueil et la couverture de momie du « prêtre-pur, prêtre-lecteur et embaumeur du domaine d’Amon », Padikhonsou sont conservés au musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, sous le numéro d’inventaire H 2320-2321. Cet ensemble inédit, de provenance inconnue, est fait de bois de figuier sycomore et de tamaris. Il est orné, à l’intérieur du couvercle, d’une frise extraite du chapitre 17 du Livre des morts et d’une longue inscription de 69 lignes, qui associe deux formules funéraires au chapitre 1 du Livre des Morts. Quant à la face interne de la couverture de momie, elle comporte essentiellement des extraits illustrés des 10e et 11e heures du Livre de l’Amdouat. L’originalité de ce matériel par rapport au mobilier de cette période réside également dans son association d’une cuve peinte en jaune avec un couvercle à fond blanc, orné de bretelles de momies (ou « stola ») de couleur rouge. Les caractéristiques de sa décoration permettent de proposer une datation à la fin de la XXIe dynastie probablement sous le pontificat de Pinedjem II (990-969 avant J.-C.). Si nous ignorons dans quelle tombe a été enterré Padikhonsou, le fond jaune de la cuve et la densité des motifs plaident pour une origine thébaine. Cet ouvrage comprend une étude iconographique, textuelle, paléographique et technique de cet ensemble funéraire. Il tente de le replacer dans son contexte historique, au temps des rois-prêtres, en s’intéressant au nom, aux titres et au statut social de son propriétaire. Une analyse micrographique des bois, réalisée par Victoria Asensi Amoros (UMPC-Paris IV), complète cette étude.

Rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) is a structurally complex pectic polysaccharide present in the walls of growing plant cells. We now report that RG-II, released by endopolygalacturonase treatment of the walls of suspension-cultured sycamore cells and etiolated pea stems, exists mainly as a dimer that is cross-linked by a borate ester. The borate ester is completely hydrolyzed at room temperature within 30 min at pH 1, partially hydrolyzed between pH 2 and 4, and stable above pH 4. The dimer is formed in vitro between pH 2.4 and 6.2 by treating monomeric RG-II (0.5 mM) with boric acid (1.2 mM); the dimer formed after 24 h at pH 3.4 and 5.0 accounts for ~30 and ~5%, respectively, of the RG-II. In contrast, the dimer accounts for ~80 and ~54% of the RG-II when the monomer is treated for 24 h at pH 3.4 and 5.0, respectively, with boric acid and 0.5 mM Sr2+, Pb2+, or Ba2+. The amount of dimer formed at pH 3.4 or 5.0 is not increased by addition of 0.5 mM Ca2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+. Steric considerations appear to regulate dimer formation since those divalent cations that enhance dimer formation have an ionic radius >1.1 A. Our data suggest that the borate ester is located on C-2 and C-3 of two of the four 3′-linked apiosyl residues of dimeric RG-II. Our results, taken together with the results of two previous studies (Kobayashi, M., Matoh, T., and Azuma, J.-I. (1996) Plant Physiol. 110, 1017-1020; Ishii, T., and Matsunaga, T. (1996) Carbohydr. Res. 284, 1-9) provide substantial evidence that this plant cell wall pectic polysaccharide is covalently cross-linked.