All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A nanoscintillation system comprising nanoparticles suspended in an aqueous vehicle, the nanoparticles comprising:
at least one nanoparticle matrix material
at least one surfactant or co-surfactant or a mixture thereof, and
at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule or a mixture thereof.
2. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the nanoparticles having a diameter less than 1000 nanometers.
3. The nanoscintillation system of claim 2, the nanoparticles having a diameter less than 300 nanometers.
4. The nanoscintillation system of claim 2, the nanoparticles having a diameter less than 100 nanometers.
5. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, further comprising an electron-emitting or alpha-particle-emitting radioisotope.
6. The nanoscintillation system of claim 5, the electron-emitting or alpha-particle-emitting radioisotope being free or attached to one or more molecules in the aqueous vehicle.
7. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, further comprising one or more ligands coupled to one or more of the nanoparticles.
8. The nanoscintillation system of claim 7, the one or more ligands comprising a protein, carbohydrate, or a combination thereof.
9. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the nanoparticle matrix material comprising emulsifying wax, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene stearate, or polystyrene or its derivative or copolymer thereof.
10. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the nanoparticle matrix material being present at a concentration from 0.1 to 300 mgmL.
11. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the aqueous vehicle comprising water or an aqueous buffer.
12. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the surfactant or co-surfactant comprising a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene stearate, Triton or its derivative thereof, or an alcohol.
13. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, surfactants being present at a total concentration of 1-5000 mM.
14. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the primary fluor molecule comprising 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (butyl-PBD), 2,5-bis(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene (BBOT), or derivatives or combinations thereof.
15. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the secondary fluor molecule comprising 1,4-bis(5-phenyloxazol-2yl)benzene (POPOP), 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (bis-MSB), or derivatives or combinations thereof.
16. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, primary fluor molecules being present at a total concentration of at least 1 mgmL.
17. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, water comprising at least 50% of the total weight of the nanoscintillation system.
18. A method for scintillation measurement, comprising:
obtaining a nanoscintillation system according to claim 1; and
measuring scintillation associated with the nanoscintillation system.
19. A nanoparticle comprising:
at least one liquid nanoparticle matrix material;
at least one surfactant or co-surfactant or a mixture thereof, and
at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule or a mixture thereof;
wherein the nanoparticle is made from an oil-in-water microemulsion precursor.
20. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the at least one liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising an oil phase, and the nanoparticle being made when the liquid nanoparticle matrix material is dispersed with the at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion, and the surfactant stabilized microemulsion is cooled to room temperature while stirring.
21. The nanoparticle of claim 20, the oil phase being present as liquid droplets having a diameter less than 1000 nanometers.
22. The nanoparticle of claim 20, the continuous phase being water or an aqueous buffer present at a concentration of greater than 50% ww.
23. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising an emulsifying wax, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene stearate, polystyrene, or derivatives or combinations thereof.
24. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising polystyrene, a copolymer of polystyrene, or a derivative thereof and having a melting point between 40 C. and 80 C.
25. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising styrene, divinyl benzene, toluene, an aromatic or unsaturated monomer capable of being polymerized by one or more free radicals, or a derivative or combination thereof.
26. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material being present in a continuous phase at a concentration from 0.1 to 300 mgmL.
27. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the surfactant or co-surfactant comprising a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene stearate, Triton or its derivative thereof, or an alcohol.
28. The nanoparticle of claim 19, surfactants being present at a total concentration of 1-5000 mM.
29. The nanoparticle of claim 28, surfactants being present at a total concentration of 1-300 mM.
30. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the primary fluor molecule comprising 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (butyl-PBD), 2,5-bis(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene (BBOT), or derivates or combinations thereof.
31. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the secondary fluor molecule comprising 1,4-bis(5-phenyloxazol-2yl)benzene (POPOP), 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (bis-MSB), or derivates or combinations thereof.
32. The nanoparticle of claim 19, primary fluor molecules being present at a total concentration of at least 1 mgmL.
33. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the at least one liquid nanoparticle matrix material being polymerizable and comprising an oil phase, and the nanoparticle being made when the liquid nanoparticle matrix material is dispersed with at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion, and the liquid nanoparticle matrix material is polymerized by free-radical polymerization.
34. The nanoparticle of claim 33, free-radical polymerization being performed by heating the surfactant stabilized microemulsion, by adding a free-radical initiator, or by a combination thereof.
35. The nanoparticle of claim 33, the oil phase comprising liquid droplets having a diameter less than 1000 nanometers.
36. The nanoparticle of claim 33, the continuous phase comprising at least 50% water or an aqueous buffer.
37. A method for scintillation measurement, comprising:
obtaining a nanoparticle according to claim 19; and
measuring scintillation associated with the nanoparticle.
38. A method of making a nanoscintillation system, comprising:
dispersing a liquid nanoparticle matrix material with a fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion; and
cooling the surfactant stabilized microemulsion to room temperature while stirring.
39. A method of making a nanoparticle useful for scintillation, comprising:
obtaining a nanoparticle matrix material;
melting the nanoparticle matrix material to form a liquid dispersed phase;
dispersing a fluor molecule into the liquid dispersed phase;
dispersing the liquid dispersed phase, including the fluor molecule, in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion; and
cooling the microemulsion while stirring to form a solid stable nanoparticle having a diameter of less than about 300 nanometers, which includes the fluor molecule either entrapped in or adsorbed to the nanoparticle.
40. The method of claim 39, the melting occurring at a temperature between about 35 C. and about 100 C.
41. The method of claim 39, the cooling comprising cooling with no dilution in water.
42. A method of making a nanoscintillation system, comprising:
dispersing a liquid nanoparticle matrix material with a fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion; and
polymerizing the liquid nanoparticle matrix material by free-radical polymerization.
43. The method of claim 42, the free-radical polymerization being performed by heating the surfactant stabilized microemulsion, by adding a free-radical initiator, or by a combination thereof.
44. The method of claim 42, further comprising concentrating the nanoscintillation system.
45. The method of claim 44, the concentrating comprising centrifugal ultrafiltration.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A production method for a fine metal component, characterized by comprising the steps of:
fixing a mold composed of an insulating material having a fine through-hole pattern corresponding to the shape of a fine metal component on a conductive substrate with a conductive film composed of a conductive paste, characterized in that a metal powder having the form of a lot of fine metal particles including a metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and alloys of not less than two of Ni, Fe, and Co being linked in a chain shape by magnetism is contained as a conductive component, intervened between the conductive substrate and the mold to form a mold for electroforming; and
making a plated coating selectively grow on a surface of the conductive substrate or the conductive film exposed at a portion of the through-hole pattern of the mold for electroforming by electroplating using the surface as an electrode, to form a fine metal product corresponding to the shape of the through-hole pattern.
2. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 1, characterized in that used as the conductive paste is one which respectively contains a chain-shaped metal powder and a binding agent as solid contents and in which the content of the chain-shaped metal powder in the total amount of the solid contents is 0.05 to 20% by volume.
3. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 1, characterized in that used as the conductive paste is one containing the chain-shaped metal powder as well as a granular metal powder having a smaller particle diameter than the chain-shaped metal powder.
4. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 3, characterized in that used as the conductive paste is one which respectively contains the chain-shaped metal powder, a granular metal powder, and a binding agent as solid contents and in which the content of the chain-shaped metal powder in the total amount of the solid contents is 0.05 to 20% by volume and the content of the granular metal powder therein is 0.05 to 20% by volume.
5. A production method for a fine metal component, characterized by comprising the steps of:
forming on a conductive substrate a first conductive film composed of the conductive paste, characterized in that a metal powder having the form of a lot of fine metal particles including a metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and alloys of not less than two of Ni, Fe, and Co being linked in a chain shape by magnetism is contained as a conductive component, and a second conductive film composed of a conductive paste containing a metal powder having a smaller particle diameter than a chain-shaped metal powder contained in the first conductive film in this order, and fixing a mold composed of an insulating material having a fine through-hole pattern corresponding to the shape of a fine metal component on a conductive substrate with both the conductive films intervened between the conductive substrate and the mold, to form a mold for electroforming; and
making a plated coating selectively grow on a surface of the second conductive film exposed at a portion of the through-hole pattern of the mold for electroforming by electroplating using the surface as an electrode, to form a fine metal component corresponding to the shape of the through-hole pattern.
6. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 5, characterized in that used as the conductive paste for forming the second conductive film is one which respectively contains a metal powder and a binding agent as solid contents and in which the content of the metal powder in the total amount of the solid contents is 0.05 to 70% by volume.

1-10. (canceled)
11. A method for producing a zirconium alloy semi-finished product containing by weight at least 97% zirconium, intended for the production of at least one elongated product, comprising:
casting the zirconium alloy to produce an ingot with a diameter between 400 mm and 700 mm and a length between 2 m and 3 m; and
two-stage forging the ingot to produce the semi-finished product intended to be formed to obtain the elongated product, wherein a first forging stage of the ingot is performed at a temperature at which the zirconium alloy is in a state comprising the crystalline \u03b1 and \u03b2 phases of the zirconium alloy.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at the temperature of the first forging stage, the ingot contains a volume proportion of zirconium alloy in the a phase between 10% and 90%, a remainder of the zirconium alloy of the ingot being in the \u03b2 phase.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first forging stage is performed at a temperature between 850\xb0 C. and 950\xb0 C.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first forging stage is performed at a temperature of approximately 900\xb0 C.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first forging stage is performed at a temperature between 600\xb0 C. and 950\xb0 C.
16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
performing a second forging stage at a temperature at which the zirconium alloy of an intermediate product obtained by the first forging stage of the ingot is in the a phase.
17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a second forging stage is performed at a temperature at which the zirconium alloy of an intermediate product obtained at an end of the first forging stage of the ingot is in a state comprising crystalline \u03b1 and \u03b2 phases of the zirconium alloy.
18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the zirconium alloy contains at least 3% by weight in total of additive elements comprising at least one of tin, iron, chromium, nickel, oxygen, niobium, vanadium and silicon, a remainder of the alloy being constituted by zirconium with an exception of the inevitable impurities.
19. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:
producing a semi-finished product intended for production of a tubular product for manufacture of a fuel assembly element for one of a fuel assembly for a water-cooled nuclear reactor and a fuel assembly element for a CANDU reactor.
20. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:
producing a bar intended for production of a small diameter plug bar for manufacture of plugs closing ends of jacket tubes of fuel assembly rods for nuclear reactors.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A power drive unit (PDU) for an air cargo loading system in which a controller is connected to a plurality of such PDUs via a wired network and is instructed via wireless remote handset to activate one or more of said PDUs in response to a coded light signal, the PDU comprising:
a light source configured to emit light;
at least one light detector configured to receive light; and
a PDU processor coupled to said at least one light detector and programmed to:
determine whether a Unit Load Device (ULD) is overhead, based at least in part on reflected light received by said at least one light detector after illuminating an underside of the ULD by said light source;
determine whether a coded light signal received by said at least one light detector comprises a command signal to be provided to the controller; and
output an appropriate first command information signal, if the coded light signal is determined to be a command signal.
2. The power drive unit (PDU) according to claim 1, wherein:
the PDU processor is further programmed to output the command information signal only if at least two consecutive, identical, command signals are received at a light detector.
3. The power drive unit (PDU) according to claim 1, comprising a single light detector coupled to said PDU processor, said PDU processor receiving output of said single light detector in response to said reflected light, and also receiving output of said single light detector in response to said coded light signal.
4. The power drive unit (PDU) according to claim 1, comprising two light detectors coupled to said PDU processor, said PDU processor receiving output from a first light detector in response to said reflected light, and receiving output from second light detector in response to said coded light signal.
5. The power drive unit (PDU) according to claim 4, wherein:
a wavelength of light to which the first light detector responds differs from a wavelength of light to which the second light detector responds.
6. A method of issuing control signals from a controller associated with an air cargo loading system installed in an air cargo compartment of an aircraft to at least one power drive unit (PDU), the air cargo loading system including a plurality of PDUs connected via a wired network to said controller, each of the PDUs comprising a light detector coupled to a PDU processor and configured to receive and process an incoming light signal, each of the PDUs also being configured to detect whether a unit load device (ULD) is overhead, the method comprising:
activating a first button on a first wireless remote control handset to thereby create a first light signal;
receiving the first light signal at a light detector of one of said plurality of PDUs;
at said one PDU which receives the first light signal:
determining whether the received first light signal comprises a command signal to be relayed to the controller; and
providing an appropriate first command information signal to the controller, if the received, first light signal is determined to be a command signal to be relayed to the controller; and

at the controller:
obtaining the first command information signal;
determining which of said plurality of PDUs should be activated in response to the first command information signal; and
sending a first PDU control signal via the wired network to activate only those PDUs that the controller has determined should he activated in response to the first command information signal.
7. The method according to claim 6, comprising:
activating PDUs in response to the first command information signal only so long as the first button remains activated and the handset continues to a transmit a command signal.
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of PDUs are arranged in a right row and a left row along a length of the air cargo compartment, the method comprising:
activating PDUs in both rows, in response to the first PDU control signal.
9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of PDUs are arranged in a right row and a left row along a length of the air cargo compartment, the method comprising:
activating PDUs in only a first of the two rows and activating none of the PDUs in the second of the two rows, in response to the first PDU control signal.
10. The method according to claim 9, comprising:
activating a second button on a second remote control handset to thereby create a second light signal;
receiving the second light signal at a light detector of one of said plurality of PDUs;
at said one PDU which receives the second light signal:
determining whether the received second light signal comprises a command signal to be relayed to the controller;
if the received second light signal is determined to be a command signal to be relayed to the controller, sending an appropriate second command information signal to the controller; and

at the controller:
interpreting the second command information signal;
determining which of said plurality of PDUs should be activated in response to the second command information signal; and
sending a second PDU control signal to activate only those PDUs that the controller has determined should be activated in response to the second command information signal; and

activating PDUs in only the second of the two rows and activating none of the PDUs in the first of the two rows, in response to the second PDU control signal.
11. The method according to claim 10, comprising:
activating PDUs in the first row in response to the first command information signal only so long as the first button remains activated and the handset continues to a transmit a command signal.
12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of PDUs are arranged in a right row and a left row along a length of the air cargo compartment, the method further comprising:
providing a handset that is configured to create light signals which, when interpreted by the controller, can result in the activation of PDUs in only one of the two rows.